Since Disney purchased Pixar in 2006, Pixar films have played it safe by focusing on sequels rather than creating original stories. Remember, the films Ratatouille, Wall-E, and Up were in development before Pixar’s acquisition. This is not to say that there haven’t been excellent, original Pixar stories like Inside Out, but otherwise, Pixar’s filmography has been filled with sequels and average original stories like The Good Dinosaur. Famed animator and one of Pixar’s decorated leaders, John Lasseter, took a recent six-month leave of absence due to sexual assault accusations. Some Mexican people were upset that Disney had tried to trademark their revered cultural holiday Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), in order to sell merchandise and others still were upset that the film seemed to rip off The Book of Life. The stage was set for Coco to fail spectacularly, but the film succeeds with its vibrant visuals, strong emotional core, and fantastical adventure to the Land of the Dead.

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Once again, Pixar has me feigning indifference after a turbulent emotional journey (claiming something is in my eye). They are experts at playing heartstrings, the worst offender being Toy Story 3, but The Good Dinosaur isn’t too far behind. The film actually marks the first time that Pixar has released two films in a calendar year (Inside Out being the other). Not to imply that this film suffered from a lack of quality due to this. The Good Dinosaur is another extremely well produced Pixar movie, but it’s not as great as their best films. It’s a simple, but effective, coming of age tale about a young dinosaur and his unlikely human companion.

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