Movie: The
Good Dinosaur
Rating: PG
Grade: B
In a Nutshell: This is Pixar’s second release this year after
the huge hit “Inside Out”. It’s not their best film, but it's still very sweet. Don’t get me wrong, though…there are some great things about it.
It’s pretty tough to top Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. What it DOES top is animation genius when it comes to the impressive landscapes and backgrounds that almost look like cinematography. Truly impressive. I sat next to my son who is an animation artist for Blizzard Entertainment and we just kept saying “Wow!” with every new scene.
It’s pretty tough to top Toy Story, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. What it DOES top is animation genius when it comes to the impressive landscapes and backgrounds that almost look like cinematography. Truly impressive. I sat next to my son who is an animation artist for Blizzard Entertainment and we just kept saying “Wow!” with every new scene.
This film asks the question: “What would happen if the
meteor that was supposed to hit planet Earth and destroy the dinosaurs, didn’t?” The result is a movie that feels like an odd
western, a coming-of-age
movie, as well as a spiritual journey that the kids will love.
Uplifting Theme:
·
“You have to earn your mark by doing something
big or something bigger than yourself.” – Poppa
·
“Sometimes you gotta get through your fear to
see the beauty on the other side.” – Poppa
·
“You can’t get rid of fear. It’s like Mother Nature, but you can get
through it and find out what you’re made of.” - Poppa
Things I liked:
·
The beach scene at night is very touching and
will break your heart. The circle imagery at the end made me drop a tear or two.
·
Sanjay Patell created a film short before the
feature film begins, which is sweet and interesting.
·
The cast includes the voice talents of Academy
Award winners Frances McDormand (Momma) and Anna Paquin (Ramsey).
·
What’s a Pixar movie without the voice of John
Ratzenberger? He voices the character of
Earl.
·
Magical fireflies!
·
The story is touching and simple.
I love the moment when Arlo is "born" and clings to his dinosaur shell with big eyes. So cute.
The body movements and facial expressions of all the creatures are absolutely fantastic.
The dinosaur with the "protectors" made me laugh out loud and the groundhogs made the kids in the audience squeal with laughter.
I love the moment when Arlo is "born" and clings to his dinosaur shell with big eyes. So cute.
The body movements and facial expressions of all the creatures are absolutely fantastic.
The dinosaur with the "protectors" made me laugh out loud and the groundhogs made the kids in the audience squeal with laughter.
Things I didn’t like:
·
While the landscape animation is unbelievably
gorgeous, the design of the dinosaurs seems too simple in comparison. In fact, the two elements don’t seem to go
well together at all. Fortunately for
Pixar, kids won’t care.
·
This movie was supposed to come out in 2014, but
there were so many delays and job losses from this production that it made its
late 2015 release. Somehow, you can feel
the unevenness in the final product.
·
Don’t overthink this movie too much. I mean, we’re supposed to believe that these
dinosaurs created devices and tools and built homes, all without fingers.
·
It’s somewhat jolting to see the human in the
film acting like an animal, almost like a pet dog. He is pretty doggone cute though.
·
The “driving the herd” scenes made me think of the adorable movie "City Slickers".
·
I got tired of hearing so many country hick
accents and was surprised that Pixar didn’t create more diversity.
Funny lines:
·
“Nash, get out of your sister’s bubble.” – Poppa
·
“If you’re pulling my leg, I’m going to eat
yours.” - T-Rex
Sweet line:
* "I'm not like you!" - Arlo
"You're me and more." - Poppa His father is very loving and encouraging.
Sweet line:
* "I'm not like you!" - Arlo
"You're me and more." - Poppa His father is very loving and encouraging.
Tips for Parents:
·
This is a charming movie, perfect for family
entertainment.
·
There is some adult humor that parents can
appreciate.
· There’s a disgusting, large insect scene that will surprise you.
No bad language or inappropriate behavior.
There's a strange hallucinogenic moment you might need to explain to your kids.
· There’s a disgusting, large insect scene that will surprise you.
No bad language or inappropriate behavior.
There's a strange hallucinogenic moment you might need to explain to your kids.
No comments:
Post a Comment