Vastatosaurus rex

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Vastatosaurus rex
A male V-Rex
A female V-Rex
A juvenile V-Rex
Alternate names V-Rex, Ravager Lizard King, Tyrannosaurus
Species Tyranosaurid dinosaur
(Vastatosaurus rex)
Length 40-50 feet[1]
Relations Tyrannosaurus rex (ancestor)[1]
Allies Other V-Rexes
Enemies Foetodon, King Kong, VenatosaurusIotS
Created by Peter Jackson, Greg Pearce, Greg Broadmore
First appearance King Kong (2005)
Roar(s)

Vastatosaurus rex is a fictional species of carnivorous tyrannosaurid dinosaur that appears in the 2005 film King Kong. A family of three V-Rexes battle Kong in the film and the creatures serve as major antagonists in much of its related media.

Development

Vastatosaurus rex was developed from the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Allosaurus from Peter Jackson's 1996 King Kong attempt. A conceptual statue featuring Tyrannosaurus created for the film also bears a resemblance to the finalized Vastatosaurus.[2] Early concept art by Gus Hunter depicted the V-Rexes as brown T-Rexes.[3] The notion of Kong battling a family of tyrannosaurs was also a holdover from the 1996 iteration of the project.[4] Interestingly, in the script for the film, Kong's adversaries are instead stated to be a group of Allosaurus instead.

For reference in designing the Vastatosaurus, Weta Workshop used an osteological replica of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull and added an evolutionary twist to it.[5] Weta artists Greg Broadmore and Christian Pearce were responsible for designing the V-Rex, with Broadmore commenting in The Making of King Kong: The Official Guide to the Motion Picture that he had probably done 20 to 30 designs for the fictional dinosaur.[6] There was a difference between the designs of Broadmore and Pearce, as the latter notes. Broadmore's designs put the weighting of the V-Rex further behind the hips, whereas Pearce's designs were lower to the ground and more "front-heavy," which Pearce felt looked "more aggressive and spookier."[7] Early in the design process there were many discussions about making the V-Rex stand upright like the paintings of paleoartist Charles R. Knight.[6]

Early designs of the V-Rex date to 2003. All of these designs featured two fingers instead of three.[8][9] Director Peter Jackson's responses to the concept art gave the V-Rex designers a clear sense of directions to explore. The concept artists realized that Jackson wanted, in Broadmore's own words, "the most, evil, diabolical V-Rex you could imagine." Broadmore further explained, "It wasn't about making a real dinosaur. It was about making it the most terrifying thing that Kong could fight. We worked on making the eyes scary and making it nasty and smelly—which is a recurring theme in the movie!"[6] The designers also played around with giving it scars to make it look battle-hardened.[10] Jackson notably liked a concept with rotten meat hanging from its teeth and another with a poked-out eye. Discoveries since Knight's paintings found that dinosaurs had very fine scales, unlike the crocodilian and lizard scales depicted in Knight's paintings, but Jackson wanted something archaic, so Greg Broadmore suggested to Jackson that the creature possess crocodile scales. Broadmore explained, "To put crocodile scales on a dinosaur is ludicrous, but it makes it look cooler and gives it an older-fashioned Ray Harryhausen-esque look."[6]

When Pearce and Broadmore's sketches were twice approved by Jackson, it was the job of the sculptors to bring the designs together, and to further streamline the Vastatosaurus for the film. While Broadmore did not specify all of the changed and additions made, he noted that the creature's maneuverable waist was not present in he and Pearce's renderings. Sculptor Bill Hunt explained the decision saying, "Our dinosaurs have been isolated, and they've had an extra sixty-five million years of evolution. Regular rexes don't have a waist, but we kept thinking of them as serpentine, running through these dense jungles and being able to wind between them, and they would need to be able to turn in the middle to do that. So we've given them a waist."[11] While the bull V-Rex was being sculpted, Peter Jackson felt the head needed to be ten percent bigger. Hunt recalls that Jackson modified the sculpture himself, slicing off the front of its face and being satisfied by the result afterward.[12] Christian Pearce applauded the decisions made in the sculpting period saying "So much was resolved in the sculpt."[7]

