User reviews

I felt compelled to write a review, primarily because there are so many "1 star" reviews taking up residence on this site. Let's be frank, folks. If it wasn't Pixar, you wouldn't be whining about how "awful" it was.

Here's the truth for those who are actually interested in seeing it: it's a pretty great flick.

I would love to hop on here and tell you that everyone's wrong and it's the most amazing animated movie I've ever seen, but that wouldn't be true. I would honestly say it's near the bottom when compared to all the other Pixar films.

But it's still a lot of fun. Here are the most laudable aspects, in my humble opinion:

1: The animation is the best Pixar has done to this point. It's truly beautiful! They did a tremendous job of capturing the beauty of nature, from forests to prairies, and interposing an almost cheesy-looking dinosaur in the midst of it was fantastic. Don't waste your time with a DVD on this one, splurge for the Blu-Ray.

2: The characters are heartwarming, and the plot is simple. Frances McDormand is especially wonderful as the mother of the simple farming family of apatosaurs, and the characters are driven by simple values like family and hard-work. I understand why many were frustrated with the simplicity of the plot, but do we always have to jump the shark in a movie? It's a fun and beautiful journey.

3: It's a beautiful parody of a classic western story/film. I'm a little annoyed that the previews didn't push this aspect more, because a lot of the movie-bashing is based on the fact that people didn't get the story they expected. This is not unlike classic Disney movies like "The Incredible Journey." Don't expect something modern or game-changing here. This is just a twist on a classic homecoming story.

I hope this preview helps dispel some of the hate. It's a fun movie, and worth a watch, even if it's not my favorite Pixar.

The fact that this movie still holds a score of a 6.8 with hundreds of 1/10 scores shows you just how good it is. I'm not here to preach that it's an awesome movie, but give it the score it deserves. (It's not PIXAR's best, but still fits the bill of a good movie.)

Honestly the highly negative scores are just because people were not BLOWN away. A PIXAR movie sets the bar so high, so the fact that this one isn't an A+, people are bashing just to bash.

I watched this with my cousins, all at the time were under 10 ( 7 & 9 ) and nothing was too scary. Could it be over the top for 4 or 5 year old, of course, but it's not that bad. The Lion King is regarded as one of the BEST Disney films ever and there are similar scenes with death, scary bad-guys, hard times, etc.

Give it a watch.

... which is the impression I got when I saw the DVD cover art, the title, and the trailers.

It came on one of the pay channels the other day and I sat down to watch. What I found was a whacked out "what if" view of natural history plus a tale on facing your fears and finding friendship where you least expect it.

The movie starts with a bang - literally. Dinosaurs are eating in a field 65 million years ago as an asteroid comes tumbling towards earth. The dinosaurs look up. The asteroid passes harmlessly overhead. The dinosaurs continue eating. So the mass extinction never happens.

Millions of years pass and the dinosaurs evolve. The "vegi-sauruses" become farmers. The "meat-asauruses" become ranchers. One humorous turn introduces us to a timid Styracosaurus who has evolved into a terrified animal that puts small animals all over his horns to protect himself from all kinds of threats that grow out of his neurotic fears.

At the core of it is a family of Apatosaurus farmers with three children. The smallest is Arlo, who is afraid of his own shadow. His nemesis is "Spot" a human child that keeps getting into the family silo and eating the crops. But these two have to team up when a natural disaster sweeps Arlo far from home and he is forced to face his fears.

I thought the idea of evolving dinosaurs living alongside the dawn of man at the point where man is just at "dog level"-a mute primitive creature - was intriguing enough to keep the adults engaged while Arlo's story is enough to keep the children around along with the unique sight gags I've come to expect from Pixar. Highly recommended as an unexpected treat, at least from my perspective.

This film tells the story of a cowardly young dinosaur, who lost his way home after a storm. He befriends a young human being in prehistoric times. They navigate the treacherous lands in search of their respective homes.

The visuals in the film are quite stunning. The colours are vivid and bright, while the backdrop is always beautiful and at times even breathtaking. It's interesting to see a talking dinosaur, while the young human being behaves more like a dog, which is further reinforced by the name spot. I enjoyed the exciting and on occasion dangerous adventure they share together. It's an inspiring story to help children and adults find courage to conquer difficult times.

After being blown away by Pixar's previous film 'Inside Out' (which is one of their best too), while not really deserving of so many 1- star reviews 'The Good Dinosaur' disappointed on many levels.

