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Disney Pixar’s newest film, THE GOOD DINOSAUR, is a prehistoric tale imagining what the world would be like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct. According to them, roles are reversed as the dinosaurs take on human responsibilities such as farming and herding, and the humans become feral, wild animals. This story follows the life of a young and timid Apatosaurus named Arlo. Arlo struggles to make his mark on his father’s farm by helping out and being brave enough to do whatever it takes. His fear causes more and more problems for his family until he finds himself lost in the wilderness with nothing but the company of a young human child to help him find his way back home.

The Good Dinosaur does what all great Pixar films do, makes us care for and empathize with a non-human creature. I don’t know how they do it, but I felt completely connected with that big green dinosaur. Maybe its because his problems were so relatable or maybe its just because he’s so dang cute, but once again Pixar made me actually care for something that doesn’t even exist. And on top of that, the little boy (adorably named Spot) is essentially a wild dog, yet we desperately want him to accomplish his goals as well. Together, Arlo and Spot embark on a treacherous and epic journey through their mysterious landscape, creating an unlikely friendship and discovering bravery. Along the way, they encounter several different strange creatures; some terrifying some enlightening, but all of them are incredibly interesting. While their journey is certainly fun and entertaining, it also has its issues.

If anything, The Good Dinosaur is formulaic. Pixar knows what they are doing and they do it well, but that doesn’t mean they can tell the same stories over and over again with only slight variations to character, setting, and plot. How many times have we seen two unlikely characters team up for a common goal? How many stories are about someone conquering a fear? Why do these movies always make me cry like a baby??? So, yes. The Good Dinosaur did make me cry. I haven’t cried at the movie theater since… INSIDE OUT. Notice a trend here?

But you can’t fault the guys for doing what they’re good at. It’s a creative and original film that just happens to be not quite as creative and original as some of Pixar’s other brilliant works. I also felt as though the pacing was off a hair. It seemed to take way too long to get into the meat of the story and there were certain segments that I felt added unnecessary drama to the primary conflict. Of course, these are things that your children aren’t going to care about. They’ll surely think it’s cute and fun and maybe even a little scary at parts, but they’ll enjoy it. You’ll enjoy it as well, because Pixar is amazing at creating movies for wide demographics. In fact, my favorite scene in the entire movie (which might have only lasted 30 seconds) was when Arlo and Spot eat some bad fruit that makes them trip into a psychedelic nightmare. It was hilarious, but obviously my little cousin had no idea what was going on.

So, is The Good Dinosaur worth the price of admission? Absolutely… if you have a child to bring along with you. It’s not as great as what we’ve come to expect from the studio, but it’ll probably make you cry and will definitely make you laugh. I might actually have to go see it again, because I missed the Pizza Planet truck that they always hide in their films..

3 / 5 Stars

THE GOOD DINOSAUR – Dir. Peter Sohn

Run Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

There’s nothing quite as unique as being the only adult man in a theater full of children for a Disney animated movie. I’ve experienced this on more than one occasion, and regardless of the quality of the film, it’s always a little strange. So, before buying my ticket to ZOOTOPIA, I was prepared for an hour and a half of being vaguely uncomfortable. After all, this review isn’t going to write itself. What I didn’t expect was to see absolutely zero children in the theater. That’s right. A Saturday matinee of Zootopia (a children’s movie about a talking bunny police officer) was nearly sold out with excited adults. And the hype was real.

I wasn’t expecting much from this movie. The various trailers left me a little confused about the premise, but I like Jason Bateman and I like sloths. I did not expect to see the best movie of the new era of Disney. If you’re uninitiated, Disney’s Animated films have been crushing it: Frozen, Wreck-it-Ralph, Big Hero 6. Zootopia is easily my favorite Disney movie since The Lion King. It follows the life and early career of a rabbit named Judy Hopps who moves to the city of Zootopia to become the city’s first rabbit police officer. Zootopia is pretty bizarre because all animals, predators and prey alike, live in harmony. Soon, she teams up with her natural enemy, a fox played by Bateman, to find a missing Otter. From that little synopsis, it sounds like a bunch of films in one and it kind of is. You get a detective noir, a conspiracy thriller, an underdog story, and most importantly a deeply profound insight on prejudice.

