Line #36 Film/BabySecretOfTheLostLegend


1	[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baby_7.jpg]]
2
3	In UsefulNotes/{{Africa}}, paleontology understudy Susan (Creator/SeanYoung) and her husband [[IntrepidReporter George]] (Creator/WilliamKatt) discover that the local legend of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé is in fact a family of living brontosauruses - a father, mother and a hatchling. In doing so, George and Susan accidentally lead Susan's mentor, mercenary scientist [[{{Jerkass}} Eric]] (Creator/PatrickMcGoohan) and his hired team of soldiers, who kill the father brontosaurus and capture the mother, leaving George and Susan the sole caregivers of the infant, whom they nickname "Baby". They fight to protect Baby from the dinosaur hunters and rescue Baby's mother.
4
5	A 1985 live-action Creator/{{Disney}} film released under its [[Creator/TouchstonePictures Touchstone label]], unlike other dinosaur films of the time that relied on StopMotion for its visual effects, ''Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend'', opted instead for a combination of life-sized animatronics and [[PeopleInRubberSuits puppets worn by people]] to provide the walking motions; the film was DarkerAndEdgier than most of Disney's fare at the time, but still insisted on moments of cuteness involving Baby. As a result, the film mostly failed to find an audience and is typically dismissed by critics. However, it is fondly remembered by most of the people who saw it as children in the 1980s.
6
7	Compare to ''Film/TheLastDinosaur'', another earlier dinosaur film that used similar effects.
8	----
9	!!Secret of the Lost Tropes:
10	* ArtisticLicensePaleontology: The Brontosaurs are designed with blunt ''macronarian'' style heads, despite the fact that they had more tapered ''diplodocine'' heads being common knowledge, or at least easy enough to find out if the research was done, by the time the film was produced.
11	* BigDamnHeroes: The natives. Twice.
12	* ClassyCane: Eric carries one, alongside his fancy hat and white suit, befitting his role as the high-class villain.
13	* CoitusInterruptus: Try as they might, George and Susan absolutely cannot get around to making a baby of their own without at least one of the sauropods crashing it. The first time they try, one of the adult dinosaurs mistakes their tent for something edible. The second time, they have Baby literally coming between them. Subverted when they finally get Baby to leave them alone long enough to make love, only for him to wander off, which ultimately leads to him getting captured.
14	* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: "Secret of the Lost Legend"?
15	* DisproportionateRetribution: [[ButtMonkey Nigel]] ''really'' didn't deserve to get killed. At least it looked [[BlackComedy funny]] seeing him electrocuted.
16	* DramaticallyMissingThePoint: After the soldiers gun down the father brontosaur:
17	-->'''Eric:''' Do you have any idea what you've done?! It was one of a kind!\
18	'''Colonel Nsogbu:''' No, professor. It was ''two'' of a kind. (points at the tranquilized mother bronto) ''That'' is one of a kind.
19	* EvenEvilHasStandards: For all his villainy, Eric has some moments:
20	** He is disgusted with the soldiers who shoot and kill the father bronto.
21	** He murders Colonel Nsogbu for constantly overdosing Baby's mother on tranquilizers. [[spoiler: It's then quickly subverted when he frames George and Susan for the murder.]]
22	* EvilMentor: Eric, the main antagonist, is Susan's former mentor.
23	* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Notably [[spoiler: Eric, who is snatched into the jaws of the mother Bronto and shaken around]], which shows blood and had to be edited out on some television airings. Doubles as a ShoutOut to ''Film/KingKong1933''.
24	** There is also his assistant Nigel getting violently electrocuted onscreen. This too, was edited out in some airings.
25	* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence: See above. Seeing the male Bronto getting gunned down isn't very pretty either.
26	* IntrepidReporter: Inverted with George, and then played straight. Initially he's interested only in African baseball stories and not wanting to go searching for dinosaurs, once they actually find them he is as starry-eyed as his wife.
27	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: George.
28	* MamaBear: The mother bronto, of course. [[spoiler: Eric learns this the hard way by the end.]]
29	* MokeleMbembe: The myth of the mokele is based on a family of the last remaining sauropods living deep in the African jungle which, unlike the real-life kind, are also adept swimmers.
30	* MookLieutenant: Sergeant Gambwe to Colonel Nsogbu. Then to Eric after Nsogbu pushes Eric's buttons one time too many.
31	* MoreDakka: How the father brontosaurus dies.
32	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Eric has one of these moments after [[spoiler:Baby is seemingly killed]]. Not that it saves him from [[spoiler:Mom's wrath]] of course.
33	* NationalGeographicNudity: Used in several shots with women of the natives and during the carnival in the opening.
34	* NoEscapeButDown: When being chased in a cave by Eric and the soldiers, Susan, George and Baby get themselves cornered in the edge of an underground waterfall, they decide jump off.
35	* PeopleInRubberSuits: For Baby's special effects they used a rubber-covered harness that would be worn by a person, allowing them to walk on fours. The eyes, mouth, neck and tail's movement would be remote controlled by the crew.
36	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: When the mother brontosaurus is freed at the end of the movie, she rampages something fierce.
37	* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: It is not specified which African country the film is set. The opening text establishes the setting in "equatorial West Africa". Many signs are in French and George has to speak with French words with locals, indicating francophone Africa. Batiki is mentioned (which is in Fidji), as is Senga (which is in Malawi), which are not in the French-speaking region. The movie was shot in the Ivory Coast.

Context Film / BabySecretOfTheLostLegend