The Good Dinosaur Review
PG: Peril, Action and Thematic Elements
Disney/Pixar
1 hr and 40 Minutes (+ 5 due to a new short named Sanjay's Super Team)
Voice Cast: Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Sam Elliot, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Peter Sohn, with A.J Buckley, and Jack Bright
Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during my adolescence. Outdated language might be seen in these old posts. Since then, my thoughts and values have grown. This review is being presented as they were originally written, grammatical errors and typos and all. Because to do otherwise would be that same as claiming these flaws has never existed.
BACKSTORY: Monday November 23rd I go to a screening of Good Dinosaur in 3D. That's it. I mean I'm not gonna state the fact that this guy who sees me skipping the long ass line threatened me that he didn't want to see me do that again or something. No I'm not gonna state the fact that people are giving me the stink eye when I do this. I'm not gonna state the fact that I don't give a rat's ass. I am Rendy Jones if you got a problem with that deal with it motherfucker. SO ONTO THE REVIEW!
STORYLINE: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.
REVIEW: Two Pixar movies in the same year? Holy crap it must be Christmas. Obviously one of the films certainly has to be more significant than the other. In June we had Inside Out which was undoubtedly one of Pixar's best film. Now we finally have The Good Dinosaur, a film that was in development hell for a long time They had to go through direction replacement, recasting, reanimating, screenplay reimagining, RE-EVERYTHING! Thankfully the result made out to be a solid Pixar film. The Good Dinosaur follows the tradition of every 3rd animated film storyline: character gets lost and find his/her way back home while learning something valuable about themselves along the way. This isn't the first time Pixar followed this formula. Pretty much all 3 Toy Story films followed the same rule, but the huge difference is that while those films are simplistic they are beyond complex. The Good Dinosaur is a bit too simplistic when Arlo and Spot are lost have to go on this journey back home that bring them closer together on their way back. I can name 5 different Dreamworks films with the same formula. Storywise this film is really take it or leave it, but the elements in the storytelling makes it a more engaging film. Plus the movie is Pixar's most textured and beautiful feature to date. When I say textured I mean, that with every set piece there is a sense of detail on the animation that you feel you are swept up in the alternate world of dinosaurs that they create. The CG is so surreal that there are shots of grass and water that look no different than what we see out our very window. If you put a timeline on Pixar's level of animation from 2 decades ago with Toy Story all the way to this very date you will be amazed on how much animation came to grow. Even with the characters there are so much detailing on their faces where you can see the scales, but its not only that. When Arlo is injured from the very bone on his knee, you can see the little scab as if it's your own knee without being so graphic which you really don't see in animated films. It's a nice touch to see the set of characters of the world they create as if it's like the one we live in. Arlo's family is like country folk, T-Rexes are cowboys, and Pterodactyls are like crack addicts. It's nice to see how much thought they put into their world. But what makes this the Pixar film it is, is the emotion. I swear Pixar are the masters of making you shed a tear, because in this film the emotion is so subtle and genuine that there are harsh depressing moments that really makes you want to weep. Though it is great on emotion, it's really inconsistent with tone. Sometimes after a scene of heart, the film just goes cartoonish to a way where it becomes nearly bizarre. There's a scene where Arlo and Spot eat some bad berries and then next thing you know they're on an acid trip. If you thought the time traveling scene from Spongebob: Sponge Out of Water was trippy, wait till you see this.
3D: Pixar the only animation studio who don't do well on 3D has finally put their 3D into fucking use. Since you're dealing with huge Dinosaurs with long necks, there are extended sequences with the dinos sticking their head at you in 3D. But as distracting as it sounds, they don't do it constantly. It is only in the action sequences where they really put the dino 3D into effect. Besides that you get a naturalistic feel of nature being a threat and the 3D gives the effects more visual detailing to be seen.
LAST STATEMENT: Though it follows your basic Pixar point A-B formula with a constant inconsistent tonal shifts, The Good Dinosaur's stunning visuals and emotional depth makes it a GOOD family film (and possibly the best dinosaur animated film ever told because face it they all suck).
Rating: 3.5/5 | 75%
Super Scene: "I miss my family you wouldn't understand"
