Pixar Ranking Pt. 2
We continue my Pixar ranking with the mediocre. These movies are serviceable. Will I be watching these films again? Unlikely. But these are a little improved from the worst, but they still lack a bit of substance we'll see later on. So, let's get into it.
19. Onward |
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Onward has an interesting premise. That’s about it. I’ve seen this movie twice now, and there’s still a lot of this movie that becomes forgettable as time goes on. When I first saw trailers for this one, I remember two things they were really trying to push. This is a magical world that has embraced technology, and Tom Holland and Chris Pratt will be in it. My issue with the ‘Shrek’ effect as it’s called is if you use actors to sell your movie, it usually means you want to detract from story and characters. And while Shrek was able to be an outlier considering its’ name sake, this movie, not so much.
The world building is the only thing this movie has really going for it. Like I said before, this was a land that embraced magic. It had magical creatures instead of humans. However, while magic took talent to use, technology didn’t. This creates an interesting balance of magical elements in the world with a coat of real world paint on it.
The story could have been something. Ian (Tom Holland’s character) is given a staff by his late father, and instructions of how to bring him back for one day so he can see his family. Ian and his brother Barley then go on a quest to get the last remnant to fully bring their dad back before the spell runs out. It sounds interesting in premise. Ian never got to meet his dad, and wants to learn from him how to be more like him. My issue is Ian’s determination for this. According to certain dialogue, Ian is hardly told anything about his father. Why would he want to be so much like a person he never met? I would understand if maybe the mother would let slip how the older brother should be more like their father instead of getting into trouble, or maybe they weren’t in so much financial trouble when their dad was around, but we get none of this. Ian has never had any troubles for seventeen years. Where did this drive come from?
The characters are serviceable, but none stand out much. Ian is very Tom Hollandish, and I’m distracted by the fact every time he’s on screen, but not as badly as the most annoying character in this movie, Chris Pra—I mean Barley. Barley is portrayed as an overly enthusiastic character who believes fully in the magical world, and is basically a Dungeons and Dragons character 99% of the time. That 1% where he actually becomes an actual character only happens near the end of the film.
The message for this one was what you want isn’t always what you need. Ian desperately wanted to meet his father to teach him things he never got to do, but Ian realizes he never needed his dad for those things, because his brother had always been there for him. This message isn’t bad, but because of the issues I stated before about Ian not having a clear motivation why he wants to be so much like a man he’s never met, this comes off a bit weak.
This film should’ve hit harder than it did. Nothing is wrong with this film, it’s perfectly serviceable. But out of the entire Pixar catalogue, this is one of those that didn’t quite give a lasting spell.
The world building is the only thing this movie has really going for it. Like I said before, this was a land that embraced magic. It had magical creatures instead of humans. However, while magic took talent to use, technology didn’t. This creates an interesting balance of magical elements in the world with a coat of real world paint on it.
The story could have been something. Ian (Tom Holland’s character) is given a staff by his late father, and instructions of how to bring him back for one day so he can see his family. Ian and his brother Barley then go on a quest to get the last remnant to fully bring their dad back before the spell runs out. It sounds interesting in premise. Ian never got to meet his dad, and wants to learn from him how to be more like him. My issue is Ian’s determination for this. According to certain dialogue, Ian is hardly told anything about his father. Why would he want to be so much like a person he never met? I would understand if maybe the mother would let slip how the older brother should be more like their father instead of getting into trouble, or maybe they weren’t in so much financial trouble when their dad was around, but we get none of this. Ian has never had any troubles for seventeen years. Where did this drive come from?
The characters are serviceable, but none stand out much. Ian is very Tom Hollandish, and I’m distracted by the fact every time he’s on screen, but not as badly as the most annoying character in this movie, Chris Pra—I mean Barley. Barley is portrayed as an overly enthusiastic character who believes fully in the magical world, and is basically a Dungeons and Dragons character 99% of the time. That 1% where he actually becomes an actual character only happens near the end of the film.
The message for this one was what you want isn’t always what you need. Ian desperately wanted to meet his father to teach him things he never got to do, but Ian realizes he never needed his dad for those things, because his brother had always been there for him. This message isn’t bad, but because of the issues I stated before about Ian not having a clear motivation why he wants to be so much like a man he’s never met, this comes off a bit weak.
This film should’ve hit harder than it did. Nothing is wrong with this film, it’s perfectly serviceable. But out of the entire Pixar catalogue, this is one of those that didn’t quite give a lasting spell.
18. Cars 3 |
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So, the last Cars movie is technically the best. Who would’ve thought? Cars 3 tries it’s best to distance itself from the failure of Cars 2, and attempts to return to its roots of the first movie, with racing at the forefront. The issue is that this movie follows Cars 2, a movie that did little to setup Lightning McQueen.
The world building is slightly better, only because the movie decides to keep to places that wouldn’t distract me by human built things. This movie spends most of the time on racetracks, and a really fun location, the demolition derby. Somehow, birds have broken from their carburetor overlords and became living things with feathers again. Why was this changed? Maybe because the new animation looks better with living creatures instead of machines? Who knows, but it still feels too little too late.
