The Last Dinosaur

Richard Boone, most famous for his role on the classic tv series Have Gun, Will Travel,  stars as a big game hunter with an affliction that affects many millionaire playboy types.  He has no worlds left to conquer syndrome.  He hold a press conference and announces that his polar borer, which looks like the thing Shredder used in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, has vanished in the arctic.  The only survivor tells of finding a jungle world beneath the ice.  That's not all they found.  They found...dinosaurs!

Boone announces that an expedition will be launched to find this mysterious land.  The team will consist of Boone, the survivor from the first trip, a Japanese scientist, an African tracker and a journalist.  When Boone discovers the journalist is a womanz he tells her she has no place on his expedition.  Womenz belong in the kitchen, not hunting dinosaurs.  Later he changes his mind when she shows up in a black evening dress.  They make kissy face later.  Seeing an aged Richard Boone smooch a younger actress reminds me of Roger Moore's last few Bond movies.

Next day, they all enter the polar borer and being their journey.  After just a few minutes of drilling they emerge in a jungle, complete with pterodactyl's flying around.  As soon as they make land they spy a dinosaur that looks like Anguirus combined with a wild boar.  It sees them and charges.  Boone saves reporter womanz from getting trampled.

The next day they go looking for dinosaurs.  When Bunta the tracker climbs a tree he spies a T-Rex that attempts to eat him.  Boone shoots the T-Rex and it makes the Godzilla sound effect.  Boone's gun jams.  Bunta throws his spear which drives the T-Rex off...for some reason.  Really, it would be like pricking a rhino with a toothpick.  Back at camp the T-Rex shows up and crushes the Japanese scientist.  He then picks up the polar borer and tosses it in the jungle.  Lesson learned, don't piss off a T-Rex.

As the T-Rex is knocking the polar borer about it manages to uncover a Triceratops that was buried.  A landslide begins and the Triceratops wakes up, as though it were taking a nap.  Wait...do what now?  Never mind the fact that it shouldn't be able to breath or anything.  Anyway, being a T-Rex and a Triceratops they naturally fight to the death.  T-Rex wins.

Back at camp the others arrive and discover the mess.  Boone swears vengeance, even though at the start of the expedition he promised not to kill any dinosaurs.  Later the expedition is randomly attacked by cavemen.  I say randomly because it simply happens...no build up or explanation.  Apparently, it is now four months later.  After an argument the survivor and reporter womanz make kissy face while Boone watches.

Next morning the cavemen approach camp.  Without any guns Boone was forced to make his own crossbow.  Boone manages to kill with one shot and the rest flee in terror.  The group takes to the mountains and acquires a pet cavegirl.  As the girls wash their hair the T-Rex shows up and chases reporter womanz into a cave.  The guys show up and tie one end of a vine to a rock and the other end to the tail of the T-Rex.

The rock ends up rolling down hill, taking the T-Rex with it.  Boone again vows to kill it and has everyone begin construction of a catapult.  While out and about the survivor finds the polar borer but Boone is determined to kill the T-Rex before they leave.  Much later reporter womanz tries to convince Boone to leave.  They make kissy face but the T-Rex interrupts them.  Boone fires the catapult and...the rock bounces off its head.  It falls down but is only stunned.  When asked if it's dead Boone shouts, 'I DON'T KNOW!'  Which is one of the worst line readings I can recall.

Boone starts throwing grenades...wait, where did he get those?  Did he have those the whole time?  Together, Boone and reporter womanz hide in a ravine till morning.  Unable to talk Boone into going with them they launch the polar borer without him.  Boone watches them leave and walks away with the cavegirl  following closely.  The T-Rex roars and the credits roll.

This film was produced by Tsuburaya Productions, who produce the Ultraman tv series, and Rankin/Bass Productions.  Unlike many movies that involve dinosaurs this film uses guys in suits as opposed to stop motion or lizards with fins tapped on.  It's pretty obvious with the Triceratops and when the boulder launched from the catapult hits the T-Rex you can see the rubber head cave in as it bounces off.

This is a fun movie, though it feels like a lesser version of The Land That Time Forgot.  The Land That Time Forgot has a very similiar premise.  Survivors find a jungle land in the arctic and fight off both cavemen and dinosaurs.  Eventually they escape once their submarine is repaired. The Last Dinosaur was a tv movie that aired in 1977 and The Land That Time Forgot was released in 1975 so maybe there is some correlation. 

If you enjoy The Land That Time Forgot or any of the Toho monster movies then you will enjoy The Last Dinosaur.  This is a movie that feels like it was made for lazy Saturday afternoons.  It's goofy, campy and has some hammy acting...but simply put...it is a lot of fun.