Steven Spielberg, eat your heart out.
Prehistory came alive last week when more than a dozen life-size, animatronic dinosaurs stomped through the Barclays Center as part of the “Walking with Dinosaurs” show that ran July 16–20. The blowout presentation — inspired by a British Broadcasting Corporation show of the same name — taught kids without letting them get bored, according to one attendee.
“It was educational — it’s better than taking them to the Museum of Natural History where their attention span runs low,” said Flatbush dad Rico Silvera, who brought his two sons to the show.
Silvera said he even learned a thing or two.
“I learned that birds are the direct descendants of the dinosaurs,” he said.
The show brought 20 dinos from 10 different species to the arena for a glimpse of how the reptiles filled their days back when they roamed the earth.
The $20 million spectacular hasn’t set claw on U.S. shores since 2007, and in that time, the producers updated the show and tweaked the starring beasts to reflect the latest scientific discoveries, including the reptiles’ relation to birds.
“Every tour the paleontologists tell us something new,” said Matt Olver, who leads a team of raptor-suit-wearing actors in the show. “Before it was more like killer reptiles in a wolf pack. Then they became more predatorial-bird-like.”
Silvera said the raptors were cool and all, but there could be only one king of the show.
“I think everyone’s favorite dinosaur is the T. Rex — he’s the fiercest. He’s the most popular,” he said.