The story is compelling enough. Lightning has been at the racing game for years now, and while he used to be one of the top competitors, new electric cars have started to dominate the race. This causes Lightning to fall further and further behind, and when he attempts to push himself, he gets into a devastating wreck, similar to his mentor Doc Hudson. This story could have really worked. However, this takes place after Cars 2, where we spent the majority of the movie with Mater. This makes it jarring when we now shift back to McQueen and him having been at this for years, and yet still grieving his mentor Doc, who we haven’t seen since the first movie. If Cars 2 wasn’t….Cars 2, we could’ve used that movie to setup McQueen doing this without his mentor, and how much it affects him. Instead, we are hit with this in the first ten minutes through a series of quick montages. Which doesn’t sell me on this being something he’s been dealing with for years.
The characters are only two in particular. Lightning McQueen and his personal trainer Cruz Ramirez. I like how they didn’t just recycle the same personality for McQueen so he could learn the same lesson. In this case, he doesn’t want to give up because that was what Doc Hudson did, a decision he came to regret. However, he also gets to help Cruz who had also given up her chance to become a racer. This causes McQueen to become a mentor himself, which is the old student becomes the master type. If we had got more time with this character, I might have placed this movie higher, but I feel like the majority of McQueen’s character work is having to be laid out for this movie, which makes everything feel sudden.
The message is learning that change can be a good thing. Nothing stays the same forever, and once McQueen is willing to let go of his fleeting future in hopes of giving Cruz a chance to live out hers is nice.
I was honestly impressed a Cars movie could turn around as much as it did. However, it’s still a Cars movie, and its shackled down by the decisions that came before it. Now to find out if a Cars 4 will undermine this one.
The world building is slightly better, only because the movie decides to keep to places that wouldn’t distract me by human built things. This movie spends most of the time on racetracks, and a really fun location, the demolition derby. Somehow, birds have broken from their carburetor overlords and became living things with feathers again. Why was this changed? Maybe because the new animation looks better with living creatures instead of machines? Who knows, but it still feels too little too late.
The story is compelling enough. Lightning has been at the racing game for years now, and while he used to be one of the top competitors, new electric cars have started to dominate the race. This causes Lightning to fall further and further behind, and when he attempts to push himself, he gets into a devastating wreck, similar to his mentor Doc Hudson. This story could have really worked. However, this takes place after Cars 2, where we spent the majority of the movie with Mater. This makes it jarring when we now shift back to McQueen and him having been at this for years, and yet still grieving his mentor Doc, who we haven’t seen since the first movie. If Cars 2 wasn’t….Cars 2, we could’ve used that movie to setup McQueen doing this without his mentor, and how much it affects him. Instead, we are hit with this in the first ten minutes through a series of quick montages. Which doesn’t sell me on this being something he’s been dealing with for years.
The characters are only two in particular. Lightning McQueen and his personal trainer Cruz Ramirez. I like how they didn’t just recycle the same personality for McQueen so he could learn the same lesson. In this case, he doesn’t want to give up because that was what Doc Hudson did, a decision he came to regret. However, he also gets to help Cruz who had also given up her chance to become a racer. This causes McQueen to become a mentor himself, which is the old student becomes the master type. If we had got more time with this character, I might have placed this movie higher, but I feel like the majority of McQueen’s character work is having to be laid out for this movie, which makes everything feel sudden.
The message is learning that change can be a good thing. Nothing stays the same forever, and once McQueen is willing to let go of his fleeting future in hopes of giving Cruz a chance to live out hers is nice.
I was honestly impressed a Cars movie could turn around as much as it did. However, it’s still a Cars movie, and its shackled down by the decisions that came before it. Now to find out if a Cars 4 will undermine this one.
17. Finding Dory |
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Let this be known. I hate when sequels make a side character the main focus. Side characters work best as a foil to the main character. Kind of like a yin-yang. When you give the side character all the focus, and practically omit the main character from the first movie, the seams start to show on the side character, and here is no exception.
The world building is similar to the first. Except replace the exotic Sydney with a large Aquarium and rehab center in California. Who knew Marlin, Dory, and Nemo were so close to the States? While the first explored the vastness of the ocean and its mysteries, here we spend most of the time in a place you have probably been to in your childhood. This feels like a misstep, as there is still so much of the ocean yet to be explored, and all of that is given up to break in and out of this aquarium.
The story is simple enough. Dory remembers her parents and wants to find them. How come her parents are never mentioned in the first movie? Because Dory was a side character and she didn’t have parents. Her parents were invented for this movie so a plot could happen. And while I’ve seen a lot of defenders for this movie, you can’t argue that anytime Dory should be stuck because of her mental illness, she just suddenly ‘remembers’ something and the plot continues. In the first movie, Dory’s short term memory loss isn’t necessarily accurate either, but she was a side character, and it didn’t distract from their main goal, finding Nemo (roll credits). But here, it’s becomes more and more contrived as characters say something that just happens to be something her parents said, and she just magically remembers where to go.
The characters are pretty muted in this to be honest. Marlin and Nemo basically have nothing to do. Marlin says a heartless thing to Dory after she almost caused Nemo to be harmed, and this is what splits them up so the movie can happen. What’s sad is that Marlin and Nemo could be removed from this movie, and it would play out the same. Dory is still consistently Dory even though its spottier as she also has to remember where the plot is to follow it. This movie also introduces Hank, an octopus (or septipus as he’s referred) which is now Dory’s straight-man instead of Marlin. Hank is only helping Dory because he wants her tag to go to another Aquarium, instead of being released into the ocean. Why does he hate the ocean? It’s never stated. This is a missed opportunity as it could’ve bonded Dory and Hank more if we knew why he desperately wanted to escape from what would be freedom.
The message is obviously not to judge people by physical or mental disabilities. I can get behind that, and honestly the best scene in this movie was with Dory’s parents and the shells (if you’ve seen it, you know which scene I’m talking about) as her parents never looked down on her, and she eventually found friends who don’t either.
Overall, this is a movie I found was struggling to justify its’ existence. A lot of contrivances have to happen to make the plot work (like how Hank can just drive a truck successfully), and each time it happened, I couldn’t help but think if there was a better way to get to the conclusion. One that could use Marlin and Nemo to help Dory instead of a pointless side quest that made no difference. Despite this movie being about Dory, it’s considerably forgettable.
The world building is similar to the first. Except replace the exotic Sydney with a large Aquarium and rehab center in California. Who knew Marlin, Dory, and Nemo were so close to the States? While the first explored the vastness of the ocean and its mysteries, here we spend most of the time in a place you have probably been to in your childhood. This feels like a misstep, as there is still so much of the ocean yet to be explored, and all of that is given up to break in and out of this aquarium.
The story is simple enough. Dory remembers her parents and wants to find them. How come her parents are never mentioned in the first movie? Because Dory was a side character and she didn’t have parents. Her parents were invented for this movie so a plot could happen. And while I’ve seen a lot of defenders for this movie, you can’t argue that anytime Dory should be stuck because of her mental illness, she just suddenly ‘remembers’ something and the plot continues. In the first movie, Dory’s short term memory loss isn’t necessarily accurate either, but she was a side character, and it didn’t distract from their main goal, finding Nemo (roll credits). But here, it’s becomes more and more contrived as characters say something that just happens to be something her parents said, and she just magically remembers where to go.
The characters are pretty muted in this to be honest. Marlin and Nemo basically have nothing to do. Marlin says a heartless thing to Dory after she almost caused Nemo to be harmed, and this is what splits them up so the movie can happen. What’s sad is that Marlin and Nemo could be removed from this movie, and it would play out the same. Dory is still consistently Dory even though its spottier as she also has to remember where the plot is to follow it. This movie also introduces Hank, an octopus (or septipus as he’s referred) which is now Dory’s straight-man instead of Marlin. Hank is only helping Dory because he wants her tag to go to another Aquarium, instead of being released into the ocean. Why does he hate the ocean? It’s never stated. This is a missed opportunity as it could’ve bonded Dory and Hank more if we knew why he desperately wanted to escape from what would be freedom.
The message is obviously not to judge people by physical or mental disabilities. I can get behind that, and honestly the best scene in this movie was with Dory’s parents and the shells (if you’ve seen it, you know which scene I’m talking about) as her parents never looked down on her, and she eventually found friends who don’t either.
Overall, this is a movie I found was struggling to justify its’ existence. A lot of contrivances have to happen to make the plot work (like how Hank can just drive a truck successfully), and each time it happened, I couldn’t help but think if there was a better way to get to the conclusion. One that could use Marlin and Nemo to help Dory instead of a pointless side quest that made no difference. Despite this movie being about Dory, it’s considerably forgettable.
16. Up |
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I don’t know if there’s really anything I can add that hasn’t been said about Up already. I shouldn’t have to tell you it has one of the strongest openings of any Pixar film. Nor should I have to tell you about its’ concept that has been replicated since. I wanted to love this film, but despite a strong ten minute opening, it peaks early.
The world building is interesting. It’s the real world, but its’ got this mystical feel to it. That mysticism carries into South America with the canyons and rainforest. It didn’t destroy my sense of disbelief, but this could be due to the gut wrenching opening that we value anything that gives us a little escapism.
The story is what I feel holds this movie back a bit. Carl is an old man still recovering from the death of his wife. Constantly viewed as a nuisance by neighbors, he decides to make due on his promise and take him and the house his wife grew up in to Paradise Falls with balloons. I like this part of the film, but as the second plot starts to come in, I begin to lose interest. The next half the of the film is Carl, and hitchhiking boy scout Russell trying to save an endangered bird from the clutches of Carl’s lifelong hero, Charles Muntz. The second plot of this movie is like a puzzle piece you know doesn’t fit, but it has to go somewhere so you shove it in. I just don’t understand the decision here. And despite this movie being able to pull off impossible feats, I still refuse to believe Muntz is alive. Carl and Muntz look about the same age despite Muntz having twenty or so years on Carl.
The characters are fine with Carl being the most stand out. This is a man that we see so full of life, but after losing the person he cares about most, he retracts into himself. This gives him a view that he’s just living out the rest of his life until he dies. This pairs nicely with Russell, a boy who wants adventure, but has never got to experience it for himself. He helps Carl find his sense of adventure again, while he helps Russell fill the void his father left behind.
The message for this is to let go and move on. Carl has to come to the realization Ellie is gone, and that part of their adventure is over, but he can still go on another adventure of his own. This message hits harder since we go through that ten minute opening with Carl, and thus we understand how difficult it is to let go.
This movie is good, but I don’t find myself re-watching it a lot. The beginning is a mood killer for sure, but the rest of the movie can be pretty forgettable once Carl gets to South America. I can see why this is some people’s favorite Pixar movie, because its’ message is pretty strong, and Carl and Russell are great characters, but the bird story doesn’t do it for me.
