REVIEW: “The Good Dinosaur” stuns with incredible animations
By Rowan Hart,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff–
In Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur,” the high-quality background animation sometimes left audiences wondering whether what they were seeing was a rendering or real life–until a dinosaur appeared. The North American-like landscape portrayed in the film is breathtaking. From mountains that make you shiver to water that looks crisp enough to drink, “The Good Dinosaur” is more a piece of art than a movie.
Though the film is comical and fun, it was made for younger siblings. Pixar is known for kids movies that the parents are sometimes more excited to attend than their children, but “The Good Dinosaur” doesn’t speak to all audiences as well as past gems like “Wall-E” and “Finding Nemo.”
Unfortunately, the astonishing animation is wasted on the film’s weak plot, almost as if Pixar used a $10,000 frame on a half-finished sketch. There are a few jokes thrown in for older audience as well as some touching scenes, but the movie’s hectic plot more resembles a kids cartoon than a beautifully-woven story.
Set in a world which had no grand extinction, dinosaurs have evolved to adopt human-like qualities. The movie opens on a farm run by a family of lean, green Apatosauruses. The early scene shows the birth of three baby dinosaurs: Buck, Libby and Arlo.
Arlo, voiced by Raymond Ochoa, is the runt of the batch. Without size, stature and courage, he struggles to find his place in the farm. Arlo, just like his siblings, wants to “make his mark,” but his search is cut short when he’s swept away by a river and carried to far away lands.
The movie takes viewers through a magical journey in which Arlo and his human pet/sidekick travel through the lands trying to find their way home. The human in the film is not very human at all. Portrayed like a dog, Spot runs on four legs and never tries to speak.
Throughout meeting new faces, overcoming challenges and fighting some bad guys, the duo tries to teach the audience the importance of family and friends.
The adventure bleeds laughter, but every so often it slaps you in the face with a scene that rattles you up like the end of “Marley and Me.” Though it is a PG-rated film there is a strong motif of death. From the early powerful death of Arlo’s father to cute little critters being eaten, the movie is not afraid to take a life.
Though “The Good Dinosaur” is not an instant classic like many of its Pixar brothers and sisters, the animation alone is worth the ticket, and don’t be surprised if you find yourself chuckling.
