Movie Thoughts: The Good Dinosaur (2015)

• Released: November 10th, 2015
• Directed by: Peter Sohn
• Running time: 1h 33min
• Rating 3.5/5

Synopsis

A young fearful Apatosaurus gets lost in the wilderness and has to find his way home. On his way he befriends a primitive human named Spot.

My Thoughts

I've honestly seen most people really dislike this movie, some even calling it Pixar's worst. And while I can see why some people don't really vibe with it, I personally disagree.

Is this a fantastic movie? No, certainly not. It does have a weak structure and I really struggle with getting into the overly cartoon-y character designs of the dinosaurs and pterosaurs. If they had just been a tad less stylized I wouldn't have minded. This movie also has some tonal issues (sometimes it can get quite dark at random moments). 

But for everything about this movie that is weak, there is something I could enjoy. I liked the relationships Arlo has with Spot, and his family. I liked the concept of dinosaurs never going extinct and evolving alongside other modern animals. I liked some of the side characters Arlo came across on his journey (particularly the T-rex family). And the animation and visuals can also be legitimately really pretty, particularly on the landscapes. 

I also appreciate the ending for having Spot and Arlo separate as they realize they both have different families. It feels like a pretty mature ending and it does tug on one's heartstrings. The same goes for the scene with the branches where Arlo and Spot communicate to each other that they both lost family members. This movie has some real moments of heart. 

So yeah, it's not perfect, but for me the positives outweigh the negatives by a bit for me. This isn't a movie I rewatch a ton or anything, but I have enjoyed it the few times I have seen it so far.