National Geographic Kids- I Love Dinosaurs [VHS]

4 year-old son's favorite video
Based on the other reviews, I think the appropriateness of this video depends more on the child than on the age. My son will turn four in a couple of weeks and this is by far his favorite video. I admit that surprised me because the documentary format of the video appears more suited to adults. But my son watches the movie over and over and learns something new each time. At the natural history museum he was delighted to point out the plaster still stuck to some dinosaur bones and to inform me that the paleontologists put it around the whole bone to protect it during transportation. He also puts his knowledge from the movie into his playtime. At the park, he calls himself a "Paleontology" and tells everyone that he is riding his tricycle from Gana to Niger. After pretending to get stuck in the mud several times, he makes it to the sand box and proceeds to dig up all kinds of pretend dinosaur bones. Surely, he does not understand everything in the movie, but he is fascinated by it. After several renewals we had to return the video to the library and he threw a fit. So here I am purchasing it.

let down
What a total let down. Should have expected the documentary format based on the National Geographic name. However, the title and links led me to believe otherwise. My husband and I like it, but not being the dinosaur fans my 3 year old is, another shelf life video.

Great for future Paleontologists
I think this is a terrific video. It really gives you a feel for what paleontologists do and conveys the excitement of being a scientist. It tells two fascinating stories - first, an expedition into the deserts of Niger led by world class dinosaur hunter Paul Sereno. They uncover one of the largest plant-eating dinosaurs in Africa. Then the story of Sue the T. rex - found by Sue Hendricks in S. Dakota, fought over in court, auctioned off and then finally studied in Chicago.My three y.o. son loves this video. He watches it repeatedly and can tell you about Sue, Paul Sereno, how dinsosaurs are dug up and packaged for shipping, etc., etc. I suppose if you were expecting fantasy you would be disappointed (try Jurassic Park) - but true life can be so much more fascinating!

Boring for kids and adults alike.
My 2 1/2 year old son loves dinosaurs. He was so excited to get this video and we had to rush home to watch it. He then proceeded to cry throughout the video because it is NOT about dinosaurs at all. It is about a dinosaur DIG and is much more appropriate for older children (late elementary school age). I would not recommend this video for anyone who is looking for a video about dinosaurs, unless they primarily want to see a paleontologist at work.

My Son LOVES this Video
My son was 4 1/2 when he got this video. He absolutely LOVES it. I think it gives a realistic view of what being a paleontologist is like. My son has decided that he wants to be one now too! This video isn't full of silly cartoons or blood-thirsty dinosaurs. Our whole family found it very educational and entertaining. It kept my son's attention throughout the video and he has watched it many times. He is very interested in science in general and dinosaurs in particular, so a child not so inclined would not appreciate it as he does.