The world building is interesting. It’s the real world, but its’ got this mystical feel to it. That mysticism carries into South America with the canyons and rainforest. It didn’t destroy my sense of disbelief, but this could be due to the gut wrenching opening that we value anything that gives us a little escapism.
The story is what I feel holds this movie back a bit. Carl is an old man still recovering from the death of his wife. Constantly viewed as a nuisance by neighbors, he decides to make due on his promise and take him and the house his wife grew up in to Paradise Falls with balloons. I like this part of the film, but as the second plot starts to come in, I begin to lose interest. The next half the of the film is Carl, and hitchhiking boy scout Russell trying to save an endangered bird from the clutches of Carl’s lifelong hero, Charles Muntz. The second plot of this movie is like a puzzle piece you know doesn’t fit, but it has to go somewhere so you shove it in. I just don’t understand the decision here. And despite this movie being able to pull off impossible feats, I still refuse to believe Muntz is alive. Carl and Muntz look about the same age despite Muntz having twenty or so years on Carl.
The characters are fine with Carl being the most stand out. This is a man that we see so full of life, but after losing the person he cares about most, he retracts into himself. This gives him a view that he’s just living out the rest of his life until he dies. This pairs nicely with Russell, a boy who wants adventure, but has never got to experience it for himself. He helps Carl find his sense of adventure again, while he helps Russell fill the void his father left behind.
The message for this is to let go and move on. Carl has to come to the realization Ellie is gone, and that part of their adventure is over, but he can still go on another adventure of his own. This message hits harder since we go through that ten minute opening with Carl, and thus we understand how difficult it is to let go.
This movie is good, but I don’t find myself re-watching it a lot. The beginning is a mood killer for sure, but the rest of the movie can be pretty forgettable once Carl gets to South America. I can see why this is some people’s favorite Pixar movie, because its’ message is pretty strong, and Carl and Russell are great characters, but the bird story doesn’t do it for me.
15. A Bug's Life |
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I’m going to be real with you. When I first comprised a list of all the Pixar movies to watch, I forgot all about this one. Compared to other Pixar stories, it isn’t the best. And being the second movie to be released by Pixar hasn’t had the same popularity as Toy Story. I expected to put this lower on the list just simply for the fact I forgot about it. But then as I started the movie, and the music kicked in, I remembered everything about it. I remember the music video that used to play on the Disney Channel that had a N*sync song for some odd reason. I remember the McDonald toys, and my cousins re-enacting lines from the movie. You could chalk this up to nostalgia, but I never considered myself truly connected to this movie. But it’s had more of an impact than The Good Dinosaur ever did.
The world building isn’t too extensive. Again, with this being Pixar’s second film, computers could only render so much, and thus landscapes had to be barren, and scenes had to be kept to a minimum. We mostly spend time on Ant Island, which as you can guess, from an ant’s perspective, the landscape is mostly rock and dirt with some grass blades here and there. We get to see the Big City where other bugs live, but it’s only for a few scenes, and not fully explored. Because we don’t get much world building, the weight falls onto the story and characters.
The story is similar to some mafia stories but with insects. In this case grasshoppers are similar to the mafia, giving the ants protection from ‘outside threats’ in exchange for the food they gather. We don’t see how this relationship is established, but in this case it works well enough that we don’t ask any questions. However, one ant, Flik, causes all the grain gathered to disappear, angering the grasshoppers and threatening their wrath if they don’t get what they want. Flik who grows tired of the tyranny, suggests he’ll go out and get bigger bugs to fight the grasshoppers for them. We have a typical liar revealed trope which has run rampant in the last ten years, but I will not fault the movie for this since it hadn’t become overused at the time.
The characters in this can be a bit perplexing to analyze. In a turn of events, I find Flik, the main character, to be underdeveloped, while the side characters are given more personality. However, the standout is Hopper, the leader of the grasshoppers. It’s rare we are shown a villain’s strengths and weaknesses. Because the film will switch to his view on occasion, we see just how much he stands to lose once his scare tactics fail. There are a few characters that don’t do much in the story, but no one overstays their welcome.
The message for this is self-worth. Once the ants, and Flik, realize how valuable they are in their own way, they can fight against the grasshoppers themselves. I liked that not only did it apply to the main character, but also the whole colony learned to change because of him.
While nothing is wrong with A Bug’s Life, its age shows. Technical limitations hold this one back, and while I might remember the movie as soon as I see it, it’s still one that’s not in the forethought when someone mentions Pixar.
The world building isn’t too extensive. Again, with this being Pixar’s second film, computers could only render so much, and thus landscapes had to be barren, and scenes had to be kept to a minimum. We mostly spend time on Ant Island, which as you can guess, from an ant’s perspective, the landscape is mostly rock and dirt with some grass blades here and there. We get to see the Big City where other bugs live, but it’s only for a few scenes, and not fully explored. Because we don’t get much world building, the weight falls onto the story and characters.
The story is similar to some mafia stories but with insects. In this case grasshoppers are similar to the mafia, giving the ants protection from ‘outside threats’ in exchange for the food they gather. We don’t see how this relationship is established, but in this case it works well enough that we don’t ask any questions. However, one ant, Flik, causes all the grain gathered to disappear, angering the grasshoppers and threatening their wrath if they don’t get what they want. Flik who grows tired of the tyranny, suggests he’ll go out and get bigger bugs to fight the grasshoppers for them. We have a typical liar revealed trope which has run rampant in the last ten years, but I will not fault the movie for this since it hadn’t become overused at the time.
