Theodore Rex (film)

For the 2001 biography of Theodore Roosevelt, see Theodore Rex (book).

Theodore Rex
Canadian video poster
Directed byJonathan Betuel
Written byJonathan Betuel
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDavid Tattersall
Edited by
  • Steve Mirkovich
  • Rick Shaine
Music byRobert Folk
Production
companies
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • July 2, 1996 (1996-07-02)[1]
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$33.5 million[2][3]

Theodore Rex, also known as T. Rex,[4][5] is a 1996[6] buddy cop science-fiction comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Betuel and starring Whoopi Goldberg. Though originally intended for theatrical release, the film went direct-to-video, and consequently became the most expensive direct-to-video film ever made at the time of its release.[7][8][9]

The film was reviewed poorly,[5][10] and saw Whoopi Goldberg being nominated for Worst Actress at the 1996 Golden Raspberry Awards.[11] It is the first direct-to-video movie to receive any sort of Razzie nomination.[12]

Plot

In an alternate futuristic society where humans and dinosaurs co-exist, a tough police detective named Katie Coltrane (Whoopi Goldberg) is paired with a Tyrannosaurus named Theodore Rex (George Newbern) to find the killer of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, leading them to a ruthless billionaire bent on killing off humankind by creating a new ice age. This is explained in the first 10 seconds by scrolling text.

The film opens on a black and white scene, a dark villain, Mr. Edge (Stephen McHattie), is chasing down someone in the "carnival graveyard". Upon locating the dinosaur, he releases a rainbow butterfly that explodes on their face.

Teddy then wakes up in his room with his pet dog, Zippy, nearby. Using his phone he calls up the police department, explaining he had a bad feeling. He is informed of the murder we just witnessed as a dream. Teddy is told he doesn't need to be involved as a "public relationist". Teddy doesn't take this into consideration as he says he'll be by shortly.

The scene then swaps to the second protagonist, Katie Coltrane (Whoopi Goldberg). She is "busting" a moving body snatching ring that is in the back of a truck. She and her partner successfully steal the body back but the victim is not in their database.

Teddy is now at the crime scene, explaining to officer that dinosaurs "feel" for each other, explaining his "weird feelings" about the dinosaur who was murdered. These feelings are not further explained, but it is shown that they have some sort of psychic link.

Teddy heads to a party dinner held by Elizar Kane (Armin Mueller-Stahl) where he can speak with the police commissioner. Coltrane is forced to work with Teddy by Commissioner Lynch (Richard Roundtree) at the behest of Summers. Summers is secretly working with Kane to bring the end of the world into order and stop the two police officers from solving the crime. He believes Teddy is too stupid, and Coltrane is too old to keep pace with the energetic Teddy.

It is then explained because every single dinosaur was hand made by Dr. Shade and Kane, they are able to identify the body through the clone database. The victim's name is revealed to be Oliver Rex, married with Molly Rex. The movie repeatedly mentions cloning being a common practice, not just with the dinosaurs but with other humanoid species. It is also mentioned that dinosaurs aren't typically on the receiving end of crime, and in fact perpetuate crime. This and many other conversations held in the span of the next ten minuets of film heavily imply a social hierarchy system in which there are negative race relations between the reintroduced humanoid dinosaurs and their human counterparts.

Teddy bring Coltrane to a special dinosaur club named "The Extinct Species Club" where they drink water and the air is not cleaned like the rest of the city. Dinos call humans "soft skins" and Teddy has a conversation with Coltrane about interspecies relations. She is hit on repeatedly by a dino at the bar.

They head outback to talk with Molly Rex, who reveals that Oliver was not her husband, but in fact her roommate. Molly invites both detectives to the funeral for Oliver being held the next day.


