Check out Kidzworld’s movie review of the new Disney•Pixar film The Good Dinosaur. What if dinosaurs and humans lived at the same time? Could we be friends?
By: Lynn Barker
In The Good Dinosaur, being the frightened runt of the litter is hard to overcome for little Arlo. Unlike his larger brother and sister, the tiny Apatosaurus is scared of pretty much everything. When a tragedy leaves him in the wilderness on his own, he makes an unlikely friend. Can he face his fears?
Arlo shows Spot his trick with fireflies
Down on the Farm
Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) is the runt of his litter of Apatosaur and, on the dino family farm, he is relegated to feeding chicken-like birds who scare him while his bro and sis are way more successful at their chores. Poppa (Jeffrey Wright) and Momma (Frances McDormand) want to help Arlo conquer his fears. His dad tries to show Arlo how to be brave but only succeeds in getting washed down the river in a big storm.
Arlo on the farm with his familyCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
Alone and Afraid
Arlo also ends up miles from home and stranded. He is ill-equipped for the wilderness. Enter dog-like cave boy Spot (Jack Bright), whom Arlo remembers as stealing his family’s corn. He is totally wild and only howls and growls. The two are set up to be enemies but they grow on each other.
Spot and Arlo threatenedCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
Friendship and Adventures
Dad always said “follow the river home” but in his wanderings with Spot, Arlo strays far away. The duo eats bad berries and has a drugged, “trip”. They meet some interesting friends and enemies on their quest including a wacky but wise Triceratops with a ton of small animals riding on his head, a trio of T-Rexes who fancy themselves cowboys driving a herd of longhorns and an evil flock of Pterodactyls who want to eat Spot.
The river leads homeCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
Homeward Bound
After facing many dangers, including the kind of storm that took Arlo’s father away, the little dino faces his fears, saves his friend, returns home and makes some very hard, grown-up choices.
Arlo vs. evil PterodactylsCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
The Good Dinosaur Trailer
Wrapping Up
Although The Good Dinosaur owes a lot to a storyline similar to The Lion King, and isn’t all that original…except for putting dinos and humans together in an Old American West setting, there are huge high and low emotional moments that will make you want to break out the tissues or laugh with glee. The lesson that everyone is frightened by challenges but we live through by facing our fears is a solid one.
A good old Western campfireCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
The movie looks just beautiful with amazing scenes of nature at her most majestic and some creative, bizarre yet familiar animals. There is just enough 3-D to make everything live and have depth without sticking things out of the screen in your face.
Herding longhornsCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
Voice actors are really good with young Raymond Ochoa expressing dino Arlo’s joys and sorrows flawlessly. Very low, gruff-voiced Sam Elliot is perfect for weathered head Western cowboy-style T-Rex Butch. All voices are well suited to their characters.
New friends?Courtesy of Disney•Pixar
The film is accompanied by a sweet, short film entitled Sanjay’s Super Team in which a young East Indian boy’s imagination turns Indian religious deities into super heroes. It’s very different from any Pixar short before it. We go 4 stars on The Good Dinosaur.
The Good Dinosaur Movie Rating: 
The Good Dinosaur PosterCourtesy of Disney•Pixar
See The Good Dinosaur in theaters Wednesday the 25th!
Have Your Say
Are you a fan of dinosaurs? Do Disney/Pixar films always please you? Leave your opinion below.
