Pixar: A Quick Look Back (Part One)

Before posting my review of Toy Story 3 (here's a preview of my thoughts...it's awesome) I thought I'd do a quick look back on Pixar's prior films...




Toy Story came out when I was 11 (that makes me feel old) and I was a very big fan. I remember walking out of the theater with my parents and we were all amazed by what Disney (we all thought of it as a Disney film at the time) had achieved. I recently rewatched the film and assumed it would look primitive, thinking it would all be blocky characters and stilted design, but it really didn't. It's a beautiful and timeless film. When the AFI adjusted their Top 100 films of All Time list
Toy Story ranked 99th. This is not just because it was the first movie completely generated by computer effects, a feat that won the film a special Academy Award, but because it's just a perfectly constructed film. It's a true masterpiece and when people tell me that this is still their favorite Pixar film...I don't bat an eye.

Grade: A




Stage Fright is a minor Hitchcock film. Panic Room is a minor Fincher film. Man Hunt is a minor Fritz Lang film. And A Bug's Life is a minor Pixar film. It's utterly forgettable movie. Despite how much I liked Toy Story, I did not bother seeing A Bug's Life in theaters, and I could barely remember what it was about when I recently rewatched it for this post. The Seven Samurai meets Hamlet thing is weak, the humor is childish (and not in a good way), and it is just completely uncompelling. Bleh. Nothing Pixar does is bad...well we'll get to Cars...but A Bug's Life doesn't measure up.

Grade: C



Here's a confession...I walked out of Toy Story 2 when I saw it in theaters. I remember the exact moment, it was when Sarah Mclaughlin started singing, and my 14 year old self just could not take it. I've since revisited the film multiple times, aging has certainly allowed me to appreciate that scene quite a bit more than in 1999, but this is still not a movie that completely works for me. It's widely hailed as one of the great sequels of all time, up there with Godfather 2 and Aliens, and I'm not sure I get that. I still find the central drama, involving Woody being kidnapped by a toy-collector, to be kind of boring. I hated the Prospector character, Jessie did not resonate (I still dislike that much lauded scene with the Mclaughlin song), and I thought it was stretched out. The side-plot, with Buzz and the gang trying to save Woody, is solid but not great. In short, it's a well made film but not a masterpiece like many would have you believe.

Grade B



A film that grows on me every time I see it. For one thing, I think this is the movie that Pixar made the leap visually. Toy Story 1&2 are fantastic to look at but Monster's Inc is on another lever. Sully's fur, Boo's animation, the climactic door sequence...this is when Pixar redifined (again) when computer animated films could do. The plot and voice work are strong, the character work between Sully and Mike is especially strong, and I think Boo is an adorable creation. While I think the overall plot is weak, I never cared about the actual events of the film, the character work, dialogue, and animation is enough to carry the film. Also, I must mention the conclusion, which is one of Pixar's great endings (but not the best...)

Grade: B+



Pixar's biggest hit, and in many ways, it's most perfect kid's movie. Despite the dark opening, Finding Nemo is a flawless children's film. The movie's pace (brisk), the movie's plot (immediately understandable), the movie's characters (hilarious and distinct), and the movie's look (breath-taking) all add up to being an ideal concoction for a blockbuster. I appreciate Finding Nemo more than I like it, I was a little too old when I saw it to have any love for the film, but I understand why it was such a success. Ellen Degeneres is right up there with Robin Williams in Aladdin, Jodi Benson as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, and Eddie Murphy as Donkey in Shrek, as one of the most brilliant vocal performances in movie history. A fantastic film, a beautiful film, but it just lacks the mature brilliance that Pixar's next few films had...

Grade: A-


And on that note...to be continued