Synopsis/Details
In the Everglades, a violent storm destroys a secret government project, leaving only a single large egg intact. The egg rolls into the swamp and floats away on a log.
In the nearby town of Greenmarsh, we meet 11-year-old TJ Beaumont, a clever and adventurous boy living with his hardworking single mother Ellen. While on a Cub Scout outing in the swamp, TJ finds the mysterious egg. He smuggles it home, where it soon hatches into a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex. TJ names the dinosaur Rex and tries to keep it hidden in his room.
As Rex rapidly grows larger, TJ struggles to conceal his new pet. He enlists the help of his best friend Sam to find a safe place for Rex in the swamps. Meanwhile, we learn that Rex is actually the product of a top-secret government project to create dinosaur super-soldiers. The ruthless Agent Osborne leads a team to recover the escaped specimen, including reluctant military man Colonel Horne.
When Rex gets too big to hide, he escapes and causes chaos in town. Colonel Horne manages to tranquilize Rex and take him back to the secret facility. TJ is heartbroken, but determined to rescue his friend. With Sam's help, TJ breaks into the compound and frees Rex. They flee into the swamp with Osborne's team in hot pursuit.
What follows is a thrilling chase through the Everglades, with TJ piloting an airboat and Rex clinging to the deck. Attack helicopters fire on them as they weave through the trees. They take refuge in an old trapper's shack, but it's soon destroyed by missile fire. TJ is devastated, believing Rex has been killed in the explosion.
Just when all seems lost, Rex emerges from the swamp waters, injured but alive. Colonel Horne, who has had a change of heart, helps TJ get Rex to a kindly local veterinarian to remove the tracking device implanted by the scientists. With time running out, Horne arranges for a massive C-130 cargo plane to fly TJ and Rex to safety in Africa.
In an emotional farewell, TJ releases Rex into the African jungle where he can roam free. The boy has learned valuable lessons about friendship, responsibility, and doing what's right even when it's difficult. As a final heartwarming touch, TJ's mother surprises him with a new puppy when he returns home - though the energetic pup's behavior reminds TJ (and the audience) of his adventures with Rex.
"REX" is ultimately a story about a boy and his very unusual pet - albeit one that happens to be a genetically-engineered dinosaur. It's a rollicking adventure that takes us from the swamps of Florida to the plains of Africa, all while celebrating the unbreakable connection between a child and their beloved pet.
