THE GOOD DINOSAUR (****1/2)

(2015) The simplicity of The Good Dinosaur might, I feel, be at least part of what caused the mixed reviews for this Pixar film.  Usually viewers can expect more complexity, color, and broad humor from the same studio that created classics from Inside Out to Up to The Incredibles (among many others) ... but after getting over my initial annoyance with Arlo's scaredy-cat personality of The Good Dinosaur, I sort of fell for the film and, by the end, loved it.  Arlo is the runt of the litter of three dinosaur children back in prehistoric times, much smaller than his older brother and sister and afraid of nearly everything.  Though loved by his parents and family, Poppa also tries to teach Arlo to be the strong, dominant male he needs to be, contributing to the family and their farm and doing his part to keep the family going.  But after a tragic accident occurs, Arlo becomes even more determined to prove himself, and in trying to capture whatever creature is stealing the family's corn crop supply he comes across a tiny prehistoric human boy, more animal-like even than Arlo, who inadvertently sets the young dinosaur off on a series of adventures that leave him far away from home and the object of not just mother nature but the very predators Arlo so fears.  The Good Dinosaur is a wonderful, touching film, simple in story and presentation but full of emotional impact - and a good message for young viewers about how even the smallest of us can still become stalwart heroes.  (rated PG)