Pixar is known for making animated films that are both beautiful and meaningful. The Good Dinosaur is no exception. It is set in an alternate world where the meteor that was supposed to cause the dinosaurs to go extinct misses.
The Good Dinosaur tells the story of Arlo, a young Apatosaurus who is afraid of just about everything and his journey to return home and learn the true meaning of facing your fears and what it means to be part of a family.
Along the way, Arlo encounters a young caveman he nicknames ‘Spot’ who acts more like an adorable puppy than a human boy. Though at first Arlo and Spot don’t quite get along, they bond over the mutual understanding of family and become friends. Their journey to get Arlo home after an intense thunderstorm/flash flood is what forms the majority of the film and Pixar shows off some of its most impressive animation to date in the process.
The environments that Arlo and Spot trek through are incredibly detailed, to the point of looking photorealistic. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the cast of dinosaur characters and Spot who are rendered in a soft, cartoonish style that clashes a bit with the realistic backgrounds.
However they blend together quite well, particularly during the thrilling scenes of Arlo and Spot running and playing across vast plains and over mountain ranges. It’s quite clear that Pixar put their all into making this film as beautiful as can be.
While the overall plot is much simpler compared to some of Pixar’s previous films, the stunning animation and their natural ability to tug the heartstrings when it counts, more than make up for it. Overall, The Good Dinosaur is a fantastic addition to Pixar’s film library and one that is very much recommended as a film to see for animation fans and movie lovers alike.
