“The Good Dinosaur” will make the family laugh! Several kids, who were in the audience when I screened the film, laughed out loud several times. In one scene, a crawling, small boy named “Spot,” who resembles a miniature caveman, peed behind a rock, and the kids laughed a lot on that one. But don’t worry, all the jokes are not about biological functions.

Spot lost his mother and father, and Arlo, the small dinosaur, lost his Poppa. Arlo’s sister, Libby, and older brother, Buck, leave their mark (literally, on a stone wall) fairly soon but it seems like Arlo is always a bit behind and hasn’t left his mark by the time his Poppa is carried away by a flood. He goes on an adventure and meets Spot and, although they don’t take to each other at first, they soon become inseparable and fight enemies together. Along the way, the audience gets to chuckle at their antics.

The movie has some intense scenes and scary monsters, so we are awarding the film our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for ages 12-plus. However, parents should consult the content chart to make their own informed choices. Some kids, ages six to 12, would be okay with the film. It makes the point that late bloomers can still leave their “mark” on the world. One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of laughter in the theater when families watch “The Good Dinosaur.”