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| WALL-E : 5 of 5 | |
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7.06.2008
8:28 AM | Link |
 There is absolutely no doubt that Pixar is the new Disney - of course, they actually are Disney, but you know what I mean. No other animation studio, including Disney's own, comes close to creating the brilliance of the Pixar films, and WALL-E is no exception! Director Andrew Stanton has definitely taken his place next to Brad Bird as one of the most amazing storytellers in the business - Finding Nemo and WALL-E are such fantastic original stories! There is so much to say about this movie that I don't know where to begin. The plot is wonderful, combining science fiction, romance and comedy into one beautiful package, and there's almost no need to even mention the animation, which is simply top-notch (the effects animation is particularly superb, rendering everything from dust storms to fire extinguishers in space perfectly). The character design is fascinating, since every robot is filled with emotion, but also seems to be mechanically feasible (no bendable metal, like in Cars)! WALL-E himself is filled with emotion, EVE is beautiful and can express so many moods, and all of the other designs are simply cool (I really want to collect some WALL-E robot toys now!). There's little voice work to comment on, but I have to say that Ben Burtt's sound design for the robot voices and sounds is fantastic (Of course, that's just what you would expect from the creator of R2-D2's language!). I only have one complaint, and this is true of most Pixar movies - I wish they had turned up the emotion just a little bit more. I really want to cry during touching scenes, and while I did let a few tears fall towards the end, the moment was cut a little too short for me. Movies like WALL-E are showing the world what a fantastic experience an animated film can be, and I'm thankful Pixar is around to do it right!
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| Ratatouille : 5 of 5 | |
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3.11.2008
5:40 PM | Link |
 Still working through my Christmas DVDs, I recently spent the morning drinking coffee and enjoying this Pixar masterpiece! I love to watch the bonus features first, but unfortunately this isn't a two-disc set, so they could only fit a few things on a single disc (and there's not even a commentary track!). The only thing close to a documentary is a short conversation with a chef and Brad Bird, comparing their arts, but there's still some nice background information, and it's always fun to hear Brad's geeky way of talking. The deleted scenes are wonderful just because they animatics are so darn incredible - I would pay to see an entire movie in that style! But the best of all is Your Friend the Rat, a special short made just for this DVD, that really blew me away. Not only is it funny, but it combines 3D animation, 2D animation, and even stop-motion techniques! I loved the movie just as much as the first time, and I noticed some new details like how Ego's office is shaped like a coffin and his typewriter looks like a skull. The character design for the rats is super-expressive, but their eyes keep making me think of the Muppets! I really enjoyed the build-up to Remy and Colette's kiss as well - such a fantastic moment in the animation of human characters! I'm sure someday there will be another DVD release of Ratatouille with more of the bonus stuff I'm craving, but for now, this is a wonderful DVD that every animation fan should own.
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| Cars : 4 of 5 | |
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1.27.2008
2:06 PM | Link |
 This DVD has been available for a long time, but I was holding out in the hopes that a special two-disc edition would be released. Since that's not going to happen, I made sure to put it on my Christmas list, and it was great to finally watch this movie again. Although I would put it in last place if I had to rank the Pixar features, it's still a fantastic film, and as usual, I love it so much more after enjoying it for a second time! I was immediately blown away by all the incredible Pixar touches and details that they include in all their films, such as the cars in the racetrack audience doing "the wave" with their headlights, the funny Japanese news broadcast, and even the "Jay Limo" show. Actually, all of the TV graphics spoofs are dead-on hilarious, completely capturing the excitement and ridiculous hype! From an animation standpoint, it's pretty amazing how they applied just enough flexibility to the cars to give them expression without making them seem implausible, and I love watching Lightning race by with the feel of surfing or skateboarding. I even appreciate the story more, and I have to say, Mater is pretty darn funny (even if you don't really like hick humor). Even though is this a single DVD with minimal bonus features, the short documentary is really nice, and definitely gives you an appreciation for what the movie means to John Lasseter. Of course, I wish the segment were about four times longer, but I'll take what I can get. I'm certainly more of a Cars fan than I was before I watched this DVD, and continue to be blown away by the magic of Pixar!
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| Pixar Short Films Collection / Vol 1 : 4 of 5 | |
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1.13.2008
11:14 AM | Link |
 This DVD is a collection of all of Pixar's short films, which is wonderful for animation fans, since while watching them you're able to see CGI techniques evolve right before your eyes. Although most of these shorts are available as bonus features on other Pixar DVDs, there were a few I had never seen, and the commentary included here is really fantastic (except for Mike's New Car, where they decided to let the filmmakers' kids talk, which is cute but not very enlightening!). It was great to watch favorites like Knick Knack and Geri's Game again (which are incredibly far apart because of the feature length films made in the interim), and this was my first time to see Mater and the Ghostlight, and I was amazed by the chase sequence - it's absolutely incredible to compare something like that to Tin Toy! My favorite part of this DVD is the excellent documentary that provides a brief history of Pixar, since I had nearly forgotten they used to be a hardware/software company, who happened to hire John Lasseter to produce demonstration films for graphics conferences! It's wonderful how they transitioned into a full time animation studio - certainly a unique beginning for such a groundbreaking company. I'm really fascinated with the early days of any art form, so listening to Lasseter talk about sleeping in his office and meticulously animating the way the cord ripples in Luxo Jr. is incredibly inspiring to me. Seeing this history unfold makes me so glad that Pixar is part of Disney, and that someone like Lasseter is at the animation helm!
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| Ratatouille : 5 of 5 | |
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7.01.2007
1:34 PM | Link |
 Writing this short review is really a joy, since I'm always happy to report on fantastic examples of the art of animation! In this case, Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille is much more than just an incredible animated feature, since it's a wonderful film with a story and characters that literally anyone will enjoy. My pal Melinda and I loved it (of course), but it was great to hear so many adults in the theater laughing right along with their kids (and often more than their kids!). The story of a rat with a passion to be a gourmet chef in Paris is already genius, but Pixar takes that story and weaves it together with romance, family situations, and some inevitable thoughts about following your dreams (but it never gets preachy). There are too many spectacular visuals to mention - the realistic hair, the even more realistic wet hair, the truly exciting scenes following Remy as he scurries through walls (it really gives you a rat's experience!), the beauty of Paris, and once again, Pixar's magnificent character design that will always be 1,000 times better than any over-human approach. Even the food looks amazing - this is a cartoon that will make you hungry! I think my favorite scene is when the bitter food critic Anton Ego takes his first bite of Remy's ratatouille dish - he is whisked back in time to his mother's kitchen and her home cooking, and the emotion packed into that brief moment was enough to make me misty eyed in only a few seconds. Ratatouille is beautiful, brilliant, and of course, entertaining. It's definitely the kind of movie that makes me proud to be a Disney/Pixar fan!
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| Cars : 4 of 5 | |
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6.15.2006
10:42 PM | Link |
 Since I was out of town last weekend, I had to break my usual tradition of seeing Disney movies on opening day, but Cars was worth the wait! My expectations were a little low, since the reviews have been mixed - it's always easy for people to say "Pixar breaks their stream of hits". I will say that when you compare all the Pixar masterpieces, Cars comes out a little short in the story department, but the plot is still far better than many recent animated films by other studios! I love the creativity that goes into the Pixar "worlds", and in this case, it's a world where cars are alive, with no humans to be found. It's hilarious to see an auto race where the stadium is completely full of spectators - who are also cars! The main character, Lighting McQueen, gets stranded in a small town just off Route 66, where he meets a large cast of supporting cars (kind of like the other toys in Andy's room in Toy Story) who teach him what life is all about. Mater the tow truck steals the show in every scene he's in, but I enjoyed all of the characters, especially Sally the Porsche. The animation has taken another leap in quality, and the way the cars move is pretty ingenious (and the landscapes are simply beautiful). I'm not really a fan of Owen Wilson, and I think he contributes to the "unlikeability" of Lighting that has been criticized, but the character does eventually turn around in the end. Speaking of the end, don't miss Pixar's parodies of their own films acted out by cars over the closing credits!
