In theaters today comes the latest offering from Pixar Animation Studios, The Good Dinosaur. This movie marks the second Pixar release of 2015 after the incredibly imaginative Inside Out. How does Pixar do this time around?
The Good Dinosaur begins its story by playfully revising our planetary history. What if the meteor that led to the extinction of dinosaurs actually missed planet Earth? As a result this leads to humans and dinosaurs co-existing leading to the unlikely partnership of an Apatosaurus named Arlo and a young human.
Arlo is the youngest of three siblings and has a bit of a chip on his shoulder. His diminutive size and fearfulness often hinder his ability to make his mark (literally as you will see) thus delaying his maturation as a dinosaur that can make it in this world. A familiar plot point used in Disney films and coming-of-age stories propels Arlo’s story forward. Consequently, Arlo enlists the help of a young human who is more adept at surviving. The two embark on a journey where they encounter a host of different animals that all serve to teach Arlo valuable life lessons.
This epic journey takes the pair through a breathtaking landscape that includes mountains, grasslands, and waterfalls. The detailed backdrop is so realistic that you will mistake the computer animation for real-life photographs. It is, in a word, stunning.
The film doesn’t have a ton of laugh-out-loud moments. However there is one moment in the film that centers on eating fruit that will have adults and children laughing hysterically for two different reasons. Beyond that much of the film’s appeal actually lies more in the endearing quality of Arlo’s human companion than Arlo himself. In somewhat of a switcheroo, the young human only grunts and uses non-verbal language to communicate while Arlo speaks in traditional human language. The kids in our screening seemed to take quite a liking to the young boy and his antics. In fact kids aged ten and under serve as the perfect target audience for this film.
The Good Dinosaur doesn’t make its mark among the best that Pixar has to offer (an admittedly high standard) but that shouldn’t deter families from introducing young kids to their first coming-of-age story.
An IT professional by day and a theme park addict all day, Ricardo Escobar is proud to call Orlando his home, one of the world’s top vacation destinations. Ricardo applies his passion for attractions by sharing the latest and greatest in family entertainment for modernmami™ readers. Follow Ricardo on his adventures and connect with him via Twitter and Instagram.Disclosure: We were provided a complimentary advance screening of the film to facilitate this post. All thoughts and opinions are our own.
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