The Good Dinosaur Review

I attended a media sneak peek of The Good Dinosaur. All opinions expressed below belong to me.

I love a good Disney•Pixar movie — how about you? If you’re a fan, the latest release, The Good Dinosaur, is sure to impress with its emotional plot line and visually stunning scenery. But is it good for little kids? Read on…

This film takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend, an adorable cave boy named Spot. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

The core lessons learned in this film include:

• Not every person develops at the same rate {Arlo is essentially in competition with his siblings who are quick to do things, while he struggles}
• Confronting fears and conquering them takes time
• Family is the most important of all

As a mom with two daughters {ages 3 and 5} who struggle with anxieties, the lessons in this film were great for providing us with real-world teachable moments.

Yet, the twists in which this film took may have been a bit much for my 3-year-old. Upon asking her what she thought of the movie she simply said, “It’s scary.” But when I asked her if she would see it again, she enthusiastically nodded yes. Typical kid!

She sat still relatively well during this one, but I did find it to drag at parts and even go off topic a bit. For example, Arlo and Spot essentially get high off of berries in one scene…That was a real WTF moment for me as a parent. Not quite sure what they were thinking by including that.

Two classics came to my mind after seeing this: The Land Before Time and The Lion King. The plot was strikingly a mix of both, so if your kids are into those movies, they may like this one too.

I thought this was a really neat film to see in the theater especially; there is absolutely breathtaking imagery that the TV simply won’t replicate if you rent it. It’s hard not love Arlo, Spot, and all the forest friends they meet during their adventure too. They looked like Ty’s Beanie Boo stuffed animals with their giant eyes and I found myself squeeing with delight during many scenes.

In true Disney fashion, I could’ve used some tissue though. There are some real heart tug moments that may speak to the parents watching this film.

Notes for sensitive kids:

• Sanjay’s Superheros, the short before the film, is fantastic for adults/older kids, but not for little ones. I think my gal will be talking about the 4-headed monster for months! It touched on Hindu traditions and featured an Indian boy, which I loved for showing kids different cultures though.
• If you see it in 3D, which I recommend, your child will have to wear glasses. A hat underneath helped to not bug my daughter’s ears {she doesn’t like how glasses hug your head}.
• With the 3D, there are many sweeping views atop cliffs and overlooking water. Sensitive stomachs should be aware, or opt for a 2D showing.
• There is a parental death scene. If Mufasa’s death in The Lion King affects your child, this may hurt their heart, too. After this scene, my daughter needed some cuddles in my lap for a few minutes.
• There are “bad guys who are mean,” a.k.a. freaky pterodactyls and a red snake to be aware of.

Overall, I would recommend this film to families and adults, but may think twice if you have an extremely sensitive kid. Because of this, my age recommendation would be 5 and up.

Definitely don’t hesitate to see it in the theater for the full experience, and opt for 3D if your budget allows it.

The Good Dinosaur opens today. This film is rated PG. For more information, check out http://movies.disney.com/the–good–dinosaur, or follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Do you plan to see this film?