|
Gorgon is the main antagonist of the 2013 computer-animated film Walking with Dinosaurs 3D. He is the savage leader of a Gorgosaurus pack who is constantly on the lookout for his next meal and is determined to feed his family as well as using whatever strategy he can to capture his prey.
His vocal sound effects were provided by Paul Pirola.
History
Gorgon is first seen when Patchi and his brother named Scowler get caught up in a huge fire when migrating with their herd to the feeding grounds. Gorgon encounters the two brothers and attacks them while they are separated from their family and prepares to eat them when their father Bulldust, who is also the leader of the herd, suddenly appears to protect his sons and battles the hungry theropod. After a fierce fight, Gorgon clamps his jaws around Bulldust's neck, killing him while Patchi and Scowler could only watch in distraught.
Later, Gorgon is next shown catching a pterosaur to feed himself, and his family members. He discovers Patchi alongside Juniper's herd in the distance and is given the right moment to attack. Gorgon and his pack charge at the herd, causing them to run in fear. There is mayhem as Gorgon and his pack mates separate the weak and young from the herd and prepare to kill them for food. When one Pachyrhinosaurus succeeds in overpowering one of Gorgon's minions, Gorgon seizes the opportunity and bites the Pachyrhinosaurus in the neck with his bone-crushing jaws, dragging it away from the herd. His pack then assists him in killing their prey. Patchi, Juniper, and Scowler fall into a raging river and are swept away during the chaos, but survive.
In the final confrontation, years later, Gorgon and his pack ambush the herd once again. He turns on Scowler, now an adult, and attacks him. However, before he can finish the Pachyrhinosaur off, Patchi rushes to his brother's rescue and confronts Gorgon. He head-butts the tyrannosaur and, aided by Juniper, drive off his three pack mates. Gorgon makes one final attack in an attempt to kill Patchi, who, thinking of his father, brother, and Juniper, charges at Gorgon, knocking out some of his teeth and breaking his right arm with the hole in his frill when he becomes entangled with the theropod. Gorgon, badly injured and bellowing in defeat, retreats into the forest along with his minions. He is not seen again afterwards as it is unknown what happened to him, but it is implied that Gorgon succumbed to the injuries sustained in his fight with Patchi. Millions of years later, his skull is found by a paleontologist named Zack, his niece Jade and nephew Ricky.
Personality
While Gorgon was mainly an instinctive predator, the only thing that made him different was his persistence in following a prey item once he set his eyes on them. He had significant grudges against those who are fortunate enough to survive his grasp. This was shown when he sees Patchi and his friends; he immediately rallied his pack mates to attack the Pachyrhinosaurus herd in spite of obstacles that set to deter them. Despite this, Gorgon wasn't technically evil so much as doing what he needed to in order to survive, whether that was asserting his dominance over his pack mates, or killing other animals to eat them.
Reception
Although his respective film got generally negative reviews from critics and movie-goers, he is arguably the most popular and beloved character in the film. Plus, a lot of people, especially dinosaur enthusiasts, praise the design, even if it is inaccurate compared to what Gorgosaurus actually looked like in reality (though it is no longer certain Gorgosaurus was feathered due to an animal of its size being more prone to overheating).
Trivia
- Despite being the main antagonist, he has little screen-time compared to Patchi, Alex, Juniper, and Scowler.
- He is one of the many dinosaurs that do not speak a single word of English in the entire film.
- In the shortened documentary version of the 2014 film Walking With Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D, Gorgon is instead referred to as a Nanuqsaurus, as they were from Alaska where the film was shot.
Template:20th Century Fox Animation Villains