The characters in this can be a bit perplexing to analyze. In a turn of events, I find Flik, the main character, to be underdeveloped, while the side characters are given more personality. However, the standout is Hopper, the leader of the grasshoppers. It’s rare we are shown a villain’s strengths and weaknesses. Because the film will switch to his view on occasion, we see just how much he stands to lose once his scare tactics fail. There are a few characters that don’t do much in the story, but no one overstays their welcome.
The message for this is self-worth. Once the ants, and Flik, realize how valuable they are in their own way, they can fight against the grasshoppers themselves. I liked that not only did it apply to the main character, but also the whole colony learned to change because of him.
While nothing is wrong with A Bug’s Life, its age shows. Technical limitations hold this one back, and while I might remember the movie as soon as I see it, it’s still one that’s not in the forethought when someone mentions Pixar.
14. Toy Story |
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The one that started it all. During my childhood, I would say this was the third most watched movie that was always playing at my house, and yet the ending is what always invested me. As I am much older now, I can come to appreciate the earlier 2/3 of the movie that is surprisingly more catered to adults than I remembered.
The world building is pretty simplistic since it uses a real-world setting. We only visit four locations in the movie (Andy’s house, Sid’s House, Pizza Planet, and a gas station briefly). However, this was their first movie, and they tell the story well in the few locations they visit. There are no unnecessary locations used, unlike some other movies.
The story of a new guy in town and starting to feel less significant leading to jealousy is nothing new. However, applying it to toys just feels appropriate. The typical trope now takes new meaning as we know when kids get tired of one toy, it gets pushed to the side and forgotten, which in this universe can be devastating. While we learn repercussions of this in the later films (and I think its handled much better there too) This was still a solid start, and without the story being easy to follow, we probably would’ve never got the superior sequels.
There are many characters in the movie, but the focus is between Woody and Buzz. Woody is established as Andy’s favorite toy and perceived to have been with him the longest. This gives Woody a sense of power over the other toys and makes him a leader figure. Once Buzz enters the picture, Woody is slowly replaced as Andy’s favorite toy, and his leadership is put into question. He starts to get jealous not only because he is losing his authority over the other toys, but he can’t stand being replaced by a toy that doesn’t acknowledge himself as one. Buzz comes off aloof in this movie as he believes he's the actual space ranger. These two personalities clash because Buzz does not take on the added responsibility of being Andy’s favorite toy, infuriating Woody as he took his job more seriously. In the end these two become friends as Buzz helps Woody see things outside the box and think more than just a toy. While Buzz sees how important his mission is to be a toy and the responsibility that comes with it. If their personalities weren’t written in such a strong start, this could have been a mess for the sequels.
The message in this one isn’t as strong as some other Pixar movies, but again with this being the first film, it was best to find their footing first. The message boils down to not letting jealousy eat away at you. Woody almost lets his jealousy take over to the extent he almost murdered Buzz. And it wasn’t until Woody talked out his problems and saw things could never stay the same forever. People change. However, it’s a message we’ve seen in many other movies, even Disney, so there was no new ground being broken.
This was better revisiting than I expected. Again, my expectations were lower since these beginning Pixar movies were still learning the software, and how much they could get away with, but the dialogue and characters were actually better than I remember. However, there are some slow moments in this film, and while the dialogue helps it, what was a little bit harder for me was so much of the Randy Newman vocals used for the montages. It got a bit tedious that the future films don’t suffer from.
The world building is pretty simplistic since it uses a real-world setting. We only visit four locations in the movie (Andy’s house, Sid’s House, Pizza Planet, and a gas station briefly). However, this was their first movie, and they tell the story well in the few locations they visit. There are no unnecessary locations used, unlike some other movies.
The story of a new guy in town and starting to feel less significant leading to jealousy is nothing new. However, applying it to toys just feels appropriate. The typical trope now takes new meaning as we know when kids get tired of one toy, it gets pushed to the side and forgotten, which in this universe can be devastating. While we learn repercussions of this in the later films (and I think its handled much better there too) This was still a solid start, and without the story being easy to follow, we probably would’ve never got the superior sequels.
There are many characters in the movie, but the focus is between Woody and Buzz. Woody is established as Andy’s favorite toy and perceived to have been with him the longest. This gives Woody a sense of power over the other toys and makes him a leader figure. Once Buzz enters the picture, Woody is slowly replaced as Andy’s favorite toy, and his leadership is put into question. He starts to get jealous not only because he is losing his authority over the other toys, but he can’t stand being replaced by a toy that doesn’t acknowledge himself as one. Buzz comes off aloof in this movie as he believes he's the actual space ranger. These two personalities clash because Buzz does not take on the added responsibility of being Andy’s favorite toy, infuriating Woody as he took his job more seriously. In the end these two become friends as Buzz helps Woody see things outside the box and think more than just a toy. While Buzz sees how important his mission is to be a toy and the responsibility that comes with it. If their personalities weren’t written in such a strong start, this could have been a mess for the sequels.
The message in this one isn’t as strong as some other Pixar movies, but again with this being the first film, it was best to find their footing first. The message boils down to not letting jealousy eat away at you. Woody almost lets his jealousy take over to the extent he almost murdered Buzz. And it wasn’t until Woody talked out his problems and saw things could never stay the same forever. People change. However, it’s a message we’ve seen in many other movies, even Disney, so there was no new ground being broken.