Cast

Live action

  • Calvin Scott as Smithersaurus

Voice cast

Puppeteers

Production

The lead character Katie was originally a white male with Kurt Russell considered for the role.[13]

Reception

Theodore Rex was poorly reviewed by critics and audiences. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 0% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 1.7/10.[14] Variety magazine gave the film a negative review, saying, "This is one T. rex that won’t be spared the tar pits."[15] William Thomas of Empire magazine gave the film a one out of five stars and said, "Steer Clear".[16]

In a 2015 interview with the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, Goldberg stated that this is the only film she regrets ever having done: "Don't ask me why I did it, I didn't want to", she said.[17] Goldberg also said it made "no sense to anybody to like it".[18]

Goldberg lawsuit

Though Whoopi Goldberg had made an oral agreement to star in the film in October 1992,[6] she attempted to back out. Abramson filed a US$20 million lawsuit against Goldberg, which was settled quickly. Goldberg agreed to star in the film for $7 million,[2] $2 million more than the amount originally agreed upon.[7]

One of the attorneys on the case described this as being similar to the legal battle of Kim Basinger when she backed out of the film Boxing Helena.[7]

Distribution

The film was originally intended for theatrical release in North America during Christmas 1995, but a glut of competition as well as a rush on post production work for the effects heavy film led to New Line Cinema delaying release.[19] They subsequently intended to release it to coincide with Goldberg's hosting stint at the Academy Awards the following year,[6] but ultimately decided that it was in their best interests to release the film direct-to-video. This decision came as a result of failed test marketing in Las Vegas, Memphis, Portland, Maine and Providence.[7][20] The film's $33.5 million budget made it the most expensive direct-to-video release at that time.[7]

The international distributors to whom New Line had pre-sold the rights to the film adopted a different release strategy by distributing theatrically in every country except the United States and Italy.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^ Blowen, Michael (June 30, 1996). "Mel Brooks' 'Dracula' is just not batty enough; THE MOVIE SECTION / Video Watch". The Boston Globe. p. B31.
  2. ^ a b Love, Dennis (April 4, 1996). "'Rex' Headed for Extinction?". People. UPI Newswire.
  3. ^ Dutka, Elaine (April 11, 1996). "Whoopi's Dino Disaster; Test Audiences Reject $ 33.5 Million Family Comedy". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 33.
  4. ^ "Filming in the U.S.". Daily Variety. November 18, 1994.
  5. ^ a b Griffin, Gil (October 23, 1997). "Reading Whoopi Goldberg like a 'Book'". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. E-1.
  6. ^ a b c d Blowen, Michael (June 30, 1996). "'Rex': Extinct on the Big Screen". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2012.
  7. ^ a b c d e Cox, Dan (April 8, 1996). "New Line's dino pic extinct from bigscreen". Daily Variety. p. 9.
  8. ^ Hubert, Andrea (June 14, 2008). "The incredible sulk". The Guardian. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  9. ^ Wilkinson, Jack (July 27, 1996). "What's new on the home video scene". United Press International.
  10. ^ Meyers, Randy (February 2, 1999). "Direct hits: Lucrative video arena attracting first-run, first-rate". Contra Costa Times.
  11. ^ Scott, Vernon (January 23, 1997). "The Hollywood Reporter". UPI Newswire.
  12. ^ Baldock, Luke Ryan (August 9, 2012). "10 Terrible Dinosaur Films That Should Be Extinct!". thehollywoodnews.com.
  13. ^ Harris, Blake (August 21, 2015). "How Did This Get Made? Theodore Rex (An Oral History)". /Film. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  14. ^ "Theodore Rex". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  15. ^ "Theodore Rex". July 1996. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "Theodore Rex". January 2000. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  17. ^ "'Não há muito espaço para negros por aí', diz Whoopi Goldberg – 25/02/2015 – Ilustrada – Folha de S.Paulo". uol.com.br.
  18. ^ "Whoopi Goldberg Regrets Starring In Bizarre Talking Dinosaur Movie 'Theodore Rex'". October 7, 2021. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
  19. ^ "H'w'd banks on Xmas laugh riot". October 9, 1995. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  20. ^ Klady, Leonard (July 1, 1996). "Theodore Rex". Daily Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
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