The story of The Good Dinosaur follows the heart-wrenching formula of a boy and his dog…only this story was reimagined as a dinosaur and his boy. It’s a tale of timid Arlo learning to live on his own with the help of an unlikely friend. My family didn’t get to see the movie while it was in theaters so we were excited to check it out when our review copy arrived. The Good Dinosaur is now available to on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Digital HD, and on Disney Movies Anywhere.
So what did we think of The Good Dinosaur? Before I get into that, here’s little more about the movie itself.
The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely, and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.
The Good Dinosaur Basics
The basic “what if” scenario is covered right at the outset and then we get into the meat of the movie. Arlo is basically the run of the close-knit farming (dinosaur) family. All members of his family have proven their worth in one way or another but Arlo just can’t get past his fears. A tragic string of events and a run-in with a critter (a human boy) leave Arlo alone in an unfamiliar place and he must find his way home before winter starts.
Images courtesy of Disney/Pixar.
Bonus features include:
- Theatrical Short — “Sanjay’s Super Team”
- True Lies About Dinosaurs
- Recyclosaurus
- The Filmmakers’ Journey
- Every Part of the Dinosaur
- Following the T-Rex Trail
- Commentary
- Dino Bites
- Hide and Seek
- Deleted Scenes
Pixar The Good Dinosaur Review
Overall, the film was boring and kind of strange. Many events seem to come from left-field, characters are forgettable, and relationships aren’t developed enough to make a deep emotional impact. It’s not a bad movie but it definitely won’t appeal to everyone. However, I would recommend seeing the movie just to drool at the amazing graphics. There were so many instances in which I had to remind myself that this was animation since the scenery looked so real. Well, that is, until a dinosaur steps into the scene and everything changes.
I strongly caution parents with little ones to first watch the movie before letting their children see it. There are several intense scenes that may scar sensitive viewers. These include Arlo being practically drowning, the traumatic event of what happens to his dad, talk of self-injury (one dinosaur talks about how she chewed off her own tail to escape), and other dinosaurs are hunting and savaging eating others. Can your child handle the nature channel? If not, then this might be too much for them.
Images courtesy of Disney/Pixar.
Pixar The Good Dinosaur Printable Activities
—Some kids just can’t get enough dinosaurs and will love the movie. The way Arlo finally comes into his own and how his relationship with the boy, Spot, changes is touching. I did drop a tear or two here and there. The Good Dinosaur is available to own now. Until you are able to pick a copy up, enjoy these fun The Good Dinosaur printable activities!
The Good Dinosaur is now available at retailers and on Disney Movies Anywhere.
- Visit the official THE GOOD DINOSAUR website: http://movies.disney.com/the-
good–dinosaur - Like The Good Dinosaur on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheGoodDinosaur
- Follow The Good Dinosaur on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheGoodDinosaur
Just how good do you think The Good Dinosaur was?
I received a digital copy of this movie for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
