| 27 May 2009
Pixar's Up opens this weekend. It has been receiving stellar reviews so far. I really had no interest in seeing this one, but has Pixar ever released a bad movie? Not even close. My least favorite Pixar movie, Cars, is still a good movie. After cementing its reputation, Pixar has been pushing the envelope and taking chances. Last year's Wall-E was definitely the most unique Pixar film so far. The first half of the movie includes little dialogue, if any. It is 2001: A Space Odyssey, for families. Up looks to continue pushing the envelope, and from the reviews it looks to be succeeding.
The Pixar artists have been pioneers for the evolution of animation and CG. There was never any doubt about that. The original Pixar movies (Toy Story, Bugs Life) used more simple models to animate, with the toys and the bugs, however the characters have always had fantastic emotion and the audience would always connect with them. Since then, Pixar has progressed to much more detailed models; like Sully from Monsters Inc. (with each hair beautifully rendered), a beautifully rendered ocean and sea life, and eventually to human models. Whether animating sea life, humans, robots, toys, or cars... the animation and physics are jaw dropping.
Putting the technology aside, the filmmakers at Pixar are excellent storytellers. They know how to emotionally connect the audience to the characters. Perhaps the best example of this is Wall-E. A trash collecting robot, a non-living, non-talking dismembered pile of steel.... I think the Wall-E character connected the audience to him more than any other character in Pixar's library. That is pretty amazing and surely a testament to the storytellers and animators.
The movies have taken us to all kinds of locations in all kinds of scale. The settings of each film is pretty representative of Pixar themselves. The films started in the backyard with A Bug's Life, and a child's bedroom with Toy Story. They have since brought us with them to foreign countries (Ratatouille), the open road (Cars), a superhero adventure from suburbia to evil lairs on tropical islands (The Incredibles), the wide expanse of the ocean (Finding Nemo) and the limitless boundaries of space (Wall-E). Now they are taking us on an adventure in a flying house. Up stars a grumpy old guy, and a fat annoying loser kid. I am no fan of either, but I'm sure that was a reason for Pixar to pick these characters. They seem to like a challenge and one would be hard pressed to think of a time they didn't live up to one. Now, I wasn't really looking forward to Up, but is there really any reason I shouldn't be?
My Top 5 Pixar Films:
5 -Ratatouille
Ratatouille is perhaps Pixar's first big gamble. I mean, who likes French people (especially in 2007)? However the film brought a nice contrast in setting with the luxurious high end French restaurant, and the 'rat hole'. It's a classic story with interesting characters and the token PIxar humor. This was the first movie to generate even higher critical buzz winning an Oscar for best animated film, and some people felt it should have been nominated for best picture.
4 -Monsters Inc.
Monsters Inc. Is their first film after the Toy Story's. They took a step up in creativity in this one bringing the audience to a basically parallel universe where monsters live and feed on the screams of children for power. The animators for Monsters Inc. could be as creative as they wished with the monsters. The humor was there, but so was Billy Crystal's annoying voice. John Goodman plays Sully, the big, hairy monster that has an affection for a little girl. Monsters can be pedophiles too kids, so be sure to look under your beds!
3 -Toy Story 1&2
I'm going to go ahead and group these 2 together. Both movies were great and the 2nd came very close to outdoing the first. Toy Story definitely broke the mold when it was released. It was the first of its kind and it forever changed animation. The star power attached, the humor, and the acclaim definitely helped it in the mainstream.
2 -Finding Nemo
Finding Nemo really took a big leap in technology. It was clearly better looking that previous Pixar movies. They really nailed the sea life and expanse and diversity of the ocean. They also has a shark named Bruce, so it gets points for that. Water has always been notoriously hard to animate, but the water in Finding Nemo is as life-like as it gets. If only we didn't have to listen to a whiny Albert Brooks all movie. Now, I like Albert Brooks as voices in the Simpsons, but he is really whiny in this one. Fantastic movie still.
1 - Wall-E
Definitely the best looking and most creative Pixar film to date. Wall-E is a unique beast for sure. Someone at Pixar is obviously a big Stanley Kubrick fan because the nods to 2001: A Space Odyssey are evident throughout. The movie is gorgeous from start to finish. the contrast in setting from an abandoned gritty earth, to a clean streamlined space station is impressive and both look great in their own way. This movie makes a statement more than any other PIxar film as well. It mocks the direction we, as humanity, seem to be headed. The humans in Wall-E destroy the earth with global warming and are overwhelmed by their own filth. They also devolve into fat blobs that require technology to move them and basically do everything for them. Fantastic design, characters, and an interesting theme come together to make the best Pixar movie yet.
I think I have convinced myself to go see Up.... Stay tuned for a review.
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