We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is a 1993 American animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblimation animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was released in theaters in the United States on November 24, 1993. It features the voices of John Goodman, Rhea Perlman, Jay Leno, Rene LeVant, Charles Fleischer, Walter Cronkite, Julia Child, Yeardley Smith, Kenneth Mars, and Martin Short. It is based on the 1987 Hudson Talbott children's storybook of the same name, which was narrated from the perspective of the main character, a Tyrannosaurus named Rex.
History with the Macy’s Parade
To help promote the animated movie, Universal Pictures teamed with Macy's to produce a Rex the Dinosaur balloon. The balloon measured 85 feet in length, making him the longest balloon in the 1993 Parade. However, Rex's Macy's Parade life was shortened after he sustained major damage after an incident that he caused in his debut. While the balloon survived and finished the route, the NBC telecast had to use videotape footage from his test flight instead of showing the damaged balloon on TV. He ended up being immediately retired afterwards, presumably due to the film's box-office bomb and negative reception by critics and audiences.
As of 1998, Rex the Dinosaur was never repaired, and his face remained damaged presumably until 2011, when he was likely disposed of during the 2011 Macy's Parade Studio move-out.
Incidents
- Due to high winds throughout the 1993 Macy’s Parade, the Rex balloon was shoved into a traffic pole at Columbus Circle, causing his head to pop open. Despite the severe damage, the balloon was allowed to continue the route faceless unlike Sonic the Hedgehog, but the NBC telecast used his test flight footage in order to avoid showing the balloon's damaged head on national television.