Carnosaur (1993)

11% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
16% of users liked it
(6,318 ratings)

One of the more popular features from Roger Corman's "B"-factory Concorde/New Horizons, Carnosaur perpetuates the grand Corman tradition of zeroing in on a big-budget Hollywood studio moneymaker, then dashing off a quick-and-dirty poor man's version before moss gets a chance to grow on the larger… More One of the more popular features from Roger Corman's "B"-factory Concorde/New Horizons, Carnosaur perpetuates the grand Corman tradition of zeroing in on a big-budget Hollywood studio moneymaker, then dashing off a quick-and-dirty poor man's version before moss gets a chance to grow on the larger film's concept. This bargain-basement spin on Jurassic Park was actually based on a novel by John Brosnan (under the pseudonym Harry Adam Knight). It features Diane Ladd (whose daughter Laura Dern took the high road on Spielberg's film) as a kooky mad scientist whose experiments on human and dinosaur DNA result in dual disasters -- first, a rubbery midget Tyrannosaurus bred from dinosaur and chicken DNA (imagine the barbecue potential!) which escapes the lab and goes on the requisite bloody rampage; and second, a specially-engineered virus with the ability to replace human beings with dino-babies. Although this exploitation quickie doesn't waste too much time delivering the standard Corman cargo (blood and breasts), the mayhem is too often derailed by endless genetic techno-babble from Ladd, whose freaked-out performance is the film's sole plus. The downbeat ending is pure '80s, and paves the way for the inevitable sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Adam Simon, Darren Moloney
Genres: Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: May 21, 1993 Wide
On DVD: Apr 18, 2000
Studio: Concorde/New Horizons Home Video

Critic Reviews

Michael H. Price, Fort Worth Business Press
The anti-'Jurassic Park' -- meaner and more provocative but intolerably cheap.
Gabe Leibowitz, eCinemaCenter.com
Few movies have ever been more inept and ridiculous...but maybe that's the point.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Just about as bad as it sounds.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Spielberg, take note: Dinosaur attacks should be GORY!

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Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

Roger Corman and his B-Movie pals make the world a much better place to live. Carnosaur is unashamedly bad. From the wonky crooked dinosaur puppets, to the acting which stumbles between remembering lines and confusion as to where they are. Rather than going for the simplistic take of… More
Roger Corman and his B-Movie pals make the world a much better place to live. Carnosaur is unashamedly bad. From the wonky crooked dinosaur puppets, to the acting which stumbles between remembering lines and confusion as to where they are. Rather than going for the simplistic take of cloning dinosaurs (Spielberg, I'm looking at you). Carnosaur favours a convoluted science experiment involving chickens that give birth to dinosaur eggs...??? Maybe? And ends in human women laying dinosaur eggs. If they'd had a budget then the finale, where a construction vehicle takes on a T-Rex, would have been impressive. The ending is very downbeat and depressing, not really what you want after 82 minutes of awful cinema, but very brave.
E.J. B

In 1993, two dinosaur movies came out. Jurassic Park was one of them. But a month before that film was released, out came Carnosaur, a ridiculous B-movie with effects comparable to the Godzilla movies. A mad scientist decides to wipe out humanity and return dinosaurs to the kings… More
In 1993, two dinosaur movies came out. Jurassic Park was one of them. But a month before that film was released, out came Carnosaur, a ridiculous B-movie with effects comparable to the Godzilla movies. A mad scientist decides to wipe out humanity and return dinosaurs to the kings of the world by releasing a virus that impregnates all the women in the world with dinosaur eggs, which will kill them when they give birth. Sound nuts?
Steven V

This movie is lame. It have a weird story of how women are impregnated with dinosaur eggs. The special effects are terrible.