Name

The name "Vastatosaurus rex" means "ravager lizard king," being derived from the Latin word vastato, which is a conjugation of the Latin word vasto meaning to "devastate, ravage, or to lay waste."[13][14] The word saurus is derived from the ancient Greek word sauros (σαυροσ), meaning "lizard," and finally, the Latin word rex, meaning "king."

In-universe, the V-Rex is named by sailor Sam Kelley in the prequel novel King Kong: The Island of the Skull, where he initially mistook it for a Tyrannosaurus, but changed his mind after observing its size and ferocity.

Jackson himself was unconcerned with the names of the creatures and simply referred to them as T-Rexes both in the script and during production, suggesting that the V-Rex name was a later addition, perhaps to do with merchandising.[15]

Design

Unlike its ancestor Tyrannosaurus rex, V-Rex has a more oval-shaped skull with a mouth full of thick, fully exposed, peg-shaped, asymmetrical teeth.[1] V-Rex also has a few teeth that are located outside of its mouth on its lower jaw. Unlike Tyrannosaurus, V-Rex has three fingers instead of two and has a waist.[11] Vastatosaurus rex has fully scaled skin with crocodilian scutes spanning its neck, back, and its hips. Its coloration is a dark blue that can be mistaken for whitish gray in certain lighting conditions with a yellowish underbelly, while its eyes are orange with small black circular pupils.

The family that appears in the film each has their own unique appearance, and elements of the appearances of the two adults demonstrate the concept of sexual dimorphism, in which male and female organisms have visible differences that tell them apart from organisms of the opposite gender, such as being different sizes from one another. The juvenile has bigger feet and less developed muscles and has a body that is more horizontal than the other two. The matriarch boasts heavy scarring on the muzzle and is the oldest of the three with wrinkly, sagging skin and her torso and tail hanging lower than her hips. The bull is the largest of the three, and is heavily muscled and fitter than the matriarch and sports a heavy-boned head with a crest.[16][11][17]

Ecology

A comparison of a Tyrannosaurus rex (fig. 1), a V-Rex (fig. 3), and a proposed missing link species (fig. 2)

Vastatosaurus rex is the result of Tyrannosaurus rex evolving isolated on Skull Island over millions of years. Females laid their eggs in collected leaf litter in hidden areas of the jungle, and returned to urinate on the eggs periodically. The scent warded off most predators. Infant V-Rexes hatched ready to take care of themselves and began to stalk centipedes and lizards in the island's undergrowth. As they grew, the young V-Rexes began forming small herds with individuals of a similar age for protection. These groups worked together to take down large prey, but with little coordination. At puberty these herds began to disperse, as their burgeoning size made jungle hunting difficult. At that point, they moved into more spacious forests and lowlands. Young V-Rexes bore striped camouflage, and remained this way until maturity, as until that point they were small enough to be prey to other species, however it also proved to be a useful feature to hide them as they hunted. The packs of juvenile V-Rexes would often attempt to bully other species away from kills, including the highly intelligent and coordinated Venatosaurus. Because the young V-Rexes had not yet learned to size up opponents, some of their number would sustain injuries or be killed in these contests. Other packs might try to attack a lone Venatosaurus protecting its pack’s chicks, only to be grossly overwhelmed when the Venatosaurus' alarm calls brought the rest of its pack in a voracious attack. Only the fast learners made it to adulthood.

