“You are me, and more.”
The Good Dinosaur is an endearing speculation on a winsome possibility.
Disney and Pixar have been bringing the inanimate alive ever since they showed up in the animation arena. Their powerful CGI, splendid landscapes, heartwarming music, top-notch touching plots that complement their melting frames can hardly go unnoticed. It is as if you can feel the reality paint the big screen with their gorgeous animation. The Good Dinosaur is no different except you wish there was more to the story.
Even before the movie begins, we feast on a lovely short called “Sanjay’s Super Team”. It glorifies a subdued Indian animator Sanjay Patel which was a first in the animation world. The story of the short rotates around his childhood shenanigans with a mythical backdrop to it. The gist of the tale is captivating and you almost begin to wonder if children should ever be deprived of a fantastical world they live in.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
The Good Dinosaur score slithers in the background with a brilliant fusion that is downright riveting. The movie begins with the genius of an Apatosaurus family, keeping in mind the what-if-the-meteor-had-never-hit-us circumstance and focuses on how they are trying to earn their livelihood whilst attempting to leave their marks by being good at things.
Arlo is the most relatable creature, a protagonist trying to overcome his fears, whilst endeavouring to leave his mark too. A tragedy befalls him, a shattering one that breaks him to pieces, and flings his life into chaos. He meets an accident, gets lost amidst all the confusion and ends up in a foreign land. About the same time he meets one of the most adorable creatures, Spot, who is like a rabid-human who has lost his family and is wandering at large. Arlo befriends him in a quest to reach home and find his mark doing good to his friend.
The first thing that blows your mind away almost instantly is the level of imagination the creators have. Then you perceive how much work they have put into making their fantasy a reality. The level of details they incorporate whilst making a movie is really commendable. You can see every droplet move, crops dance, animals react and watch water come alive. They make the inanimate breathe, which is simply out of the world. True creators they are!
If you look at the plot, there is really not much to it. The movie being about the dino-era finds similar species to keep you entertained. Story and sub-plots seem to have been built deliberately and almost seem clichéd. The cute, snappy and slapstick humour of the flick however will constantly engage you in fits of laughter. Arlo and Spot are just adorable.
The movie like every other Pixar movie is a lesson per se with brilliant thoughtful liners that escape from the mouths of different creatures. Screenplay is well written, at times however you wish there was more substance to it.
A delightful movie about a thoughtful wonderful what-if!
The Good Dinosaur
Pros
- An entertaining and endearing flick
- Spot is just adorable
- Brilliant CGI
- Keeps you engaged throughout
- Some of the melodramatic scenes are outstanding
Cons
- Plot could have used some more substance
- Cliched tale
- Could have used some more touching drama
