Shout by drqshadow

The Good Dinosaur 2015

A lesser Pixar effort that's still meaningful and effective, swapping the roles of man and beast in a creative, interesting turn. Its tone is a bit conflicted, though, with a plot that's clearly aimed at younger audiences but several distressing scares and a harsh edge that might make it difficult for children to swallow. Thankfully, it's got a big heart, and an unexpectedly sharp sense of humor that often left me chuckling alongside my two young sons, so those frights were almost always immediately diffused.

I didn't care for the overly-simplistic character designs, which call back to the stop-motion history of dinosaurs on film, but the landscapes are appropriately stunning and the big effects work is top-of-the-line. These guys know how to press their audience's buttons and provoke a visceral reaction, even in the midst a disastrous production with major seismic shifts behind the scenes.

It's a good adventure flick, deep and expansive, with a nice message and a strong character arc; good light entertainment at least. Again, I'd place it among Pixar's weaker films, but in that cellar it keeps fairly good company.

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