2015: The Pieper Review
Best Picture: Inside Out
Best Director: Pete Docter
Best Lead Actress:
Emily Blunt (Sicario)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq)
Greta Gerwig (Mistress America)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Best Lead Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)
Ian McKellan (Mr. Holmes)
Abraham Attah (Beats of No Nation)
Best Supporting Actress:
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (Tangerine)
Jennifer Hudson (Chi-Raq)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)
Best Supporting Actor:
Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
Tom Hardy (The Revenant)
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Joel Edgerton (The Gift)
Karren Karagulian (Tangerine)
Overrated: Carol
Underrated: Chi-Raq & Tangerine
Pleasant Surprise: The Visit
Biggest Disappointment: The Good Dinosaur
Best Director: Pete Docter
Best Lead Actress:
Emily Blunt (Sicario)
Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn)
Teyonah Parris (Chi-Raq)
Greta Gerwig (Mistress America)
Maika Monroe (It Follows)
Best Lead Actor:
Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant)
Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs)
Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight)
Ian McKellan (Mr. Holmes)
Abraham Attah (Beats of No Nation)
Best Supporting Actress:
Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina)
Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (Tangerine)
Jennifer Hudson (Chi-Raq)
Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight)
Jessica Chastain (Crimson Peak)
Best Supporting Actor:
Idris Elba (Beasts of No Nation)
Tom Hardy (The Revenant)
Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies)
Joel Edgerton (The Gift)
Karren Karagulian (Tangerine)
Overrated: Carol
Underrated: Chi-Raq & Tangerine
Pleasant Surprise: The Visit
Biggest Disappointment: The Good Dinosaur
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- DirectorPete DocterRonnie Del CarmenStarsAmy PoehlerBill HaderLewis BlackAfter young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school.Inside Out is the Pixar film I have been waiting for since 2009's Up made me shed tears within the first five minutes. The emotional impact of Pete Docter and company's latest (and thus far greatest) film is staggering, but it is closely rivaled by the impressive intellectual depth of the script. The moment after I walked out of the theater, I have not been able to think about the human mind in the same way.
My Grade: A
RT: 8.9 - DirectorDuke JohnsonCharlie KaufmanStarsDavid ThewlisJennifer Jason LeighTom NoonanA man crippled by the mundanity of his life experiences something out of the ordinary.To review Charlie Kaufman's latest film Anomalisa is to take a dive into the bog of miring adult emotions and neuroses that have been a cornerstone to his output since 1999's Being John Malkovich. Although that may be considered a slog to some cinema lovers, but for others it can be a relatable intellectual exercise. For viewers plagued by questions concerning the quality of modern communication, the inevitability of lonliness, and the merits of terrific customer service, Anomalisa is a great film to stimulate discussions about these quandaries. Funny, mesmerizing, and original, Anomalisa is another thought-provoking addition to Kaufman's stellar body of work.
My Grade: A
RT: 8.4 - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsSamuel L. JacksonKurt RussellJennifer Jason LeighIn the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.The Hateful Eight works as a master's thesis that showcases everything that Tarantino has learned about filmmaking since his 1992 debut feature, Reservoir Dogs. The setting of and plotting of Tarantino's latest is a cross between his now-classic diamond thief caper and Django Unchained. Hateful is Django-esque in its preoccupations with race and tensions between different regions of America in the mid to late 1800's, but Reservoir-like in its bottle episode setting (this time an Old West haberdashery instead of a warehouse). Beyond combining aspects of the setting, the thematic chords that Tarantino plucks on the strongest here are those of deception and trust. And boy, do those notes resonate.
The Hateful Eight features a handful of the year's most memorable scenes and characters; not to mention what is easily the year's most unforgettable original score by the legendary Ennio Morricone. Choosing the best performance out of the ensemble is nearly impossible in this stage play of a film, but I am glad that Justified fan favorite Walton Goggins may start getting some more attention for major film roles. I am also reasonably confident that Samuel L. Jackson's turn as Major Marquis Warren is one of the three best performances I have seen him deliver in his prolific filmography.
Having watched Tarantino's filmography multiple times over my formative years as a cinephile, I am always surprised on second and third viewings (particularly in his post-Death Proof work) to discover subtleties in his writing, themes, and characterization. Although The Hateful Eight is getting slammed for N-word usage, gimmicky release frills, alleged misogyny, and - get this - violence(!), I feel (along with a handful of other critics) that The Hateful Eight will be one day re-evaluated as one of, if not the, QT's most complex and accomplished films. The AV Club's Ignatiy Vishnevetsky says it best: "The Hateful Eight is a difficult movie by a director who’s not known for making them."
