The Good Dinosaur Review

"You have to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side"


The Good Dinosaur is the latest animation film from Disney Pixar, the film centers around the idea what happens if the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs missed the Earth, allowing dinosaurs to live along humans (well in this film our very earlier ancestors in there primitive caveman form). The film follows an Apatosaurus called Arlo who makes an unlikely human friend called Spot whilst trying to get home.

First of all I would like to say that this film is visually stunning, the background in the shots of the film looks so realistic that you start questioning if the background is actually real rather than an animation creation (Yes its so beautiful). The animation is also beautiful especially in the two sequences involving the fire flies which can bring a tear to the eye. That leads me onto my next point this is a very emotional film and where this film is very successful is in the sequences where there are no dialogue, just the visual storytelling itself creates all sort of emotions (trust me bring tissues). Another aspect that makes the film successful is the characters relationships and journey the characters go on, you really see a clear development during the film and it makes it worth while when Arlo finally steps up to the mark, pushing his fears to one side (you really feel proud of Arlo). The character relationships are also well done especially Arlo and Spot who's relationship grows throughout the film which brings time of pure happiness watching these time on there journey home whilst trying to get used to each other to upsetting times but I wont spoil that for you (I know but come on spoilers). The film also gets across so many important lessons in life and how to enjoy life without being afraid which is also why I really like this film.

If there were any areas of the film that were not on par with what we have come to expect from other Disney Pixar films it would probably be the strength of the narrative. I am not saying that the narrative is bad or this should be something that would put you off seeing the film, all I am saying is that the narrative is not a strong as some other Disney Pixar films for example Inside Out, this is probably due to the troubled production the film appeared to have had which may have effected the structure of the narrative but I dont feel as this is a major problem, the sheer animation itself saves the narrative and I still think it is up there with some of the best Disney Pixar films.

Overall the film might not have the most original or complex narrative but as I said the beauty of the animation really makes up for not having the strongest narrative, the animation is stunning and really brings the audience along an emotional journey (trust me it gets emotional). Personally I really enjoyed the film and its definitely a stand out film this year and I highly recommend this film and I definitely think it will be popular with parents and children alike.

Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars