Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Good Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie Review

The Land After Time.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 15, 2016

When the bar is set as high as Pixar has set it, and that bar seems to always be creeping up to higher and higher levels with each new release, it'll eventually ascend to a height that's impossible for the next movie in line to leap over. That moment has arrived with The Good Dinosaur, a movie that is, by all other measures, a fantastic film, but one that's a notch below the studio's otherwise near flawless filmography. The film, a story of a young dinosaur in search of the way home and the way to maturity, effortlessly integrates all of the classic Pixar elements of accentuated humor, heart, adventure, and good morals, all supported by astonishing digital construction. The movie's only real shortcoming is a somewhat uncreative sense of greater purpose, a movie that's solidly in the periphery of big ideas and tight storytelling but that lacks the genius spark of the studio's best, leaving it feeling more like a very well done copycat rather than an authentically engaging, novelly mesmerizing, and spirited motion picture.

Friends.

Evolution has just evolved. The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs has actually missed Earth by a gnat's eyelash, leaving the planet's largest inhabitants free to evolve over the course of millions of years. Since the time they were spared, they've developed a basic foundational society. They can work the land, build basic structures, and even talk. One day, a very small dinosaur is born from a very large egg. His parents name him Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa). Arlo wants to be a good dinosaur and, like his parents and his siblings, make his mark on the world. But he's a little slow out of the gate. He's always a step behind and is labeled a coward for his fear of facing the real world. His understanding and loving father (voiced by Jeffrey Wright) gives him an opportunity to make his mark by securing the family's food storage silo and killing whatever pest has decided to snack on the fruits of their labor. Arlo, of course, misses his chance when he realizes the culprit is a small human child. When disaster strikes and the family is left broken, Arlo finds himself separated from his home and his loved ones. He has no choice but to journey with that human child from the family silo, whom he comes to know as "Spot" (voiced by Jack Bright), and discover who he is and the ways of the world as he desperately tries to find his way home through a difficult terrain that's much bigger and scarier than anything he's known before.

The Good Dinosaur offers an interesting contextualization that depicts the dinosaurs as more human-like than the human who features in the movie. Spot never speaks, he scuffles about on all fours, favors his nose as much as his eyes, and lives more on instinct than reason, though he certainly shows a broader emotional range than the character's otherwise animalistic qualities would suggest. That not only gives the movie a fun topsy-turvy look at the world but it also helps to reinforce core themes that center around the ideas of family, friendship, shared experiences, responsibility, understanding, and forgiveness, and the cruder ways of the world like life, death, and all of the external challenges that define that journey. And the film doesn't sugarcoat much of any of it, either. It pushes emotional boundaries particularly hard, and some of its perilous action scenes could be defined as "scary," but the film's ability to contextualize it all in the relationship -- the way the characters see and experience the world, even with their disparate backgrounds but shared experiences -- is what makes it work so well, all the while remaining bright and colorful and fun enough for the kids.

The movie's center is that journey and making a mark along the way, both in very literal terms and, much more important, figurative terms. For Arlo, his world is his home. He comes to learn that "making his mark" isn't just about slapping a label on something or about accomplishing a task. It's instead about self-discovery, of learning the ways of the world, of making a difference. In the movie, the circle represents family and a comfort zone, but as the characters learn it's a zone that's vulnerable to all of the same terrifying obstacles that exist outside of it. "The mark" seems to represent, in many ways, its own circle, the full-circle journey away from, and back to, home. Making one's mark means traversing it, learning from it, leaving it, and returning to the start with that greater understanding of self, of others, and the world. Certainly, the movie makes all of this rather easy on the surface, but like most of the Pixar films, it's in its ability to offer a more finely tuned emotional and instructive foundation below the dazzle that sets it apart from the now garden-variety animated movie landscape.

No doubt the film will thrive on its superficialities. The movie's instant appeal for kids is sky high. It's a playground of cute animals and bold colors, lots of adventure, and plenty of laughs. Director Peter Sohn has arranged the movie in perfect proportions, giving ample attention to the cute and cuddly and colorful aspects while still constructing a meaningful story under the surface. The picture offers up a nice variety of secondary characters, including a cross-eyed triceratops and his pint-sized "protectors" who don't get enough screen time. Of curious note, however, is a scene in which Arlo and Spot eat some "fun berries" and get high together. That's certainly an odd inclusion for a family film and one for which parents might want to prepare before watching. Otherwise, Pixar has also created what is surely a benchmark for digital animation with the movie. To call it "gorgeous" would be to undersell it. The film is a spectacular treat for the eyes, though an experience that's more refined than it is awe-inspiring when compared to the most recent crop of A-list digital movies.

The Good Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Good Dinosaur doesn't look good on Blu-ray. It looks spectacular. Disney's 1080p transfer is a 90 minute highlight reel of cutting edge digital animation and color. The movie is made of many shades of green. Tree leaves, grasses, and dinosaur hides are all some shade of bright, cheerful green, offset by some earthy backdrops -- browns, tans, grays -- and splashes of exquisite reds, yellows, and purples as seen on other creatures, including a vibrant red snake. Colors leap off the screen with a punch, brilliance, and authenticity that's second to none. Clarity is astounding and the 1080p transfer reveals even the finest digitally animated textures on leaves, rock faces, human skin, and dinosaur hide. Every surface is home to complex elements, both organic and inorganic, that are so fine that viewers might wear out the pause button for closer inspection. Skies occasionally struggle with light banding, both daytime and nighttime alike. Is that worth knocking the score down half a point? Technically, probably, but outside of those nitpicks this is a reference transfer all the way, and anything less than a 5 would betray its beauty.

The Good Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Good Dinosaur features a terrific DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The bottom end -- dino footfalls in particular -- is often deep and saturating, perhaps not prolific but hitting satisfyingly hard, whether those footfalls, rushes of water, or a few other key action moments. Stage spacing is superb. The surrounds are engaged fully, but never overwhelmingly. Discrete effects, largely in the way of details like splintering wood and spraying water but also welcoming environmental ambience, fill the back channels and, in conjunction with the front, saturate the listening area with a lively, engaged world. Rustling grasses, breezes, insects, rolling thunder, flowing water, and other details are beautifully interspersed. A few key elements come up a little short. Rainfall doesn't always fully saturate the listening area, playing with a front-heavy positioning in one scene and a more stage-filling presence later on. Music enjoys excellent definition across the range, a dominant front end, and a nicely supportive surround engagement. Dialogue plays with center focused placement, flawless prioritization, and accurate replication.

The Good Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Good Dinosaur contains a short film, a few featurettes, several deleted scenes, and an audio commentary. A DVD and a Disney digital copy voucher are included with purchase.

• Sanjay's Super Team (1080p, DTS-HD MA 7.1, 7:07): A short film about make-believe adventures during prayer time and father-son bonding.
• True Lies About Dinosaurs (1080p, 1:56): A quick run through some of the fictional elements that appear in the movie and modern man's understanding, or lack thereof, about dinosaurs.
• Recyclosaurus (1080p, 6:19): Pixar employees build makeshift dinosaurs from donated goods.
• The Filmmakers' Journey (1080p, 7:54): A look at the challenges of a first feature, the shooting schedule, story themes, location scouting, team camaraderie, and other fun insights into the filmmaking process.
• Every Part of the Dinosaur (1080p, 6:08): A closer look at character construction, digitally in particular and how visual nuance helps define the characters and the movie's themes.
• Following the T-Rex Trail (1080p, 6:58): The movie's crew travels to a real cattle ranch to find inspiration for a T-Rex family in the movie.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): The feature begins with a director Introduction (0:35) and follows with three scenes: The Attack (2:29), Building the Silo (4:30), and Waiting for Poppa (3:05). Each scene begins with a director introduction.
• Audio Commentary: Director Peter Sohn; Story Supervisor Kelsey Mann; Animation Supervisor Mike Venturini; Director of Photography, Lighting Sharon Calahan; and Supervising Technical Director Sanjay Bakshi participate. Following introductions and descriptions of what the participants did on the movie, they discuss the movie's style, story and themes, location inspirations, the movie's visual structure and style, character design, digital animation, and much more. The track sounds a little rehearsed rather than organic, but there's a ton of great information here for adults curious as to how the movie came together.
• Dino Bites (1080p, 4:15): Many of the film's characters have fun for the camera.
• Hide and Seek (1080p, 0:59): Arlo and Spot play hide-and-seek.
• Trailers (1080p): Moment: North American Trailer 2 (2:25), Courage: Russian Trailer (2:30), and Different: German Trailer (2:03).

The Good Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Good Dinosaur doesn't feel quite as creatively original and unforgettable as most of Pixar's other films -- it borrows many of its core themes from The Land Before Time -- but there's no mistaking its heart and humor. Solid characters, a positive emotional center, exciting action, and a large-scale sense of adventure are also highlights. It's a gorgeously produced movie, too, and one that should delight children and leave adults satisfied, too. Disney's Blu-ray release of The Good Dinosaur features exceptional video, excellent audio, and a healthy allotment of extra content. Highly recommended.