Pixar hit a home run earlier this year with the release of their first original picture in ages: “Inside Out”. It was met with almost universal critical and audience praise showing that Pixar was back on top. This led to more pressure being put on their next original film “The Good Dinosaur”, to live up to the high bar set by “Inside Out”. While “The Good Dinosaur” may not be as great as “Inside Out” it does deliver a good, old story that’s portrayed differently enough to still be entertaining, while having some good emotional moments as well.
“The Good Dinosaur” tells a very basic story, much like “A Divine Comedy” or “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. It’s a road trip movie, a story about one or two people on a basic journey and just the weird and interesting things they come across along the way. Like Pixar’s own “Finding Nemo” it’s just about a character going from point A to B who is trying to stay alive in the process with their new friend.
While it is a “boy and his dog” story it is done very well; both the main two characters do genuinely work well together and one of the highlights of the film is seeing their relationship grow throughout their journey. This leads to a couple good emotional scenes, leaving most people in my theater sniffling or even crying, and the ending will leave even the grouchiest sour-pusses a little shaken up.
The film is an entertaining ride with enough emotional drama to make up for what it lacks in story. “The Good Dinosaur” may not reach the heights as “Inside Out” did, but it manages to just be so pleasant that is should by no means be skipped. It’s a great film for anyone who wants a movie with a lot of good visuals, music and heart.