Being fiercely territorial, V-Rexes were known to mark their territory with urine and by roaring in the mornings. Adult male Vastatosaurus preferred the most open spaces available, while adult females preferred to operate on the edge of thick forests to provide cover for nests. Bulls left their usually solitary lives during breeding season. If accepted by a female, the two would hunt in her territory for a few days before she grew tired of him and forced him out. During their hunting excursions, it was not uncommon for younger individuals to sharpen their hunting skills by following the adults and getting quick meals from leftover carcasses. Ambitious young V-Rexes, eager to stake their claims to Skull Island, would take advantage of the older bulls' absences to move into unprotected territory.

Due to their size, Vastatosaurus could easily prey on any of the prey species on the island, but V-Rexes were opportunistic feeders. They understood that it was safer to use their incredible size and strength to intimidate smaller predators off their kills than to hunt for themselves. This practice was made easier by their highly acidic stomach, capable of digesting even the most rancid of rotting meats, and their bone-crunching jaws that allowed them to crack skeletal remains and feed on the marrow. Mainly being ambush hunters, they often used the forests and brush around water to catch animals off guard. They mainly fed on the abundant Ligocristus, but if a young or injured Brontosaurus or Ferrucutus could be found, they would certainly take it. After hunting, their small arms, which grew at a slower speed than the rest of their bodies, were used to keep prey from swinging around by pinning it close to their chests. The greatest challenge facing the V-Rex during the hunt was staying hidden. Adults were dark in color, and were surprisingly stealthy for their size. They could hide in the shadows to mask their movement when stalking prey.

An additional advantage afforded to the Vastatosaurus by their black scale coloration was that they heated up the reptiles quickly in the mornings to give them an edge on the slow-warming species.

History

King Kong (2005)

While wandering the jungle, a young Vastatosaurus came across a Foetodon crawling into a log, which it bit off the ground and tried to choke down as another of its kind fled into the brush. With its kill still fresh in its jaws, the young one's attention was caught by Ann Darrow crawling out of the log's other end. It immediately began to pursue her as it carried the dead reptile in its maw. Unfortunately, it lost sight of her when she flattened herself against another log which, unbeknownst to her, was being eyed by the saurian's father.[18] He snapped at the actress, and knocked her off the log, but her screaming summoned Kong, who swung down and kicked the bull in the face, knocking him to the ground. They thrashed on the jungle floor a moment until the V-Rex stood back up. Kong then grabbed its throat to keep it away from the woman.

Just then, the juvenile wandered out of the jungle and swallowed the last of the Foetodon carcass before spying Darrow relatively unguarded in the distracted ape’s free hand. It ran toward her, and Kong moved her out of the way, allowing the young saurian to bite down on his forearm instead. Kong spun around to knock the Vastatosaurus away. On regaining their footing, the father and son advanced on Kong, allowing the mother to attack him from behind. Kong punched the juvenile away and turned around to block its mother before putting the attacking bull in a headlock, and throwing the matriarch into her child. He finally threw her down and over a short ledge before taking up a boulder and smashing in the juvenile's head. The bull snapped at his shoulder, and Kong grabbed his head and rolled the two of them backward and over the ledge, where the matriarch was on her feet again. The dinosaurs leapt on Kong, and he kicked the bull off, sending him down another of the stairstepping ledges before the gaping chasm below. He grappled with the matriarch and bit into her neck before tackling her down onto the final ledge. She bit Kong's bicep, and he threw her over his head and into the ravine, nearly falling himself. He held onto the ledge and tried to grab the bull's leg as she fell into the vine strangled air between the ledge and the jungle floor. Kong tipped the bull over, but as he fell, he bit the ape's leg, and briefly hung suspended only by his grip until their combined weight sent them tumbling into the ravine.

Kong and the bull were caught by the vines, and continued their struggle while suspended in mid-air. Entangled above them were Darrow and the matriarch, who propelled herself off the chasm wall to snap at the actress. Seeing this, Kong climbed up to rescue her, and pulled the matriarch down by her tail. This change in balance saw Darrow become caught on her head, and the matriarch fell and ended up upside down, dangling by her teeth above the bull's eager jaws. Kong kicked him, and Darrow fell down onto the bull's head. While Kong was distracted, the matriarch chomped down on his arm. Using this as leverage, he tackled her into the wall as Darrow and the bull fell to the jungle floor. Kong broke the matriarch's skull against the cliffside as the bull got to its feet to pursue the actress once more.

