Emilia Clarke Starred In A Truly Awful Dinosaur Movie Before Game Of Thrones

Emilia Clarke's breakthrough role in "Game of Thrones" is also her most recognizable performance to date. Daenerys Targaryen, who was primarily perceived through artist sketches or fandom headcanons before the HBO series premiered, is now synonymous with Clarke's unforgettable portrayal of the character. To portray a fierce, ambition-fueled Westerosi ruler hiding a tempered vulnerability is no easy feat, but Clarke stepped into the shoes of a young, frightened Daenerys and etched her evolution into the Mother of Dragons, whose righteous wrath shook the foundations of the world so accustomed to male rulers and their whims.

Of course, then came the controversial eighth and final season of the show, which butchers Daenery's brilliant complexity in a matter of minutes, where her fate is engulfed in madness and betrayal in the most heartbreaking ways. Clarke remains compelling even during these narratively dubious moments, imbuing her arc with tragic urgency in the face of every other rushed resolution that the final season offers. In the end, Clarke's portrayal of Daenerys is riveting, with the actor investing the character with subtle quirks that paint her as more than a tragic figure destined to repeat the violent cycles of history and tradition.

Before Clarke joined "Game of Thrones" in 2011, she began her career with a bunch of student short films, commercials, and brief credited television roles (including the British medical soap opera, "Doctors"). One such prominent television role was 2010's "Triassic Attack," a Syfy original monster movie helmed by Colin Ferguson, where Clarke plays one of the leads. Unfortunately, "Triassic Attack" is beyond salvation. It is one of those bland, boring television films that cannot have fun with its potentially exciting premise (evil spirits possessing dinosaurs!) as it is too busy taking itself seriously. 

But it's also fun to take a look back at this questionable dinosaur movie.

"Triassic Attack" is not the first low-budget Syfy creature feature, as the channel has also (unfortunately) released films like "Sharktopus" (yes, the title means exactly what you think it means) and "Ice Spiders" (where mutated arachnids terrorize an Olympic ski team). But these films are outlandish and cheesy enough to elicit some playful eye-rolls or unintended laughs, as they're enjoyable in the same vein as watching "Birdemic: Shock and Terror," when you want to turn your brain off and have a good time. However, the same cannot be said about "Triassic Attack," which is an obvious, shameless rip-off of "Jurassic Park" (whose enduring influence cannot be overstated), except that the dinosaurs are possessed by some insanely violent evil spirits.

On paper, this should be fun. Vindictive dinosaurs are terrifying as is, but if they're possessed by cartoonishly evil spirits due to some dubious magic ritual, the stakes automatically double and call for some ridiculous creative swings. But there is no build-up to playful dread or suspense here: as soon as the dino skeletons come to life, they embark on a killing spree before you can blink and process what's happening onscreen, killing everyone in their path. Local sheriff Jake (Steven Brand) and his ex-wife Emma (Kirsty Mitchell) witness this carnage, but seem completely unmoved because they realize that their daughter Savannah (Clarke) is still alive. This point onward, nonsensical shenanigans ensue.

The most egregious aspect of the story is that the dinosaur-evil spirit reanimation process is presented as a Native American curse to reclaim stolen land. As you can imagine, is handled in the most tactless way imaginable. Even if you're able to overlook this aspect, the attempts at humor do not stick the landing, no matter how many times a T-Rex skeleton tries to eat a dude, only for him to roll out the bottom of its skull. 

Also, I wish I could call Clarke a standout, but her character is unfortunately not given much to work with, which culminates in a somewhat stiff performance that blends in with the rest of the uninspired mess. In essence, there is no silver lining here, so it's probably better to check out Clarke's one-off voice roles in episodes of "Futurama" or "Robot Chicken" instead.