Not just lesser Pixar but a contender for their worst too, even more so than the often panned 'Cars 2' (which to me while not great was not that bad). It is a long way from an awful film, certainly much better than several reviews have lead you to believe (seeing as 1- star indicates no redeeming qualities, which is not the case here), but considering Pixar's usual incredibly high standard I was expecting so much more.

There are a number of good things here in 'The Good Dinosaur'. Much of the animation is spectacular, including some of Pixar's most gorgeously vivid colours and some of their most stunning and rich- in-detail backgrounds. The music score is both whimsical and energetic, and the film also benefits from some clever casting and very strong voice acting, Sam Elliot in particular stands out. Many have complained of Arlo's voice work, it wasn't a problem personally.

On top of those, 'The Good Dinosaur' does have some genuinely funny moments (mostly visual), parts that are genuinely touching, some thumping, thrilling action, a beautifully realised central friendship, an endearing lead character in Arlo and an inspirational main message (as a matter of fact, all the lessons and messages the film teaches are great). So a lot to admire.

However, 'The Good Dinosaur' does fall short. While there is much to admire in the animation overall, it also contains the least appealing character designs in any of Pixar's film, the photo- realistic look looks cartoony rather than realistic and jars against the vivid backgrounds . While keeping things simple can work in a film's favour, 'The Good Dinosaur' is rather too simple and straight-forward that the storytelling while not completely dull lacks momentum and veers on being too paper-thin and simplistic as well as being too predictable and familiar. Target audience is also an issue.

Adults may find themselves checking their watches, not that it's completely dull but unlike much of Pixar's other films it is not consistently captivating. And with children, while this viewer usually tries to not complain about anything being too dark or unnecessary and has been known to defend films criticised for that 'The Good Dinosaur' is an example of a film where that criticism is valid and understandable, because there is some dark and disturbing content (like a decapitation and a drug reference) that added absolutely nothing and quite frankly had no place in a family film. The violence is similarly gratuitous. The script is inconsistent in the laughs and emotional investment factors and is not as clever, witty, insightful or as intelligently structured as the writing for Pixar's best, coming across as even more paper-thin and simplistic than the storytelling and the dialogue itself is often cheesy and clichéd.

In conclusion, not as bad as most have made out but very much a lesser Pixar. Has enough good merits to make it watchable, but it's the only Pixar film to date to disappoint me. Very hard to decide between a 5 or 6, as it was actually not easy to rate, so it's got a 5.5/10 (somewhere in between). Bethany Cox

I sat down to watch "The Good Dinosaur" with my family, that being wife and 6 year old son, and I didn't really have any idea that I would end up being as entertained by this animated movie as I was. I had thought that this would just be another one of those mass-produced generic animated movies aiming for the kids.

The story in "The Good Dinosaur" was actually surprisingly good, and it was told in a very entertaining way, and also in a way that kept the movie progressing at a constant good pace. There weren't really any dull moments throughout the course of the movie, and even the slower moments in the movie were good and had crucial parts to the overall storyline.

The CGI, style and textures in "The Good Dinosaur" were all very impressive. But of course, Pixar is well-known for that, and they didn't disappoint by any means with this 2015 release. The entire animated world was rich in color, details and very lovable.

As for the characters portrayed in "The Good Dinosaur", well there is something for everyone here. I dare say that much. Of course you have someone brave, someone lovable, someone daring, someone clumsy, etc. etc. It was all here. And they had managed to get together and impressive group of voice actors and actresses for the various roles. And for an animated movie, then the voice acting is essential.

"The Good Dinosaur" is the kind of story that you take to heart immediately and you will be entertained right up to the very end of the movie, that is for sure. And although you already know how the movie will end, it is still a good story to experience and an entertaining movie to watch.

This 2015 animated movie, like most Pixar movies, is of the type that you can watch more than just a single time. And it does stand out from many other Pixar movies, mainly because of the setting of the age of dinosaurs and the characters.

"The Good Dinosaur" scores a solid six stars out of ten rating from me, as it is a movie that has that ability to make you feel good, feel entertained and make you laugh all at the same time.

If you can make it through the tedious first third, it's not a bad little movie. The interplay between Arlo and Spot is generally enjoyable (the first really good scene is Spot trying to feed Arlo). The movie can be quite funny, somewhat thrilling, and occasionally touching.

So basically, if this was some kids cartoon from some lesser studio, this would be pretty good. For Pixar though, it's a big disappointment.

