Theory Thursday: "The Good Dinosaur" is Underrated

Scene from The Good Dinosaur

Welcome to a weekly column called Theory Thursdays, which will be released every Thursday and discuss my "controversial opinion" related to something relative to the week of release. Sometimes it will be birthdays while others is current events or a new film release. Whatever the case may be, this is a personal defense for why I disagree with the general opinion and hope to convince you of the same. While I don't expect you to be on my side, I do hope for a rational argument. After all, film is a subjective medium and this is merely just a theory that can be proven either way. 

"Finding Dory" Breaks Animated Box Office Records on Opening Weekend

Scene from Finding Dory

When it comes to Pixar, there are few films as beloved as Finding Nemo. It isn't just one person's opinion. The film holds a 99% on critics aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes and the film grossed nearly $900 million in 2003, making it the highest grossing animated film at its time. By the looks of this past weekend, its sequel Finding Dory may prove to be a legitimate threat to any and all records that the original achieved 13 years ago. For starters, it broke the single best opening for an animated movie ever, as well as several others. Not too bad for a fish with short term memory loss. Read on to find out more.

"The Good Dinosaur" Looks to Be Pixar's First Flop

As people are already starting to compile their "Best of 2015" lists, it seems like one name is cropping up more often than not: Inside Out. Earlier this year, Pixar released one of their strongest films in quite some time - both critically and financially. However, it doesn't seem like the love is sticking around for another particular oddball: The Good Dinosaur. It's the first time in the company's history that they have released a second movie in one year. What should've been a gimme during the Thanksgiving weekend (as well as correlating with the 20th anniversary of Toy Story) ended up as a different rarity for the studio. The Good Dinosaur "bombed." Well, not bombed necessarily. It opened with one of the lowest debuts in their history. It's only a few weeks later, and it very well may become their lowest grossing film ever, as subsequent sales haven't been so hot.

"The Good Dinosaur" Has Pixar's Lowest Box Office Opening in 20 Years

Scene from The Good Dinosaur

Last week was a major milestone in Pixar's lengthy history. On November 22, it marked the 20th anniversary of its big screen debut with Toy Story. It was also the release of the studio's second feature of 2015 with The Good Dinosaur. While initially scheduled for last year, the film was pushed back for various production reasons. While Pixar's other 2015 film Inside Out embodies a loving tribute to Pixar's ability to manipulate our emotional responses to their films, The Good Dinosaur seemed to be part of the other camp. While still considered critically better, the film was considered to have more in relation to the lowbrow Cars side of the studio than the intellect and heart of Toy Story. However, there's one thing that The Good Dinosaur shares with Toy Story: it just had the lowest grossing wide release opening for the studio since the original 1995 film.

The Full Length "The Good Dinosaur" Trailer Promises A Lot of Prehistoric Adventures

Here's some trivia for everyone: On November 22, 1995, Toy Story opened in theaters for the first time. It was the first full length CGI film to feature a gripping story that not only kicked off a lucrative franchise, but started the legacy of Pixar. With Inside Out still in recent memory, the studio is breaking protocol and releasing two movies in one year. With their 16th feature The Good Dinosaur, Pixar is taking on the prehistoric. The interesting catch? It is going to be released three days after Toy Story's 20th anniversary. With the first full length trailer, it looks like they're looking forward by going backwards.

The First Trailer For "The Good Dinosaur" is Fun Historical Rewriting

This is going to be a great year for fans of archaeology. With Jurassic World weeks away, it has recaptured audience's interest in the creatures that once walked this Earth. However, there's another one out there for those looking for a lighter, friendlier take on dinosaurs. Coming this Fall, it's the return of Pixar with their second film of the year following this month's Inside Out. With the first trailer released for director Peter Sohn's The Good Dinosaur, we get a sense of what to expect if things didn't go according to plan. It may not have much, but it definitely has enough to get me excited.