There’s a lot to look for in the unknown. There’s a lot to look for in the world we don’t understand. And there’s a lot we have to explore to better ourselves and learn who we truly are. And often those lessons don’t come to us through ways which excite us, but rather ways which make us feel challenged, and at times, scared of what could happen. But when we face those fears we better ourselves and ultimately can reach new heights for ourselves and our world.
The Good Dinosaur has a lot to say for a little movie. It makes us think about alternate realities and really wonder what could have happened if people walked with the dinosaurs. But it also forces us to look at our own lives and really think about who we are and what we are capable of, and ask, what would it take for us to go out into the world and face the things that scare us, and when we do, how will those change us?
Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) is an interesting protagonist, he’s not brave, he’s not very capable, he’s very much and underdog, and it’s only through the world around him forcing him to survive that he goes after his goals and really pushes to change himself and learn and grow from his situation. And as we watch his journey, there’s a lot to ask of ourselves and really change the way we face the world and all its obstacles.
But what if we didn’t wait the way Arlo did, what if we took on the world before we had no other choice. What if we took on the things that scared us and faced them before it became life or death? What if we did everything we could to get ahead of our problems and fight the smaller battles before they become bigger ones? Could we be better? Could we fix the world around us and could we make our lives a little easier?
I, for one, believe we could. I think if we just took on our problems we could be the best versions of ourselves. And we have had so much to look at this year and face. We’ve had a lot of time to really wrestle with, and ultimately, we’ve had to make sacrifices, and we’ve had to give up things in order to make it through this year both surviving and in some cases thriving. But what if we tackled those changes before this year, what if we found better jobs? Took better relationships, made ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves.
So while there’s not always a lot of ways we can take control of this big chaotic world, we should take control with some of it. And if we do that, we can make our way in this world better, maybe not because we change our circumstances, but because we make ourselves more able to face those circumstances. So, let’s go forward in this world and we have to make ourselves the best versions of ourselves. The versions which are equipped to handle every obstacle that life throws at us. And I believe if we can face our obstacles, we can find a happier and more satisfying situations.
Here is my breakdown for reviewing and ranking the movies of the Pixar series:
Voice Performances
Storyline
Worldbuilding
Most Memorable Scene
Villain
Each category will be ranked on a scale of 10 points for a possible total of 50.
So here is my breakdown for The Good Dinosaur:
Voice Acting: The voice acting in this is sadly forgettable. Reading the voice cast I expected far more memorable and exciting performances, and I wish there was more to be offered. The highlight is Jeffery Wright’s Poppa, but he’s in the movie less than most other characters. And I just know it could have been better than it was. (6/10)
Storyline: The movie has a simple plot with one too many obstacles. At first I found it to be a solid plot but by the time they faced the climax, it just felt like it was too far gone and there was a lot more that could have been done and a lot cleaner of a story that could have been told. (7/10)
Worldbuilding: The world is actually very interesting. It tells a unique look at what would have happened if the dinosaurs hadn’t been wiped out. And I wanted more of it, I wanted more dinosaur cultures and a bigger look at all the potential differences in this world. It felt like it was the start of an idea rather than a full idea. (7/10)
Most Memorable Scene: The most memorable scene was the beginning. It really endeared us to our protagonist and made the moment we lose Poppa sink in. But unfortunately, the rest of the movie never matches the heart of that moment and we’re left chasing a feeling we’ll never get. (6/10)
Villain: Thunderclap isn’t really a high stakes villain, he barely makes an appearance and almost seems like an afterthought, and as a result he’s not someone we actually think of as dangerous even when he’s supposed to be, and it hurts the story and lowers the stakes of the final conflict. (4/10)
Total Score: 30/50
Current Ranking:
The Incredibles
Toy Story 2
Inside Out
Toy Story 3
Ratatouille
Brave
Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story
A Bug’s Life
Monsters University
WALL-E
Up
Finding Nemo
The Good Dinosaur
Cars 2
Cars
And now we’re rounding the corner to the final few years of this series. I’ve been working on planning the next series after this one, and I’m very excited to get to it, but if you want to get there, you’ll have to keep reading these ones as well. So come back next week were we take on a different tale, one which takes some remembering on my part.
But until then, thanks for taking the time to get Ploominated!
Ploominate 