Film Review: "The Good Dinosaur" (2015).

"From the creators of Inside Out" comes The Good Dinosaur. This 3D computer-animated drama film directed by Peter Sohn, in his directorial debut, written by Meg LeFauve, and produced by Pixar Animation Studios. What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In this epic journey into the world of dinosaurs, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While travelling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

In 2009, Bob Peterson conceived the idea of an alternate history in which dinosaurs never became extinct. In June 2011, a release date of November 27, 2013 was announced. In late August 2011, at the D23 Expo, the plot and other small details were announced. Peterson as director, and the title of the film, The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs, were announced. In late April 2012, Pixar announced that it would be titled The Good Dinosaur. In addition, Pixar announced that the film's release date had been shifted to May 30, 2014, with Walt Disney Animation Studios' Frozen taking its place. In early August 2013, it was announced at the D23 Expo that Lucas Neff, John Lithgow, Frances McDormand, Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer, and Bill Haderhad joined the cast of the film. By summer 2013, Peterson and producer John Walker had been removed from the film due to story problems. John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Mark Andrews, and Sohn stepped in temporarily to work on various sections of the film. This resulted in major rewrites and all cast members, with the exception of McDormand, being replaced with Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A.J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Jeffrey Wright, and Ratzenberger. In September 2013, the film was pushed back again to November 25, 2015, allowing Finding Dory to take its place. The filmmakers wanted nature to be the antagonist for the main character Arlo. In order to achieve the needed realism, the film's team traveled to the American Northwest, spending time in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Juntura, Oregon, and southern Montana.

The film features the voice talents of Ochoa, Bright, Elliott, Paquin, Buckley, Zahn, Wright, McDormand, and Ratzenberger. Despite the talent cast, with Ochoa carrying the entire film, I would have rather listen to chalk on a blackboard than spend nearly two hours with the cast just embarrassing themselves.

It is as visually appealing as any other Pixar production, but all that dazzle can't disguise the problematic storytelling. It is a movie so stuffed with "what ifs" that it went right off the rails. What on earth was the gifted animation powerhouse thinking – that they wanted kids to come out of this movie was sic more ADD? I had such high regard for Pixar and its creative team, but I found the plot confusing. They said it couldn't be done. But Pixar proved the yaysayers wrong when it made its last bad movie, Cars 2 (2011). Now it has worsted itself with the even more awful The Good Dinosaur.

Simon says The Good Dinosaur receives:

Also, see my review for Inside Out.