The most beautifully animated movie ever.

The Good Dinosaur represents the next leap in digital animation.  More realistic than any other film of its kind, the details in bringing life to Arlo the Apatosaur and his world are incredible to watch.  Clouds are fluffy and change shape, water moves and collides, light dances off the ground in ways that will make you question if the characters are simply pasted over real life images.  But they aren’t.  A beautiful blend between realism and imagination, the world of The Good Dinosaur will immerse you in its setting.  The home release of the film is no different.  In fact the detail on the screen is just as vibrant and realistic as what you might see in the theater.

And of course as with any home release, there are some goodies on the disc that you won’t find in the theater.  Background about the development of the film, deleted scenes, and commentary are pretty standard – even for animated films.  The deleted scenes for The Good Dinosaur give viewers a glimpse into different directions the creators could have gone but ultimately did not.  The clip “Waiting for Poppa” describes a whole shift in the story away from the flood scene that eventually showed up on screen with Arlo and his dad.  It’s interesting to see the development of the creative process through these shifts.

It was also interesting to see how the animators dealt with the challenge of bringing to life creatures who have no real life reference.  Usually, animators study living animals, people, or objects to get the movements and characterization just right, but without actual dinosaurs to study, the folks at Pixar had to be creative in how to develop Arlo’s actions.  One of the most interesting features Pixar includes with their home release is to give you a little slice into the everyday workings of the company.  On the disc for The Good Dinosaur we get the chance to see one of the ways Pixar employees have fun in the workplace with a feature called “Recyclosaurus” where each department had to create their own dinosaur with one roll of duct tape and whatever they could find around the workplace. Made me think I would love to work there.  I wonder if they have any openings?

But the best bonus feature is the inclusion of the Pixar animated short, Sanjay’s Super Team which was shown in theaters with The Good Dinosaur.  This brightly-colored story is at its heart about making a connection between a father and his child.  It is exceptionally creative and goes in directions that haven’t been explored before in animation.  This film that everyone can connect with is framed in an original space – an Indian family with a Hindu background.  It is daring and bold to see the folks at Pixar willing to branch out into a more diverse space while telling a timeless story at the same time.  It would be worth getting the home release just for this feature alone.  But there is so much more.

If you haven’t seen The Good Dinosaur yet, this is a film that is definitely worth your time.  It is a sweet family film that is filled with action and adventure.  And as I mentioned before, it is the most visually stunning animated film you’ll likely ever have seen.

• Read the Disney Nerds spoiler-free review of the film.
• Find out more about Sanjay’s Super Team and how it was inspired by The Powerpuff Girls