The Good Dinosaur: A Movie Review (SPOILERS)

Today I saw The Good Dinosaur, knowing that the animation would be stunning. It was a beautiful journey through detailed landscapes that looked real. Only the characters seemed to be animated. 

Now, before I talk about The Good Dinosaur, I have to talk about what is probably my favorite Pixar Short: Sanjay's Super Team! 

This short was amazing, and now that I know about Hindu Mythology, I loved the way they portrayed the three deities. This short was a great tribute to the merge of two generations, and the power of the imagination. It's the best short I've seen this year!

Anyway, on the the main topic: The Good Dinosaur

It's difficult to review this movie without spoilers, because the story is fantastic, but the way they conveyed the story was a little strange for the story they were trying to tell. 

SPOILERS: 

The main theme of this movie was facing your fear, and the journey helps you conquer it, and achieve what you didn't believe you could.

Here's one of my favorite scenes: 

This was what I liked about the story of the movie. They did a great job focusing on what it is like to live in fear, and how that can hinder your perspective. 

That said, I don't recommend this movie to any children under 12 or 10 years old. It's quite scary, and intentionally so. That's one of the things they did really well through Arlo's point of view. You live through his fear, and you follow his journey as he slowly reaches the conclusion he needs to confront it. 

Spot's character is basically an endearing puppy, and a great way for Arlo to gain a different perspective of the world around him. 

Now, the story itself is a great story, with many good messages. The problem with the film is that they try to tell this western themed, coming of age, boy loves his dog story with Dinosaurs and cave men. It was a bit strange to understand the plausability of the world, but if it was an actual western story (without dinosaurs) I think it would reach the audience in a more effective way. 

I would give it four out of five marks, because the story is well written- just badly planned and strangely conveyed. The animation is beautiful, and once you move past the plausiablity of the film, you can see the heart and the message that it's trying to convey. 

And it's a beautiful message.

Overcoming fear

I have many fears. Some I have conquered, especially in the last two years, but there is one fear, possibly very common, that I still have trouble with.
This fear is deep, going back years ago, even to elementary school, but being a writer, and an optimist, I believe that I will be able to conquer it.
Fear is something that every protagonist must face in stories, from fairytales to novels and movies to T.V. shows. Especially in video games.
Fear can be this obstacle that shows up and challenges you before you're ready.
But, you are always ready, because fear can teach you about yourself, and once you conquer fear, you feel like you can do anything.
I'm working on conquering this fear. And in researching how to overcome fear, I came across this video.
Olympia LePoint is an inspiration. She conquered her fear and learned from it.
She has three steps in reprograming the brain to overcome fear.
The first two are easy, but the last step is the most difficult. Taking action.
This is a powerful speech about believing in yourself, and not letting obstacles prevent you from achieving your goals.
It may take some time, but I will conquer this fear, and one day, I'll look back and be proud of how far I have come.

A note on fear

My adventure in Japan taught me a very valuable lesson. It's really important to accept who you are. Not just in the "I love this tv show and I'm going to let the world know" kinda way or even the "I create my own fashion" way. But there's something to be said in accepting your own insecurities. One of my biggest insecurities was getting lost. I was afraid I wouldn't be smart enough, resourceful enough, and I wouldn't be able to adapt in order to go where I needed to. But I decided to go on this trip, despite my fear, and now I can honestly say that I'm proud of doing so. Maybe fear can be a good thing, if you acknowlegde it. But if you don't want to be afraid, you need to face the fear and learn that it doesn't hold power over you. 

So I have faced a fear, and now I know: I can go to places on my own. I can make friends and adapt to my surroundings. I can fend for myself and get to where I want to be. 

Facing one fear leads to the ability to conquer fear altogether, and to understand that sometimes fear exists to show us who we are. 

More details on my trip here: 

http://worldbooktravel.blogspot.kr/2014/07/and-back-again-tanabata-tale.html?spref=fb

If I wasn't afraid . . .

