The Valley of Gwangi

Cowboys Battle Monsters in the Lost World of Forbidden Valley.

1969 • 96 min • Science Fiction · Western · Adventure

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Synopsis

A turn of the century wild west show struggling to make a living in Mexico comes into the possession of a tiny prehistoric horse. This leads to an expedition to the Forbidden Valley where they discover living dinosaurs. They capture one and take it back to be put on display, leading to inevitable mayhem.

Our family guide

Best from age 7

Movie Knight Score

169 reviews

100 Reviewers · 3 · 53%
71 Audience · 166 · 47%

In turn-of-the-century Mexico, a struggling Wild West show discovers a tiny prehistoric horse, leading them to a hidden valley of living dinosaurs. They capture an Allosaurus to display, but its escape causes chaos. Features classic stop-motion animation.

Violence & peril: 3/10
Language: 1/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 1/10
Romance & sensuality: 0/10
Scary moments: 4/10

Heads up

Dinosaur fights can be intense
Some characters face peril
A dwarf character is portrayed with some stereotypes

What it models well

Courage in the face of danger
Exploring the unknown
The wonder of discovery

Talk about it after

Respecting nature and wild animals
The ethics of capturing wild creatures for display
The science of paleontology and dinosaurs

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Valley of Gwangi. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Jim O'Connolly • Crew: William Bast

Trailers & clips

The Valley Of Gwangi (1969) - HD Trailer [1080p]

Reviewer notes

Recommended
61/100 To summarize, think "King Kong", replace Skull Island with an isolated valley, add some cowboys, and replace the ape with a T. Rex named Gwangi and there you go. Firmly placed in the 60's, this film is exactly what you'd expect on a Saturday matinee ...which at my age is something I'm far more familiar with than most people reading this.…
Dr Nostromo, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
The Western fantasy film boosted by some Harryhausen genius. Shot in Technicolor by Erwin Hillier and in Dynamation, The Valley Of Gwangi sees Tuck Kirby (James Franciscus) and a team of cowboys get more than they bargained for when they enter a hidden valley in Mexico.…
John Chard, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
**Ray Harryhausen's best work** Forget the patches of swinging sixties dialogue and the questionable acting prowess of Gila Golan and let us instead consider Harryhausen's superb animation, the beauty of Erwin Hillier's Technicolor photography and Jerome Moross' unbeatable western musical score - definitely the best soundtrack for a western ever recorded. Yes, indeed, _even better_ than his score for The Big Country.…
Potential Kermode, TMDB Community