This was better revisiting than I expected. Again, my expectations were lower since these beginning Pixar movies were still learning the software, and how much they could get away with, but the dialogue and characters were actually better than I remember. However, there are some slow moments in this film, and while the dialogue helps it, what was a little bit harder for me was so much of the Randy Newman vocals used for the montages. It got a bit tedious that the future films don’t suffer from.
13. Luca |
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I put off watching this movie for a long time only because I didn’t see much value in it. There didn’t seem to be much of a plot. The setting sounded nice, but the characters goals I didn’t think could carry a film for an hour and thirty minutes. But I gave it a try anyway after deciding to watch the whole Pixar catalogue. Honestly my criticism still stands, but I thought it was cute. This is a movie that baffles me a bit because when it’s on, I’m invested, but as soon as it’s been a few days, it’s hard to remember what all happened in this movie.
The world building is unique. We are introduced to these fish-like creatures that live off the coast of Italy, however, we have a very closed off view of their society. We only get to see a few houses near the main character, but we don’t know if there are any more of them. I guess this helps pique my interest to see how these creatures live, and what could have happened to cause a fallout with the nearby humans, but we sadly never get this kind of information.
The characters are what help this film climb the rankings. Luca is a younger boy who has been isolated by his parents his whole life. Similar to Ariel, he wants to escape his dull life and live for adventure. And just like Ariel, this dream becomes reality when he meets a boy. Alberto is a fish-creature like Luca and shows him they have the ability to appear as humans as soon as they leave the water. Alberto shows Luca how to live for himself, and to take more risks, which help him grow as a person. What I did like what showing how even Alberto’s worldly view wasn’t set in stone. And while Luca learns that his best friend isn’t always right, Alberto must learn this too. Julia is a human girl who befriends them both and helps Luca learn about the human world. Julia’s father felt like a rip off of the dad from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
The story is very simple. Luca is bored of his same day life, and wants something more. Alberto comes along and shows him not to be afraid of the human world. He tells him how they can become just like humans as long as they don’t come in contact with water. They have a dream of owning a Vespa so they can see the world. Once they find out they can win money from a town competition to buy a Vespa, they join Julia to make a team that can compete against Ercole, a town bully who has won the competition for the last five years. It follows every plot that comes with the typical competition trope. The three characters have to learn to trust each other and become closer friends. Luca and Alberto have to hide their secret or they might be killed. There’s a whole ‘I thought you were my friend’ scene near the end to split up the team. Bully is a bully who likes to cheat and exploit. Many things in this movie was predictable, but I enjoyed the character interactions despite their overused scenes.
The message is simply not everything goes according to plan. And honestly, I did not predict the movie ending the way it did. Sure, I honestly didn’t expect Luca and Alberto riding off into the sunset on the Vespa they wanted, despite that being their sole goal for the entire movie. But where Luca ends up fits his journey of coming out of his shell, and becoming his own person. Alberto also learns to open up and accept other people in his life, and to never hold on to one person forever, or it will smother their own growth.
I stand by this being a cute, harmless movie. Do I think it will stand the test of time for Pixar? No, not really. Again, there’s not a whole lot going on in this film. It’s like a whole puzzle put together, but it’s missing that one piece in the middle. And that piece is what I think holds this movie back from being great.
The world building is unique. We are introduced to these fish-like creatures that live off the coast of Italy, however, we have a very closed off view of their society. We only get to see a few houses near the main character, but we don’t know if there are any more of them. I guess this helps pique my interest to see how these creatures live, and what could have happened to cause a fallout with the nearby humans, but we sadly never get this kind of information.
The characters are what help this film climb the rankings. Luca is a younger boy who has been isolated by his parents his whole life. Similar to Ariel, he wants to escape his dull life and live for adventure. And just like Ariel, this dream becomes reality when he meets a boy. Alberto is a fish-creature like Luca and shows him they have the ability to appear as humans as soon as they leave the water. Alberto shows Luca how to live for himself, and to take more risks, which help him grow as a person. What I did like what showing how even Alberto’s worldly view wasn’t set in stone. And while Luca learns that his best friend isn’t always right, Alberto must learn this too. Julia is a human girl who befriends them both and helps Luca learn about the human world. Julia’s father felt like a rip off of the dad from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
The story is very simple. Luca is bored of his same day life, and wants something more. Alberto comes along and shows him not to be afraid of the human world. He tells him how they can become just like humans as long as they don’t come in contact with water. They have a dream of owning a Vespa so they can see the world. Once they find out they can win money from a town competition to buy a Vespa, they join Julia to make a team that can compete against Ercole, a town bully who has won the competition for the last five years. It follows every plot that comes with the typical competition trope. The three characters have to learn to trust each other and become closer friends. Luca and Alberto have to hide their secret or they might be killed. There’s a whole ‘I thought you were my friend’ scene near the end to split up the team. Bully is a bully who likes to cheat and exploit. Many things in this movie was predictable, but I enjoyed the character interactions despite their overused scenes.
The message is simply not everything goes according to plan. And honestly, I did not predict the movie ending the way it did. Sure, I honestly didn’t expect Luca and Alberto riding off into the sunset on the Vespa they wanted, despite that being their sole goal for the entire movie. But where Luca ends up fits his journey of coming out of his shell, and becoming his own person. Alberto also learns to open up and accept other people in his life, and to never hold on to one person forever, or it will smother their own growth.
