Film
The Good Dinosaur
Pixar's vision of a world where the asteroid missed: a gentle Apatosaurus named Arlo meets a feral human child and they journey together through prehistoric wilderness. It's a buddy-movie western wrapped in watercolour landscapes, quieter and more meditative than typical Pixar fare. Perfect for kids who love animals and adventure, and parents who appreciate animation as art.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love Pixar's knack for quiet, earthy storytelling where a big emotional arc unfolds through landscapes, weather and a boy and a dog-sized companion who barely share a language.
Skip it if you want sharp jokes and a fast clip, since this one moves at a gentle, wandering pace and leans on scenery and silence more than gags or set pieces.
What it asks of you: Ninety-three minutes of patient, open country, with long stretches of wordless watching and a mood that stays soft and reflective rather than bouncing from gag to gag.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Raya and the Last Dragon2021
A human protagonist bonds with a creature companion on a quest across a gorgeously rendered fantasy world. Rich animation, inventive action, genuine emotional stakes wrapped in adventure. Similar sense of two unlikely friends against a harsh landscape.
But The plot mechanics are fairly standard fantasy-quest beats, and it doesn't quite reach the emotional depth it's aiming for in the climax.
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron2002
A wild animal and a human boy forge connection without dialogue through action and movement. Stunning hand-drawn animation of landscapes, genuine sense of wilderness and danger, and a protagonist learning respect rather than dominance.
But The plotting is thin and the film leans hard on Hans Zimmer's score to carry emotion, which works but can feel manipulative.
How to Train Your Dragon2010
Boy and creature become partners through understanding rather than ownership. Gorgeous animation, authentic friendship arc, and a protagonist who changes the world by seeing differently. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless is earned and moving.
But It's become the template for this entire subgenre—if you've seen similar films, you may feel the beats coming from far away.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Good Dinosaur
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Senna2010
Both are visual narratives about a protagonist moving through a landscape discovering what they're capable of—one literal and dinosaur-shaped, one metaphorical and competitive.
Documentary about the Formula 1 driver as character study, with an arc of ambition, faith, and mortality that mirrors Arlo's journey from fragility to purpose. Narrated entirely through archive footage and sound, creating a strange poetry. It's about becoming the thing you must be.
But It's a documentary about motorsport with no dialogue, which sounds nothing like The Good Dinosaur. The technical racing footage may bore those uninterested in cars.
More like this (8)
The Land Before Time1988
Child dinosaurs on a journey through a dangerous world, learning about loss and found family. Tender and funny, with real stakes and genuine pathos. James Horner's score is unforgettable. A direct ancestor to what Pixar was attempting.
But It's from 1988 so the animation shows its age, and the emotional climax might devastate very young viewers without warning.
Finding Nemo2003
Pixar at peak form: a parent-child journey across a hostile world, paired with perfect comedic support. The animation still holds up completely. Both fish and dinosaur films are about crossing impossible terrain to find family.
But It's a decade older and occasionally the humour feels specifically pitched to 2003 sensibilities. Arlo is less sharp in dialogue, which some prefer and some find slower.
Brother Bear2003
A human who must learn to see the world through an animal's eyes, with gorgeous wilderness animation and genuine moments of wonder. Phil Collins' songs are earworms. It's earnest about transformation and belonging.
But The animation is softer than Pixar's precision, and some found the tone uneven between comedy and melancholy.
The Jungle Book2016
A boy raised by animals discovers connection and loss in the wilderness. Visually stunning with a powerful emotional core, and the human-creature bond is central rather than secondary. Jon Favreau's direction creates genuine danger.
But It's darker and more violent than The Good Dinosaur, and the pacing is heavier. Bill Murray's bear might feel like tonal whiplash after the melancholy setup.
Charlotte's Web2006
A pig and spider friendship told with genuine warmth, emphasizing acceptance and mortality. The animation is charming, the voice cast is wonderful, and it respects its audience's ability to feel sad about real things.
But It's quieter and less action-driven than The Good Dinosaur. The pacing assumes patience, and the ending is deliberately bittersweet.
Moana2016
A protagonist traveling across a stunning world with an unexpected companion, learning self-reliance and the weight of legacy. Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the songs. Visually inventive and genuinely funny throughout.
But Moana's journey is more about self-discovery than bonding, so if you want the buddy dynamic, it's less central. The musical format might feel tonal whiplash if you want meditative silence.
Pan's Labyrinth2006
Both use the bond between human child and magical creature as a way to explore fear, growth, and whether kindness survives a hostile world.
A child in a brutal landscape discovers a creature-filled fantasy world, with gorgeous and grotesque design. Guillermo del Toro's direction creates genuine dread and wonder. The relationship between girl and creature has real stakes and heartbreak.
But It's in Spanish and involves Spanish Civil War violence and child peril. Far darker than Pixar, with body horror and genuine tragedy. Not for young children despite the fantasy setting.
Watership Down1978
Both use animal protagonists on cross-landscape journeys as genuine epic storytelling rather than just kiddie fodder. Both respect the harshness of nature.
Animated rabbits on an epic journey through dangerous wilderness, gorgeously rendered in a style that predates digital animation. Ralph Bakshi's direction creates genuine atmosphere and danger. It's meditative, violent, and visually stunning—animation for grownups.
But It's more serious and violent than modern family animation. Rabbits die messily, it's long, and the pacing is deliberate rather than propulsive. Some find it grim.
People
Cast
Raymond OchoaArlo (voice)
Frances McDormandMomma (voice)
Jeffrey WrightPoppa (voice)
Steve ZahnThunderclap (voice)
Sam ElliottButch (voice)
Anna PaquinRamsey (voice)
John RatzenbergerEarl (voice)
A.J. BuckleyNash (voice)
Marcus ScribnerBuck (voice)
Peter SohnForrest Woodbush (voice)- Maleah Nipay-PadillaYoung Libby (voice)
Jack BrightSpot (voice)
Directing
- Peter SohnDirector
- Arjun RihanLayout
- Colin BohrerLayout
- Crosby ClyseScript Supervisor
Writing
- Meg LeFauveScreenplay
- Bob PetersonStory
- Erik BensonStory
- Kelsey MannStory
- Meg LeFauveStory
- Peter SohnStory
- Sally GarbariniStory Manager
- Kelsey MannStory Supervisor
Production
- Mary Alice DrummAssociate Producer
- Kevin ReherCasting Director
- Natalie LyonCasting Director
- Andrew StantonExecutive Producer
- John LasseterExecutive Producer
- Lee UnkrichExecutive Producer
- Denise ReamProducer
- Ann BrilzProduction Manager
Recommended by
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie, The Land Before Time, Prehistoric Planet, The Croods, The Lorax, Dinosaur, Walking with Dinosaurs, The Star, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, A Turtle's Tale 2: Sammy's Escape from Paradise