Review of The Good Dinosaur (2015) by Wannabmw — 27 Nov 2015

Good Dinosaur, Bad Movie?

OK, OK, “The Good Dinosaur” was not really a bad movie. But Disney/Pixar, and we the public audience along with it, have set the bar pretty high for its films. When “Finding Nemo” was announced, I scoffed at the idea of a movie about the ocean and a couple fish. I watched it, and it became one of my favorite movies. “Toy Story 3” came out years after its predecessors, and it brought along a darker tone and heavier moments, but it all worked so well and we felt like we were continuing life’s journey with the favorite childhood toy characters again. I generally liked all Pixar/Disney movies, to varying degrees. That being said, I definitely had high hopes for “The Good Dinosaur.” After all, dinosaurs alone sound more exciting than a couple of fish in the sea, right?

[SPOILER ALERT].

“The Good Dinosaur” (TGD) has its moments. There are the clear values of family and the life lesson of growing up and facing your fears (seriously, that is mentioned aloud how many times in the movie?). There are the emotional, tear-jerking scenes. There is character development and growth (to an extent) in an obvious plotline.

But something about “TGD” was different. What sticks out the most is the portrayal of the human characters in this alternate universe. Some may call it dehumanizing, because that’s exactly what it is. But that word only makes sense in a world where we have become the top intellectual species. It’s humbling (and amusing) to think of what might have been if the history of the Earth had taken a different path. So I could suspend the awkward feelings I initially had when I first saw Spot, thinking it would ultimately teach a lesson about us humans in the world (just as “Wall-E” criticized society). But I doubt TGD meant anything more by it than I already mentioned; it was just an alternate universe where humans did not come out on top.

There were a lot of scenes atypical of Disney/Pixar movies. They caught me by surprise. The movie didn’t seem completely kid-friendly, a notion validated by its “PG” rating. There were barbaric moments, including Spot with the bug’s head and Thunderclaw with the “free critter.” I really had to ask myself, “Is this really a Disney/Pixar movie?? This movie just keeps getting weirder.” So by the time Spot took a chunk out of Thunderclaw’s wing, I was unfazed. Then there was the moment with the bad fruit/psychedelic/drug-suggesting scene. Was that really necessary??

Ultimately, TGD ended too soon for me. Not as in “this movie is so good I need more of it!” but rather, it felt incomplete. Personally, I didn’t experience catharsis (the emotional release you feel at the end of a story/movie when everything is resolved). I still had questions, and I’m not sure I was OK with how everything worked out. Arlo’s “Poppa” died, and Arlo no longer blamed it on Spot. I’m guessing Arlo realized that if he hadn’t been afraid to do his “job” earlier, his father would still be alive. So Arlo realizes the blame lies largely with him and his fears. But his job was to MURDER a critter (Spot), and what lesson was his dad teaching him there? Hello, is this a Disney/Pixar movie, advocating killing?? Poppa was quite nonchalant about it, too. Ignoring that, has Arlo vindicated himself by the end? Has he grown enough to compensate for his father’s death? That I am not sure of. There’s also that weird moment with Arlo talking to his Poppa in his imagination, and Arlo exclaims that he loves Spot. Uhm, weird, even just the WAY he said it. Half the movie, he blames Spot for his father’s tragic death, and then Arlo loves Spot like a young boy loves his beloved pet dog. Character growth/development? I guess.

Then there are the logical flaws, but suspension of disbelief is required in most movies. For fun, I’ll still point out a few. Somehow, Spot travels the entire distance Arlo got washed down the river. That is impressive, judging by the return journey Arlo takes home. Secondly, Arlo gets caught full force by the mudslide/raging torrents of water AND falls down a waterfall, and somehow survives. But his tough Poppa died from a similar fate?? Not to mention the endless hits Arlo sustained to his head. And lastly, just to be nit-picky, Arlo draws the circle in the ground around Spot and his family without moving from his standing spot. He’s not tall enough nor does he have a neck long enough to realistically do that.

I look at the positives of this film. The scenery and animations are gorgeous, top-notched. Emotions are jerked, laughs had. Lessons can be found. There are clever play on words/ideas (storm birds, the scene with their “head in the clouds,” Spot as a “lone wolf”).Let’s say that I accept that the film requires a more mature perspective, and that the uncharacteristic scenes mentioned above ultimately don’t bother me. Would I say TGD is a good movie? Sadly no. It was just lacking for me. It didn’t feel as complete as all of Disney/Pixar’s other works.