Movie Review – The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur…more like The Great Dinosaur. I’m sorry, it had to be done and now that that’s out of my system let me say that this is one of my top ten Disney/ Pixar movies. While the plot itself is overdone (young child loses his way both literally and figuratively and most go on an adventure to get back home) the entirely captivating animation and subtle progression of the storyline made for very few boring moments and a thoroughly entertaining film.
I was immensely impressed with nearly everything about this movie, from the animation to the connection that I the viewer felt with the gradual friendship progression between Arlo the dinosaur and Spot the human. I mean, I was very invested in this story! I flat out sobbed during one scene in which Spot and Arlo discussed their families and I certainly wasn’t the only one. As the man next to me and the woman next to him quietly dabbed their tears, I realized that this film was top notch if it garnered the same reaction from adults. The thing about a movie like this is that there’s very little dialogue between characters as Spot does not speak. So the burden lies heavy on the voice actor of Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) and the animators themselves, both of which succeeded in telling this story.
Arlo is human like in terms of his ability to communicate and think logically while Spot is a feral human, reminding us more of a wild animal. It was almost role reversals for Toothless and Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon. The trust between Spot and Arlo is what the film essentially focuses on as they love one another fiercely.
If you’re one of those people who enjoys a good movie to see on the holidays, I implore you (no matter the age) to check out this entirely encompassing film. I find that coming of age movies are more of a hit or miss for me, I was hesitant as the whole dinosaur thing has a “been there, done that” feel, but Disney and Pixar gave us a fresh look on a enchanting tale of growth and adventure. Truly, this is the odyssey of a fantastic dinosaur.