The Good Dinosaur

One of Pixar’s more entertaining recent efforts, The Good Dinosaur, which transpires in a world where dinosaurs and humans coexist, follows a scrappy young Apatosaurus (Raymond Ochoa’s Arlo) as he’s separated from his family and forced to embark on a treacherous journey back home – with his only assistance on the trek a feral child named Spot (Jack Bright). It’s clear right from the get-go that The Good Dinosaur benefits from a refreshingly low-key modus operandi, with the movie eschewing the frenetic, eyeball-melting sensibilities of Pixar’s last endeavor, Inside Out, in favor of a more episodic feel – which, when coupled with the typically stunning animation and strong character work, results in an opening half hour that’s far more involving than one might’ve expected. The film’s better-than-average atmosphere persists up until Arlo heads out on that aforementioned adventure, as scripter Meg LeFauve has infused the narrative with an egregious assortment of palpably formulaic elements and plot twists – with such attributes compounded by the protagonist’s decidedly familiar character arc (ie he’s forced to learn a series of lessons on his somewhat epic trip). It’s clear, too, that LeFauve’s episodic screenplay paves the way for a decidedly erratic midsection, while the action-packed final stretch ensures that the film runs out of steam before it arrives at its admittedly strong conclusion – thus ultimately cementing The Good Dinosaur‘s place as an entertaining yet far from spectacular Pixar release.

*** out of ****