Kong soon appeared behind her, and the Vastatosaurus roared at him. Kong grabbed him by his widened jaws before biting into his tongue and tearing it from the dinosaur's mouth. Kong latched onto the downed V-Rex's back and tried to pry open his jaws. Despite the bull's flailing, he was soon pinned to the ground, and Kong punched his head down before breaking his jaw, and smashing his snout in on itself, leaving the ape triumphant over all three of the dinosaurs.

Books

King Kong: The Island of the Skull

One year before the events of King Kong, a Vastatosaurus happened upon a pack of Venatosaurus in a clearing. It quickly defeated them and spent the day eating them until only their bones remained. The next day, it, or another of its species, came across a group of humans and chased them into a clearing where they found shelter in a cave. Not wanting to give up so easily, the Vastatosaurus waited in the cave entrance through the night and a bad rainstorm. In the morning, the humans began running from the cave. Some of them escaped because the Vastatosaurus had settled itself on the other side of the clearing for the time being, but it was able to eat a few of them before Kong arrived.

King Kong (2005)

While in the jungle, a V-Rex came upon two smaller carnivores, and grabbed one up off the ground in its jaws, crushing the struggling creature. However, it spotted Ann Darrow fleeing from the tree where she had been hiding and pursued her instead. Unfortunately, Kong arrived to protect her. He slammed the Vastatosaurus to the ground, but its screams brought out a second that bit down on Kong's arm. As he tore it free from the V-Rex's jaws, a third one arrived, as the first got back on its feet, its snout dripping with blood. The dinosaurs attacked from all sides, but Kong kept moving her from arm to foot to keep her away from their hungry jaws. He eventually had to let her free, and continued the melee until he tore up a tree trunk and rammed it through a V-Rex's jaws and out the back of its head. He then put the next dinosaur in a neck lock and swung it over his shoulder and slammed it down before sharply twisting to break its back. However, the last V-Rex grabbed Ann in its jaws, and Kong fought to pry them open and free her. He eventually slammed its head to the ground and she escaped as Kong continued to pry until its jaws were broken, and the V-Rex was dead.

Comics

King Kong: The 8th Wonder of the World

While in the jungles of Skull Island, a Vastatosaurus came across the unattended Ann Darrow, who did her best to run away before Kong came and delivered a punch to its jaw just before it could bite down on her. Two more V-Rexes then came from the jungle to aid their comrade. The three did their best to encircle Kong and to snap at Darrow, despite Kong's constantly moving her out of the way, until they backed him into a corner, where the ape uprooted a tree and drove it through the neck of one of the Vastatosaurus. He quickly pushed the next one over the cliff's edge, and the last dinosaur but Kong's arm. However, Kong rolled forward and grabbed the cliff in an attempt to get it to fall as well. When the piece of rock he was holding broke off, Kong fought through the vines to the rocky floor, where the previous V-Rex was waiting. On seeing it, Kong jumped from the vines and crushed it with his body while the final V-Rex fell from the vines ready to fight. Kong quickly lunged at its jaws and pried them apart, killing it.

Abilities

Jaws

The jaws of Vastatosaurus rex are the strongest of any terrestrial animal that had ever lived and are capable of exerting astonishing pressure to splinter bone and crush limbs. The V-Rex's peg-like teeth were specially adapted for piercing and mashing.[19]

Flexibility

The V-Rex is surprisingly flexible for an animal of its size, possessing a short, narrow rib cage and a large gap between its ribs and its hips.[1]

Physical abilities

The Vastatosaurus rex is capable of running in short bursts of up to 25 miles per hour.[1] The V-Rex possesses broad feet, an adaptation that allows it to stalk through swampier terrain than what its bulk would otherwise support.[19] The V-Rex would use its arms to help pin meat against its body and prevent the meat from swinging around.[20]

Tooth regrowth

V-Rexes developed the shark-like ability to regrow lost teeth.[1]

Attractions

Video games

Gallery

Main article: Vastatosaurus rex/Gallery.

