This past Monday we took the kids into Boston to catch the press screening of the movie, The Good Dinosaur. I am disclosing that I saw the movie for free but I think that spending $41 on snacks and $14 on parking balances things out. Either way, I am going to give you my honest opinion of the movie.

Three years ago I had the unique opportunity to visit the Pixar campus for a press tour for Monsters University. There I got to meet and interview Peter Sohn, the director of The Good Dinosaur. During that trip he even mentioned that he was working on The Good Dinosaur. The process for making a Pixar movie is so long and it shows. Attention to detail and quality of story are key in a Pixar movie. The Good Dinosaur is no exception. This is a beautiful movie, not just in story but in the imagery of the scenery.

At it’s heart the movie is a Hero’s Journey set in a world where the dinosaurs never went extinct in the genre of a Western. The movie begins with our main character, Arlo, a tiny apatosaurus, being born into a hard working farming family lead by Poppa and Momma. Arlo has two siblings, the rough and tumble Buck and the smart Libby. Each member of the family has a job to do and if they do a good job then they can “make their mark” on the family corn silo. In order to “make your mark” you have to do something exceptional. This is Arlo’s initial struggle. Continue reading Review: The Good Dinosaur →