I'm no palaeontologist, so I couldn't possibly say whether the behaviour of Steven Spielberg's velociraptor is true to (prehistoric) life. Jurassic Park is inhabited by a number of dinosaurs that are all pretty unwelcoming, but the velociraptor is by far the most frightening closely followed by the dilophosaurus that dispatches Dennis Nedry with a cute smile and an acidic tar-like spit. While the T-Rex thunders through the forest without finesse, the velociraptor has been busy. It can open doors. It can communicate with its companions. It can cock its head to one side while assessing its next move, leaving you in no doubt that there is a swift and sure brain beneath the scaly skin. In a park where every creature has killer teeth, the velociraptor's thinking power makes it the most fearsome opponent Dr Grant et al face. However, the velociraptor also has unwelcome physical traits. The long toe claw, beautifully foreshadowed by Dr Grant in his first scene of the film, clicks unpleasantly on the metal surfaces of the visitor centre kitchen, somehow adding yet another human trait. The barking cry of the creature is also intensely intimidating. In fact, the only reason that anyone escapes the velociraptor alive is due to the intervention of the T-Rex. I bet you've never imagined that a T-Rex might save your life!
I'll watch anything, so long as it has a juicy plot, a couple of twists and hopefully a few scares. My favourite films include The Fugitive, The Last Starfighter and The Secret In Their Eyes. Television wise, I'm a big fan of the Nordic Noir, Sherlock and Doctor Who. All the classics!
