[disclaim]I was compensated with a free screening of The Good Dinosaur for my family. All opinions are my own. [/disclaim]
The Good Dinosaur is an action-packed movie for the whole family to enjoy. It’s the classic tale of a boy and his dog who get lost and try to make it back home. You will laugh and cry and wholeheartedly root for Arlo and Spot.
Arlo is an 11-year-old dinosaur. He is in a family of dinosaurs who farm, and he’s also the smallest of his siblings. Everyone in his family has made their mark for doing something extraordinary except poor Arlo. He’s just afraid of everything. Their journey begins when Arlo chases the little human boy, Spot, and falls in the river. He passes out and wakes up far away from home.
During his journey he meets all kinds of dinosaurs from evil pterodactyls to a family of T. Rexes who help him. Along the way, he does some growing up and realizes that he is capable and brave, and he can take care of himself and Spot.
In a lot of ways Spot steals the show. In one scene they are showing each other their families with sticks, and it just gets you right in the heart. I just couldn’t help put cry. Does anyone else think Spot looks a bit like Zac Efron or is it just me?
THE GOOD DINOSAUR – Pictured (L-R): Arlo, Forrest Woodbush (aka: The Pet Collector). ©2015 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
I love the Styracosaurus and his collection of animals. According to the Pixar Wiki, his name is Forrest Woodbush, and he has unreasonable fears and has recruited a collection of forest critters to protect him like a slug named Destructor and some kind of furry creature known as Dream-Crusher. I think it’s one of the funniest scenes. Forrest is voiced by Peter Sohn, the director.
My two youngest kids’ favorite part in the movie is when Spot and Arlo eat some fruit that ends up being rather mind bending for both of them. They look all kinds of crazy, and it’s very silly. It was rather unexpected, but it got a huge laugh from the entire audience.
One of my favorite parts is when Arlo and Spot get some help from a family of T. Rexes who are cowboys moving a herd of longhorns. One night they’re sitting around the camp fire, and Arlo sees a big scratch on his leg. The kid T. Rexes tell him stories about their scars, and then the dad T. Rex (played by Sam Elliot) tells them a scary story about how he got a big scar on his face from being bit by a crocodile. “If you ain’t afraid of a croc biting you in the face,” Butch regales, “you ain’t alive.” My teenager thinks this needs to be an inspirational quote on a t-shirt.
My kids are 5, 11, and 16, and there were some intense scenes in the movie where my 5 year old crawled into my lap. However, I felt it was nothing too scary. It definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat for most of the movie. It didn’t feel too long or too short, but just right. It’s a great story where everyone can take something away from it.
I also loved the short film at the beginning called Sanjay’s Super Team. It’s a very personal story about a boy (the director of the short) and how he sees the Hindu gods as super heroes. You can read a bit more about it here.
Head out on Thanksgiving night or this weekend and take your family to see The Good Dinosaur.
3 comments
This movie looks like it’ll be real good to go see
My family went to see the movie this past weekend. We laughed, we cried, we bonded. We talked. This is another movie for the annals. I caution mothers of very young children because of the graphic nature of some of the scenes, but other than that this is an epic, wonderful, family movie with the age-old coming of age story of a boy.
You are not alone with the Zac Efron thoughts! I told my husband the same thing and he thinks I am crazy, however I am happy to know that I am not alone either! Our family LOVES this move too! 🙂