Author |
Message |
jmovies
Let's Call It A Bromance
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2007 7:22 pm Posts: 12333
|
The Good Dinosaur
The Good DinosaurQuote: The Good Dinosaur is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated adventure comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film stars Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A. J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright, and Marcus Scribner. Bob Peterson, who came up with the idea for the story, directed the film until August 2013. In October 2014, Peter Sohn was announced as the new director. The film, along with Inside Out, marks the first time that Pixar has released two feature films in the same year. The Good Dinosaur had its premiere on November 10, 2015 in Paris, and was released in the United States on November 25, 2015.
|
Tue Nov 24, 2015 11:44 pm |
|
|
thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
This is an absolutely gorgeous movie on a technical and visual level. The animation is stunning and the landscapes created are super realistic - at times it's almost hard to believe you're watching an animated film. The movie itself is one of Pixar's weaker efforts. It has its moments of charm and there are a few clever sequences but this feels like the most "kid-friendly" of all the movies they've done so far. The plot is very cliched and predictable, and I personally found the main character hugely annoying throughout. B-
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 12:17 am |
|
|
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23695 Location: Classified
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
This was so close to being another Pixar masterpiece. It has so many great elements. It's like Finding Nemo and How To Train Your Dragon had a baby and hooked up with the child of Monsters and Brave. The broken condom from that encounter resulted in The Good Dinosaur. The score is powerful and moving, emulating the best of high fantasy by setting the tone for the world and the adventure about to take place in it. The mirrored man/beast bonding tale is fun to watch and a unique way to take on this familar storyline. The dinosaur animations take some getting used to, but the environment is just beatifully done. All of the establishing shots are breattaking. And the side characters met along the way are as memorable and hilarious as the best of Pixar. Just about everything works. Except Arlo.
Arlo is seriously the worst. His voice is whiny and annoying. His personality is whiny and annoying. I get that a hero's journey requires the hero to lack the strength he needs at the start. Without flaws, nobody can relate to a hero. However you have to have something redeemimg to make the audience believe that progress is possible. It reminded me a little of Mike at the beginning of Monsters U, but Mike was at least intelligent and could protect himself with clever quips. Arlo has nothing to latch on to. The only word to describe him is pathetic. His family is awesome and tries to help, but there's nothing they can do with so little screen time. Arlo eventually develops some admirable survival skills and emotional maturity, but he makes the first half of the movie an uncomfortable and irritating experience.
I was ready to give up on the movie before the triceratops-like dino came in and saved the movie. The different dinosaur sects that inhabit the world makes this movie special, despite its massive flaw. I was dying at all of his nicknames and the subsequent nicknaming battle for Spot's soul. The Good Dinosaur also plays with your expectations. The flying dinosaurs seem pretty cool at first, possibly being the ones to help Arlo overcome his fears, before their hunger reveals their true characters. The rexes go from potential predators to awesome cowboys. This kept a predictable story from getting stale and giving great characters screen time to distract from Arlo's awfulness. Arlo eventually becomes a little cool and delivers in the big emotional moment at the end.
So yeah it's a special movie that is worth seeing in theaters. It's just a shame that a tweak in the protaginist could have turned The Good Dinosaur into The Great Dinosaur.
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:56 am |
|
|
publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18842 Location: San Diego
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
This is hands down Pixar's worst movie. The one genuine scene in the movie where Arlo and Spot reveal their loss kinda loses its power when it's revealed at the end that Spot's family is actually alive?... huh? I think it would've been more interesting if the dad did actually survive, the scene where Arlo imagines him is eye roll worthy I know the production of this was trouble and tbh the final product reflects that.
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 3:56 am |
|
|
publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18842 Location: San Diego
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
oh, and what in the world at that scene where they get high off the berries. lolol
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:01 am |
|
|
Flava'd vs The World
The Kramer
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:36 am Posts: 23695 Location: Classified
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
I don't think that was Spot's family, just a different group of humans.
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:16 am |
|
|
thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
LOL I'm so glad other people found Arlo annoying I couldn't stand him.
|
Wed Nov 25, 2015 7:50 am |
|
|
The Scottie
King Albert!
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:04 pm Posts: 11838 Location: The Happiest City on Earth
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
I was quite surprised by this film.
The film does not feel like traditional Pixar fare. Not as plot driven as all of their other films. Yes, the plot was very thin. But what makes this unique is the more unconventional tone this film takes. There are not a lot of gags, and it is not crude at all. But instead, it takes the old fashioned approach of nature being your enemy and facing real life problems that are not fanciful, and dealing with loss. Kinda reminded me of Bambi a little bit, where the whole movie was character and relationship driven, and the dialogue is more scare than usual. Because of the slower pace, we get to enjoy the scenery more, and get to know the characters and the relationships they have. Arlo was had to get into at first, but once he pairs up with Spot, the two grow a bond and Arlo grows as a human as well. Seeing this growing relationship was very organic and it helped the film move along despite the thin plot. The ending was a good one too, giving it a sad happy feeling to it. All in all, if you see this film, don't expect to see a Pixar feel and it's isms, because the tone is completely different. Enjoy it for what it is.