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| The Incredibles / Original Soundtrack : 3 of 5 | |
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5.24.2005
8:00 PM | Link |
 I was so excited about The Incredibles after watching the DVD that I ordered the soundtrack right away, and it's really a great score. The music is so cool because it really feels like it was composed for a 60s spy movie - the full orchestra backing up a more traditional jazz combo (trap set, sax solos, and so on) is a great combination (kind of big band "plus"). I have to say that I love the "main theme" the most by far, and it's best used in the first and last tracks on the CD. The final track over the closing credits is definitely my favorite - it's filled with awesome interwoven themes, and uses the most time signature changes (lots of 5/4, with a 6/8 bridge!). There are a few nice sultry tracks, too (usually when Mirage is on screen). One of the most "incredible" things about the CD is that all of the music was recorded live - it was one gigantic studio session, rather than bringing in the sections or solos individually. So, not only is it 60s style, but it was recorded with a 60s method! If you enjoyed the movie (and how could you not?), you'll love the soundtrack!
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| A Bug's Life: The Art and Making of an Epic of Miniature Proportions / Jeff Kurtti : 3 of 5 | |
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5.03.2005
11:06 PM | Link |
 I'm still catching up on my art books, and I won this one on Disney Auctions (signed by the author). This is a giant-sized book, and the cover (different from the one shown here, since mine is a first edition) has a magnificent lenticular of several characters peeking through a hole munched into a leaf - I don't think I've ever seen a larger lenticular, and the depth is wonderful! The book itself isn't as great as the cover, but I'm glad I own it and I enjoyed reading it. This time the balance is too heavy on text and production stills, with only about a third of the artwork being pre-production. I know, I usually complain the other way around, but someday they'll get it right. The text is well-written, but unfortunately covers a lot of "fluff" (such as explaining what a storyboard is) and seems repetitive at times. But when it's interesting, it's fantastic (such as discussing how shaders and lighting works, or covering the development of crowd simulation). My favorite pieces of art are the Bud Luckey storyboards, which just shine with brilliance, and the huge spreads of production stills really allow you to examine the film! It's funny how the color script presented here doesn't wow me much, when the color script for The Incredibles blew me away. It's fun reading about the good ol' days when Disney and Pixar were complementing each other right and left, too. Time to start reading another one!
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| The Art of Finding Nemo / Mark Cotta Vaz : 4 of 5 | |
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4.25.2005
10:15 PM | Link |
 A while back I went crazy buying Disney art books, and I "accidentally" bought so many at once that I got way behind in reading them! I've recently decided to make an effort to give them the attention they deserve, and I really enjoying plowing into this collection of pre-production art from Pixar's Finding Nemo. As always, I was completely amazed at the talent of the many artists represented in the book, and it gave me that inspiration to do more creative things with my free time. Unfortunately, there are zero production stills - I would love to see final frames of the film along with the artwork that led to them, but these books always err to one extreme or the other! With that complaint aside, I loved the book, especially the spectacular pastel work of Ralph Eggleston - I could look at his use of color all day, and seeing the rough edges of the pastel line makes it even more exciting to me. Simon Verela's giant (and extremely detailed) charcoals are wonderful, too - I wish I could see them in person (the forward mentions that lots of pre-production art decorates Pixar's headquarters, which shows they are firmly grounded in the man-made art of animation, even though it all ends up as pixels). John Lasseter mentions in the text that this is only the "approved" pre-production art - I can't imagine how many books they could fill with the rest!
