Movie Reviews
The Good Dinosaur
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Review By: Lisa Steinberg
Everyone has a mark to make in the world, to show their bravery and skill. And this is no different when it comes to animals. The Good Dinosaur teaches us that we have to fight past our fears.
Ever since Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) was a tiny dinosaur he was the runt. His brother Buck (voiced Marcus Scribner) was tough and tall and his sister Libby (Maleah Nipay-Padilla) was almost as equally fearless. However Arlo was special. He was timid and afraid to even feed the chickens on their farm. Arlo’s father (voiced by Jeffrey Wright) was protective of him, but he also tried to instill in him the need to work past your limits and fears. On their family farm they built a silo to store food for the winter. They begin to notice that some creature is getting in there and stealing food. If they don’t stop it, then they won’t have enough food for winter. The father puts Arlo in charge of watching over the silo. Arlo captures the creature and it turns out to be a young Neanderthal child. Of course, Arlo is scared and he lets the child go. His father gets angry and he and Arlo chase after the boy on the mountain they live on. During their chase a storm begins and Arlo ends up falling behind. On their way back to the farm, a massive flood happens and Arlo’s father pushes him out of the way before he is hit by a wave and dies.
The family is left to take care of the farm on their own and it’s difficult to prepare for the impending Winter without their strong father’s help as Arlo’s mom (voiced by Frances McDormand) can only do so much alone. When Arlo finds the Neanderthal boy in their food once again, he chases after him and ends up falling into the river where he gets swept away. It’s up to him to follow his father’s advice by tracking the river to find his way home. Arlo ends up becoming unlikely friends with the Neanderthal boy and names him Spot (voiced by Jack Bright). Spot and Arlo go on an adventure of a lifetime! They meet dastardly pterodactyls who live by the motto “the storm provides” and they meet three kind hearted Tyrannosaurus Rex (voiced by Sam Elliott, AJ Buckley and Anna Paquin) herding buffalo who teach Arlo that fear is a part of life, but you don’t have to live your life engulfed in it. Fear only holds you back.
The Good Dinosaur is an adorable tale of faith, fighting fears and what family really means. You and your young children will fall in love with these dynamite dinos! Sweet, strong and filled to the brim with heart; The Good Dinosaur is a tale you won’t want to miss a minute of.
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