Why is Everyone Obsessed with Carnotaurus? (Part One)

 

Why is Everyone Obsessed with Carnotaurus? (Part One)

 

With a new Jurassic World movie on the horizon in this year’s lineup of summer blockbusters, I am again thinking about the franchise, and dinosaur movies in general. I found myself asking a question about a particular species of dinosaur which has led to something more akin to my “Complete Cinematic History of Dinosaurs” series. Carnotaurus is a part of the Jurassic franchise, and has been around for a while now, but seriously…why do people go head over heels for this dino? What is it about Carnotaurus sastrei that has made it into one of the most popular carnivorous dinosaurs in this modern age? The history of this creature may surprise you, and while I could assume most readers will have no idea what a Carnotaurus is or even looks like, with the financial success of the Jurassic World movies over the past decade and the species popping up in so many new pieces of dinosaur media, I don’t think it’s as niche of a dinosaur as it used to be—as in, no longer one only your six-year-old fanatical cousin can name. 

The first time I heard the name Carnotaurus was from the ominous narration by Ben Gazzara for TLC’s docuseries PaleoWorld (1994). In the second episode of the first season, titled “Carnosaurs” on the VHS tape, various large meat-eating dinosaurs are examined, and one of the newer examples is a South American fossil with a distinctly different look from the usual tyrannosaurs that hog the spotlight. Carnotaurus, meaning “flesh bull” or, more precisely, “meat-eating bull”, gets its name from the fact that its narrow jaws are full of serrated teeth designed for devouring other dinosaurs, and the top of its head is crowned with two thick horns. These horns stick out above its eyes, not unlike a bull, but are much shorter, and their purpose is unclear. At the time, the fossil had only been described a decade earlier, and was still not fully understood.

There are three things I remember best about Carnotaurus in this episode. 1) A piece of artwork by Mark Hallett of two allosaurs fighting is used to demonstrate the horns above its eyes—a picture that already doesn’t really depict Allosaurus and the crests on its head accurately, but then it completely misrepresents Carnotaurus, which was an abelisaurid, not an allosaurid. 2) An illustrated forward-facing shot of its head (more accurate than the allosaur moment, but still a bit off) is shown with the animal’s lower jaws splayed wide open (which it could do thanks to a hinge in the bones), and it looks cursed. 3) There’s a brief computer-generated animation of the full-bodied animal walking like a robot in a black void. This last one is probably the most accurate representation from the episode, but a lot of interesting interpretations of the creature were to come in many forms beyond this point.

Before we continue looking at Carnotaurus representation in media, let me give you a clearer idea of the real animal, because paleontologists now have a pretty good idea of what Carnotaurus is and how it lived 75 million years ago. You know how T. rex has famously small arms compared to the rest of its body? Carnotaurus makes Rexy and her ancestors look like orangutans by comparison! Okay, that was an extreme exaggeration, but a) I couldn’t help it, and b) the fact is, Carnotaurus had such tiny arms that they probably couldn’t do much with them at all. Reaching an adult size of twenty-five feet in length, it was also much smaller than many of the other carnosaurs of the Cretaceous, such as Giganotosaurus (which was also from South America). Skin impressions show it definitely had bumpy hide, but even to this day, no one is quite sure whether it was an active hunter of large prey or ate smaller creatures because of its relatively weak jaws, and the exact function of those horns remains a mystery, as well.

After its PaleoWorld introduction, Carnotaurus popped up not on television or in movie theatres next, but on bookshelves. Michael Crichton, ever at the cutting edge of scientific research, wanted some new species to populate his sequel to his novel Jurassic Park, and knowing director Steven Spielberg wanted to adapt The Lost World (1995) as he had done with the first book, maybe he felt pressured to deliver something that could top the venom-spitting Dilophosaurus and deadly intelligent Velociraptor. A pair of Carnotauruses antagonize the heroes of the story, with the ability to change their skin colour like chameleons. This made them decidedly more lizard-like than bird-like (as several species were depicted in both books), but they are described as being quite a bit smaller than their real full-grown size, only standing about seven feet high. This entirely speculative trait would later be given to the hybrid monstrosity in Jurassic World: the Indominous Rex.

The meat-eating bull made a brief appearance in the documentary miniseries When Dinosaurs Ruled (1999), a successor to PaleoWorld, but its next appearance was its biggest, and remains so to this day, in Disney’s CGI extravaganza Dinosaur (2000). T. rex was swapped out in favour of a large predator that was new, looked different, and would terrify children. This Carnotaurus, or “Carnotaur” (sans “us”) as it’s called by the herbivorous protagonists, does not look or act like the real animal. T. rex was part of the original plan, but at the last minute they switched it to Carnotaurus, probably because those brow horns and osteoderms (thick scales covering its body) made it look even more vicious, so what they ended up with was a very tyrannosaur-like Carnotaur, with a heavy, robust body and a massive skull.

