Everything that they released turned into an instant classic and won Best Animated Feature at the Oscar almost every time. However I think I say this on behalf of the majority, that Pixar did find a slight dip in form with the releases of Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University between 2011 and 2013. They do remain enjoyable to watch, but by Pixar's extremely high standards, this would be seen as a little lull.
Thankfully, we have seen Pixar come back with a film that is being tipped to possibly become the first animated film to win Best Picture in the form of Inside Out. We can count ourselves lucky as we get to see another installment from the Californian studio this year with The Good Dinosaur.
Originally planned for a 2014 release, any delay that Pixar seems to be beneficial. So like many, I was looking forward to seeing another potential hit.
Like with a lot of Pixar's, it gives us a 'what if' premise that does makes us think. Then we get to the main story that we are definitely used to with anything coming out from the studio.
From the jaw-dropping opening scene of landscapes, I instantly had myself thinking that this is the best animation that I have ever seen. It looked real as real can be. Despite that, the animation of the dinosaurs looked too cartoonish for what the background had to offer and clashed badly.
The first third of the film sets-up you a very familiar story that we have seen in many family-friendly films which was a shame to see. Thankfully, the rest of the film does give you some wonderful moments and it makes you care for the characters so much that you feel that they can get away with not being too ambitious in its plot.
I hate saying this, but it is one of those films that ticks all the right boxes, and the makers flesh it out whilst also giving some interesting concepts. We get a lovely role-reversal idea with our main characters, there is one part of the film that suddenly turns into a Western which was amusing to see and of course we have the tear-jerkers that is done beautifully that never requires dialogue to express it.
Amazingly, there were small parts of the film that I was shocked to see in a film that appeals to kids. But as the film went on, I got as to why they used it as the film gives a mystical sense of how nature runs things. I found that ambitious, but it paid off nicely.
The characters may not be as memorable or may not have as an in-depth story as others such as Toy Story, Wall-e, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and Up. But they still manage to carry the film well to make us want to see how this is all going to end.
It is not as emotional or caring as something similar like The Land Before Time or The Lion King. But it is more like the superior version of Ice Age.
It could also well be as less imaginative as Brave, but still be intriguing viewing.
I think most of its minor negatives are to do with its production problems. It is a shame to hear this, but I feel that they have still made something that everyone can enjoy and be a welcomed addition to the high-calibre Pixar filmography. The animation is what I got out of this film the most. From a technically viewpoint, it is a visual marvel, stunningly realistic and nicely emphasized by the understated score of Mychael and Jeff Danna.
Like with all Disney or Pixar features over the last few years, there is a Short. This one is quite charming that concentrates on an interesting subject that we can all relate to.
Rating: 7/10
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