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| The Incredibles : 5 of 5 | |
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4.19.2005
10:22 PM | Link |
 I can't even begin to say how much I enjoyed watching The Incredibles again on DVD! I loved the movie in the theater, but I think I enjoyed it even more at home since I could focus and appreciate all the fantastic things about the film. I was totally sucked in by the scene where the missiles are chasing Helen's plane - the character acting is so dramatic! I also got such a kick out of moments such as Dash's giggle when he realizes he's running on water, not too mention the most creative end titles of practically all time. The bonus disc is packed with awesome materials. The usual deleted scenes that most DVDs include are really enhanced with long discussions (much longer than the scenes themselves) by Brad Bird explaining the evolution of the scene and its demise. Brad gets so worked up about everything - his energy is intense, just like a kid talking about some new toy or TV show (I think Brad is definitely Dash from the movie!). There are great looks at other production details, such as "acting room" videos (where the animators film themselves as reference material), producing animatics (which seems like such a fun job), and the scoring of the film (which I realized is full of 5/4 jazz, so I ordered the soundtrack right away). Of course, Boundin' and the new Jack-Jack Attack are also included, making this possibly the best Pixar DVD ever!
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| The Art of the Incredibles : 4 of 5 | |
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12.23.2004
10:36 PM | Link |
 I finished my first Christmas book today (which I opened a few days ago), which is my first Pixar art book to add to my collection of Disney art books. I knew this book would be beautiful, and indeed it is, filled to the brim with amazing (see, I didn't say "incredible") pre-production drawings, paintings, and digital artwork. Several pages include comments from the director and many artists, but the pictures themselves speak the loudest! They are all reproduced in spectacular color, many of them full page (including an awesome four-page fold-out of the color script - I would love to have it on my wall!). One of my favorite sections includes close-ups of some of the memorabilia from Mr. Incredible's wall, and I especially enjoyed the many collages also (which look like a cross between Mary Blair and Matisse). Unfortunately, there are no real production stills - I usually complain when art books include too many of those, but I wish this one had a few, mainly so I could stare at the details with my jaw on the floor. As usual, when I experience books like these I wish I had a career in creative entertainment, but I can stay content idolizing these brilliant artists instead.
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| The Incredibles : 5 of 5 | |
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11.07.2004
7:33 AM | Link |
 All I can say is thank goodness there's a Disney logo at the beginning of this film, because it's sheer entertainment! Pixar has definitely done it again - I don't think I could really pick a favorite Pixar film, but The Incredibles is fantastic in so many different ways, so it's definitely a contender for the best (it's just missing that "Disney moment" that would put it over the top). As usual for Pixar, the story is incredibly (sorry, couldn't resist) creative and original. Superheroes are in a "protection program" after countless lawsuits because of the side effects of their daring deeds, and Mr. Incredible and his family try to live a normal suburban life. Of course, someone from his past returns to haunt him, putting the whole family (who each have cool powers) into action! I could go on and on about the film's design, from the excellent characters (with cartoon proportions, yet extremely realistic hair) to the sets (such as their retro home furnishings, which are perfect!). There's tons of action, set to awesome music (gotta get the soundtrack), balanced with some quiet moments, too (such as scenes in the office, dinner at home, and so on). I laughed hundreds of times, and cheered the heroes on to victory! It would have been even better if I had shed a tear or two.
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| Finding Nemo / GameBoy Advance : 4 of 5 | |
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3.31.2004
9:21 PM | Link |
 I got some great games for Christmas, too (that I'm just now getting a chance to review) - I had read some nice reviews of the Finding Nemo game, always going on about the graphics, so I put it on my list. The reviews were right - this is a fun game with some beautiful scenery, including all the colors of the coral reef and detailed characters, too! I was able to play for a long time on my last plane trip, and I made it to the 4th level. You start by playing Nemo - the first level is just training with Marlin (Nemo's dad), and in the second level you have to round up your fellow schoolmates (I was proud of finishing this one!). Then you become Marlin and have to chase Dory, which was pretty easy, and next you're swimming through the underwater mines around the sunken submarine, which is tough with lots of currents to fight! My only complaint with this game is you can't save the game - you just have to write down stupid passwords to pick up where you left off.
