I have two Pixar coffee table books: one for Ratatouille, one for Toy Story 3. Splashed with artwork and filled with director’s commentary, the books offer a window into the animation studio’s creative world. You’ll find photographs of real-life Parisian sewers and pencil sketches of French cuisine, scraggly plush bears and bright children’s playgrounds.
I don’t read the books all that much. Honestly, I prefer to watch the films.
The Good Dinosaur would make for a superb coffee table book. Without question, the film features the best landscapes Pixar has ever rendered: more detailed than Brave’s lush forest, more vast than Finding Nemo’s ocean, more wondrous than WALL-E’s star-dotted outer space. Just look to the soft, distant mountains, rising dreamily from clouds, or the swirling dance of fireflies along the grass-filled plains. This is Pixar’s magic, and it’s never shined brighter.
I don’t read the books all that much. Honestly, I prefer to watch the films.
The Good Dinosaur would make for a superb coffee table book. Without question, the film features the best landscapes Pixar has ever rendered: more detailed than Brave’s lush forest, more vast than Finding Nemo’s ocean, more wondrous than WALL-E’s star-dotted outer space. Just look to the soft, distant mountains, rising dreamily from clouds, or the swirling dance of fireflies along the grass-filled plains. This is Pixar’s magic, and it’s never shined brighter.
It’s just a shame Pixar included the characters, script, acting and plot. Arlo — our fearful dino protagonist —will win few fans, whether human or reptilian. Yes, Arlo wants desperately to fit in, to overcome his fears, but it’s a three-act play we’ve seen 1,000 times before. For modern animated films about misfits, How to Train Your Dragon does far better, drawing out its shy protagonist’s inner confidence, that core belief existing somewhere deep in all of us. In The Good Dinosaur, Arlo isn’t waiting to discover anything about himself. He’s merely afraid.
Arlo’s family is full of caricatures, the stern father, the worried mother, the tough older brother and the generically female sister. Half the dialogue sees fit to re-summarize the film’s already simple plot. Even the villains are underdeveloped and under drawn — this from the studio that brought us Stinky Pete, Anton Ego and Lotso Huggin’ Bear.
As the film performed a final pan over a gorgeous, rolling river, I found myself wondering about a potential Good Dinosaur coffee table book. I just wish I hadn’t bothered to watch the film.
Arlo’s family is full of caricatures, the stern father, the worried mother, the tough older brother and the generically female sister. Half the dialogue sees fit to re-summarize the film’s already simple plot. Even the villains are underdeveloped and under drawn — this from the studio that brought us Stinky Pete, Anton Ego and Lotso Huggin’ Bear.
As the film performed a final pan over a gorgeous, rolling river, I found myself wondering about a potential Good Dinosaur coffee table book. I just wish I hadn’t bothered to watch the film.
TheCroakingFrog says: Skip It
Recommendation Key:
See It Now: see ASAP
See It: see if you have time
Skip It: see at your own risk
Forget It: avoid at all costs
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