Roar

Some of the V-Rex's roars seem to be have been adapted from boar sounds and altered in pitch. In the official tie-in game to the 2005 film they were given new roars, some of which were reused from the film version of Venatosaurus. Some of these roars in turn would be reused for King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

V-Rex roars and sound effects in the 2005 film
V-Rex roars and sound effects in Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie
Juvenile V-Rex roars and sound effects in Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie


Trivia

  • Vastatosaurus rex is a tribute to the Tyrannosaurus rex from the original 1933 King Kong in that it not only is a descendant of the T-Rex, but it also shares aspects of the T-Rex's design from the 1933 film such as having three fingers and pebbly skin. King Kong's fight with the last V-Rex is also a recreation of his fight with the T-Rex in the original film, ending with Kong breaking its jaw.
  • The V-Rexes encountered by Kong in the film are confirmed to be a family, including a juvenile, a bull, and a matriarch.[5] This Vastatosaurus family might be the result of inbreeding, as V-Rex designer Greg Broadmore says that the filmmakers thought of the family as "this group of ornery yokels, this inbred family of dinosaurs."[10]
  • The decision to give the Vastatosaurus rex scales cost production hundreds of man-hours when sculpting the scales on their maquettes.[21] Richard Taylor told Cinefex in their January 2006 issue that the V-Rex sculptures were one of the most difficult Weta Workshop had ever created, commenting that the scales were "like a mathematical equation, requiring very careful analysis of the scales. There was no way to cheat it, we just couldn't scratch it in."[5] One of the sculptors, Gary Hunt, commented on the sculpting process of the scales, saying "After six months of putting scales on a V-Rex—we've got scales printed on our retinas!"[22] Designer Christian Pearce felt that though the crocodilian scales made sculpting the V-Rex maquettes very time-consuming, it was worth the effort overall, as he felt it separated the V-Rex from the Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus.[10]

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Vastatosaurus rex

See also

References

This is a list of references for Vastatosaurus rex. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Falconer & Weta Workshop 2005, p. 62
  2. Jacksonkong.jpg
  3. King-Kong-Design-KEY002.jpg
  4. "The Making of a Shot: The T-Rex Fight" Universal Studios Home Entertainment, 2005.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fordham 2006, p. 72
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Wake 2005, p. 151
  7. 7.0 7.1 Wake 2005, p. 153
  8. Hypersaurus. gregbroadmore.com
  9. Crocorex. gregbroadmore.com
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Wake 2005, p. 152
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 Wake 2005, p. 159
  12. Wake 2005, p. 158.
  13. vastato‎ (Latin): meaning. WordSense.eu
  14. vasto‎ (Spanish, Portuguese, Latin): meaning, definition, synonyms. WordSense.eu
  15. “King Kong” Universal Home Entertainment, 2005.
  16. Fordham 2006, p. 75.
  17. Wake 2005, pp. 152-153.
  18. Wake 2005, p. 173.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Falconer & Weta Workshop 2005, p. 68
  20. Falconer & Weta Workshop 2005, p. 53.
  21. Wake 2005, pp. 151-152.
  22. Wake 2005, p. 160.

Bibliography

  • Falconer, Daniel; Weta Workshop (22 November 2005). The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island. Pocket Star. ISBN 978-1-4165-0519-8.
  • Fordham, Joe (January 2006). "Return of the King". Cinefex. No. 104.
  • Wake, Jenny (13 December 2005). The Making of King Kong: The Official Guide to the Motion Picture. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-1-4165-0518-1.

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