The Good Dinosaur

      What would have happened to life on planet Earth if the meteor completely missed the earth and dinosaurs continued to rule the world?  The Good Dinosaur attempts to answer that question.

     Brontosaurus would become farmers; planting, tilling, watering, and harvesting their crops.  They'd build and live in barn like structures, raise their children, and live quiet peaceful lives.  No surprises there, brontosaurus were plant eaters, peaceful creatures that lived in groups. This is how the movie begins.  There's a little bit of a Flintstones twist to the story as the brontosaurus family adapt the environment to their needs.

     Stegosaurus makes an appearance in the movie as a frightful looking creature who does his best to camouflage himself and stay safe with the help of his friends who hang out on his many horns.  I'd always heard that stegosaurus was a fierce creature but not in this movie.  Stegosaurus introduces his friends to Arlo, the good dinosaur, and tells Arlo what they do to help him.  All except for Debbie, the redbird, who seems to have no purpose except to look pretty.  At one point she flies away and stegosaurus goes chasing after her.

     My favorite dinosaurs of the movie were the family of Tyrannosaurus Rex.  These dinosaurs were said to be fierce and dangerous.  And they were in the movie, too.  They were also a cowboy family running a herd of longhorns that appeared to be Wooly Mammoths.

     At this point the world has turned upside down.  Nothing is what it appears to be.  Then there is the boy named Spot, a quest to return home, what makes a family and how important it is to do what you think is right, to help a friend even when your scared, and to be a good dinosaur.

     Adults and children will enjoy this movie equally.  It's full of action and adventure.  This movie will hold your interest throughout the film.  There was only one place in the movie that I was a bit shocked by and that was when Arlo and Spot came across some berries on the ground that had fermented and there was some brief scenes of being on a psychedelic high.  The 6 year old that was with me didn't seem to pick up on it, but it shocked me that it was in a Disney film.

     If you need a family activity to do over the Christmas holidays, be sure to check this movie out.  It's great and will bring a tear to the eye of adults and children alike.