When Pixar was about to release 'Cars 3', I found myself teetering on my opinion of Pixar sequels altogether. This was yet another case when I wondered why 'The Incredibles' still hadn't earned a sequel, and they seemed to be milking the 'Cars' universe for more than it was worth. However, I did learn my lesson about jumping to conclusions with 'Finding Dory' and still decided to give it a shot. At the time, I hadn't seen 'Cars 2' yet, but considering most of the call-back in this has to do with the first film, I was okay, and actually pleasantly surprised. Plot-wise, the film sees the return of Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) as the main focus. He's still running his races, winning most, if not all of them, and pretty much at the top of his game. McQueen seems to have found his "happily ever after", and lived a good life alongside Sally (Bonnie Hunt) and the rest of his old friends from Radiator Springs, including good old Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). The fans and various crews still respect and admire his skill, but soon enough, a threat comes along in the form of a rookie racer named Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer); a cocky, decked out car with all the bells and whistles. In many ways, McQueen is now challenged by the Lightning McQueen personality we knew from the first film. With Storm comes a whole new set of Piston Cup Racers that have been decked out and customized, representing a next generation. Meanwhile, McQueen starts to lose his touch and, at one point, even wrecks himself on the track. But while his fellow racers and acquaintances from the track are starting to pack it in and retire, McQueen isn't quite ready to call it quits. He calls his sponsors at Rusteze, who bring him in to train on some of the new state of the art equipment the up-and-comers have been using. Eventually, he's introduced to his new trainer, Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), who tries to get McQueen back on his feet. But when McQueen jumps the gun to try to use an advanced simulator, he breaks it, and the new Rusteze owner, Sterling (Nathan Fillion), tries to get him to retire and make way for the new generation. McQueen, refusing to be beaten, decides to get away and practice his skills, bringing Cruz along. It's right around here when the viewer starts to see the story getting altered and becoming something you didn't quite expect, but to be fair, the way things end up are fairly predictable. Sometimes, however, predictable isn't necessarily bad. Even though you see things coming from a mile away, the execution is well done, and it really does make things feel like a wrapped-up trilogy. I don't know the plans for the future of this franchise, but it works a lot like 'Toy Story' in that, even if they do continue things, you can still choose to see things as a trilogy. Personally, I think things end on a pretty high note, at least as far as these films go. It's a vast improvement from 'Cars 2', and its an interesting take on "passing the torch", so to speak. The basic story here is the idea that something new comes along to push the old out, and there's not much one can do about it; like how talkies once replaced silent film. So, in my opinion, this is a more than worthy sequel to the first film, and I might treat the second film as more of a completely separate adventure for Mater fans. Once again, the Academy Award situation that year overlooked one film entirely only to award another Pixar film the Oscar (which happened in 2016 when 'Inside Out' won while 'The Good Dinosaur' was overlooked). Despite that though, I do find this one somewhat underrated. As much as I'm lukewarm towards the 'Cars' franchise, I really like the way this film ends on an inspirational note that suggests that sometimes an end can just be seen as a new beginning. 'Cars 3' doesn't entirely carry that Pixar magic with it, but I do appreciate its message despite perhaps being an odd one out with it. I understand how predictable it can get, and I understand why it's not the strongest Pixar title in the library. But as far as reaching me on a personal level, it does succeed in some ways. It's a lot like the first 'Cars' in that sense. All in all the movie is okay, and doesn't really tug on any heartstrings like may Pixar films do. But at the same time, you get what the movie is trying to say, and it's a message anyone can appreciate. I'd probably still consider the first 'Cars' my favourite of the bunch, but this does (at least to me) feel pretty on-par with it. It's not a favourite, but I can see revisiting it just for a bit of inspiration. 3/5
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I think if there was ever a Pixar film that floated somewhat under the radar, it would have to be this one. Surprisingly, when I talk about Pixar with some people, many either haven't heard about this one, or think it comes from another animation studio. It seems most often mistaken for Disney's 2000 release, 'Dinosaur!', which I always find interesting considering this was a 2015 release. The fact of the matter is, it's a pretty solid movie, but it was heavily overshadowed by 'Inside Out' that year, and admittedly, this just wasn't quite on the same level. The film opens, apparently, as an alternate history suggesting that the meteor that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs just passes Earth by instead. Millions of years later, this is ultimately how the world achieves an alternate reality wherein dinosaurs have adapted more humanistic traits, and human beings exist on a very animalistic level. Here, we meet a couple of Apatosaurus farmers, Henry and Ida (Jeffrey Wright and Frances McDormand, respectively) who have three children; Libby (Maleah Nipay-Padilla), Buck (Ryan Teeple/Marcus Scribner), and our story's hero, Arlo (Jack McGraw/Raymond Ochoa). While Libby and Buck are good at pulling their weight, Arlo can't quite seem to find his niche around the farm. One day, Henry sets Arlo up with the special task of trapping and killing whatever critter keeps stealing their darn corn. The critter in question is a human boy, eventually named Spot (Jack Bright), who Arlo can't bring himself to kill. Disappointed, Henry takes him out to look for the