Finding Dory

The absentminded blue tang fish enlists the help of an unwilling Marlin and the recently located Nemo in a quest to find her parents with a major detour taking them through a marine wildlife relocation facility. Pixar's much anticipated sequel to Finding Nemo has its moments and some new characters and voice actors really hit their marks (Albert Brooks is a welcomed return also) but is confoundingly plotted with overly slick animation and another disappointing signal from an animation studio that seems to be running low on ideas and gearing its features less and less towards adults.

** 1/2 out of ****

Inside Out

When a young girl is uprooted from her Minnesota home and moved to San Francisco when her father takes a new job her emotions, personified in their various manifestations, must traverse these new foreboding waters and, when Sadness runs out of control, must go to extremes to restore balance.  Inside Out is a high concept film geared towards kids, though it takes a higher, somewhat darker aim in its latter stages.The animation ranges from cheesy to exceptional and the voice work is equally hodgepodge, all resulting in a fine rebound for Pixar but not nearly the triumph it has been proclaimed to be.

*** out of ****

Monsters, Inc.

In Monstropolis, creatures of all shapes and sizes dwell in a city powered by screams and the top scream earner/mega-celebrity is James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) always accompanied by his faithful companion, the wisecracking Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal). While the screams fuel the city, its inhabitants are deathly afraid of human contact, and when a rambunctious little girl enters their realm, it places Sully and Mike in jeopardy, causing a chain reaction that uncovers a deep rooted conspiracy in the Monster City. Pixar's third feature outing is an amiable, imaginative film which doesn't play as well it's second time through (I'm finding that about a lot of the films I've revisited lately) and is more geared towards kids than adults. The voicework from Goodman and Crystal is excellent and while much of the foreground animation is creative, I noticed that the background elements appeared cheap and rough-hewn.

During its theatrical release, it was accompanied by the Oscar winning short For the Birds, posted below

Brave

The defiantly independent princess to a newfound Scottish dynasty resists her mothers instructions to chose a suitor from one of the other three ruling clans. When it appears the queen will not relent, the princess resorts to other, more magical means which will have an opposing effect and ultimately test her courage, teach her about responsibility, and unite her with her parents. Pixar's latest offering begins as a sweeping and majestic wonder as our hero glides through the Highlands on her horse while demonstrating her prowess at archery. The film settles down into something more mundane, resembling any number of routine animated films before evolving into something creepy bordering on disturbing before pushing towards the gates with a strong finish. The voicework is strong. I could listen to Kelly Macdonald ("Boardwalk Empire", "No Country for Old Men") all day long in the leading role, and Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson are equally fine as her parents. These characters are invested with the same weight given to dwellers of other great(er) Pixar movies, but other characters and elements seem lifted straight out of the stockpile animators turn to when the well runs dry. 

note: Do not see this in 3D, as it does a disservice to what is truly a beautiful film by dimming and clouding its luminous scenery.

The Oscar nominated short "La Luna" plays before the feature, which is a sweet little film about an old man and his son teaching his boy the ropes of the family business.

A Bug's Life

An ant colony spends its days gathering food for the grasshoppers who provide protection. When an accident prone ant named Flik accidentally sabotages the offering and the evil grasshopper leader threatens to kill the colony if they do not have double the food by the end of summer, Flik sets out on a mission to find heroic ants to protect his kind from the grasshoppers. Instead of heroes he comes back with a band of misfit circus performers who endear themselves to the ants and come up with a crazy plan to rid the colony of the grasshoppers. When I decided to revisit the Pixar films and looked over the digital movies they made, I was surprised that A Bug's Life was an output of that studio. Now having rewatched the movie its no shock that I had disassociated it. A Bug's Life is kind of a lame movie, the type of animated film that blends in with the rest of the crop and doesn't meet the standards that Pixar has set, those standards being endearing characters, intelligent plotting, and material that appeals to adults as well as children. On top of not meeting these criterion, I didn't even find the animation to be very inspired. Also insects are simply off putting and this movie just can't make them likable. I did like some of the sequences in the film, particularly some of the circus scenes and the segment with the manufactured bird. I also enjoyed some of the voicework as well, particularly by Kevin Spacey and Richard Kind as two of the grasshoppers. Still this is not the kind of work indicative of its makers, and considering that it was written and directed by Pixar titans John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton, this one really is a disappointment.

Geri's Game
This was the short that played before A Bug's Life during its theatrical run and is also available on the DVD. I've posted it below as well. It is a nice little Academy Award winning short about an old man in the park contesting himself in a chess game.

