Review of The Good Dinosaur (2015) by Francis M — 11 Mar 2016

The Good Dinosaur is an emotional rollercoaster ride that values family and life while boasting the concept of conquering your fears.

It's another "what if" addition in the Pixar franchise. What if the meteor didn't hit the Earth and the dinosaurs coexisted with humans? The idea might have been taken off from the mind of a little kid but the film still manages to deliver a thin yet thick in emotions story.

The story started with the growing up of Arlo, the smallest in the dinosaur siblings. He's basically like everyone in life, a loser and a weakling. His father tried his best to make Arlo a real strong man by making him catch and finish the critter that stole their food. The critter was surprisingly a human kid that never spoke a word throughout the film while the other creatures can. The little critter escaped and Arlo followed him until he got lost and forgot his way home. The story unfolded as he was making his way home and was joined by the critter and other interesting supporting characters.

The family of Arlo got interesting personalities. They were a representation of a perfect family until an incident changed their lives forever. Arlo, on the other hand, was the one who got a troubled individuality. He was like the most cliche out of all the characters. You could have left the theater even when the movie haven't reached its turning point yet if it wasn't for the cute and jolly character of Spot, the kid or the critter. He was like a brave and strong man but when he revealed his past, it was just like your heart was about to melt. He vanquished every challenge he faced even his enemies were as little as a bug or as big as a dinosaur. And it was for him that Arlo finally have learned to conquer his fears and never stop believing that he could get his way back home. The chemistry of the two worked for the film and it was their tandem that kept the film alive.

The glory of the animation of the movie filled in the blank spots left by the pitch-black storylines. The sceneries, the background, the nature and everything were realistic except the goofy animation of the animal characters. The character design of Inside Out was something you could have laughed off at first sight but the style they brought in this film was something unexpected. It could have been perfect except for this one thing that was so important to miss.

After all, it's the emotions that the movie brought that has marked something in our hearts. The sad times really made us drown to tears. You're a heartless person if you haven't felt it. There were energetic moments that balanced the tragic traumas. Even if it was a happy ending, the parting of the characters overshadowed the emotions we felt after leaving the theaters.

It's not the best or a masterpiece by the Pixar Animation Studios but it sure was a great addition in its genre. A kid or kid at heart will surely enjoy this rollercoaster ride. It's relatable as much as it can be. It showed us that some people go and challenges come, but the determination to continue life is what matters most. The people around us that give us life are always there to join us in the unpredictable lifetime we have in our hands. The chemistry of the main characters and the animation of the film are worth mentioning after all. In conclusion, The Good Dinosaur is a recommendable film for all ages.