The Good Dinosaur

I felt compelled to write a review, primarily because there are so many "1 star" reviews taking up residence on this site. Let's be frank, folks. If it wasn't Pixar, you wouldn't be whining about how "awful" it was.

Here's the truth for those who are actually interested in seeing it: it's a pretty great flick.

I would love to hop on here and tell you that everyone's wrong and it's the most amazing animated movie I've ever seen, but that wouldn't be true. I would honestly say it's near the bottom when compared to all the other Pixar films.

But it's still a lot of fun. Here are the most laudable aspects, in my humble opinion:

1: The animation is the best Pixar has done to this point. It's truly beautiful! They did a tremendous job of capturing the beauty of nature, from forests to prairies, and interposing an almost cheesy-looking dinosaur in the midst of it was fantastic. Don't waste your time with a DVD on this one, splurge for the Blu-Ray.

2: The characters are heartwarming, and the plot is simple. Frances McDormand is especially wonderful as the mother of the simple farming family of apatosaurs, and the characters are driven by simple values like family and hard-work. I understand why many were frustrated with the simplicity of the plot, but do we always have to jump the shark in a movie? It's a fun and beautiful journey.

3: It's a beautiful parody of a classic western story/film. I'm a little annoyed that the previews didn't push this aspect more, because a lot of the movie-bashing is based on the fact that people didn't get the story they expected. This is not unlike classic Disney movies like "The Incredible Journey." Don't expect something modern or game-changing here. This is just a twist on a classic homecoming story.

I hope this preview helps dispel some of the hate. It's a fun movie, and worth a watch, even if it's not my favorite Pixar.