My Grade: A
RT: 7.3 - DirectorAlejandro G. IñárrituStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HardyWill PoulterA frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.My Grade: A
RT: 7.9 - DirectorGeorge MillerStarsTom HardyCharlize TheronNicholas HoultIn a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshiper and a drifter named Max."I'm going to see it for a third time and I'm wearing a suit," South Park creator Matt Stone responded to Bill Hader's question about whether or not he had enjoyed George Miller's latest dystopian joyride. Like a futuristic sports car, Mad Max: Fury Road accelerates quickly, maintains its top speed, and unlike sports of today, is able to make its trip with remarkable efficiency. The first few minutes of the film establish everything the audience needs to know about Tom Hardy's Max, Charlize Theron's Furiosa, and the considerably dehydrated post-apocalyptic future they uneasily inhabit. I'm not sure what energizes near-octogenarian directors like Miller and Martin Scorsese to make films with this much energy to spare - but I want some. Mad Max has been instantly heralded as one of the finest action movies of all time and I for one am joining the chorus.
My Grade: A-
RT: 8.6 - DirectorTom McCarthyStarsMark RuffaloMichael KeatonRachel McAdamsThe true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.About a quarter of the way through Spotlight, I was getting the feeling that I was not as enamored with the movie as many other critics were. I realized that this was due to the fact that the movie was so dedicated to realism and avoiding hagiography, that I felt that I had not been sucked into the world of a "movie" at all. This is a high compliment for a film that is dedicated to telling the true story of people whose lives are dedicated to telling true stories as they try to tell a disturbing, but unfortunately, true story. The performances in Spotlight are never showy, they are instead successful attempts to present the personages of real journalists. The most bitingly aspect of the film's realism comes at the end. Even when the Boston Globe reporters have broken the story, the film makes it abundantly clear that the problem is far from solved.
My Grade: A-
RT: 8.8 - DirectorDavid Robert MitchellStarsMaika MonroeKeir GilchristOlivia LuccardiA young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.It Follows proves that there still may be some hope for American horror, and the genre in general. Horror junkies and film buffs alike were spoiled enough with last year's The Babadook, and It Follows delivers scares and symbolism on par with the haunting Aussie import. David Robert Mitchell realizes that the scariest aspects of the human mind and life itself are the ones that we do not fully understand. It Follows chills the viewer long before (and never really needing to) resorting to cheap jump scares.
My Grade: A-
RT: 8.1 - DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsEmily BluntJosh BrolinBenicio Del ToroAn idealistic FBI agent is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.I like to describe Sicario as a skillful combination of the Hank-on-the-job episodes of Breaking Bad and The Silence of the Lambs. In the past, director Denis Villeneuve has produced beautiful and well-acted thrillers (Enemy, Prisoners) that resist whole-hearted recommendations on account of their entanglement in intellectual pretensions over servicing their stories. While I enjoy a good cerebral film, but on some level, I need characters to be characters and stories to work as stories. Luckily, Sicario is just as committed to intriguing characterization and plotting as it is to ruminating on morality and masterful filmmaking.
My Grade: A-
RT: 8 - DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaOscar IsaacAs a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.With a series as vital to American mythology as Star Wars, there was bound to be complaints. The only valid one about the film, and thankfully the most voiced, is the fact that it feels like A New Hope 2.0. However, I feel that these echoes of the past are more than petty fan service (read up on the Ring theory for the prequel and original trilogies). Literature and history are inherently in a dialogue with the past; especially so if they are accomplished works. Better that this film feel like Episode IV than Episode I. Although some of the new characters have some similarities to past Jedi, rebels, and Sith, there is no doubt that they have their own flesh and blood.
Star Wars VII accomplishes a task that a majority of film franchises, and even TV shows, fail at miserably: introducing charismatic new characters that fans want to see more of. Plus, with Rian Johnson at the helm for Episode VIII, there should be no problems veering off the familiar path of VII and into a new storyline far, far, away.