Zootopia isn’t holding back on throwing some wicked punches in regards to the themes it’s tackling. Nearly every conflict in the movie can be traced back to the real world political climate. I wish I had movies with such clear and positive messages when I was young, but I’m glad kids will be able to see them today. The entire film is based around the simple philosophy that no matter your background, size, species, or differences everyone should and has the capacity to live together in harmony. The best part is, it conveys this message in the least preachy, most entertaining way. It’s just a great movie.

The conflict is wildly fascinating with well-developed and lovable characters and there’s an even a twist! Officer Hopps is arguably the best female character we’ve seen in cinema in over a decade. She has goals and she attains them without letting any of her naysayers get in the way. Hopps was everything Rey from The Force Awakens should have been. She’s not afraid to ask for help, but can just as well get the job done on her own. By the time she teams up with Nick the fox, we’ve already seen what she’s capable of, but he can assist in everything she lacks. As far as buddy cops go, it doesn’t get much better than this.

I hope you can see why so many adults were in the theater. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that they took their children to see the movie the week before and were coming back with their friends because of how great the story was. Any complaint I may have with the film can be attributed to the fact that I’m way out of the targeted demographic. I’m not a huge Shakira fan is what I’m trying to say. Anyway, see this movie. Take your kids, take your girlfriend, take your coworker. It’s really wonderful.

4 out of 5 Stars

ZOOTOPIA – Dir. Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush

Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons

Running Time: 1 hour and 48 minutes

Laika Studios, the team behind CORALINE, PARANORMAN, and THE BOXTROLLS are at it again with their fourth stop-motion animated feature, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS. And let me just say one thing: it’s incredible. Unfortunately I can’t just say one thing, so if my two-word review isn’t enough for you, read on.

Kubo is a young boy in a small village who has the unique gift of sharing stories through his banjo-like instrument and origami. The townsfolk gather around every day to hear his tales, but are always left slightly disappointed because he never has an ending. He races back home to his mother before the moon rises, in fear of what will come for him in the night air. Soon enough he’s thrust into an exciting adventure of his own, mimicking the tales he shares every day. Joining him on his quest is a monkey, voiced by Charlize Theron, and a giant samurai beetle, voiced by Matthew McConaughey, whose sole purpose is to protect Kubo at all costs from the dangers of those they encounter, including a giant skeleton, some creepy swimming eye balls, and even the moon!

First and foremost, these are the most genuine and likable characters I’ve seen in an animated film since Toy Story. They all have flaws, but act accordingly and interact with one another in a way that makes you feel as though you’ve known them for years. Their quirks and eccentricities play off of one another and keep you enthralled even when they’re just talking. The bad guys are no different. No one is bad for the sake of being bad. They have goals just as our heroes do. They think that what they’re doing is right, and even though we know it’s not, we can’t help but feel empathy for them. These characters are all well crafted, written, and compliment the animation in the most beautiful way.

Speaking of the animation… It’s breathtaking. I really believe stop-motion is a forgotten medium and it’s wonderful to see that’s it’s alive and well in the hands of Laika. The detail and craftsmanship are simply unmatched, which adds a great amount to the audience’s engagement with the story. Everything feels real, because we know that it is real. The giant skeleton they fight was an actual 18-foot puppet. The scale is visible, yet absolutely believable. This technique of animation is unlike anything else and it needs to be preserved. The history of stop-motion alone puts this film among some classics.

Finally, the story is wonderful. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, rooting for the heroes, fearing the villains, and racking your mind trying to figure out how they’re going to get out of this one. It’s a legend, a folk tale, a fantasy. There’s magic and evil, spirits, monsters, bravery. Everything you wanted as a kid but can still enjoy as an adult. I really can’t hype this movie up enough. Go and support it in the theater! We need more original stories, especially those created in a lost art form. Kubo is by no means a perfect film. Its pacing is a little off and its message is sometimes unclear, but it deserves to succeed in todays movie industry dominated by reboots, sequels, remakes. If you want to forget about your world for a little while and step into someone else’s, this is the film for you.

3.5 out of 5 stars

KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS – Dir. Travis Knight

Starring: Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Rooney Mara, Ralph Fiennes

Runtime: 1hr 41min