The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

The student news site of El Camino College

El Camino College The Union

A lot of heart and familiar tropes in ‘The Good Dinosaur’

In Pixar’s latest, their second one this year, a lost boy and his four-legged friend go on an adventure as they make their way back home, running into deadly creatures, nutty hermits, cannibalistic evangelicals and tenacious cowboys along the way.

It’s your average animated western until you realize that Pixar gives its own answer to the question: What if the asteroid that hit Earth 65 million years ago missed, leaving dinosaurs alive and free to remain the dominant species?

A result of that is a world filled with dinosaurs capable of considerably humanlike tasks like watering crops and building houses.

That’s two intriguing premises “The Good Dinosaur” has up its sleeve, but it somehow struggles to grasp its full potential.

Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) is struggling to find his place among a family of apatosaurus, tending their farm and preparing for the upcoming winter.

After being separated from his family, and befriending an untamed child (voiced by Jack Bright), Arlo finally has his chance to explore life beyond the family farm, finding himself along the way.

Despite its distinguishable concepts, “The Good Dinosaur” feels vaguely familiar throughout its runtime.

It’s rarely memorable, save for a few moments that go straight to the heartstrings and well-animated scenery that provides a hyperrealistic backdrop for its rather cartoonish-looking characters.

However, “The Good Dinosaur” provides enough heart and family-friendly fun, excluding a brutally graphic scene with a beetle, for a solid entry into Pixar’s unstoppable lineup of quality animated features.

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