One of the film's biggest flaws is also one of its greatest strengths; the animation. On the one hand, the landscapes - forests, rivers, fields - have an amazing photo-realism that mark them as an incredible achievement in animation. But this hyper-realism makes the main dinosaur breed look terrible; they are about as realistic as the cars in Cars, and it's like someone filmed a sock puppet show in the Grand Canyon. It's the thing most reviewers seem to talk about, so it's rather amazing that Pixar didn't see the problem themselves.

It's not that the dinosaurs needed to look real, but the insistence on those giant, soulful eyes made the heads misshapen, and the colors are too clean and shiny to meld with the environments. Other breeds of dinosaurs and insects have an acceptable cartooniness, but Arlo is just annoying in design, creating a constant de-immersion signal.

The story is conventional and predictable, the emotional moments feel manipulative, but still, it's not bad as kid's cartoons go. But it sure isn't what we expect from Pixar.

Although this movie did have some great parts and a strong overall message, you will have to sit through 90 minutes of one anxious, overly harsh, morbid, stormy or unpleasant scene after another. There were not enough characters to enlighten us from time to time, even if just for a moment. People keep using the word scary, but I prefer to describe differently. Remember that feeling you had while watching James Franco in 127 hours or Sandra Bullock in Gravity or even Tom Hanks in cast away? That feeling where you start hoping that something good will finally happen? But it never does? Well this is your kid version of it! There were a couple of lighter scenes that were actually quite powerful but not enough for my taste. I though it was a bit too much, even for older kids, (and I'm not sensitive or easily offended at all.) Worth a watch maybe once you can see it at home and not feel bad about walking out or having your children be frightened by too many intense scenes that leave them feeling really sad and helpless.

This is a very sweet, sentimental film and was very refreshing from Pixar. The latest Pixar films have been either disappointing or too focused on being great instead of fun and enjoyable. I am in the minority of people who didn't enjoy Inside Out. I didn't find it very relatable or emotional and thought the story was contrived. That's where The Good Dinosaur succeeds. It doesn't try to be relatable. It does try to be emotional, and succeeds occasionally, but for the most part, it's just a fun, lighthearted adventure film.

The Good Dinosaur doesn't try to overreach its status to be considered truly "great." It knows what it is and perfectly nails what it does best. People often hate Pixar when they make a film that is different. People hated Cars 2 because it had a story that wasn't trying to touch childhood emotions, but instead create childhood memories for the children who watch it. Brave was criticized for having a princess heroine like regular Disney animated films. People, I suspect, don't like The Good Dinosaur because it doesn't easily fit into every childhood memory or emotionally impact everyone who watches it.

My only major problems with this film is that the story isn't always engaging. It has a few plot developments or character introductions that I found unnecessary to the overall structure of the film. Aside from the story, the animation was stunning and made it easier for me to enjoy watching the film. The animation is more simple and lovable than Pixar's most recent attempt at making a "great" film, Coco. Where Coco strives for complex, layered shots and animation, The Good Dinosaur is simple, digestible, and realistic (the backgrounds) while still being ridiculous enough to appeal to young kids.

Expectations are subverted and common animation movie tropes are avoided. Even the first human child in the film is basically turned into a dog. If this could be appreciated for what it is, and not what it isn't, this could also be a considered a great film, despite its missteps.

3.5/5 stars

My husband and I just watched this knowing nothing about it beforehand, and found it to be a genuinely "nice" film. The animation is gorgeous and pushes Pixar's incredible capabilities even further. The dinosaur seemed to be a deliberate contrast to the realistic scenery, to remind us we were watching an animation. The theme is gentle and takes me back to the innocent Disney of my childhood. There are some obvious similarities to other Disney films in there, but this didn't stop us enjoying watching it. I like how they flipped it so the dinosaur was the 'human' role and the human took on a different role too. There are some real talking points and genuine messages for children, and all of us, about love, friendship, kindness and overcoming your fears, and they are put across with emotion. There are darker scenes but they're no scarier than some in Dumbo that scared me as a child (but not enough to not want to watch Dumbo again). Almost all Disney films have darker, scarier parts, and overcoming them is part of the story journey. Those people panning this hysterically overreacting because nature isn't all ice cream and cotton candy. They need to unwrap that cotton wool from around their children and stop turning them into little snowflakes. (These are the same parents who, I imagine, won't let their kid pick up a sweet they dropped and eat it anyway because "germs"😱).

