Movie: The Good Dinosaur
Direction: Peter Sohn
Cast: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A J Buckley, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn
Music: Mychael Danna, Jeff Danna
Editor: Stephen Schaffer
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
Rating: ∗∗∗∗
What is it about: The movie is set in an alternate timeline where the asteroid passes by without making the dinosaurs extinct. Post which we see an Apatosaurus family makes their living raising a farm, they give birth to 3 children among which one turns out be a scared chicken, to make this one brave the Poppa Henry (Jeffrey Wright) takes Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) on a small quest, during which Arlo loses his Poppa to a treacherous flood. Losing his father he finds a new friend Spot (Jack Bright) who he despises in the beginning which later turns in to a beautiful journey of friendship and love directed by Peter Sohn.
Why it’s disappointing: There’s nothing to be disappointed.
What to watch out for: Pixar has a nake to make animated films which can lure the audience of every age group. When they join hands with Walt Disney it becomes a tasty treat presenting a wonderful spectacle. The great part of their films are the story which are woven with great emotions touching everyone in a sweet way, especially the grown-ups who try to re-live their childhood with that.
This movie had great characters who were wonderfully etched with the help of advanced animation making them appear life like with great humour. If you walk in to the cinema hall and watch one scene with the forest backdrop you might not call it an animation movie, because the animation was so damn good, the nature looked the best with great rendering.
The character Arlo the young Apatosaurus was derived well, which made Arlo a loveable one. Then comes this character who doesn’t have a name in the beginning but later gets one “Spot” a 6-7 year old cave boy who Arlo befriends on his journey back home. This character is the most adorable one.
The best part is how the plates are turned, with dinosaurs trying to evolve and human beings staying wild. The reverse approach was remarkable which was beautifully made in to a film. The character “Spot” makes you fall in love with it, because you would want to have a friend like Spot in your life. Spot makes a great case of cuteness with a noble heart.
As the film moves forward you get to meet some interesting characters during the journey which makes TGD more interesting. For example the Thunderclap (Steven Zahn) followed by the Tyrannosaurus Butch (Sam Elliot) with his daughter Ramsey (Anna Paquin) and son Nash (AJ Buckley).
The VFX and animation were ecstatic with great depth making this animated feature a visual treat in 3D. The background score by Michael & Jeff Danna was great. And Stephen Schaffer did a tremendous job in joining the pieces together on his editing table.
Verdict: Director Peter Sohn makes a feel good animated feature which brings out the wild child inside you. The credit goes to the incredible Arlo and the mighty Spot who made a commendable case on friendship. Definitely worth a watch, especially take the little ones as I saw a few at the cinema halls enjoying this feature to the fullest. Catch it at a good screen to experience the brilliant animation.