My Grade: A-
RT: 8.2 - DirectorJohn CrowleyStarsSaoirse RonanEmory CohenDomhnall GleesonAn Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.My Grade: A-
RT: 8.4 - DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsAbraham AttahEmmanuel AffadziRicky AdelayitorA drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.My Grade: A-
RT: 7.9 - DirectorSean BakerStarsKitana Kiki RodriguezMya TaylorKarren KaragulianA hooker tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.9 - DirectorSpike LeeStarsNick CannonTeyonah ParrisWesley SnipesA modern day adaptation of the ancient Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, set against the backdrop of gang violence in Chicago, Illinois.Chicago is America's third largest city and home to a shocking statistic that angered Spike Lee enough to make Chi-Raq: since 2003, over 7000 homicides have occurred there. In this way, the south side of Chicago serves as a microcosm for America at large, especially with news of some shooting making headlines everyday. Throughout the film, Lee mixes elements of current events, underground rap, satire, a Greek comedy, and Greek tragedy. Sometimes the concoction is delicious, at times overbearing, but there is no denying that Chi-Raq will leave an unforgettable taste in your mouth. Relative newcomer Teyonah Parris crushes it as the foremost activist, Nick Cannon is surprisingly convincing as the titular gangbanger/rapper, and Jennifer Hudson serves as the tender soul at the center of the film's political fury. I haven't even mentioned Samuel L. Jackson's sublimely wardrobed narrator or John Cusack's powerful inner city preacher.
My Grade: B+
RT: 7.3 - DirectorAlex GarlandStarsAlicia VikanderDomhnall GleesonOscar IsaacA young programmer is selected to participate in a ground-breaking experiment in synthetic intelligence by evaluating the human qualities of a highly advanced humanoid A.I.Alex Garland directs his own minimalist sci-fi story with results that form an intersection between The Shining and a debate between a philosopher and a scientist. Although Ex Machina is not as unpredictable as it thinks, it still offers a taught tale and considerable food for thought. Oscar Isaac demonstrates his range once again as a tech titan "bro" with possibly insidious intentions.
My Grade: B+
RT: 8.1 - DirectorAndrew HaighStarsCharlotte RamplingTom CourtenayGeraldine JamesA married couple preparing to celebrate their wedding anniversary receives shattering news that promises to forever change the course of their lives.My Grade: B+
RT: 8.6 - DirectorDanny BoyleStarsMichael FassbenderKate WinsletSeth RogenSteve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution, to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. The story unfolds backstage at three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.6 - DirectorChristian PetzoldStarsNina HossRonald ZehrfeldNina KunzendorfAfter surviving Auschwitz, a former cabaret singer has her disfigured face reconstructed and returns to her war-ravaged hometown to seek out her gentile husband, who may or may not have betrayed her to the Nazis.My Grade: B+
RT: 8.2 - DirectorJemaine ClementTaika WaititiStarsJemaine ClementTaika WaititiCori Gonzalez-MacuerViago, Deacon, and Vladislav are vampires who are struggling with the mundane aspects of modern life, like paying rent, keeping up with the chore wheel, trying to get into nightclubs, and overcoming flatmate conflicts.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.8 - DirectorMark BurtonRichard StarzakStarsJustin FletcherJohn SparkesOmid DjaliliWhen Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.My. Grade: B+
RT: 8.1 - DirectorBill PohladStarsJohn CusackPaul DanoElizabeth BanksIn the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.After watching Love and Mercy, it is impossible to listen to the Beach Boys the same way again. This nearly perfect music biopic, uses a narrative technique (same musician, different actors in different time period) similar to 2007's I'm Not There to great effect. The performances are all worthy of awards, although Paul Giamatti's sinister therapist could use a little toning down. Otherwise, there is no reason not see this lovely reflection on musical genius and mental illness. Think of it as a cross between I'm Not There and Frank.
