Roger Corman's output from the mid 1980s tended to be less adored by film buffs. This was one of his more successful titles, a knock off of Jurassic Park that proved popular enough for several sequels and rip offs.
I was hoping this would be more fun than it was. There's some cute dinosaurs, interesting desert locations, solid acting, with Diane Ladd given a rare lead role as the mad scientist. I always liked pretty Jennifer Runyon.
But it's a leaden movie. It lacks pace and excitement. It's got a very early 90s vibe with its pair of heroes - a slacker security guard (Raphael Sbarge) and environmental activist (Runyon) - but remains derivative: in particular of AIien (women getting pregnant and giving birth to dinosaurs - Corman loved ripping off creature birth, it appeared in The Terror Within and other of his films); Piranha (genetically modified testing caused it all); Night of the Living Dead (heroes shockingly killed by quarantine happy gunmen at the end).
Runyon's role is too small and passive, Sbarge is a bit of a damp squid. It takes itself too seriously and doesn't have the chops (sfx-wise, story-wise, handling-wise) to pull it off.
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