The Last Dinosaur - Plot

Plot

Wealthy big-game hunter Maston Thrust (Richard Boone) has a multi-million dollar company, "Thrust INC.", which successfully drills for oil under the polar caps with a manned laser drill, called the "Polar Borer". When only one man returns from a Bore Expedition, Thurst calls a press conference. It appears that the borer was going through a routine check in the icecaps when it suddenly surfaced in a valley which was super-heated by a volcano. The crew, all except for geologist Chuck Wade (Steven Keats), get out of the Polar Borer and explore the strange area. Once ashore, they end up being eaten by a giant prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex. Chuck is able to make it back to tell their tale and Thrust decides to go there himself to study the creature. Along with Thrust and Chuck, there will be three others: Bunta (Luther Rackley), a Maasai tracker; Dr. Kawamoto (Tetsu Nakamura); and Frankie Banks (Joan Van Ark) a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer selected by the Press Pool. Maston, being his sexist self, goes on about how he's never taken a woman on his journeys and that he's not going to change now. But with some clever persuasion at a dinner for the crew, Frankie manages to convince Thrust to allow her on the expedition.

Upon arriving at the isolated valley, they notice flying Pteranodons. Once they raft to shore, the group is almost stampeded by a "ceratopsian" (though in reality, the beast in question actually resembles the lesser-known extinct mammal Uintatherium). After setting up camp, Maston, Chuck, Bunta, and Frankie go out looking for the dinosaur while Dr. Kawamoto remains back at the camp. The party locates the Tyrannosaurus, and after they're chased, Thrust tries to shoot it, but his gun jams. Bunta spears it and is able to turn it away.

Afterward, the Tyrannosaurus is fishing in a stream, and comes across the camp. It destroys the camp and kills Dr. Kawamoto by crushing him under its (overly) enormous foot. Then it attacks the Polar Borer and throws it ashore to a canyon containing a bone field. While it continues its attack on the Polar Borer, a Triceratops unearths in the canyon and the two clash. After a fierce battle, the Tyrannosaurus is able to kill the Triceratops.

The group returns to their destroyed camp and notice Dr. Kawamoto is gone, as well as the Borer. They mistakenly assume the borer was sunk. Enraged, Thrust vows to kill the dinosaur. After a few months, the group is now living in a cave. Thrust creates a crossbow out of Dr. Kawamoto's items and uses tent pegs for arrows. They have a number of encounters with some cavemen in the area, but are able to turn them away with the crossbow. They also befriend a cavewoman (Masumi Sekiya) who has held onto Frankie's purse (she lost after the ceratopsian attack) and Thrust's scope from his broken rifle. While Hazel (the name they give the cavewoman) helps Frankie wash her hair, the T. rex returns. Frankie is able to make it to a cave, with the Tyrannosaurus trying to get in. Thrust, Bunta, and Wade are able to turn the animal with a large boulder they rope and attach to the dinosaur's tail. Thrust decides to kill the dinosaur once and for all with a catapult.

Once built, they wait for the dinosaur. Out hunting, Chuck finds the Borer and says it's still operable. However, Thrust doesn't want to leave until they kill the Tyrannosaurus. Nevertheless, Chuck and Frankie leave camp to get the Borer fixed and leave, while Thrust and Bunta remain. Once it is launched back in the water, Frankie goes back to convince the others to leave with them one last time. While tracking the dinosaur, Bunta is eaten. Frankie and Thrust use the catapault on it, but the boulder hit the dinosaur square on the head, but only knocks it over temporarily, not killing it. It then rampages and destroys their catapult.

Finally Chuck arrives and says they have to leave now or they'll be stuck there forever. Frankie pleads with Thrust to go with them and to leave the dinosaur, as it's the "last one." Thrust replies "So am I..." and so they leave without him. Now it's just Thrust (and Hazel) in this primeval world with "The Last Dinosaur."

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