The Good Dinosaur on way to become one of Pixar's worst films
It has so far scored 67 on Metacritic, only just above Monsters University and below Brave
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Pixar is best known for creating family-friendly CGI animated films, each one following similar themes of love, hope and strength to overcome the struggles of being a toy/rat/grumpy old man/abandoned robot/teenager/one-eyed monster.
Nearly every single one has been met with critical acclaim, yet, their latest offering - The Good Dinosaur - has had a mixed reception.
Currently, the film holds a Metacritic rating of 67 from 35 reviews, the third worst rated Pixar film, only just above Cars 2 and Monsters University.
Obviously, 67 isn’t a horrendous score, but compared to the likes of Toy Story (92), The Incredibles (90), Wall-E (94) and even Inside Out (94) it is a lot, lot lower. Even the first Cars scored six points higher.
Its closest counterparts would be Brave, which holds a 69 rating, and Monsters University, which holds 65.
So have Pixar lost their mojo? Entertainment Weekly, who awarded The Good Dinosaur exactly 67, said that: “While the story attempts the moves that a Pixar film typically makes—nonverbal storytelling, death, a bittersweet ending—most of The Good Dinosaur’s punches land soft, made worse by the disconnect that exists between the overly cartoonish style of the characters and the photorealistic landscapes.”
Most reviewers went for a similar angle, stating how the film walks a well-worn road, leading to a middling film. Empire stated how: “it’s a pity that the story happening in front of it is so familiar and safe.”
Of course, there were some overwhelmingly positive reviews, with The Wrap saying how the film “showcases Pixar’s greatest strengths: technical brilliance, emotional texture, crossover appeal, and an impish sense of humour that takes the utmost advantage of the animated form”.
So, are Pixar on the way down? Probably not. With a line-up including Finding Dory, Toy Story 4 and The Incredibles 2, there’s not a lot that could go catastrophically wrong. Just note the lack of originals coming our way, with only the Day of the Dead themed Coco set in stone for the future.
The Good Dinosaur reaches UK cinemas 27 November.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments