The Good Dinosaur

The Good Dinosaur has built a real following in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on Disney Plus among viewers who do not usually seek out animation. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. With 6,051 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. The visual style is immediately recognisable, but the writing is what keeps you watching. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Disney Plus.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Good Dinosaur earns its spot. The look of The Good Dinosaur gets people in the door, but the writing is what keeps them there. An epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. Frances McDormand and Raymond Ochoa lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2015. The Good Dinosaur uses the freedom of animation to tell stories live-action could not attempt. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

The Good Dinosaur belongs on any best-of list regardless of format. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Frances McDormand brings more to the role than the format usually demands. A harder one to justify skipping than to start.