A nice, innocent, touching film, which I couldn't say about the over-the-top-ness of Inside Out.

Although The Good Dinosaur features a simple storyline that wont blow you away, it remains endearing and heartfelt, with messages that will surely resonate with its target audience. As we follow Arlo's self discovery through grit and grind adventures with his new pal, Spot, there is a lot of excitement in every rough and tumble. There is also a great deal of laughter in each new character they cross paths with, with a trippy moment to boot ;).

This film, has as well, the most beautiful landscapes ever seen from a Pixar film, hands down. From lush forests, flowing rivers & serene sunsets, each was photorealistic and each was a visual attraction. Pixar kept its characters cartoonish however, and that contrast was a wise move which absolutely worked.

Sure, naysayers used to Pixar's imaginative storylines will have negatives to say for TGD, however, I find the family friendly plot has its charms and is well told. With likable characters (Spot, you are brilliant!) and fantastic backgrounds for an adventure-fueled film, there is definitely enough good here.

I'm in my twenties and to be honest, I still enjoy watching Pixar films with my family. There's just something so genuine and beautiful about their movies, not to mention the endless amount of lessons one can learn.

When I initially read the reviews about "The Good Dinosaur", they were all so bad. It didn't stop me from watching though and I do not regret that decision. This has got to be one of the most heartwarming Pixar films I've ever seen and it tugged at my heartstrings. I was crying throughout the movie especially towards the end.

The thing about being an adult, we tend to overthink something so simple. The plot isn't something grand. It's not funny. It's cute. If you're looking for a film like the classic Pixar favorite "Toy Story", forget about watching this. It's a really simple storyline that focuses mainly on teaching the importance of family, dealing with fears and overcoming them as well as finding oneself or making your mark in this world. View "The Good Dinosaur" with an open mind and just be ready to enjoy the movie without reading too much between the lines. The good thing about Pixar films is that they remind you how wonderful it is to still be a kid at heart. This movie is no exception. In fact, I think this joins the ranks of "Finding Nemo","UP", and "Inside Out". Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but I can't help but wonder why majority just plain dislike this movie.

If you're on the fence after reading one too many 1-star reviews, I say go ahead and still watch it. Judge for yourself. Be pure hearted like a kid and try to embrace the beautiful lessons of the film. Allow it to engulf you and touch you. If you have a kid/kids, this would be one of those perfect films to have a hearty conversation with afterwards. It's very inspiring, really.

Give "The Good Dinosaur" a try. Oh and one more thing, don't be afraid to cry while watching this. I've seen this twice and still end up a mess every time.

As with every Pixar movie, I had high expectations for The Good Dinosaur. Although there's a few decent things going for it, I don't know if I can quite call it genuinely good. There are some problems with it, most likely stemming from its development issues, but it also has quite a bit of heart and emotion to it, and some nice scenes here and there.

The movie follows an alternate world where Dinosaurs and Humans live together. A young dinosaur named Arlo unsuccessfully tries to fit in with his family and mark his place, despite having a timid yet cowardice personality. After an unexpected event happens, it leads him to start a friendship with a Caveboy named Spot. He becomes lost and tries to return home.

The story is pretty straightforward and some of the humour seems to be aimed more for kids, but it's still funny for adults in places. It is visually stunning, with cartoony animals mixed with realistic backgrounds and reflective waters, and the music is effective when needed to be. Our protagonist Arlo is both likable and relatable, which is always a good thing, and Spot has his moments in short bursts. As for the other characters, Arlo's father will be reminiscent to a certain Disney character, but that's not a bad thing, and the others seem to be not as important to the story, but have some development time in there.

I think my biggest problem with The Good Dinosaur is that it feels a little inconsistent and "Been there, done that" at times. The first half I feel is stronger than the second, and there's a bit of a homage to a specific genre in there. Most importantly, I cared about the characters, but maybe I was expecting more from Pixar I don't know. I seem to notice the more effective emotional scenes were either the silent ones, or ones that were kind of loosely based on previous Animated movies that popped right in my head at the time of watching, so not being entirely original could be considered a problem to some.

Despite the shortcomings, I found The Good Dinosaur entertaining. It's probably in the weaker tier of Pixar movies, but I wouldn't call it bad. It's kind of halfway between average and good, and I feel the troubled production and staff switching caused it to be a mixed bag, although good intentions are clearly shown throughout the movie. Kids will certainly like it, and adults will at the very least appreciate what the movie tried to achieve.

6.5/10