BeautifulBallad Reviews The Good Dinosaur

Pixar Animation’s The Good Dinosaur is the second release from the studio this year and while it doesn’t live up to some of its predecessors regarding its story line, it could possibly be Pixar’s most beautifully animated film yet. From the colors of the mountains to the almost realistic flowing river, one can’t help but be in awe especially in moments where it appears as if the film has become a live action one as opposed to an animated flick.

While the animation is outstanding, plot-wise The Good Dinosaur falls short. The movie tells the tale of what could have happened if the asteroid missed Earth 65,000,000 years ago with our story

picking up many years later with Arlo, a young dinosaur looking to make his mark. Arlo is the tiniest in his family and his fears generally prevent him from living his life. When he gets separated from home he must begin the trek back and along the way he stumbles upon, a human, Spot. The two join forces and set out on an adventure they will never forget encountering other dinosaurs and critters on the way.

The movie is very reminiscent of Disney’s The Lion King with parts of the film almost mirroring Disney’s 1994 hit. For children it will seem fresh and new but for their adult counterparts the story will feel a bit tired. The dialogue is limited but there are a handful of humorous moments.

Arlo and Spot end up with what has become the typical Pixar friendship, one that will likely leave some in the audience feeling emotional when all is said and done. Their relationship won’t leave you wanting more though, unlike with Toy Story or Monsters Inc.

For how creative the animation is, the story overall was not. Pixar put in a lot of work creating this new interesting world, but appeared to run out of ideas when it came to the plot.

The movie is cute and a great option to take the little ones to this holiday season, but for older Disney fans it might be best to wait to see the movie when it comes out on DVD. If you do decide to go see it, see it in 3D. The animation is worth it!

Grade: B-