Some things start out big, and some things start out small, very small. But sometimes the smallest thing can make the biggest changes of all.
„
~ Plio narrating the opening of the film.
“
Bruton: Why is he doing this, pushing them on with false hope? Plio: It's hope that's gotten us this far. Bruton: But why doesn't he let them accept their fate? I've accepted mine. Plio: And what is your fate? Bruton: To die here. It's the way things are. Plio: Only if you give up, Bruton. It's your choice, not your fate.
„
~ Plio to Bruton about hope and fate.
“
No one knows what changes, big or small, lie ahead. One thing is certain; our journey's not over. We can only hope that, in some small way, our time here will be remembered.
„
~ Plio concluding the film.
Plio is a lemur and one of the seven tritagonists of Disney's 39th full-length animated feature film Dinosaur (the other two being Yar and Zini). She is also the adoptive mother of Aladar and the mother of Suri.
She is voiced by Alfre Woodard, who later voiced Sarabi in the 2019 live-action/CGI remake of The Lion King.
Plio develops a motherly side towards Aladar and quickly adopts him after helping him get out of his egg as a baby. Her father Yar is anxious about this, but she assures him that Aladar won't harm anyone and that she intends to raise the baby dinosaur as a vegetarian. Likewise, she deeply cares for her daughter Suri and is devastated when the island is destroyed by a meteor shower and kills all the unfortunate lemurs still on the island. Plio is also very sociable, quickly becoming friends with Baylene and Eema despite their initial preconceptions about their species. After her son, she was the only one to see Bruton as more than just a bully, showing him sympathy by healing his wounds and then encouraging him not to give up on his life as long as it was his choice and later, she also showed grief over his death.
Biography[]
Plio is first seen in the movie when a dinosaur egg falls on Lemur Island, where she lives with her father Yar, her daughter Suri and her brother Zini. Plio is present when the egg cracks, then opens the shell and is happy to see a baby iguanodon. She holds the baby in her hands and decides that she will raise him. Yar objects because he says that one day he will eat them, but he eventually accepts the baby and Plio reaffirms him that the baby will learn not to eat meat; she names the baby Aladar. Yar reluctantly lets her keep the hatchling, but warns her that he may bite.
Several years later, a fully grown Aladar watches the lemurs take part in a mating ritual, in which Plio's awkward teenaged brother Zini, who is also Suri and Aladar's uncle, is unsuccessful. Moments after the ritual ends, they are interrupted by a meteor crashing into the Earth, creating an explosive shockwave which destroys the island. Aladar and Yar's family flee across the sea to the mainland. Being the only survivors, they mourn the others, before moving on.
While crossing the burnt wasteland, they are attacked by a pack of Velociraptors. They escape by joining a multi-species herd of dinosaur refugees heading for the communal Nesting Grounds. Falling afoul of Iguanodon herd leader Kron, they retreat to the end of the line and befriend the old Styracosaurus Eema, her pet Ankylosaurus Url, and her equally elderly friend Baylene, the only Brachiosaurus in the group. They travel for days without water to the site of a lake, only to find it seemingly dried up. Kron orders the herd to move on and let the weakest perish, but Aladar stays behind with a sick Eema. He and Baylene dig until they find her some water. The rest of the herd follows suit, and Kron's sister Neera, impressed by Aladar's compassion, begins to grow closer to him, while Kron fears he wants to take over.
When the horde abruptly takes to the road when it turns out that the Carnotaurus are not far away, Plio tells Aladar to slow down as Eema and Baylene cannot keep up, leaving the horde completely to disappear from sight. In the evening, the group continues to advance until they come across a Bruton seriously injured by the Carnotaurus. Eema suggests not to stop, while Plio is opposed to them leaving Bruton behind. They then take refuge in a cave sheltered from the rain. When Bruton is reluctantly convinced to join the left behind, he remains voluntarily isolated in his corner but Plio notices that he is not doing well both physically and mentally. She collects medicinal plants that also grew on her island and approaches Bruton to relieve his wounds. Kron's ex-second then asks Plio why Aladar is leading the others with false hopes. Plio says it was hope that got them this far. Kron states that they should have accepted their fate as he accepted his own which is to die in this cave. Plio then tells him that it is his choice and not his fate before leaving him.
Suddenly awakened by Bruton when two Carnotaurus roam near the cave, the group tries to sink into the depths but the predators end up seeing them. Bruton sacrifices himself by hitting the load-bearing columns, causing part of the ceiling to collapse, killing one of the Carnotaurus. Seeing that Bruton did not survive, Plio shares his sadness with Aladar and then continues on the path. They later arrive at a seemingly impossible dead end to the point that Aladar loses hope. Fortunately, a revived Baylene manages to demolish the rocks with her body mass, finally allowing the group to arrive at the nesting grounds. As everyone settles in, Aladar notices the landslide at the original entrance and runs to warn the horde in defiance of danger, under the worried eyes of Plio and Yar.
Several months later, Plio and the others witness the birth of Aladar and Neera's children, commenting that the first egg hatch is very cute and hugs him.
Quotes[]
“
Plio: It was an egg. Look! [Yar jumps in fear] What? Yar: It's a cold-blooded monster from across the sea. Vicious, flesh-eating. Plio: Looks like a baby to me. Yar: Babies grow up.
„
~ Plio after the outbreak of Aladar.
“
It's okay. We'll teach him to hate meat.
„
~ Plio to her father Yar.
“
Zini: This monster's got no teeth. What's he gonna do, gum us to death? Plio: Zini, come on. Look at that sweet little face. Does that look like a monster to you?
„
~ Plio to her younger brother Zini about Aladar.
“
Plio: All right, guys, break it up. Remember the courtship? You're gonna miss seeing all that smooching. Suri: Oh, Mom!
„
~ Plio to her daughter Suri.
“
Plio: Heh. It's a shame you don't like kids. Aladar: Ugh. Nasty little vermin. Plio: Ha-ha. Go find Zini. He's rehearing pickup lines. Let's hope he's find found some new material.
„
~ Plio to Aladar.
“
Plio: Well, it's never really been his best event. Aladar: He's got a tougher hide than mine. Plio: Oh, Aladar. If only there was someone on the island for you. Well, you know, who looks like you, but prettier. Aladar: Come on, Plio. What more could I want?
„
~ Plio wanting Aladar to also find happiness in love.
“
We can't just leave him here.
„
~ Plio about Bruton.
“
This plant grew on our island. It will make you feel better.
„
~ Plio heals Bruton's wounds with a plant.
“
Oh, aren't you the sweetest little small fry I ever did see.
„
~ Plio when she saw the face of her adopted grandson.
Gallery[]
Plio with her adopted son, Aladar and her daughter, Suri.
Plio comforts her daughter after the destruction of their island.
The lemurs nervously making their presence known to Kron.
"It's hope that's gotten us this far."
"Only if you give up, Bruton. It's your choice, not your fate."
Plio holding her first grandchild in her arms.
Trivia[]
Plio is the narrator of Dinosaur.
Plio's intention to raise Aladar as a vegetarian is ironic since Iguanodons are naturally vegetarian but due to her entire life on an isolated island, she couldn't have known that anyway.
Plio and the rest of her family make an appearance at the end of the Disney 2023 short film, Once Upon a Studio in honor of the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. She is seen with the other Disney characters in the group photo while singing "When You Wish Upon a Star".