If I wasn't afraid, I'd make a song album

Allow myself to fall in love

Go to South Korea now instead of later

Go to Disney World

Find the person I have had a crush on since Disneyland and tell him so

Run away

Travel the country

Travel the world

Publish my stories 

Sing on stage again

Get to know people from all over the world

Say what's on my mind

Bake

Take a road trip to anywhere

Audition for a musical

Promote my writing

Write in Venice

Write in Greece

Write in South Korea

Write in Japan

Go on a cruise

Indulge in a crazy shopping spree

Learn to dance

Face my past

Look forward to my future

Have kids

Be who I want to be

Learn to play the violin

Learn to play the piano

Talk to my role models 

Meet as many people as possible

Create powerful memories

Be a social butterfly for a day

Take a long hike

Swim in the ocean

Create a Tv show

Write a play

Write for Disney

Be an optimist

Date

Be impulsive for a day

Live a fairytale

Have a Disney wedding

Write for the Lizzie Bennet Diaries team

Try acting

Go back to school

Take a backpacking tour of Europe

Find true love

Make a cosplay photo shoot 

Become a voice actor

Be a youtube star

Put a single on itunes

Start a fundraiser

Live out of a suitcase for a month

Visit the most spiritual places on Earth

Attend a Tanabata Festival

Attend a real Cherry Blossom Festival

Meet a Kpop star

Talk to someone in Korean

Talk to someone in Japanese

Learn Greek

Learn to surf in Hawaii

If I were fearless

I'd live adventurously

One day, I will do these things

As long as I believe

and conquer my fears

one day at a time

On fear and life

It's funny how fear can prevent you from living. The fear of dying. The fear of getting hurt. The fear of being alone. Even the fear of public speaking has made people terrified to make their voice known.
But the thing about fear is that it's a self made cage.
If you're always afraid of something, will you ever believe you can overcome it? If you always worry about the end of something, have you ever truly begun? If you focus on the negative outcome, can you enjoy the positive outcome? If you never trust anyone, can you truly appreciate those that you can trust?
What is living anyway? Many people have their own definitions of it, and even the media presents life in a way where if you're not doing something others expect of you, you feel pressured to do so.
So how do you stop something that you started? Can you truly rise above your fear and begin to learn about what you CAN do?
Fear often stops people from appreciating wonderful moments in life.
Instead of being proud that they spoke out in front of others, some people build up the moment in their head, and waste most of their day before the speech with worry, doubt and of course fear.
I do this. All the time. When I'm not worrying about a negative outcome, I'm focused on everything I could have fixed or changed. When I'm not doing that, I'm on the defense, always ready with my shield if a dragon comes along to burn me to a crisp. Dragons have a different definition to me than most people. Some of the dragons I watch out for are miracles to others. Some of them don't even appear frightening or threatening to people. Especially my own generation it seems.
It's times like these, when I realize how painfully strange I can be within people of my own age group, that I feel lonely and sad.
Every now and then, I fantasize that I am just like them. Not facing any of the fears that I have. Not worrying about all the lame things I worry about.
So I have to make a decision, where I am fighting my own mind.
Is it really that scary?
Do I even have time or energy to waste on this?
And how much have I wasted already?
Even these questions frustrate me to the point where I feel like I've wasted my life. A life that many people tell me has only just begun.
Maybe it's selfish, but I feel like I haven't experienced the same things that most people have already.
I have a whole list of "normal" every day and every life occurrences that I have never done.
So I feel so strange, listening to people my age talk about things that I don't even know about. Some people tell me I'm not missing much. Others tell me that I need to start living.
It hurts, hearing that.
Start living. As if I haven't done anything to be proud of. I have nothing to brag about at family reunions that matters to most people. Nothing to say about middle school or high school.  Nothing!
But I have my writing. My memories with friends and family. My songs. My goals and dreams.
I guess this is what you would call career minded, but it's not always what it's cracked up to be. Apparently people have told me this is true of relationships as well.
Not all it's cracked up to be. Isn't everything that way? Nothing goes exactly the way you expect it to. That's life? Right?

So I write to put my voice out there. I read to learn more about the world. I sing for the pure enjoyment of singing. And I observe to learn more about life. What it really is, and what really matters as I live it. Maybe this understanding of what really matters, and what I have done will help me overcome the fear that prevents me from adding things to the list. If I've truly never lived my life, then maybe I should start living. Whatever that means.