My Grade: B+
RT: 7.7 - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMia WasikowskaJessica ChastainTom HiddlestonIn the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.My Grade: B+
RT: 6.6 - DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsBen StillerNaomi WattsAdam DriverA middle-aged couple's career and marriage are overturned when a disarming young couple enters their lives.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.3 - DirectorS. Craig ZahlerStarsKurt RussellPatrick WilsonMatthew FoxIn the dying days of the old west, an elderly sheriff and his posse set out to rescue their town's doctor from cannibalistic cave dwellers.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.2 - DirectorJoel EdgertonStarsJason BatemanRebecca HallJoel EdgertonA married couple, Simon and Robyn, run into Gordo, an old classmate. Things take a turn when Gordo begins to drop in unannounced at their house and inundates them with mysterious gifts.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.2 - DirectorF. Gary GrayStarsO'Shea Jackson Jr.Corey HawkinsJason MitchellThe rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.My Grade: B+
RT: 7.3 - DirectorBill CondonStarsIan McKellenLaura LinneyHiroyuki SanadaAn aged, retired Sherlock Holmes deals with dementia, as he tries to remember his final case, and a mysterious woman, whose memory haunts him. He also befriends a fan, the young son of his housekeeper, who wants him to work again.My Grade: B
RT: 7.5 - DirectorNoah BaumbachStarsGreta GerwigLola KirkeShana DowdeswellA lonely college freshman's life is turned upside-down by her impetuous, adventurous stepsister-to-be.My Grade: B
RT: 7.3 - DirectorAlex Ross PerryStarsElisabeth MossKatherine WaterstonPatrick FugitTwo women who grew up together discover they have drifted apart when they retreat to a lake house together.My Grade: B
RT: 7.6 - DirectorRyan CooglerStarsMichael B. JordanSylvester StalloneTessa ThompsonThe former World Heavyweight Champion Rocky Balboa serves as a trainer and mentor to Adonis Johnson, the son of his late friend and former rival Apollo Creed.My Grade: B
RT: 7.9 - DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsBrie LarsonJacob TremblaySean BridgersA little boy is held captive in a room with his mother since his birth, so he has never known the world outside.My Grade: B
RT: 8.4 - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMark RylanceAlan AldaDuring the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.My Grade: B
RT: 7.7 - DirectorAdam McKayStarsChristian BaleSteve CarellRyan GoslingIn 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the United States mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.My Grade: B
RT: 7.8 - DirectorSteve MartinoStarsNoah SchnappBill MelendezHadley Belle MillerSnoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their archnemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.My Grade: B
RT: 7 - DirectorJohn MacleanStarsKodi Smit-McPheeCaren PistoriusAorere PakiA young Scottish man travels across America in pursuit of the woman he loves, attracting the attention of an outlaw who is willing to serve as a guide.My Grade: B
RT: 7.5 - DirectorJames PonsoldtStarsJason SegelJesse EisenbergAnna ChlumskyThe story of the five-day interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace, which took place right after the 1996 publication of Wallace's groundbreaking epic novel, 'Infinite Jest.'My Grade: B
RT: 8 - DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsOlivia DeJongeEd OxenbouldDeanna DunaganTwo siblings become increasingly frightened by their grandparents' disturbing behavior while visiting them on vacation.My Grade: B
RT: 5.8 - DirectorRidley ScottStarsMatt DamonJessica ChastainKristen WiigAn astronaut becomes stranded on Mars after his team assume him dead, and must rely on his ingenuity to find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive and can survive until a potential rescue.My Grade: B
RT: 7.8 - DirectorPaul FeigStarsMelissa McCarthyRose ByrneJude LawA desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent diabolical global disaster.My Grade: B
RT: 7.2 - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsLily JamesCate BlanchettRichard MaddenWhen her father unexpectedly dies, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her scheming stepsisters. Never one to give up hope, Ella's fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger.My Grade: B
RT: 7.1 - DirectorTodd HaynesStarsCate BlanchettRooney MaraSarah PaulsonAn aspiring photographer develops an intimate relationship with an older woman in 1950s New York.My Grade: B-
RT: 8.6 - DirectorMatthew VaughnStarsColin FirthTaron EgertonSamuel L. JacksonA spy organisation recruits a promising street kid into the agency's training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.8 - DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsJennifer LawrenceJosh HutchersonLiam HemsworthKatniss and a team of rebels from District 13 prepare for the final battle that will decide the fate of Panem.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.5 - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittCharlotte Le BonBen KingsleyIn 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.My Grade: B-
