The Good Dinosaur, effectively, was Pixar's first real box office bomb, and it was truly doomed from the start. The 2015 film had a lot to live up to with Pixar's reputation for animated films, and it, unfortunately, fell short. Many factors contributed to the film's bad performance, with its fate seemingly already sealed at the beginning of production.
Pixar hardly ever misses with its films, and when it does, it's noticeable, which is the case with The Good Dinosaur. The film is akin to a 'boy & his dog' story, with the premise following an alternate reality where the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs never hit Earth, and as a result, dinosaurs grew to evolve. The film follows one dinosaur in particular, Arlo, who befriends a child on his way to reunite with his family. Whilst there is a level of interest in this story at a surface level, the way the film played out did not meet expectations.
The Good Dinosaur had a messy production which doomed it from the start. Work started on the film in 2009, and its release date was originally set for 2013. This was then moved to 2014, with Frozen taking its place, and, given the success of Frozen (with Frozen 3 still needing to happen), the film needed to be something special. Its 2014 release date was then pushed back further, with it eventually releasing in late 2015. A mix around of release dates is not uncommon in cinema, but this on top of the multiple turnarounds for the cast, crew, and the story itself, really cemented the hardships in production for the film which ultimately set its downfall.
The lack of confidence in the story manifested in a lackluster final product, with multiple writers, including Toy Story giant John Lasseter, jumping in at parts in an attempt to salvage the story (which could be evidence that Pixar struggles to move beyond its phase one). However, the plot itself is thin, lacking the weighty emotion that Pixar is known for. Arlo losing his dad in a flood seems desperately reminiscent of Simba losing Mufasa, signaling a lack of uniqueness. The year it was released it was announced that most of the cast had been completely revised, with new voice actors recording lines from an adjusted script. This confused mix-around of writers, directors, and cast unfortunately meant that the film seems completely unsure of itself. It was also regrettable that The Good Dinosaur followed the hugely successful release of Inside Out.
As beautifully detailed as the scenery is in the film, it doesn't make up for its lack of substance. Its minimalistic story and underdeveloped characters meant that it made Pixar's first flop. The Good Dinosaur now stands as one of Pixar's worst films and a sad example of what can happen with a messy production.