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| Finding Nemo : 5 of 5 | |
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11.15.2003
5:28 PM | Link |
 I saw Finding Nemo on opening day at the theater, so of course I had to buy the DVD on the day it was released (actually, I had pre-ordered it weeks before at the Disney Store)! All of the Pixar DVD sets have been absolutely fantastic, and Finding Nemo is no exception. The movie looks wonderful, and it was great to see it again and appreciate it's incredible animation. Next, I watched the documentary feature, which was complete and interesting (without having too much of that tired "how do you make an animated feature?" stuff), and then I watched the movie again with the "visual commentary", which combines the director's voice-over with tons of behind-the-scenes snippets and deleted scenes. Watching these along with the movie was actually much more fun than browsing through them all separately! The second DVD has some nice stuff, but I would have enjoyed a little more in-depth material than comedy (though the comedy is really funny, especially Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau). Pixar is simply an amazing studio, because they really put everything into their movies, and it really shows with Finding Nemo.
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| Finding Nemo : 5 of 5 | |
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6.11.2003
5:59 PM | Link |
 I usually try to see all Disney movies on opening day, but since I was in Japan during the premiere, I had to wait a while on this one. It was worth the wait, because Finding Nemo is a fantastic movie (and I wouldn't expect anything less from Disney/Pixar)! Once again, Pixar has accomplished amazing things with computer animation - the underwater effects, which include millions of floating particles and the diffusion of light through salt water, are spectacular, and the character animation is quite impressive, when you consider the animators had to make these fish, which are basically floating "heads", come alive. The story is also great (though it's tough to beat the imaginative premise of Monsters, Inc.) - I was worried at first that it wasn't going to break open my tear ducts, but the father and son reunion near the end of the film did the trick. I can't wait to watch this on DVD, when I can marvel at all the eye candy at my own leisurely pace!
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| Monsters, Inc. : 5 of 5 | |
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9.25.2002
5:29 PM | Link |
 An absolutely amazing movie (you can search for my review to see how much I loved it) deserves an absolutely amazing DVD, and Monsters, Inc. does it all. This is a fantastic two DVD set including the movie and tons of extra features. In fact, it took nearly an entire day to dig through all of the material, which is cleverly organized into the Human World and the Monster World. I loved watching the tour of Pixar - what a fantastic place to work! The new Mike's New Car short is funny, but way too short, but the DVD makes up for it by including For the Birds (so hilarious). Watching the movie again was a treat, made even more special by seeing all the hard work and creativity behind the scenes. My favorite bit of trivia - several Disneyland attraction posters are on the walls in the kids' rooms!
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| Monsters, Inc. : 5 of 5 | |
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11.02.2001
6:48 PM | Link |
 Of course, I'm in love with this movie - not only am I a Pixar fan, but there is no way they could go wrong with this storyline, which is as creative as creativity gets! A few things that stand out are Sully's fantastic blue fur (unbelievable for CGI animation), the hilarious TV commercial for the company they work for ("I'm Monsters, Inc!"), and the tearful goodbye between Sully (Kitty) and the sweetie pie girl (if they had put a sad song in the soundtrack there I would have had to leave the theater crying!). The finale chase popping in and out of doors has to be seen to be believed, as well. I'm all set to preorder this one on DVD.
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| Toy Story : 5 of 5 | |
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3.08.2000
8:27 AM | Link |
 What can be said about the first computer animated feature film? Just like Snow White, this is a groundbreaker. The development of the technology is so fascinating, especially how the animators never actually sketch anything - they just manipulate avars (articulated variables). With all that coolness, what actually makes the movie is the story and characters themselves. The premise is so clever and fun that I get completely swept up in it and laugh out loud everytime I see it! This movie makes me want to do creative things - how much fun can those Pixar guys stand?
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| Toy Story 2 : 5 of 5 | |
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3.07.2000
8:26 AM | Link |
The Toy Story boxed set is excellent! I watched the disc of supplemental material the night before I went to Japan, and now I have re-watched both films. Toy Story 2 is truly amazing - there's no other way to state it. I was a little skeptical about a sequel to Toy Story (and now I find out that Pixar was, too - TS2 was originally set for a video release), but they really pulled it together and delivered a great story along with just enough improvements in the animation to keep the feel of TS1 while still impressing me. Anyone who doesn't cry during Jessie's song has no heart and should be ground into hamburger.
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