Heartsong of the week: "Where Do I Go From Here?" from Pocohantas II

This song really describes what I'm going through right now. And I've been told that many people my age feel this way. I'm really lost in so many aspects of my life. I push as much as I can to achieve my dreams, but I still don't feel like I know where I belong. I've gone through so much already, and I'm sure that it's just the beginning, but I really need to step up.
 I need to discover what I really want, and just go for it. The reason why I am so lost is because I feel trapped by both the past and the future. They swirl around me and buzz like insects, constantly reminding me that they are there, just waiting for me to fall back on old habits or plunge into the unknown with no protection. Like many people I have known, I refuse to let the past happen again, but I'm also terrified of the future. Is this whining? Yep. And if I know one thing, the world hates whining. But at the same time, this is my blog, and I am trying to actually listen to my heart now, instead of push it away or ignore the fact that it's even there. But I've done that so many times, that it isn't easy to admit this even to my self. With all that I have done, in the past and all that I will do in the future, my goal is to find where I truly belong.
So this is the song in my heart for now, telling me that I need to find the path, and begin my destiny.

Writing Prompt 45: The Nightmare

Prompt: January 8- Magic in the Details
"Imagine being inside a scary place. Use specific sensory descriptions of  smells, sounds, images and physical sensations.)

I walked along the cavern wall. My hand never left the rock as the gritty substance scratched my palms and made a buffed scraping sound. I knew what was waiting at the end of the cave, but I tried not to think about it. Letting fear take over would not be wise. I focused instead on the light in the cavern. It was dark, but not dark enough to see the glittering webs that now surrounded me.
Steps. Small steps.
I heard a scuttle in the distance, but I knew that nothing would come near me. Although I was lonely in this cave, I knew I wasn't alone. Every step I took was watched by more eyes than I would dare count.
The weavers, some called them. I focused on facts now. Anything to avoid the stench of rotting flesh and poisonous barbs.
Focus.
Focus.
I stopped. So did the scuttling. The ground was changing around me, but I could not see how flat or smooth the surface was. My eyes, now aware in the darkness, noticed patterns on the walls. Faded, but obvious. Patterns of the weaver, and her story.
More time. I need more time.
But there was no time, even shrouded in fear, my mind could pull the logic that I was not the only one depending on this mission.
Rocks, small rocks.
I slipped but caught myself with a large scrape on my knuckles.
I must do this.
Finally I was there. The scuttling stopped, and I heard large doors swing open. I was expected after all.
I noticed a wave of moving blobs crawl along the ceiling and into the doors.
"My children escorted you here."
The voice was a hum, with a strange slithering sound mixed in.
I knew that I should bow.
"Lady Arachne." I tried to sound normal, but noticed a squeak at the end of my words.
She laughed. A strange sound that buzzed and echoed through the cavern.
"Welcome to my home." Spite echoed in the voice. Spite that I recognized.
"My children will only harm you if I command them."
Something was coming. The doors swung shut behind me and I tried to focus on the dim light, that now grew. I wished and did not wish it would grow brighter and reveal the monstrous creature that addressed me.
"So you are here to see my collection."
I saw the tapestries before I saw Arcahne.
They were beautiful. Spun with a delicacy and detail that I had never seen before. The colors were bright and vibrant with a silky sheen.
"You made all of these?"
My voice sounded more normal as I stared at the extravagant works of art.
"All of them." She replied, and I heard loud taps on the floor in front of me.
"Some of them were made with the help of my children."
Her children I could now see, hanging from webs with eyes staring at me.
A shiver ran through me as the tapping grew closer.
"But you have come for something far more valuable than my work."
The tapping sounded faster.
"Actually I find your work to be beautiful."
The tapping stopped. I took a breath.
I knew that she was still advancing toward me. This time on a web.
Inches from being poisoned, I clenched my fist, and looked my fear straight in the face.
A face that was upside down, twisted and stretched. Her pointed teeth were smiling, in a shape that looked like a frown. Long wiry hair fell from the forehead, pointed like pincers with a large red mark glaring between them. Her barb, poisonous, deadly and terrifying.
"I'm here to see Athena." I said, proud of my words.
"Brave demigod." She taunted, swaying her head back and forth in a mocking way.
Focus.

(Inspired by fear and a chapter in Rick Riordan's Mark of Athena)