boy and finish the job, but along comes a storm followed closely by a tragedy of 'Lion King' proportions. A little while later, the Apatosaurus family struggles more with the workload following their loss. As a result, one day Arlo spots... Spot in their silo, and chases him out only to run into another bad accident, this time sweeping him far away from home. Eventually, as one can imagine, Arlo learns to befriend Spot (and give him his name) and together they help each other out on Arlo's long journey home. For me, this exists on a similar level as 'Brave' or 'Monsters University' in that it's all good and fun, but perhaps not the strongest Pixar pick in the library. Having said that, however, I can't really deny that there is at least a touch of that good old Pixar depth here. It's a film that teaches us about facing our fears and the fact that sometimes we just plain have to. It further dabbles in the idea of loss and coping, but also, perseverance through everything life throws at you. It's almost fascinating how bad Arlo gets it through this whole movie - it's like the epitome of "if it can go wrong, it probably will". With that, the film also shows us growth in Arlo's character that reaches as far as making your worst enemy your best friend - all due to a misunderstanding involving something as deep as the death of a loved one. This would mark the first year that Pixar would crank out two movies rather than just one for the summer or the Christmas season. Now, they were tackling both. But with 'Inside Out' coming first, and marking a sort of resurrection for Pixar, it heavily took this one over. It also does not help that the final 'Hunger Games' movie would be released just five days prior. I think this had its audience of children, but a lot of the older generation sort of let it pass by. Heck, even I watched 'Creed' that weekend instead, because between the two, I thought it would be far more interesting. The Academy would give Pixar an Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature, but it didn't go to this - in fact, the Academy didn't even give this one a chance - but the 'Globes' did! I still balance this film in my head as far as how much I like it. Just speaking for myself, I would probably consider this on the weakest end of the stronger side of Pixar, somewhat balanced with 'Brave' in that there's still heart, likable characters and solid animation with beautiful backgrounds. But it's not entirely original, and the thing that tugs on your heartstrings is a little more blunt. It doesn't quite reach me on that super special emotional level, but there's still something enjoyable about it, and the message it has to say is still a pretty positive one. This is a title that I would actually recommend checking out to anyone who may have skipped over it. On the whole, it's actually pretty good! 3/5 Here we have another one of my all-time Pixar faves, and this one has a lot to do with the idea of how the elderly might put up with the younger generation. It manages to provide a movie one might say is made for "grandparent and grandchild" as opposed to just a standard family flick. In that sense, it's actually pretty unique, and I find myself hard-pressed to come up with other titles that do it quite like this. This is one of those Pixar films that really does get me deep in the feels every time I watch it. It's probably safe to say that it has that effect on many. When we all saw the trailer for this, it looked like a fun movie coming to us from a solid Pixar lineup, including director Pete Docter, who sincerely made a name for himself with this movie, forever implanting himself in my head as my fave Pixar director. The reason for this is that he's not afraid to get deep with his films and speak to his whole audience like adults, while maintaining a fun, childlike innocence. His films are sort of always fun on the surface, but have something deeper going on within them. This one would veer away from what the trailer showed us, looking very much like a children's fantasy adventure and punch us straight in the heart with its opening sequence. This sequence involves a boy who grows up with a girl, they eventually get married, she becomes ill, and eventually passes away. The pair were adventure-seekers, and their goal was to visit Paradise Falls, Venezuela, but life kept getting in the way. After she passes, he becomes a bit of a recluse - the now grumpy and stubborn Carl Fredrickson (Ed Asner). Even though he's surrounded by construction, Carl refuses to relocate to any sort of retirement community, holding a close connection to the house he and Ellie spent their lives in. After a bit of a scuffle, Carl is court-ordered to move into a retirement community to live out his last days. Remembering his promise to make it to Paradise Falls, however, Carl creates an elaborate set-up of balloons that lift his house into the sky, and allow him to float away from all of his problems. Accidentally joining Carl on his adventure, is Russell (Jordan Nagai), a kid in the "Wilderness Explorers" (basically Boy Scouts) who just wants to help Carl so he can get his "Assisting the Elderly" badge. He provides much of the comic relief here as the curious and kind kid, and his contrast to Carl is often hilarious. I find myself with a big grin on my face when I listen to a lot of their interaction. Of course, a lot of their interaction is also kind of deep, and the film tackles some complex issues that sort of boil down to what it is to deal with love and loss, and interestingly enough, 'Up' does it in three very different ways. So fair warning, but the following could contain spoilers. The first is the obvious; Carl loses Ellie, his beloved wife, in death. The second has to do with Russell losing his father to a woman who isn't his mother. The third, and probably most overlooked, is when Carl meeting his hero, Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer) who ultimately ends up being the villain of the film. Through all of this, however, Carl and Russell persevere, and it's as though the film is out to tell us that even though we all experience our own losses in our own ways (and we all have to, as a part of life), there's always going to be that light at the end of the tunnel for us. Russell makes a