The way the Carnotaur makes its entrance is something I will never forget. A baby Parasaurolophus chasing a dragonfly happens across the lurking predator in the trees, realizes the danger, and runs away in panic, alerting a huge herd of dinosaurs to the impending threat. We hear the heavy footsteps, see a glimpse through the foliage, and then BOOM, the beast explodes out of the forest roaring and running at full force. The first time I saw it happen on the big screen it terrified me, and I would rewind my VHS tape and replay this opening scene over and over with the volume turned all the way up. Even though Dinosaur regresses to more typical family fare when the herbivores start speaking and the story becomes about another herd trying to reach the nesting grounds, this opening is as ferocious and cinematic as any dinosaur film has ever managed to be.

This particular Carnotaurus comes in a pair at the movie's midpoint, with one being quite a bit larger than the other (presumably a male/female couple), and though the design is inaccurate, the red colour scheme, along with additional spikes and bumps all over its back, and that tail ending in what looks like a chainsaw (probably meant to evoke the real spiny tailed lizard) plays right into its devilish appearance. Though both Carnotaurs end up dead by the end, with one buried in a cave-in and the other toppling off a cliff, they managed to make a few memorable kills and haunted the nightmares of most 2000s kids for years to come. The fascination didn’t necessarily begin with Dinosaur, but I think it’s where the greatest exposure to mainstream audiences first occurred, and from that point on, Carnotaurus became ubiquitous. Next time, I’ll run through more appearances and try to figure out why the world has grown to love Carnotaurus so much. 

 

Part Two:

https://cccmovies.blogspot.com/2025/06/carnotaurus-in-media-part-two.html

 

 

 

Reflecting on Mission: Impossible

Reflecting On...

Mission: Impossible Movies

 

It’s hard to believe the Mission: Impossible film series has been going for nearly thirty years. The latest installment, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, comes out this month, so I thought I would revive my short-lived “Reflecting On…” series from years ago and take a look back at the ups and downs of this long-running franchise before it potentially comes to an end—at least, before this era ends, which seems likely given the title changed from Dead Reckoning Part Two to The Final Reckoning and the trailer largely used footage from past missions in a style similar to Avengers: Endgame. Cruise says he’ll be back, but will the other current cast members? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

What’s interesting about the Mission: Impossible franchise is the way it has evolved into something far better and more interesting with successive films, which basically never happens to any franchise. I normally write about movies I have strong feelings about and have a surplus of knowledge on, but I wanted to give my thoughts on these ones for the opposite reasons, actually. I don’t have a strong attachment to them, I don’t know them inside and out, and some of my opinions probably don’t align with most big fans of the franchise, so I’m going to be offering potentially different takes from the usual conversations about them and won’t be going too in-depth on all of them. This will be more of a breeze through of how I remember each Mission: Impossible.    

 

Mission: Impossible (1996)

The first Mission: Impossible kind of sucks. It’s a toss up, for me, which one I dislike more: this one or the first of the many sequels. My first memory of watching this one on VHS was at an age when I was way too young and way too interested in other kinds of movies to even pay attention to the whole thing, and when I sat down and watched it again properly as an adult, I found myself incredibly underwhelmed. There is something rather meek and simple about the first Mission: Impossible now because of how awesome the later movies are, but I think even for the time it came out audiences weren’t going head over heels for the debut of Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Missions Force.

The parts that stick with me the most are the train action sequence in the final act and the constant use of special tech. The one that irks me most is the use of rubber masks. Maybe I’m corrupted by having seen Austin Powers and Charlie’s Angels too many times—you know, movies that came later and poked fun at this movie? —but I just find the seriousness of this one makes it less fun, and the rubber mask stuff just reminds me of those other movies which takes me out of it. If you can’t already tell, I’m not a big fan of the rubber masks. I know they’re from the show originally, but it’s a gimmick I’m glad was minimized for future entries. I don’t have a lot else to say on this one. It’s just kind of dull aside from a couple memorable action moments. It isn’t terrible, but I think even in the filmography of director Brian De Palma it’s not one of his strongest efforts.

 

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)

This is the only one I’ve seen just once many years ago as of writing this. From what I remember, the premise of this first sequel is no better or worse than the first movie, but there aren’t as many memorable action moments that stand out as being unique—something the franchise would become known for. The rubber masks are back, but so is Luther, played by Ving Rhames, who is always a welcome addition to one of these movies. This was from the era of long-haired Tom Cruise, so that could be something to make it better or worse for you, depending on your disposition. I at least prefer the cinematography in this one over the first film. Director John Woo brings his slow-mo sensibilities to the action, and while it may be goofy at times, it still provides some mindless entertainment. That being said, I think it’s pretty unanimous that this is the worst entry in the franchise.

