After a schmaltzy start, this Jurassic coming-of-age story blossoms into a tale as subtle, funny and moving as anything the studio has ever made

“The Good Dinosaur” arrives saddled with two potential liabilities: an 18-month delay after dozens of layoffs at Pixar last year, and the unenviable status of being the follow-up to “Inside Out,” one of the best films the animation studio has ever produced.

But none of that matters, for first-time helmer Peter Sohn and screenwriter Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”) have created a fantastic and frequently exhilarating feature that showcases Pixar’s greatest strengths: technical brilliance, emotional texture, crossover appeal, and an impish sense of humor that takes the utmost advantage of the animated form. (Sohn is probably best known as the inspiration for the character of Junior Wilderness Explorer Russell in “Up.”)

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In addition to letting me cathartically sob my eyes out (always a plus), the survivor’s tale and family/pet/coming-of-age drama showed me images I’d never seen before and perfected scenes that I have seen in other films. “The Good Dinosaur” isn’t just a holiday treat, but an experience to be savored.

Strangely enough, though, you’d never guess that from the picture’s first 15 minutes, which is as schmaltzy and baldly expository as the rest of the feature is subtle, original, delightful and psychologically rich. At its center is Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), the runt of a brontosaurus litter in a world where dinosaurs live on homesteads, chop down trees, plow the fields, store grains for winter, and, in our protagonist’s case, get intimidated by monster chickens. Arlo’s the only one in his small, tough, hard-working family not pulling his weight, and the tale of how he learns to contribute is just one of the several compelling storylines that make up the neatly braided plot.

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After the disappearance of one of his family members, Arlo ends up stranded and lost. His long and arduous journey home, together with a new friend named Spot, makes up the bulk of the film, which celebrates the splendor of nature (with photo-realistic animation) while never underestimating its perils. “It’s terrifying out here,” observes a wizened xenoceratops who, despite the dozen horns that protrude from his face, is as much a scaredy-cat as Arlo.

Cuteness certainly provides no special protection here. Rubbery and delicately mottled, Arlo ends up with cuts, scars, and bruises as he tumbles down rocks and trips over branches. A surprising viscerality, especially for an animated film, accompanies his throbbing, stinging voyage.

Also tagging along for the ride is the Spot, a wild, wordless human boy who springs around on all fours and ends up being Arlo’s pet dog. Freckled and lightly sunburned with leaves tangled in his dirty hair, the lonely but resourceful Spot is the film’s true achievement. Easy with a snarl and always ready to behead a Jurassic bug twice his size with his teeth (you’ve got to see it to believe it), he and the talking Arlo not only make for an adorable and charmingly odd duo, but also forge an achingly deep bond, especially in a scene that finds the pair sharing their losses nonverbally through beautifully primal rituals and illustrations.

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These weightier moments are balanced by a goofy wit and a few contemporary touches. Along the way, Arlo and Spot meet a few deftly sketched characters, most memorably a cowboy T-Rex, (Sam Elliot, who’s enjoying a stellar year) with an arc of teeth marks grooved on to the side of his face, who delivers a lovely speech about how fear should neither be surrendered to nor ignored.

But the film’s most extraordinary moments lie in its unexpected images, like Arlo and his usually gruff father dancing in the cornfield at night to stimulate the fireflies into patterns — in essence, drawing with their whirling bodies — and the ominous appearance of gray-black beaks poking through dense clouds, churning portentously like shark fins, but up above.

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When Pixar does what it does best like this, the result is so marvelously and excitingly imaginative that it’s impossible not to feel let down that four of its five announced productions for the future are sequels. For all the trouble it had getting to the screen, “The Good Dinosaur” is a triumph of creativity. Too bad the studio’s business plan is as derivative as they come.