I stand by this being a cute, harmless movie. Do I think it will stand the test of time for Pixar? No, not really. Again, there’s not a whole lot going on in this film. It’s like a whole puzzle put together, but it’s missing that one piece in the middle. And that piece is what I think holds this movie back from being great.
12. Toy Story 4 |
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I will start out by saying, this movie is beautiful. Pixar had really stepped up their animation game, and the outside is realistic without being photo-realistic (like The Good Dinosaur), but the toys even look more toy-like. When you can tell a character is made of plastic, versus one from rubber, you know their texture game in on point. However, when I first watched this movie, I had a sour taste in my mouth. Why does this movie exist? Toy Story 3 had a strong ending, and perfectly capped off a trilogy of movies that people came to accept. And yet we have Toy Story 4. It wasn’t until I watched for a second time that I realized some people hating this film just because it should have stopped at the third one was missing something very important.
The world building, while beautiful feels like a step down from the previous renditions. After four of these movies, I realize there isn’t many places left for a toy to be found in, but the carnival was a letdown. The antique store was a stronger stand out, but we don’t get to interact with any other toys except for the villain. I know this movie focuses more on the characters, but other than the antique store, the carnival doesn’t have strong pull on the narrative.
The characters are hit and miss, and this is what made me see why they made this movie. If you look at Toy Story as Andy’s toys finding their place, then yes, the people are correct, and this movie should have ended with the third one. However, if you look at this as Woody’s story, it makes a lot more sense. Woody is the reason this movie was made. We get to see how far the toy has come since the first movie, and we see he simply can’t slip back into his role as leader of the toys, since Bonnie’s room already had a toy in charge. He was never Bonnie’s favorite toy, and thus helps other toys enjoy their status, but he really struggles with what his purpose is. I sympathize with Woody, as he had helped Andy’s toys stay together this whole time, but can’t find a purpose for himself. Bo Peep also makes a return, as she has become a toy who is used to being childless, and has dedicated herself to helping other lost toys find a purpose. While I think this movie was needed to conclude Woody’s story, this movie gives jack all to do for the other toys. I find Buzz was assassinated the most, as he comes off dumber in this movie for some reason than previous renditions. Key and Peele also play bunnies from the carnival, and I groaned anytime they were on screen because their gags carried on for way too long to the point where I thought it was a little funny when the joke started, but they killed it by extending it.
The story for this one is centered on Woody finding purpose. At first, he tries to help Forky, a toy Bonnie created in school that magically came to life, become Bonnie’s favorite toy. And like with the first movie, he knows what responsibilities a favorite toy comes with, and tries to help Forky realize this. Woody turns this into his new found purpose, as Forky wants nothing to do with being a toy. But Woody is just reliving the glory days when he had a purpose in Andy’s room, something he hasn’t had since coming to Bonnie’s room. When he ends up lost with Forky, he runs into an antique store where he meets Gabby-Gabby, a doll from the 40s or 50s that hasn’t been played with due to her broken voice box. She wants Woody’s voice box in hopes to finally leave the antique store. Gabby-Gabby doesn’t feel like a typical villain, as she is more sympathetic. And while I don’t view her as a villain in this film, she makes a good antagonist to help Woody decide where his place is.
The message of your never too old to change is one we’ve seen before, but not in this way. Most would simply use this message for becoming a better person, but the way Toy Story 4 uses this is that you never have to feel subjugated to a way of life you don’t find value in anymore. You are free to explore and find new meaning, even if you think it might be too late.
This movie was necessary for Woody, and only Woody. When viewed as an overarching narrative, this movie is not as bad as people say it is. But if you view Toy Story as a series involving Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s toys, then Toy Story 3 is where this story should have ended.
The world building, while beautiful feels like a step down from the previous renditions. After four of these movies, I realize there isn’t many places left for a toy to be found in, but the carnival was a letdown. The antique store was a stronger stand out, but we don’t get to interact with any other toys except for the villain. I know this movie focuses more on the characters, but other than the antique store, the carnival doesn’t have strong pull on the narrative.
The characters are hit and miss, and this is what made me see why they made this movie. If you look at Toy Story as Andy’s toys finding their place, then yes, the people are correct, and this movie should have ended with the third one. However, if you look at this as Woody’s story, it makes a lot more sense. Woody is the reason this movie was made. We get to see how far the toy has come since the first movie, and we see he simply can’t slip back into his role as leader of the toys, since Bonnie’s room already had a toy in charge. He was never Bonnie’s favorite toy, and thus helps other toys enjoy their status, but he really struggles with what his purpose is. I sympathize with Woody, as he had helped Andy’s toys stay together this whole time, but can’t find a purpose for himself. Bo Peep also makes a return, as she has become a toy who is used to being childless, and has dedicated herself to helping other lost toys find a purpose. While I think this movie was needed to conclude Woody’s story, this movie gives jack all to do for the other toys. I find Buzz was assassinated the most, as he comes off dumber in this movie for some reason than previous renditions. Key and Peele also play bunnies from the carnival, and I groaned anytime they were on screen because their gags carried on for way too long to the point where I thought it was a little funny when the joke started, but they killed it by extending it.
