What is Dinosaur Really About?

Welcome to What is it Really about? were we over analyze movies that probably didn't deserve that much analysis in the first place.  Today we're talking about an early 2000's Disney disappointment that nobody remembers or cares about.  I hope you enjoy!

The Movie

 

Dinosaur is a Disney animated film released in the year 2000 and starring D.B. Sweeney, Alfre Woodard and Ossie Davis.  The picture was unique in that it put cartoon-realistic characters into real world locations; empty landscapes were filmed first, and the actual CGI characters were added in later.  It was a bit of a box-office disappointment here in the states, but it made up for that with decent international grosses.

What is it obviously about?

On face, Dinosaur is about the will to go on, and the importance of keeping your moral integrity in the face of difficult situations.  Aladar, the main character and leading dinosaur, puts his own life in jeopardy for those who are less fortunate then himself.  When his world becomes life threatening Aladar doesn’t dig in his heels in order to survive the ordeal; instead he nearly sacrifices his own life for those who are unlikely to survive the harsh conditions around them. 

Kron and Bruton (who have two of the most evil sounding names ever,) have an almost opposite philosophy.  They continue on at a break neck pace despite the weaker dinosaurs at the back struggling to keep up with the pace.  Kron and Bruton fear that if mercy is shown, that the entire dinosaur herd will suffer the consequences.  By the end Bruton dies for his beliefs and Kron is killed un-neededly, he falls victim to his own pride.

Finally the majority of the herd makes it to the safety of the nesting grounds (I’m not sure why there are only predators outside of the least barren place for miles and miles,) and it’s all thanks to Aladar risking everything to do what is traditionally considered right, even when it’s at incredible risk to himself.  It shows that the moral thing to do is always the best thing to do.

What it’s really about?

Dinosaur actually gives us an uneasy answer to an odd moral conundrum.  What is more important?  The needs of the many or the needs of the few?  Aladar considers it wrong to sacrifice the few for the many, and refuses to give up on his friends or himself.  In the end the only ones who die are those who are inconsequential (like animated dinosaur number 27B) or refuse to accept the belief that, if one hopes really hard and tries his best, he can make it through anything with out literal or figurative casualty.

This is a Disney message through and through.  Aladar believes in doing what’s right, but never has to sacrifice anything in order to accomplish his goals.  He tries really hard to fight the good fight, and inevitably succeeds, possibly through the power of love. 

In Dinosaur, Neera, Aladar and their friends never really lose anything, so what we, the audience, are supposed to take away is that if you try really hard and do the right thing, everything will turn out okay, utopian even.  Neera pretty much comes right out and says this to Bruton; if we hope and try hard, we will inevitably succeed.

But is that morality?  Bruton presents a more interesting view on this issue by being willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the many.  Unlike Kron, who’s just a prideful twerp, Bruton believes so much that it is necessary for one to be sacrificed for the good of the many that he is willing to knowingly sacrifice himself in order to save those around him.  Aladar risks death, but he never jumps knowingly into it; He always sticks his neck out with the intention of making it out alive, and of course he always does.

This is a battle of the bleeding hearts vs. the Machiavellians, and the bleeding hearts win hands down.  An interesting conundrum is watered down to a battle of good vs. evil, and the moral conundrum isn’t really answered as much as it is stepped around.  The filmmaker’s shows the best outcome as the one were you risk everything for morality, but you don’t sacrifice to it.  Dinosaur conveys the belief that if we are all good, then everything will turn out okay; It teaches that a truly moral life contains risk, but mostly just reward.  Is that a true message?  Is that something you want your children learning?  That’s up to you.

It’s also up to you to look a little deeper the next time you watch some random innocuous movie, and find out what it’s really about.

Thanks for reading!  To understand political theory further by watching dinosaurs eat each other you can email me at atchleyosaurus@gmail.com or like atchleyosaurus on Facebook and Twitter.  Check back after the weekend for our Boxtrolls review!