The Good Dinosaur is good, not great

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.

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.

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.

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.

Jurassic World is predictable fun

Movie:    Jurassic World

PG-13,  2 hours 3 minutes

Grade:  B+

In a Nutshell:   I was so excited to see the newest installment of the dino franchise!  Of course, we already know what the plot will be: bad dinosaur escapes and people get eaten.   The dinos destroy more than a theme park; they roared at the box office and actually broke two major records as the biggest weekend opening, domestically, as well as globally.  

Most people are right to be skeptical when another movie is added to a franchise, but love for the original and curiosity seem to be driving audiences to the theater. One of the characters in the movie plays an investor who says “We want to be thrilled.”  Claire responds “Don’t we all?”  Yep!

Uplifting Theme: 

·         In a battle between Mother Nature and Man, she wins every time.

·         Going to a dinosaur theme park is, apparently, never a good idea.

Things I liked:

·         I loved the very beginning of the movie when you see dinosaur eggs crack open and you hear a heart beating.  That’s how I felt…the hope and excitement of something new…a new Jurassic movie!  As expected,  the special effects and action were great.

·         This franchise has one of the best theme songs ever, don’t you think?

·         I adore Bryce Dallas Howard in anything.  I love her cute haircut.  I tried an A-frame bob, but it never looked like cute like hers.  Love the color.  You know she’s Ron Howard’s daughter, right?

·         As if we need an excuse to go to Dairy Queen, the ice cream chain is featuring the new “Jurassic Smash Blizzard”, an adventure in every bite.  Yum.

·         I LOVED Chris Pratt in Guardians of the Galaxy, so I was excited to see him again.  There is talk of him playing Indiana Jones in the next installment of that franchise.  He’d be great.  Can he get any cooler than riding a motorcycle while leading a pack of raptors?

·         I’m happy to see Judy Greer in something other than a TV commercial lately.  She’s so talented and fun to watch.

·         I liked seeing Dr. Wu (B.D.Wong) again.  SPOILER ALERT: Nice twist.

·         New Girl fans will be happy to see Jake Johnson as the comic relief in the movie.  I thought the conversation about the Jurassic Park T-shirt from Ebay was pretty funny.
                                                            

·         It’s definitely better in 3D.

·         The gyroscope “hamster ball” ride was friggin awesome.  The bored attendant was hilarious. “C’mon guys, I just work here.”

·         Jimmy Fallon.  Ha ha

Things I didn’t like:

·         The side story of the boys kind of derailed the story

·         People talk, but say very little.

·         I wonder how much money Verizon Wireless paid for the shout-out.

·         Sure, there are some holes in the story.  Who cares.

·         Someone in the movie should have said “Must go faster!”

·         One of the boys should have red hair.  Just sayin.

Funny lines:

·         “You’re the new guy, right?  Ever wonder why there was a job opening?” – Owen

·         Extinct animals have no rights.” – Vic Hoskins

“They’re not extinct anymore, Hoskins.”  - Owen

·         “”Drones can’t search tunnels and caves.  And they’re hackable.  The minute a real war breaks out, all that fancy tech is gonna go dark!” – Vic

“Yeah, but that tech’s not gonna eat them if they forget to feed it.”  - Owen

·         “What kind of diet doesn’t allow tequila?” – Owen

“All of them, actually.” – Claire

·         “Think it’ll scare the kids?” – Claire

“The kids?  This will give the parents nightmares!” – Simon

“Is that good?” – Claire

“It’s fantastic!” – Simon

·         “They’re dinosaurs.  Wow enough.” – Owen

·         “We’re going to get arrested.  They’ll shave our heads and we’ll have to make root beer in toilets.” – Gray Mitchell (Ty Simpkins)

·         “It’s just like taking a stroll through the woods…65 million years ago.” - Owen

Did you know?:

·         Steven Spielberg made Jurassic Park and Schindler's List the same year! 

·         There have been lawsuits about who was going to get control of this movie.

Interesting lines:

·         “War is part of nature.” – Vic Hoskins

·         “A promise tomorrow is worth a lot less than I’m trying today.”  - Karen Mitchell

Tips for Parents:

·         Some profanity.

·         High body count.  Blood splatters.

·         Intense action scenes might frighten very young children.