The Good Dinosaur (2015) Directed by Peter Sohn. Starring: Raymond Ochoa, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliot, A.J. Buckley. Disney says: “Disney says “The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.”

Here we are, it’s November 2015, and we have another Pixar release out for viewing. But this time it’s a little more special because it marks the 20th anniversary of the animation studio’s feature filmmaking efforts. Twenty years ago during Thanksgiving week the first fully-animated feature, Toy Story (1995), made it’s debut and put Pixar on the map. Pixar has been a non-stop force ever since and has continued to release quality features, not including a few mediocre sequels and spin-offs. But it’s impressive that the studio has been able to keep audiences entertained and continue creating films relatable for children and adults alike for two decades.

The Good Dinosaur is the second movie from Pixar to be released on Thanksgiving. It’s been a tough journey for The Good Dinosaur as the film has been plagued with issues from the start. The film was basically “in production” for about six years. There were troubles with directors leaving the project as well as multiple rewrites to get the movie to where it is now. Also, during that time, a whole new voice cast had to be hired as other obligations came up for the original cast. It’s been just over a year since the new director took charge and in that year the film was finally completed and perfected. And now we have it, Pixar’s 16th animated classic, The Good Dinosaur.

I went into this screening pretty much spoiler-free besides a few tv spots. I didn’t really know anything about what I was about to see, but I had hope that Pixar was going to take me on an adventure as they always do. And 100 minutes later, I left the theater quite pleased.

The film is a tale about a young runt of a dinosaur by the name of Arlo. Arlo is trying to prove himself and only wants to leave his mark like the rest of his family already has, but this is easier said than done for the little guy. The movie is an adventure tale about finding courage to face your fears and sort of reminds me of a modern day Land Before Time, without all the terrible sequels. That’s exactly what this movie will be for the newer generation.

I really don’t want to get into story specifics because I want everyone to experience the movie as I did and go in knowing close to nothing. But know this: it’s everything you’ve grown to love about Pixar over the past 20 years. The voice cast was great and I was really excited that Steve Zahn was a member since he always brings some excitement to anything he works on. Also, this film looks amazing as well. Some of the landscape shots are some of the most beautifully animated scenes I have ever seen and they just feel so real. The story is pretty basic, but that works well for this film and Pixar is still able to take this basic idea and relate it to the audience on so many levels.

The movie was surprisingly funny and there were several times I couldn’t stop laughing at the simplest of gags that just made me feel like a kid again. Some things are still always funny no matter how old you get or how simple they are. Oh and don’t worry, there is still time for Pixar to pluck at your heartstrings and make a grown adult tear up in a theater filled with a majority of children, who don’t quite comprehend those moments just yet. Overall, The Good Dinosaur is what we have grown to love about Pixar. It’s a story about growing up, experiencing loss, facing your fears and most importantly appreciating family. It’s life in a nutshell.

So, congratulations to Pixar for 20 great years of filmmaking and continuing to entertain generation after generation with their stories. It’s been a wonderful journey and I hope what is to come is just as amazing.