friendship with Carl who becomes a father figure to him. As for Carl, he stands up to his former hero, ultimately learning he wasn't necessary for inspiration all this time. However, Ellie always was, and her inspiration to him continues even in death. The photo album scene might be one of the most touching moments in film, let alone Pixar's library. The film isn't without its fair share of over the top, and even pretty childish antics. This is seen mostly with that exotic bird, and dogs that have the ability to talk through their collars. At one point, these dogs even fly little airplanes. But because of the deeper moments of this film, for some reason, we can look past all that and just deem it "cute". Things don't have to make sense here (to some degree, anyway) because you still manage to walk away from it thinking about your own life, yet almost with a guarantee of a smile. This would go on to win the 5th Best Animated Picture Oscar of Pixar's library, making 'Cars' the only real speedbump in their track record since 'Finding Nemo'. This would also get nominated for Best Picture that year, making it only the second animated film in history to make it into the category. Funnily enough, the third and last to make it into the 'Best Picture' category is next up on the list! 5/5 As far as Pixar environments go, one of my all-time favourites is the oceanic world of 'Finding Nemo' (and 'Finding Dory' for that matter). The year was 2003, so all in all, this was pretty impressive in its showing off of what CG animation could do for the time. Everything Pixar creates certainly touches on providing varying environments, but there's something massively impressive about the detail of this underwater world, right down to being able to see blurry distortions and light ripples in the water, among other details. As the film opens, we are introduced to Marlin (Albert Brooks) and Coral (Elizabeth Perkins), who are just starting a family, and keeping a loving eye on their eggs. They've recently relocated themselves to a new sea anemone home on the Great Barrier Reef, and life is good. However, in true Pixar fashion, we learn that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows just because this is a cartoon. The nest is attacked by a barracuda, and Marlin loses Coral in the struggle. All is lost except for one lone egg, housing a fish with a deformed fin, decidedly named "Nemo", based on a name Coral liked. That's right folks, for as much praise as we give 'Up' for its heart-wrenching opener, 'Finding Nemo' certainly did the attention-grabbing tragic beginning first. As time passes, Nemo (Alexander Gould) grows to be a young boy, eager to start school. Marlin takes him to school where, unbeknownst to him, Nemo is to go on a field trip to "The Drop Off" - where the reef ends and the dangerous deep blue ocean begins. When Marlin finds out where they're going, his overprotective manner makes him chase down the class, as he knows first hand how dangerous the Drop Off can be. This embarrasses Nemo to the point of frustration, and just to show up his Dad, Nemo swims towards a nearby boat just so he can touch the bottom of it and prove to his Dad that he worries too much. However, this leads to Nemo's capture from a scuba diver (Bill Hunter) who brings him to a fish tank at his dentist office, under the impression he's rescuing him on account of his deformed fin. Now, Marlin must overcome his fears of the dangers of the ocean, and begin a journey to find his son. He's soon accompanied by everyone's favourite, Dory (Ellen DeGeneres); a royal blue tang fish, suffering from short term memory loss. Meanwhile, Nemo meets a variety of fish in his new tank home; Bloat the puffer fish (Brad Garrett); Peach the starfish (Allison Janney); Gurgle the royal gramma fish (Austin Pendleton); Bubbles the yellow tang fish (Stephen Root); Deb the black & white humbug fish (Vicki Lewis); Jacques the skunk cleaner shrimp (Joe Ranft); a visiting pelican named Nigel (Geoffrey Rush) and Gill the moorish idol fish (Willem Dafoe), who is plans to use Nemo's size for an elaborate escape plan that should get them all back into the ocean. Between Gill's plan and Marlin's long journey with Dory, the father and son do everything in their ability to find each other and reunite. One thing I appreciated this time around that I didn't fully take in before was that it's cool that they decided to go with two very different extremes of underwater environments for the film. This gives the CG I've always admired here an extra boost. On one hand, you have a fish tank, where the water is a little more crystal clear, and you can see what's going on outside of the tank. It lends itself to various types of distortion, the atmosphere is altogether bright and this is where a lot of the comedy relief comes from when Dory isn't on screen. On the other hand, you have the deep, dark ocean, where everything Marlin and Dory run into is something new and uniquely animate when you really think about it. Things like the jellyfish swarm, riding the current with the sea turtles, and the deep dark trench with the lanternfish offer quite a lot of variety. I never gave it any thought before, but they really played with the animation in this movie, making it, as far as Pixar films go, easily one of the most beautiful to look at. I had to admit so much to myself upon this viewing that I took for granted the several times I've watched before. When I really think about it, this movie actually has everything I like about Pixar within it, but for some reason, I never picked up on it before. It provides the viewer with beautiful CG environments, a lot of likable characters done with solid voice acting (and yes, John Ratzenberger comes back again, keeping his ongoing track record), it gauges every emotion (especially with its opening), and it's a solid family adventure that manages to providing morals for both kids and adults. The film is thoroughly good enough that it would win Pixar its first Oscar for Best Animated Feature, beating Disney's other big entry that year, 'Brother Bear'. But this was only the beginning for Pixar. From here, as most of us know, they would eventually become the epitome of Oscar bait animation. 5/5 |
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