Grade: B+
_________________Visit My Youtube Account and here is what you will see. and many more.
|
Thu Nov 26, 2015 12:37 am |
|
|
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20301 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Wow,
This is hands down the most disappointing film of the year for me. At least Minions had some fun bits in it. This is just pretty dull from the beginning to the end. Nothing really happens! I don't know how they managed to take an interesting premise like dinosaur farmers and make a movie so dull and lifeless. I checked my watch several times. The film was full of good ideas, but also awful execution. I liked the Styracosaurus with the animals on his horns, and the T-Rex ranchers had some funny bits as well. But the central duo is just so uninteresting, it is quite impossible to get invested in the movie as a whole, Arlo due to his being so annoying, and Spot because he is such a cliche cute kid that we've seen a million times before. The message about family was far too familiar as well. Everything that did happen just felt so inconsequential and uncohesive. The bit in the beginning with the asteroid missing really had nothing to with the movie; no one would have questioned what actually happened in this movie regardless of whether or not that bit had been tacked on to the beginning. The pterodactyl antagonists are underdeveloped, you don't care about any of the main characters. Aside from a few good side characters and some of the most realistic and beautiful animation ever seen on screen, there isn't much good in The Good Dinosaur.
D+/C-
|
Fri Nov 27, 2015 5:25 pm |
|
|
Chippy
KJ's Leading Pundit
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 4:45 pm Posts: 63026 Location: Tonight... YOU!
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
you wear a watch?
_________________trixster wrote: shut the fuck up zwackerm, you're out of your fucking element trixster wrote: chippy is correct
|
Fri Nov 27, 2015 5:30 pm |
|
|
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20301 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Chippy wrote: you wear a watch? Yes.
|
Fri Nov 27, 2015 5:32 pm |
|
|
Darth Indiana Bond
007
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:43 pm Posts: 10985 Location: Wouldn't you like to know
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Zack is growing up, so proud of you!
_________________
|
Sat Nov 28, 2015 12:45 am |
|
|
zwackerm
Hold the door!
Joined: Sun Jun 01, 2014 10:26 pm Posts: 20301 Location: Where they shot Knock at the Cabin
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
If you must know, my first name is [spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler]William [/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler]
|
Sat Nov 28, 2015 10:36 am |
|
|
Mister Ecks
New Server, Same X
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:07 pm Posts: 28277 Location: ... siiiigh...
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
We mustn't know that.
_________________ Ecks Factor: Cancelled too soon
|
Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:16 pm |
|
|
Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
zwackerm wrote: If you must know, my first name is [spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler][spoiler]William [/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler][/spoiler] No shit
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
|
Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:25 pm |
|
|
Dr. Lecter
You must have big rats
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 4:28 pm Posts: 92093 Location: Bonn, Germany
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
I wanted to murder Arlo during the first 40-50 minutes of this film...
_________________The greatest thing on earth is to love and to be loved in return!
|
Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:28 pm |
|
|
publicenemy#1
Extraordinary
Joined: Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:25 am Posts: 18842 Location: San Diego
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Arlo is indeed irritating. A cut of him screaming would probably be 1/4 of the movie.
|
Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:43 pm |
|
|
thompsoncory
Rachel McAdams Fan
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 11:13 am Posts: 14544 Location: LA / NYC
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
He's seriously the worst. Almost nothing about him was cute or endearing.
|
Sun Nov 29, 2015 8:32 pm |
|
|
BK
Forum General
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 8:30 am Posts: 7041
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
I agree with zwackerm that the "65 million years ago" interlude was fucking pointless.
It was not funny, it added nothing to the story and was just completely out of place. The impression this movie gave me was that it was made from Dreamworks or any one of the other animation studios trying their best to make a good movie, but getting the basics all wrong.
Beautiful animation, potentially the best ever, and yet, what was the point of it all?
-Zero character development of Arlo's family. Every single one of them were stereotypes. -Arlo himself was, as people have mentioned, useless. Why is he scared of a chicken or anything at all? His voice was grating, his dialogue idiotic and his immaturity forced and unrealistic. -Character design of T-rexes, the stupid things the T-rexes were chasing off and the pterodactyls were all especially awful and uncreative. -Fake Arlo's father scene...is this Dreamworks? Blue Sky? DTV Disney? Big Shito 6?
If there is one thing I despise in movies, it is stupid characters. Horror movies, not my cup of tea. Any time a character acts uncharacteristically or unrealistically stupid, mostly for plot progression, it is just bad writing. That's it. Like Interstellar's stupid Hathaway tidal wave scene, here, Arlo's incredible fear of everything was stupid. How many times do you need to be scared of a chicken?
Not sure I am making myself very clear now, just really tired.
An absolute waste. I'm not sure how to fix the film with such tired tropes being wheeled out and said without any meaning behind them. Arlo's dad blurting out quotables just for the sake of telling us what we need to learn from this movie was awful. Not Pixar quality at all.
