"Why the World Needs Pixar"
By: Dan Jones
What praise can I give that hasn't been given? Look up anything about Pixar's early days or background, and the studio's positive mottos and missions inspire. But you figured as much, because you've seen the movies. You've tallied up the awards. Pixar has been aware of their productivity well before they received the Special Achievement Award from the Academy fifteen years ago.
So what do I have to say that's new? How shall I flatter the best studio ever? Well, it's been tough, but l dug deep to see what it is about Pixar that replenishes my hope in cinema, and I've managed to find a few factors that will help you differentiate between Pixar and the other animating studios out there. Consider this an article celebrating the 15th anniversary of Pixar's first full-length feature film "Toy Story."
Over the past fifteen years, Pixar Animation Studios has been responsible for ten carefully assembled films: "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," "Cars," "Ratatouille," "WALL-E," and "Up" ─ a flawless track record not to be confused with any other computer animated studio. This is your reminder. A Pixar film is a sure thing.
Since their feature-film debut in 1995, they've been able to grow within the world of animation while setting themselves apart from CGI artists simulating real, live human action. Although they come close to making a junk-covered Earth or a shag carpet appear life-like, Pixar, thankfully, never forgets they're making cartoons.
The amazing animation, however, is no longer the main draw-in for a Pixar film. They successfully entertain the world, inspire the youth, and know how to keep the human spirit alive through cartoon role models. The heaps of animated animals, dragons, ogres, extinct and rare species trampling the screens rarely represent more than pop culture and gimmicks. Laughter is good for the soul, but the sexual innuendos tickling the adults are only confusing the story and the child next to you. (And the sequels keep on coming.)
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On June 18th, Pixar released their eleventh film, "Toy Story 3," and proved to be our hero. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the trick behind the sequel is to take the formula that worked and do it all over again. Force some of the familiar lines from the original and regurgitate the similar conflicts with new villains and locations. "Toy Story 3" may stick to a formula, but more importantly, continues the story of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends because there's more to tell. No one's journey has ended. Not Woody's, not Pixar's, not ours. We want to know how it will end, or see if it should ever end. Those weren't just Andy's toys, but they belonged to all of us (in some cases, literally).
The genius behind "Toy Story 3" (and every other Pixar film) is how often they make you smile at the situations they've come up with. Sometimes shocking, sometimes touching, sometimes haunting; but your imagination has been expanded like a child's. A "What if THIS happened" mentality. And maybe you've forgotten, but these films are not written, nor animated, by children. These are grown men doing what they love, and the quality and success is enough to arouse a self-conscious teen to gather his friends and see the next Pixar release opening day. (I've witnessed this.)
Are these cartoons for kids? Sure. But they're not "not bad … for a kid movie" movies. They're not cheeky for adults either. They're the elite moving works of art for the world, for all ages, setting the standards. And now they've set the standards for sequels – make them as good, if not better, than the original. This may be a goal for some sequel creators, but "Toy Story 3" was a necessary sequel. For what purpose? To what end? To remind us that there's no limit to the imagination.
Times have changed; and today, no one really knows if a sequel should or shouldn't be made until it's too late. For Pixar Animation Studios, it's never too late. Sequel or not, you can relax when they come to the rescue; and that's something to celebrate.
"Keep moving forward." (A Pixar motto)
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~The Frame Rate ~
"Toy Story 3"
PIXAR RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS
"Pixar Short Films Collection – Volume 1"
-thirteen shorts from 1984 – 2007
-many of these shorts can be found as special features on previous Pixar DVDs
"The Pixar Story"
-full-length documentary of the family-like studio reaching for the top
-TV premiere 2008
-can be found in Wall-E (Three-Disc Special Edition)
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