 

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

I remember this one was a big deal when it came out. Looking back, it’s clear how director J.J. Abrams became a go-to guy for big franchise revivals after this, because this was the first M: I movie that the majority of audiences could agree was a fun, well-made blockbuster, and it was very successful. Abrams regulars pop up in the cast, too, and one reason this is my favourite of the first three movies is because of the villain played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The villains in the first two movies weren’t that memorable, but this guy is quite compelling, and even though the plot really isn’t anything special, it moves along at a nice clip without quite as many cheesy elements as the previous two.

The shot of Ethan Hunt getting slammed sideways into a vehicle after a concussive explosion in the background was used heavily in the marketing, and that imagery really stuck with me. Unlike sequels to come and the original, though, I can’t say there’s one big stunt that really stands out in my memory, aside from this bridge assault. Ethan’s character is given a bit more depth, with his wife becoming part of the storyline, and new characters are introduced for him to play off. For a while, this was the best entry in the Mission: Impossible trilogy by far, but looking back at it now in the context of the whole franchise as it stands, I can’t say it's quite as good as it used to be. I would still watch this one again because it’s a lot more fun and less dated than the first two, and it helped course correct the series, but it isn’t as exceptionally original as later examples.

 

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

This was where they stopped numbering them and started putting hyphens in the titles. My controversial take: I thought this movie was highly overrated when I first saw it—note, thought, past tense. I was too cool for more Mission: Impossible movies when it first came out. What was so great about this one? That Tom Cruise hung off a really big building and did it for real? I picked on the increased humour, the questionable CGI, and the lame death for the villain, who was not as compelling as the villain from III. It was the first M:I that I saw in theaters, and everyone I saw it with was raving about it, but I wasn’t trying to be a contrarian. I just wasn’t that into spy movies at that point and I hadn’t even seen all the previous movies yet, so I just didn’t really care about it that much.

Then, I watched it again years later after thinking I had disliked it, and found it was actually pretty fun. I wouldn’t call it overrated anymore, but I do think its greatness was blown a little out of proportion when it first came out, and now in the context of the franchise, it isn’t the best one, but it does have one of the best stunts. Brad Bird, who had only directed animated films prior to this, refreshed the series yet again, and did a great job directing the action. The Dubai tower sequence, used heavily in the film’s promotion, really is a standout for its inventive, suspenseful execution.

Watching it again, it was the first time I was clued in to why fans wanted more of these movies: Tom Cruise kept upping the ante by putting himself in these actual dangerous situations to pull off original stunts that put everyone on the edge of their seats. The return of Simon Pegg’s character Benji from III also solidified this new era for the series. Ethan was an old hat at these missions, but Benji had just been newly promoted, and combined with a few new characters, the dynamic was far more endearing than past character combos, and aside from Ethan and Luther, there had been little continuity with the supporting casts.

So, looking at it now, I get why everyone loved Ghost Protocol. I appreciate that it made the stakes feel higher but not unrealistically so, and it established the new M: I era, but I didn’t feel compelled to go back and watch it again until after seeing the one that followed…

 

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)   

2015 was a great year for movies, and while Rogue Nation was not on my favourite films of the year list, it did wow me by seriously upping the level of action and thrills. What surprised me the first time I saw it was how the stunt of Cruise hanging off the side of a plane as it takes off was featured as the first major stunt. It had been used as the big moment to end the trailers, and if you know anything about modern trailers spoiling the best parts of the movie, it felt safe to assume that was going to be part of the finale. I was glad to be wrong.

Later marketing made it clear the motorcycle chase was going to feature as a major action sequence as well, and it forms the centerpiece of the film—somehow still feeling fresh and original after all the action sequences in the films preceding it. In fact, all of the major sequences in this one are memorable, from the opera assassination attempt to the car chase that transitions into the motorcycle chase to the underground water tank infiltration. I remember actually believing Ethan Hunt might drown and die; it didn’t feel like a trick, but rather just a really suspenseful part of the mission that really did seem impossible, and yet I bought it.

The return of Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner’s characters helped make this one feel a little less serialized and a little more like a true sequel, but the addition of Rebecca Ferguson to the cast as the new femme fatale Isla Faust made Rogue Nation sexier and deadlier than Ghost Protocol. Even though it still features all the familiar spy elements (including an admittedly clever use of those rubber masks I abhor), they are utilized in new clever ways, and it deepens the lore by exploring The Syndicate, with the villain, Solomon Lane, played by Sean Harris, being a former MI6 agent. His capture at the end is the most satisfying ending of any of these movies, I think, and for the first time, a Mission: Impossible movie actually left me wanting more.