If it were me making the movie: -Either kill the entire of Arlo's family, or make it so that he gets separated and presumed dead. A lot more believable than him releasing the boy and getting his father killed and etc. (why does he release the boy anyway? there was no realisation in his face) -If a character is scared of everything, there will be reasons behind it. Arlo has no reasoning behind his fear besides him being small sized. Truly fearful characters do not act anything like Arlo. I'd say that he is not fearful, just naive and he has to grow up. The pterodactyl scene, instead of making it some pseudo-comedy, just play it straight up, they use him. Make it realistic, please. -Get rid of all the idiotic names. This isn't America.
_________________ Calls Ghost Rider + Clash of the Titans = 2x Wrath of the Titans + Ghost Rider 2 Lorax over Despicable Me Men in Black 3 Under 100m Madagascar 3 Under 100m Rise of the Guardians over 250m
|
Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:16 am |
|
|
BK
Forum General
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 8:30 am Posts: 7041
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
I would like to rewatch the movie stripped of dialogue though. It could work. They wouldn't have had the balls, but a "silent" movie would have been something great. Just the score and grunts and whatnot. You could definitely recreate the humour of that triceratops scene with just animal noises and editing. I wonder if someone would be able to do that. Probably not since it's all encoded on the same track.
I think was a massive waste of potential. It's not that it's so so bad. It's just that, it could have been so much better, but it's just forgettable and really has nothing to say. Whoever decided those dinosaur designs were good also needs to be fired. T-rexes looked like a poor man's Ice Age. Ice Age. How bad can you get. The pterodactyls could not compare with the 2D ones in the Land Before Time. And the raptors being freaking hillbillies was disgusting.
_________________ Calls Ghost Rider + Clash of the Titans = 2x Wrath of the Titans + Ghost Rider 2 Lorax over Despicable Me Men in Black 3 Under 100m Madagascar 3 Under 100m Rise of the Guardians over 250m
|
Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:31 am |
|
|
BK
Forum General
Joined: Sun May 13, 2007 8:30 am Posts: 7041
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Also, why make Spot a dog. Like, can you be a bit more imaginative?
So many poor decisions.
And we have Dory, Toy Story 4 and Cars 3 to look forward to for the next 3 years. Whooppeeeee.....fuck.
At least they've given me Ratatouille. Thanks Pixar.
_________________ Calls Ghost Rider + Clash of the Titans = 2x Wrath of the Titans + Ghost Rider 2 Lorax over Despicable Me Men in Black 3 Under 100m Madagascar 3 Under 100m Rise of the Guardians over 250m
|
Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:32 am |
|
|
trixster
loyalfromlondon
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:31 pm Posts: 19697 Location: ville-marie
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
the best part was when arlo and the kid drop acid and start tripping balls. or sam elliot, but he's usually the best part of everything.
_________________Magic Mike wrote: zwackerm wrote: If John Wick 2 even makes 30 million I will eat 1,000 shoes. Same. Algren wrote: I don't think. I predict.
|
Wed Jan 06, 2016 4:30 pm |
|
|
Alex Y.
Top Poster
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2004 4:47 pm Posts: 5704
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Can't believe everyone's trashing this, I thought it was pretty good. b+
|
Fri Mar 18, 2016 11:13 pm |
|
|
Brian
Ocarina of Time
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 1:21 pm Posts: 7951 Location: Hyrule
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Alex Y. wrote: Can't believe everyone's trashing this, I thought it was pretty good. b+ Ditto, it was lovely
_________________ Most Anticipated 2023
1. Super Mario Bros Movie 2. Rebel Moon 3. Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 4. Oppenheimer 5. The Flash 6. Elemental 7. Aquaman 2 8. Dune Part 2 9. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny 10. Blue Beetle
|
Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:47 am |
|
|
tree and a half
Cream of the Crop
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:38 am Posts: 2084
|
Re: The Good Dinosaur
Pixar chose to animate The Good Dinosaur in a radical style, with characters done in a rough cartoony manner, yet with subtle sophisticated emotional animation in their faces, and then the backgrounds are ultra photo realistic. It's quite a sight! And I can see how this artsy design would frighten off a lot of Pixar fans. Then there's the lost and found story they photocopied straight from Toy Story. That plot does take some wildly scary turns (it's so intense at times, that there must have been some parents mightily disappointed with Pixar this past Thanksgiving, perhaps they need to start an adult division to do this sort of experimental work on the cutting edge of animation). But it then settles into an admittedly low brow effectiveness until near the very end when it goes over the top in a needlessly sweet finale. Accolades to Pixar for this brave experiment in one potential future of animation... a decision that cost them major box office. Though hopefully it will pay off in the long run, because I liked it! *B* Also, nobody can say that Pixar isn't taking it's committment to diversity seriously with their short Sanjay's Super Team! Who else in Hollywood is applying high end animation to Hindu Gods as superheroes?
|
Sat Mar 19, 2016 3:56 am |
|
|