RT: 7.2 - DirectorScott CooperStarsJohnny DeppBenedict CumberbatchDakota JohnsonThe true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.7 - DirectorAlfonso Gomez-RejonStarsThomas MannRJ CylerOlivia CookeHigh schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.My Grade: B-
RT: 7.5 - DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.4 - DirectorColin TrevorrowStarsChris PrattBryce Dallas HowardTy SimpkinsA new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, the Indominus Rex, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.4 - DirectorJoss WhedonStarsRobert Downey Jr.Chris EvansMark RuffaloWhen Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it's up to Earth's mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.My Grade: B-
RT: 6.7 - DirectorSeth MacFarlaneStarsMark WahlbergSeth MacFarlaneAmanda SeyfriedNewlywed couple Ted and Tami-Lynn want to have a baby, but in order to qualify to be a parent, Ted will have to prove he's a person in a court of law.My Grade: C+
RT: 5.2 - DirectorSean AndersStarsWill FerrellMark WahlbergLinda CardelliniBrad Whitaker is a radio host trying to get his stepchildren to love him and call him Dad. But his plans turn upside down when their biological father, Dusty Mayron, returns.My Grade: C+
RT: 4.9 - DirectorElizabeth BanksStarsAnna KendrickRebel WilsonHailee SteinfeldAfter a humiliating command performance at The Kennedy Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.My Grade: C+
RT: 6 - DirectorJudd ApatowStarsAmy SchumerBill HaderBrie LarsonHaving thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.My Grade: C
RT: 7.2 - DirectorTom HooperStarsEddie RedmayneAlicia VikanderAmber HeardA fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda's marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili's groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.My Grade: C+
RT: 6.6 - DirectorEtan CohenStarsWill FerrellKevin HartAlison BrieWhen millionaire James King is jailed for fraud and bound for San Quentin, he turns to Darnell Lewis to prep him to go behind bars.My Grade: C
RT: 4.3 - DirectorDavid O. RussellStarsJennifer LawrenceRobert De NiroBradley CooperJoy is the story of the title character, who rose to become founder and matriarch of a powerful family business dynasty.My Grade: C-
RT: 6.2 - DirectorPeter SohnStarsJeffrey WrightFrances McDormandMaleah Nipay-PadillaIn a world where dinosaurs and humans live side-by-side, an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend.As predicted by rumors of a troubled production history and confirmed by the over sized platoon of story boarders, concept wranglers, and screenwriters, Pixar's The Good Dinosaur does live up to its modest titular adjective. The Meh Dinosaur (to provide the film with a more apt title) feels like the cluttered first drafts of Pixar movies that you hear Pete Docter and John Lasseter dismissively reminisce about in the Special Features of their well-developed, narratively decisive Pixar masterpieces.
Unfortunately, someone decided to resurrect this dinosaur from extinction without correctly sequencing it's DNA. Unlike Jurassic World, the genetically-addled dinosaur we are left with is not a destructive juggernaut, but instead, an inestimably annoying whiner. Although Pixar casting children to voice their child characters is commendable, the voice work done by Raymond Ochoa as Arlo adds a whiny, shrill, less-than-endearing falsetto to an already less-than-endearing character. On top of falling victim to a charisma drought, Arlo, along with the rest of the so-called characters in the film, are all founded on hackneyed tropes. If all apatosaurus's were as consistently clumsy and prone to shriek after carbon copy shriek as Arlo, I am skeptical that a meteorite or an Ice Age were even necessary to kill off the dinos.
Beyond the generic characters, the story itself is a messy, strange (not in a good way) hodgepodge of Ice Age, The Lion King, and a dozen B-picture westerns that you can find almost every Saturday morning on TCM. I will try not to harp too much on the inconsistency of the humor, which ranges from random fuzzy animals shooting out of their ground holes and a T-Rex nonchalantly sharing her tale self-amputation while sitting around a campfire after rustling her family's buffalo. The latter is one of the many moments that will likely induce nightmares on many members of the movie's target audience.
This is not to say that The Good Dinosaur is entirely abysmal. The background visuals are absolutely stunning, and anyone not entertained on some level by a T-Rex with the voice of Sam Elliott probably doesn't deserve to be in a movie theater. However, being a Pixar film, and coming on the heels of the studio's Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur proves to be mediocre family fare at best.
My Grade: C-
RT: 6.5 - DirectorJonathan MilottCary MurnionStarsElijah WoodRainn WilsonAlison PillA mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives.My Grade: D+
RT: 5.2 - DirectorJeremy GarelickStarsKevin HartJosh GadKaley CuocoTwo weeks shy of his wedding, a socially awkward guy enters into a charade by hiring the owner of a company that provides best men for grooms in need.My Grade: D
RT: 4.4