30 Highest Grossing Animated Movies of All Time Worldwide A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation. 30. "The Incredibles" (2004)  Worldwide Gross: $633,019,734 In 2004, Brad Bird's first Pixar outing wowed audiences with complicated animated action scenes, cross-generational comedy and superhero mayhem. Pixar Animation Studios 29. "Sing" (2016)  Worldwide Gross: $634,151,679  Illumination's animal-karaoke musical crooned its way onto the list.   28. "Moana" (2016)  Worldwide Gross: $643,331,111  Disney's Hawaii-set movie scored two Oscar nominations, for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "How Far I'll Go."   Disney 27. "Big Hero 6" (2014)  Worldwide Gross: $657,818,612  Disney's 2014 robot tale combined anime aesthetics, superhero action and Pixar's heart.  Disney Animation Studios 26. "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (2006)  Worldwide Gross: $660,940,780 Fox's 2006 prehistoric romp proved the success of the first was no fluke.  Twentieth Century Fox 25. "Kung Fu Panda 2" (2011)  Worldwide Gross: $665,692,281 With the franchise's skills proven, DreamWorks Animation gave the world another hit of comedy with this animated martial arts sequel in 2011.  Dreamworks Animation Studios 24. "Up" (2009)  Worldwide Gross: $735,099,082 The 2009 fan favorite demonstrated that original ideas with big emotions could make big money.  Pixar Animation Studios 23. "Monsters University" (2013)  Worldwide Gross: $744,229,437 Ten years after the release of "Monsters Inc," Pixar sent fans back to school in a 2013 prequel. Pixar Animation Studios 22. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" (2012)  Worldwide Gross: $746,921,274 DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" series kept the studio afloat with a string of breezy successes, including 2012's third installment. Dreamworks Animation Studios 21. "Shrek Forever After" (2010)  Worldwide Gross: $752,600,867 The big green ogre's final chapter dropped in 2010.     Dreamworks Animation Studio 20. "Shrek the Third" (2007)  Worldwide Gross: $798,958,162 Made  in 2007, this sequel proved there was still some gas left in this fantasy mash-up comedy franchise.  Dreamworks Animation Studio 19. "Coco" (2017)  Worldwide Gross: $807,082,196  Directed by Lee Unkrich, this animated film captured everyone's hearts and even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018. Disney/Pixar 18. "Inside Out" (2015)  Worldwide Gross: $857,611,174 Disney Pixar hit the home run again with this animated feature film about the emotions inside your head, starring Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader.  Disney/Pixar 17. "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016)  Worldwide Gross:$875,457,937 Universal/Illumination's story of dogs seeking out adventure while their owners are away charmed its way onto the list. 16.  "Ice Age: Continental Drift" (2012)  Worldwide Gross: $877,244,782 Profits abound for this 2012 fourth installment in the chilly prehistoric franchise, followed just behind it's predecessor. Twentieth Century Fox Animation 15."Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (2009)  Worldwide Gross: $888,805,671   While other films have made bigger waves in the States, international sales have always returned big money for Fox's "Ice Age" franchise, proven again by the 2009 entry.  Twentieth Century Fox Animation 14. "Shrek 2" (2004)  Worldwide Gross: $919,838,758 DreamWorks Animation proved to be worthy Pixar competition with its successful "Shrek" franchise. Dreamworks Animation Studio 13. "Finding Nemo" (2003)  Worldwide Gross: $940,335,536 "Finding Nemo" was something of a second-wind for Pixar, solidifying the company's place as the titans of modern animation.  Pixar Studios 12. "The Lion King" (1994)  Worldwide Gross: $968,483,777 Can you feel the love tonight for this Disney animated classic? Disney Animation Studios 11. "Despicable Me 2" (2013)  Worldwide Gross:  $970,761,885 Illumination's sequel managed to make more money than its predecessor and put the upcoming "Minions" spin-off into motion. Illumination Studios 10. "Zootopia" (2016)  Worldwide Gross: $1,023,784,195 Disney charmed audiences in 2016 with its cop thriller pairing a rookie rabbit cop and a wily fox informant. Disney 9. "Finding Dory" (2016)  Worldwide Gross: $1,028,570,889 The sequel to "Finding Nemo" swam right back into audience's hearts. Pixar 8. "Despicable Me 3" (2017)  Worldwide Gross: $1,034,799,409 Illumination's follow-up -- featuring Gru's blond-haired brother -- became the franchise's biggest grosser.   7. "Toy Story 3" (2010)  Worldwide Gross: $1,066,969,703  Built on Pixar's critical and commercial goodwill, the third installment in the mega-franchise brought in big profits. Pixar Studios 6. "Toy Story 4" (2019) Worldwide Gross: $1,073,394,593  Nearly two decades after the last film, Woody and Buzz and the gang returned for the top-grossing film in the series (not adjusted for inflation, that is).   Disney 5. "Minions" (2015)  Worldwide Gross: $1,159,398,397 The little yellow helpers crossed the $1 billion mark at the end of August, raking in more money then "Despicable Me" and "Despicable Me 2" for Universal Pictures.  Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment 4. "Incredibles 2" (2018)  Worldwide Gross: $1,242,805,359 The superpowered family sprung back into action a full 14 years after the original -- but far surpassed the original film's box office haul.   Disney/Pixar 3. "Frozen" (2013)  Worldwide Gross: $1,276,480,335 Disney's 2013 smash-hit takes the box office top spot. And then there was merchandising, video on demand and home video that audiences just couldn't let go... Disney Animation Studios 2. "Frozen II" (2019)   Worldwide Gross: $1,450,026,933  Though it failed to garner an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature, this sequel still managed to outgross its predecessor. 1. The Lion King (2019) Worldwide Gross: $1,631,724,000 Whether the film is animated or live-action has been up for debate, the new "Lion King" was computer animated, so we're putting it on the list.  Disney Previous Slide Next Slide 1 of 31 Cartoon characters that cleaned up at the global box office, from ”The Lion King“ to ”Incredibles 2“ A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation. View In Gallery

