Leigh Ann Rassler
Release Date: November 25, 2015
Running Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Rated PG for peril, action, & thematic elements
Grade: B+
Directed By: Peter Sohn
Voice Starring:
Jeffrey Wright as Poppa Henry
Frances McDormand as Momma Ida
Marcus Scribner as Buck
Raymond Ochoa as Arlo
Jack Bright as Spot; Peter Sohn as Forrest Woodbush; Steve Zahn as Thunderclap; Mandy Freund as Downpour; Steven Clay Hunter as Coldfront;
A.J. Buckley as Nash; Anna Paquin as Ramsey; John Ratzenberger as Earl; Maleah Nipay-Padilla as Libby; and Sam Elliott as Butch
Sometimes you gotta face your fear to get to the other side.
65 million years ago, the asteroid missed earth and the dinosaurs thrived. Momma and Poppa Aptosaurus, eagerly awaited the hatching of their three eggs. The last egg to hatch was the largest, but inside Arlo was very tiny. When they were old enough, Arlo, his brother, and his sister aided their parents on their corn farm. As Arlo grew older, he continued to feel like the ‘runt’ of the family and was assigned to feeding the prehistoric chickens which was a chore that he was very afraid of. Poppa is concerned about recent ravishing of their winter supply of corn and assigns Arlo to catch the critter. Arlo was very nervous about the ridding of the critter and inadvertently let the critter escape from the trap. Poppa insisted that he and Arlo chase down the critter as a huge storm rolled into the Clawed-Tooth Mountains. Later, Arlo sees the critter again and hastily gives chase only to get caught in another storm and carried down river far away from his home. Stranded with the fearless critter whom he names Spot, Arlo meets friend and foe with Spot as they embark on the adventure of their lives.
If you ain’t scared, then you ain’t alive.
The Good Dinosaur is Pixar‘s 16th feature film. Director, Bob Peterson, conceived the idea for this film when he was a young boy and saw the dinosaur animatronics at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The film was in production for six years and two years before its release Peterson was replaced as the director by Peter Sohn due to creative differences and story issues. This is Sohn’s first attempt at directing a feature film and I imagine that the collaborative effort of so many creative individuals may account for the similarities to other films like Ice Age, Croods, and Home. The two highlights of The Good Dinosaur is the rich attention to detail in displaying Yellow Stone National Park and the interaction between Arlo and Spot. While on their journey they encounter many foes, the real antagonist in the story is nature. The soundtrack is composed by Mychael (Life of Pi) and Jeff Danna emphasizes the action scenes. Overall, this is a beautifully crafted family film that I would recommend for ages 6 and up due to the thematic elements. Go see it! ~Movie Buffette & A.S. McLeod
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