Cars
Advances: This movie has tons of personality, and the
chemistry between Sally and Lightning McQueen is sweet. Paul Newman
found a perfect way to round out his magnificent career. The
cinematography is flawless.
Drawbacks: Larry “The Cable Guy” doesn’t hold up after repeated
viewings. His vocal range is somewhere in the wiffle ball
area. Throughout the film, I kept feeling the need to pick things up
with my hands, attached to the end of my arms.
Finding
Nemo
Advances: An even richer cast of characters benefits from great vocal
work (Ellen DeGeneres and Willem Defoe, in particular) and even better
animation. Highest grossing Pixar film has long been given an assumed role
near the top of the list of the company’s movies.
Drawbacks: It spends most of its time on the shelf at our
house, though. Albert Brooks as a clown fish is still…Albert Brooks.
His neuroses makes one want to get captured and thrown in a
fish tank at a Dentist’s office. Cheap shot about littering Americans
is out-of-place.
WALL-E
Advances: Sad and beautiful silent first third of the film shows that
storytelling need not be full of explosions, lasers and wisecracks to be
effective on a visceral level. The romance of Eve and WALL-E is
top-notch. I will never look at Hello Dolly the same way again.
Drawbacks: Biggest complaint about
this film is the simplistic premise that insinuates that, essentially,
shopping at Walmart leads to planetary destruction. Certainly Pixar
appreciated the millions of dollars that came from Walmart in terms of DVD,
toy and other merchandise sales.
A Bug’s Life
Advances: The diamond in the open in the Pixar repertoire.
This film is unfairly forgotten, I believe.
A
Bug’s Life has two wonderful messages. The first is
everyone has something to contribute. The second, bullies often have
no power over the seemingly powerless, if they work together. The
favorite scene for me is the twin pill bugs, Tuck and Roll shouting “You’re
Fired!” at each other, but I will take a poo-poo platter in a pinch.
Vocal work is excellent here, Kevin Spacey, Dave Foley, Richard Kind,
Denis Leary and (again) Bonnie Hunt in particular.
Drawbacks: For me, there aren’t many things here to be critical of.
The story is solid and the animation is brilliant. Is that a
drawback? Only for those who would prefer Ewoks over Empire Strikes
Back.
Toy Story
Advances: Almost flawless computer generated graphics that
permanently changed the way animation was created and portrayed. Hanks
and Allen are in top vocal form, with John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles and
Wallace Shawn providing exceptional support.
Drawbacks: What does it say that the one that started it all ranks
6th? Sid’s dog, in comparison to Remy or Sully, is seriously lacking.
The faces of the humans have improved much in later films too.
Toy Story 2
Advances: The story is better, and the animation so extreme, I threw
up in my throat when a sleeping Al burped his Cheeto breath
in Woody’s face. Jessie is my children’s’ favorite character, and
it’s no wonder, easy as it is for kids to identify with the fear of being
left behind. In four short years since the release of the first film,
this one was at once cohesive and an advancement in the technology.
Annoyances: At this point, there are no drawbacks. Not many
annoyances, either. So I will just say I have never been a Tim Allen
fan and leave it at that.
Toy Story 3
This great movie as good as it started and concluded with an Epic Ending.
Monsters, Inc.
Advancements Sully’s fur is so soft and fluffy, I
can almost feel it through my eyes. Best voice work to date, and Boo is
the cutest child in movie history. The concept of monsters being
scared of children is an ironic gem.
Annoyances: Can one ever get tired of Billy Crystal? Almost.
I am really reaching at this point. Someone stop me.
The Incredibles
Advances: Edna, voiced by director Brad Bird, is the best Pixar
character in history. The theme and story here are wonderful.
Jason Lee’s Syndrome is delightfully wicked, presenting the chance at
real harm for the first time in the history of Pixar. Samuel L.
Jackson is as cool in animated form (Frozone) as in any other. There
is not a mis-step in this film.
Annoyances: Why don’t I care that this is just another version
of the
Fantastic Four? Oh, that’s right, Jessica Alba.
Up
Advances: Absolutely incredibly moving story is told within the
first 10 minutes…and then another vastly amazing story begins! Carl,
Russell, Dug and Kevin are the best combination of characters in a Pixar
film. I really don’t know how they can continue to top themselves.
My kids know every one of the words in the script, but even they
prefer the part without words.
Annoyances: Really, my kids know all the lines. ”I thought
you were
dead!” x 1000, 1001, 1002…etc.
Ratatouille
Advancements: I can’t cook. I am not a fan of the French.
Why should I like this movie? This movie makes me want to cook
in France…with a Rat. Remy’s sense of smell of smell is so strong, it
overrides his will to live. The escape scene from the restaurant in
which he stops in his tracks to repair a soup is a priceless joy to
behold. This movie actually gets better with repeated viewings.
This movie is one of the best movies of the last 25 years, not just
Pixar.