A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.

In 2004, Brad Bird's first Pixar outing wowed audiences with complicated animated action scenes, cross-generational comedy and superhero mayhem.

Illumination's animal-karaoke musical crooned its way onto the list.  

Disney's Hawaii-set movie scored two Oscar nominations, for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "How Far I'll Go."  

Disney's 2014 robot tale combined anime aesthetics, superhero action and Pixar's heart. 

Fox's 2006 prehistoric romp proved the success of the first was no fluke. 

With the franchise's skills proven, DreamWorks Animation gave the world another hit of comedy with this animated martial arts sequel in 2011. 

The 2009 fan favorite demonstrated that original ideas with big emotions could make big money. 

Ten years after the release of "Monsters Inc," Pixar sent fans back to school in a 2013 prequel.

DreamWorks Animation's "Madagascar" series kept the studio afloat with a string of breezy successes, including 2012's third installment.

The big green ogre's final chapter dropped in 2010.    

Made  in 2007, this sequel proved there was still some gas left in this fantasy mash-up comedy franchise. 

Directed by Lee Unkrich, this animated film captured everyone's hearts and even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018.

Disney Pixar hit the home run again with this animated feature film about the emotions inside your head, starring Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader. 

17. "The Secret Life of Pets" (2016) 

Universal/Illumination's story of dogs seeking out adventure while their owners are away charmed its way onto the list.

Profits abound for this 2012 fourth installment in the chilly prehistoric franchise, followed just behind it's predecessor.

15."Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" (2009) 

While other films have made bigger waves in the States, international sales have always returned big money for Fox's "Ice Age" franchise, proven again by the 2009 entry. 

DreamWorks Animation proved to be worthy Pixar competition with its successful "Shrek" franchise.

"Finding Nemo" was something of a second-wind for Pixar, solidifying the company's place as the titans of modern animation. 

Can you feel the love tonight for this Disney animated classic?

Illumination's sequel managed to make more money than its predecessor and put the upcoming "Minions" spin-off into motion.

Disney charmed audiences in 2016 with its cop thriller pairing a rookie rabbit cop and a wily fox informant.

The sequel to "Finding Nemo" swam right back into audience's hearts.

Illumination's follow-up -- featuring Gru's blond-haired brother -- became the franchise's biggest grosser.

Built on Pixar's critical and commercial goodwill, the third installment in the mega-franchise brought in big profits.

Nearly two decades after the last film, Woody and Buzz and the gang returned for the top-grossing film in the series (not adjusted for inflation, that is).

The little yellow helpers crossed the $1 billion mark at the end of August, raking in more money then "Despicable Me" and "Despicable Me 2" for Universal Pictures. 

The superpowered family sprung back into action a full 14 years after the original -- but far surpassed the original film's box office haul.  

Disney's 2013 smash-hit takes the box office top spot. And then there was merchandising, video on demand and home video that audiences just couldn't let go...

Though it failed to garner an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature, this sequel still managed to outgross its predecessor.

Whether the film is animated or live-action has been up for debate, the new "Lion King" was computer animated, so we're putting it on the list. 

Cartoon characters that cleaned up at the global box office, from ”The Lion King“ to ”Incredibles 2“

A look at top animated moneymakers as of May 2020, from "The Lion King" to "Zootopia." The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.

Photographed by Austin Hargrave for TheWrap

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