Animated Alternate Reality

Take the kids to see 'The Good Dinosaur' for goodness sake

By Brianna Stallings

Disney/Pixar's latest animated flick is also the first feature-length animated film from director Peter Sohn, best known as the model for chubby scout Russell in Up. Its premise, addressed in the first 30 seconds, presents an alternate reality where, 65 million years ago, the asteroid that took out the dinosaurs instead missed Earth entirely. In this world, dinosaurs exist as frontiersmen in the unhumanized landscape of the western United States —which may explain why all the characters speak with a countrified twang.

Our hero, a young Apatosaurus named Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), lives in the valley below Clawtooth Mountain. He does his best to help out on the family farm with Momma (Frances McDormand), Poppa (Jeffrey Wright), and his brother and sister. Although eager, Arlo is graceless and easily spooked, running in terror from chickens and breaking out in a cold sweat when a firefly lands on his snout. During a walk along the river to track what's eating all of their corn, Poppa is swept away to his death.

Arlo's quest for the critter lands him in danger and puts him on course for a classic hero's journey. As he navigates a treacherous world on his way back home, Arlo befriends a doglike cave boy named Spot (Jack Bright) and encounters loads of adventure. In this world, Pterodactyls are crazed scavengers, while T. Rexes are cowboys herding buffalo. Voice talents include AJ Buckley (Justified), Anna Paquin (True Blood), and the legendarily mustachioed Sam Elliott.

Platitudes about fear, work, loss and independence abound; there are moments that hearken back weakly to other Disney and/or Pixar fare (think The Lion King and Finding Nemo). Still, the soundtrack is chock full of warm, folksy music, and it's surprisingly not at all jarring to see these cartoonish characters set against a photorealistic landscape, based on images made with USGS data. Gorgeous and heartwarming, if not exactly new.

The Good Dinosaur opens with Sanjay's Super Team, a short about differences between father and son in a vibrant exploration of faith, imagination and family. 

THE GOOD DINOSAUR
Violet Crown, Regal,
PG,
100 min.

Santa Fe Reporter

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