Cars 2

Enjoying his time away from racing in Radiator Springs, Lightning McQueen is goaded by his best friend Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) into entering the World Grand Prix, which takes place in Tokyo, Rome, and London. At the first event Mater embarrasses McQueen and then goes on to cost him the race. Depressed, the lovable tow truck soon meets two secret agents (Michael Caine and Emily Mortimer) and soon becomes involved in a complex espionage mission. The original Cars was probably the weakest link in Pixar's titanium chain, but it still offered a story that adults could enjoy. With Cars 2, the animation company breaks their string of sturdy offerings that appeal to adults and children alike, and makes a feature that is just like every other inane computer animated film. Yes, the visuals are of the highest quality and the company was wise to hire Michael Caine for voicework to replace the late great Paul Newman, but the story is not strong enough to maintain interest and the jokes are geared towards little kids. This isn't so much of a sequel to Cars as it is a spinoff of that movie for the Larry the Cable Guy's character, whose in it for so much and whose voice is only tolerable for so long. Although this is not on the same level as the other Pixar work, it is a modest and watchable entry, and with three new interesting titles in the work (a fourth Toy Story, a second Monster's Inc., and Brave, an original) I'm sure the studio will be working at the same level it made its reputation on.

The movie opens with a short featuring the Toy Story characters called Hawaiian Vacation where Ken and Barbie aren't taken along with the family for their vacation, and are treated to a holiday anyways courtesy of the other toys. It is well made and funny and made me long for some of the other Pixar titles while the feature played.

Cars

For someone who doesn't know a Buick from a Benz, I was expected to be totally bored with Cars, a film that definitely holds a high appeal for auto enthusiasts. However, I found myself pleasantly surprised with the movie, which really shouldn't be all that surprising since it is the product of the Pixar animated studio. Cars tells the story of Lightning McQueen, a brash and cocky rookie racecar who is on his way to super stardom and has little use for the help or camaraderie of anyone else. After being a part of a three way tie for the prestigious Piston Cup, McQueen makes his way to California for the tie breaking race where he plans on being lauded with gifts, praise, and women. On the way however, he makes an accidental detour in a small and forgotten town. As circumstances continuously prevent him from leaving, he gradually begins to warm to the residents of the town and the idea of friendship. I wouldn't argue that Cars is among the finest of the Pixar films, yet still it is an affable little film which contains great and inventive visuals. The film also represents the last film of Paul Newman, whose great presence is even felt here with voice work. It is fitting that Newman's last role is that of an old auto racing car, as Newman raced cars himself, even  up until the final years of his life. Here, even in a lesser movie for his company, John Lasseter and his crew have fashioned another animated film which sets the bar for the genre and refuses to reduce itself to a childlike level.

One Man Band
This is the short that played before the theatrical release of Cars, and is also available on the DVD. It is another nice little short that Pixar studios do so well and tells the story of two street musicians vying for the coin of a little girl
Mater and the Ghostlight
This is another short made for the DVD release that tells the story of the lovable tow truck from the feature and how he becomes wrapped in a myth about the eerie Ghostlight.

Toy Story 1 & 2

Toy Story 1 & 2 are great films that  I revisit now and again, the last time for its 3D theatrical release, which has motivated me to rewatch the Pixar films again. Still, both films retain the magic that was present in its original release. Although they are technical marvel, the first installment being the premier animated film done entirely by computer and looking great, it knows that craftsmanship isn't enough. It also contains great voice work and an Oscar nominated script that generates real concern for its characters. As many have already noted, Toy Story deserves its place in the pantheon of great films.

****

The Adventures of Andre and Wally B

This is the short that played before Toy Story during its release, and is actually the first computer animated film ever made. It tells the story of a cartoonish creature being awakened and chased by a bee. It is only two minutes long and primitive by today's standards, but earns its rating when I found out it was made in 1984.

****

Luxo Jr.
This short played theatrically before the release of Toy Story 2

Toy Story 3

If you were asked to think of a name you associated with reliability in Hollywood, one of the first among the few names that comes to your mind should be Pixar. With Toy Story 3, they have added what may be their best film in an already impressive series by again using computer animation to tell a comedic, dramatic, and action story. Just this time on a bigger scale. As for the plot, Andy has grown up and is on his way to college. Having little use but much affection for his toys, he decides to take Woody with him and pack the rest of the gang away in the attic. Through a few mishaps, the toys end up as the latest donations to a daycare, which seems like a utopia to the toys where they believe they will be played with until the end of their days. However there is a sinister side to their new residence, and decisions and choices must be made as to where the toys want to end up. Despite the utter uselessness of the 3D (save your money and see it in 2D), Toy Story 3 is wonderful film that contains all the elements we seek out when going to the movies.

***1/2

Day and Night

This is the short animated film that precedes the feature. It shows a cartoon version of daytime meeting with his counterpart nighttime and explores the differences between the two. It is classically animated (I think) and is actually pretty inventive and a nice intro for the great feature.

***1/2