 

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)

Remember when they had to use CGI to remove Henry Cavill’s moustache for reshoots of Justice League because he was contractually obligated to keep the moustache for this movie? Weird times. Anyway, Mission: Impossible had found its stride by this entry, and for the first time a director returned from the previous installment. Part of what’s amazing about the way the movies steadily got better past part three is the fact that every single one of them up to this point had been directed by someone different, but the reason the quality was maintained in spite of director changes was thanks to Tom Cruise, who has remained not only the star but the producer for all of them. The combo of Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie (who also wrote this one, as well as Rogue Nation) seems to be the winning formula Cruise had been committed to finding for so long.

Once again, all the right characters return to make the story compelling: Luther, Benji, Ilsa, and even Solomon Lane, though he’s not the villain at the forefront of the story. The addition of Cavill as Walker was a fine casting choice, and I still think about when he reloads his arms in that washroom fight scene. The ending in the Himalayas is thrilling, but I have to say, I don’t enjoy this one quite as much as Rogue Nation. It is a very good follow-up, but it doesn’t have quite as many well-paced action sequences throughout. Don’t get me wrong, the HALO jump and new motorcycle chase and rooftop pursuit are all great, but the stunts from Rogue Nation just still stand out more to me.

 

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

What I find most impressive about this one is how they found a way to keep the story self contained and never dull or dragged out, despite being branded as a part one initially and having a runtime of nearly three hours! What comes off as distinctly different to me about Dead Reckoning Part One compared to Fallout is how this one sets up the villain and premise in a different way, and it builds to a much more extensive final action sequence, which bridges Cruise’s big stunt (skydiving off a mountain down to a moving train) into him fighting the new villain, Gabriel (Esai Morales) on top of the train, then an epic train derailment. My summary doesn’t really do it all justice, because there’s so much else happening all throughout, that this entry ultimately does feel more epic and higher stakes than the previous one.

A few other new characters are introduced this time, including the main standout, Hayley Atwell’s pickpocket expert Grace, but recurring characters no longer feel like they are immune to the threats posed. Yeah, it’s kind of silly that the entire premise of this franchise hinges on missions that are “impossible” yet the same few characters on these missions always seem to get out of it relatively unscathed by the end, but that doesn’t happen this time. I also really like the opening submarine sequence, which creates some immediate intrigue without it being centered on Ethan Hunt for a change. The stunts are numerous throughout, and while they may not all add up to be greater in their sum than those of Rogue Nation, this movie is undoubtedly one of the most insanely entertaining seventh entries in any movie franchise in history.

 

So, there’s my recap to refresh everyone (including myself) before The Final Reckoning releases. As a bonus, here are my top picks for actors from the franchise who have had supporting roles throughout the films—some of whom you may have forgotten about! I won’t count recurring characters, only one-offs. The reason I want to do this is because The Final Reckoning has what appears to be the most star-studded cast so far, and that’s saying something, considering some of the high-profile actors to pop up in past entries.  

 

-Jean Reno: I had to include someone from the first movie, and this guy is instantly recognizable to me as a familiar face in 90’s action movies. I actually would’ve liked to have seen him return for M: I 2. 

 

 

 

-Anthony Hopkins: he may be in the worst one, but he’s always great! He plays a mission commander in M: I 2 and went uncredited for the role. 

 

 

-Laurence Fishburne: he plays the IMF Director in M: I III, but I’m not sure why they got rid of his character for Ghost Protocol. 

 

 

 

-Greg Grunberg: another small role from M: I III worth mentioning. I had to include one of the J.J. Abrams regulars!

 

 

 

-Josh Holloway: Sawyer from LOST shows up early in Ghost Protocol as an IMF agent, but gets shot by someone who would turn out to be a secondary antagonist…

 

 

 

-Lea Seydoux: enter secondary Ghost Protocol antagonist! Seydoux would become more well known in the next few years from other high profile roles, and would even cross pollinate to the James Bond franchise by playing a Bond girl in Spectre and No Time to Die. 

 

 

-Tom Hollander: I love when this guy just shows up in stuff. I know him best as Beckett in the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean films, but in Rogue Nation he plays the UK Prime Minister—a pretty high-profile role, but he only appears in this film.

 

-Wes Bentley: in Fallout, we see Ethan’s former wife Julia, still played by Michelle Monaghan, has remarried, and he isn’t just some guy, he’s that guy you might recognize from movies like American Beauty and Interstellar! 

 

-Cary Elwes: wait, who was that guy who played Director of National Intelligence in Dead Reckoning Part One? Was it that same guy who played the lead in The Princess Bride, and the rival storm chaser in Twister, and one of the main roles in the original Saw? Yep, that’s the guy!  

 

-Pom Klementieff: if you didn’t think the French assassin working for Gabriel in Dead Reckoning Part One looked familiar, that’s okay. Had her eyes been magnified and two antennae stuck on her head she might have reminded you of Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy: the role that majorly boosted her career. I just checked and she’s actually returning for The Final Reckoning, which means her role wasn’t just a one-off, so I guess that’s my cue to wrap this up.