Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Brief, poorly edited docu has some violent images.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Rise and Fall of T-Rex
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE RISE AND FALL OF T-REX, the Tyrannosaurus rex gets a brief profile. From its discovery to its various popular culture representations over the years, this dinosaur remains popular, and our fascination with the apex predator may never subside. With the most powerful bite of all dinosaurs, how could it ever fail to sustain our interest?
Is It Any Good?
This short docu about the Tyrannosaurus rex feels slapped together -- perhaps part of another, larger project -- and uses lots of cobbled-together and dated visual material. If The Rise and Fall of T-Rex was a full-length and committed documentary, with a clear introduction, an attempt at beginning, middle, and end, and maybe a consistent tone of voice, it might be essential viewing for any younger viewer just getting into all things T-Rex. But as it is, presentation- and production-wise, it feels like a poorly edited YouTube clip.
There are, however, bits of fun knowledge here and there. For example, of all the meat-eating dinosaurs, the T-Rex had the biggest brain. The only thing that ate the T-Rex was another T-Rex. Iridium is rare on earth but common in comets and asteroids. The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was 6 miles across, and it slammed into earth at a speed of 80,000 miles per hour. Dino-obsessed kids who like to collect facts might enjoy this brief movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the journey that the Tyrannosaurus rex has enjoyed over the last 100 years. Of all the different visual representations of T-Rex in The Rise and Fall of T-Rex, which ones are your favorite, and why? What popular culture image of T-Rex do you think is the best?
What did you learn about the Tyrannosaurus rex that you didn't know before? How could you learn more?
Do you think we'll find out anything different about the Tyrannosaurus rex in the future? What new information would you like to learn?
If T-Rex is "the coolest of all dinosaurs," then which dinosaur is the second coolest? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 1, 2015
- Director : Noah Morowitz
- Studio : HBO Max
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , STEM
- Run time : 15 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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