The story for this one is centered on Woody finding purpose. At first, he tries to help Forky, a toy Bonnie created in school that magically came to life, become Bonnie’s favorite toy. And like with the first movie, he knows what responsibilities a favorite toy comes with, and tries to help Forky realize this. Woody turns this into his new found purpose, as Forky wants nothing to do with being a toy. But Woody is just reliving the glory days when he had a purpose in Andy’s room, something he hasn’t had since coming to Bonnie’s room. When he ends up lost with Forky, he runs into an antique store where he meets Gabby-Gabby, a doll from the 40s or 50s that hasn’t been played with due to her broken voice box. She wants Woody’s voice box in hopes to finally leave the antique store. Gabby-Gabby doesn’t feel like a typical villain, as she is more sympathetic. And while I don’t view her as a villain in this film, she makes a good antagonist to help Woody decide where his place is.
The message of your never too old to change is one we’ve seen before, but not in this way. Most would simply use this message for becoming a better person, but the way Toy Story 4 uses this is that you never have to feel subjugated to a way of life you don’t find value in anymore. You are free to explore and find new meaning, even if you think it might be too late.
This movie was necessary for Woody, and only Woody. When viewed as an overarching narrative, this movie is not as bad as people say it is. But if you view Toy Story as a series involving Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy’s toys, then Toy Story 3 is where this story should have ended.
11. Monsters
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I also always viewed this movie as unnecessary. Why do we need to see a university where monsters learn to scare? Why would I watch a movie that states how Mike and Sully met when it contradicts what was said in Monsters Inc.? This movie is also a prequel, which I still can’t get behind, but it’s handled a bit better than other prequels, and the message for this one really sells it.
The world building enhances the original by showing off how much the monster world is just like ours. Not once is the monster focus lost and even the buildings have a bit of flair to them to know what world we are in.
The characters are a bit different than what we see in Monsters Inc. since we see how they became the characters we know and love. I think Mike and Sully’s dynamic works in this. Sully is like the typical jock who just shows up and expects to be given everything because of his name sake. Mike is like the nerd who studies and knows everything there is about scaring, but can’t cut it as a scarer because of his looks. The whole time, I value Mike’s optimism as no matter how many times people look down on him or tell him he doesn’t have what it takes to be a scarer, he doesn’t give up. Sully learns to accept Mike for his intense knowledge, but its when these two combine their talents is when we get to see the Mike and Sully we know.
The story is a base line college plot that reminded me a bit of An Extremely Goofy Movie. In this case, Mike and Sully get kicked out of the scare program early on and have to join a scare competition similar to the real world x-games, but more monster inspired. They have to join a sorority of fellow monsters who have all been deemed losers. Mike is able to pull them together as a team, while Sully views the group as a waste of time who don’t have what it takes. Watching Mike’s optimism change Sully to being more of a team player and start to care for his new found friend hits harder when Sully knows Mike does not have what it takes to be a scarer, but wants him to succeed.
The message is what scores this film higher than it would’ve been otherwise. Being told that sometimes you can’t overcome any task by just believing in yourself is super strong and surprising for Pixar to spout. Yes, there will be disappointment in life. It’s true the thing you want to do most in life, you might not have the talent to do. But its how you have to accept this and learn to adapt yourself is what makes this a unique message that should be used more.
Monsters University still has many continuity issues that I think hold this back from being truly great. It does use the prequel status to show where Mike and Sully’s personalities developed from, and how they came to be at Monsters Inc. Monsters University is worth a watch for the message alone, because while there are better Pixar movies, I find this one had the most unique thing to say.
The world building enhances the original by showing off how much the monster world is just like ours. Not once is the monster focus lost and even the buildings have a bit of flair to them to know what world we are in.
The characters are a bit different than what we see in Monsters Inc. since we see how they became the characters we know and love. I think Mike and Sully’s dynamic works in this. Sully is like the typical jock who just shows up and expects to be given everything because of his name sake. Mike is like the nerd who studies and knows everything there is about scaring, but can’t cut it as a scarer because of his looks. The whole time, I value Mike’s optimism as no matter how many times people look down on him or tell him he doesn’t have what it takes to be a scarer, he doesn’t give up. Sully learns to accept Mike for his intense knowledge, but its when these two combine their talents is when we get to see the Mike and Sully we know.
The story is a base line college plot that reminded me a bit of An Extremely Goofy Movie. In this case, Mike and Sully get kicked out of the scare program early on and have to join a scare competition similar to the real world x-games, but more monster inspired. They have to join a sorority of fellow monsters who have all been deemed losers. Mike is able to pull them together as a team, while Sully views the group as a waste of time who don’t have what it takes. Watching Mike’s optimism change Sully to being more of a team player and start to care for his new found friend hits harder when Sully knows Mike does not have what it takes to be a scarer, but wants him to succeed.
The message is what scores this film higher than it would’ve been otherwise. Being told that sometimes you can’t overcome any task by just believing in yourself is super strong and surprising for Pixar to spout. Yes, there will be disappointment in life. It’s true the thing you want to do most in life, you might not have the talent to do. But its how you have to accept this and learn to adapt yourself is what makes this a unique message that should be used more.
Monsters University still has many continuity issues that I think hold this back from being truly great. It does use the prequel status to show where Mike and Sully’s personalities developed from, and how they came to be at Monsters Inc. Monsters University is worth a watch for the message alone, because while there are better Pixar movies, I find this one had the most unique thing to say.
And that's another part done. Next part will be the final one. The best of the best. The top ten. Stay tuned for the conclusion to this massive list. And remember to comment below if you agree or even disagree with me so far.