The Good Dinosaur (DVD) – Movie Review

Admit it, most of us still wait for Disney to present us with a new animated feature film every year, hoping to let us laugh, cry, feel warm inside and learn us valuable life lessons we actually already knew but simply overlooked. Today we’re presented with an interesting theory, where the dinosaurs have never gone extinct, as the destructive meteor that wiped them off the face of the Earth missed, thus allowing both dinosaurs and humans to coexist. Of course, with the typical Disney spins and quirks, we were in for an emotional treat. A boy and his dog? More likely a dinosaur and his human.

The dinosaurs have continued to keep on living and the meteor that was supposed to wipe them out is but a memory, for those who saw it pass through the night’s sky. With the extra time, these ancient creatures have evolved in their own way, and it seems they took on many attributes they share with humans in our current time. This brings us to the farm that is being run by an Apatosaurus family, that consists out of Momma (Frances McDormand), Poppa (Jeffrey Wright), Buck (Marcus Scribner), Libby (Maleah Nipay-Padilla) and the rather small and scrawny Arlo (Raymond Ochoa). While Arlo is doing the best he can to keep up with his brother and sister, he is what people would call a scaredy-cat, who simply messes up all his chores. Even though his father keeps on believing in his kindhearted son, enough is enough, especially when he gets the assignment to dispose of the mutt that is stealing their food. When Arlo captures the small human child, he frees it, allowing it to escape, which infuriates his father, making him chase it, forcing Arlo to come along. Sadly, a storm breaks loose and the river overflows with rapid currents, dragging Arlo’s father along (that cliché Disney sob moment).

When the ‘mutt’ returns to the farm, after Arlo and his family already have it rough enough to complete the harvest before the first snow falls, Arlo decides to get rid of the critter once and for all. Sadly, when chasing him, both fall into the river and get washed ashore somewhere far away from home. After noticing that the human child is actually rather kind and even brings Arlo food, he aptly names him Spot (Jack Bright), as he is slowly becoming some kind of a pet. Now it’s all about getting home, conquering his fears and hopefully getting some work done, now his father is gone.

The basic concept of this movie is actually quite simple, namely ‘boy loses father and gets separated from family but tries to get home no matter what’. This means the flow is rather timid, with some adventurous spikes scattered all over the movie, and a few predictable twists and turns along the way. Nonetheless, even with a bit less slapstick humor than expected, the movie is extremely pleasant to watch and it is able to suck you right in.

Disney painted an interesting picture by creating super realistic environments and combining them with rather clumsy dinosaurs and adorable human personas. Everything makes up for a very beautiful whole, and the detail level that accompanies both the realistic and cartoonish components is simply stunning.

Acting performances are what you’d expect of a Disney flick, namely qualitative and appealing. Even though you’ll have to make do with Raymond Ochoa’s monologues and Jack Bright’s grunting, howling and barking for most of the movie, things get spiced up by appearances by Sam Elliot, A.J. Buckley, and the lovely Anna Paquin. Everything is in place to make sure you’ll get an authentic Disney experience.

The extras on the DVD release of The Good Dinosaur are rather slim, seeing you’ll only be treated to one short clip named Sanjay’s Super Team. This small story will revolve around the young Sanjay, who loves watching superhero shows, but he’s also obliged by his father to join him in prayer. Due to this, it becomes clear that different generations might not always think alike, but obstacles can be overcome quite easily, if both parties so desire.

Conclusion

Disney’s The Good Dinosaur is one of those typical titles that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, while still presenting you with a fun and adventurous plot in the process. Even though the trailers might have given the impression that this movie would have a lot more ‘funny scenes’, things eventually end up being captivating and adorable every way you look at it. If you’re looking to expand your ever-growing Disney library, this one will surely do well to strengthen the ranks.

ThaMofo

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