Year: 2015
Director: Peter Sohn
Starring: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Elliott, and Steve Zahn
Synopsis: In a world where dinosaurs never went extinct, one dinosaur must discover what he's made of while making an unlikely friendship.
Synopsis: In a world where dinosaurs never went extinct, one dinosaur must discover what he's made of while making an unlikely friendship.
Review
First off: like all Pixar film's, there was a short to begin with. This one was entitled Sanjay's Super Team and was based on the experiences of Sanjay Patel, who directed it. As is to be expected, the animation was gorgeous and colorful. But it was the message of the short that was so compelling.
The story is of a little boy, Sanjay, who wants to watch a superhero cartoon show. His father comes in, turns off the television, and invites his son to join him in Hindu meditation. Sanjay's reluctance gives way to an exciting daydream with Vishnu, Durga, and Hanuman becoming the heroes. In the end, Sanjay finds meaning in his father's traditions and religion and the two are able to bond. What also stood out to me is that children often understand more than parents give them credit.
On to the feature film.
The Good Dinosaur builds on the premise of what would happen if the dinosaurs had never gone extinct. There are lots of directions you could take a story like that. Perhaps that is why the film had all sorts of production issues and even had a change in director partway through. Sadly, the film suffers some for that. It's a good movie. But I was disappointed it wasn't a great movie. It could have done so much more.
The story is likable, about young, fearful Arlo who wants very much to prove himself. There is much that is familiar about The Good Dinosaur: there's some Finding Nemo in it and quite a bit of The Lion King. It's also a classic boy and his pet story. It just so happens that the boy is a dinosaur and the "pet" is a feral human. It's an interesting twist. And the bond Arlo and Spot develop helps drive the story onward.
The humor of the film is different from most Pixar films. The part that made me laugh the hardest was Forrest Woodbush, the "pet collector." He has some great comedic timing and is simply a fun character I'd have liked to have seen more of. Some of the other humor was more low brow than my taste, but it wasn't excessive. It didn't bother me, I just don't find that type of thing as funny. The film was also a bit darker in places. It might be scary for young audiences. There are predators and they do what predators do.
While the story may not be groundbreaking, the animation in The Good Dinosaur is. The film is gorgeous. The setting for the story is the area around the Tetons, which is beautiful scenery to begin with. The way the filmmakers have captured and rendered the landscape is simply incredible. There were times when the scenery was so good, the water so perfect, that it pulled me out of the story for a moment. This was also Pixar's first film to render clouds, rather than "paint" them on to the sets. The dinosaurs themselves certainly look animated. But the world they live in is big, detailed, and more realistic than I've seen in any other animated film.
I enjoyed The Good Dinosaur. It is beautifully animated and has humor and heart. In the Pixar pantheon, I'd put it just below Brave (which had similar story struggles). While it has its flaws and weaknesses, it is a movie with heart and a good message about overcoming fear. It may not be great, but The Good Dinosaur is still good.
The story is of a little boy, Sanjay, who wants to watch a superhero cartoon show. His father comes in, turns off the television, and invites his son to join him in Hindu meditation. Sanjay's reluctance gives way to an exciting daydream with Vishnu, Durga, and Hanuman becoming the heroes. In the end, Sanjay finds meaning in his father's traditions and religion and the two are able to bond. What also stood out to me is that children often understand more than parents give them credit.
On to the feature film.
The Good Dinosaur builds on the premise of what would happen if the dinosaurs had never gone extinct. There are lots of directions you could take a story like that. Perhaps that is why the film had all sorts of production issues and even had a change in director partway through. Sadly, the film suffers some for that. It's a good movie. But I was disappointed it wasn't a great movie. It could have done so much more.
The story is likable, about young, fearful Arlo who wants very much to prove himself. There is much that is familiar about The Good Dinosaur: there's some Finding Nemo in it and quite a bit of The Lion King. It's also a classic boy and his pet story. It just so happens that the boy is a dinosaur and the "pet" is a feral human. It's an interesting twist. And the bond Arlo and Spot develop helps drive the story onward.
The humor of the film is different from most Pixar films. The part that made me laugh the hardest was Forrest Woodbush, the "pet collector." He has some great comedic timing and is simply a fun character I'd have liked to have seen more of. Some of the other humor was more low brow than my taste, but it wasn't excessive. It didn't bother me, I just don't find that type of thing as funny. The film was also a bit darker in places. It might be scary for young audiences. There are predators and they do what predators do.
While the story may not be groundbreaking, the animation in The Good Dinosaur is. The film is gorgeous. The setting for the story is the area around the Tetons, which is beautiful scenery to begin with. The way the filmmakers have captured and rendered the landscape is simply incredible. There were times when the scenery was so good, the water so perfect, that it pulled me out of the story for a moment. This was also Pixar's first film to render clouds, rather than "paint" them on to the sets. The dinosaurs themselves certainly look animated. But the world they live in is big, detailed, and more realistic than I've seen in any other animated film.
I enjoyed The Good Dinosaur. It is beautifully animated and has humor and heart. In the Pixar pantheon, I'd put it just below Brave (which had similar story struggles). While it has its flaws and weaknesses, it is a movie with heart and a good message about overcoming fear. It may not be great, but The Good Dinosaur is still good.
Quotable Quotes
- "If you ain't scared, you ain't alive." -- Butch
- "This is Debbie ..." -- Forrest Woodbush
- "He'll make his mark, you'll see." -- Poppa
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