Random Rambles: Pixar
As many people have already noted, Pixar seems to be declining. Ever since Cars 2, the quality of each movie seemed slightly inferior compared to what we were used to. Cars 2 was the biggest flop they've ever had which left us wondering whether or not Pixar would rebound. Sure enough, they came back with Brave and Monsters University but these movies weren't quite up to par with Pixar's masterpieces that adults and children both adore. I myself am a die-hard Pixar fanboy who loves the "glory days" in which each movie they produced was a work of art in its own right. The artistic and metaphorical meaning behind each film was something to be dissected which made each hit like a high quality sugar high that gets better and better. Each movie grows on you and you notice details after each viewing. Sure even then the quality did vary but each film was still distinctive and crafty in its own respect.
Let's start in Pixar's timeline. Toy Story was released and everyone loved it and I mean everyone. People were amazed at this new computer technology that produced such stunning graphics. Looking back on it, the visuals don't seem all that spectacular but Toy Story was the pioneer in computer graphics and proved that animation could become even more outstanding. The movie itself was also amazing by calling back nostalgic memories of childhood while entertaining children. I won't go into too much depth because each Pixar movie could warrant its own post based on how great it was. Then came A Bug's Life which improved the graphics while offering a fresh way for story-telling. Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. proved Pixar was getting better and better.
Then came Finding Nemo. While it may have had the best plot, its visuals were so mind-blowing that everybody had this as their favorite. Pixar continued to wow us again and again with these films. However after The Incredibles came Cars which seemed to have audiences less impressed. All their pessimistic thoughts toward Pixar were dashed when Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3 came under Pixar's title. These were possibly the best we'd ever seen from Pixar and the engaging plot provided more thought-provoking questions that focused on long term hardships and personal stories that connected directly to the audience. Critics and anyone else were raving about Pixar. Pixar proved that animation didn't have to just engage the children, it could provide ethical and moral dilemmas through each adventure. Pixar made it so that animation wasn't exclusively for the younger audience and while Disney did do this to some degree in the past, they were past their golden age while Pixar was for the current generation. Pixar took Disney's rein.
Many other companies followed suit. Companies like Dreamworks and Disney were aggressive competitors until Disney and Pixar combined. Dreamworks proved to be a competent producer of animated films but they had good and bad movies that didn't hold a light to Pixar's legacy. Disney struggled to start its animation industry again and succeeded though not up to Pixar's quality. They made their break with Wreck-It Ralph and so far seem to be doing well though they had a huge flop with the obvious sellout Planes. Animated TV shows also proved to be entertaining for the whole family as shows like The Powerpuff Girls had adult jokes. Pixar essentially redefined the genre after its decline from Disney's original hand-drawn cartoons.
But then we had to get Cars 2. Let's face it, as much as I defend this movie it was a movie designed to sell toys. With a weak plot but excellent animation, this movie was a huge flop. Cars was already an okay movie and making a sequel was just asking for a huge "train wreck." After this movie, Pixar enthusiasts were doubting Pixar's magic. What if they lost their touch? What will happen to the animation industry now? Who will carry on the torch?
Well, Brave and Monsters University came out as a comeback. Only this didn't have the same Pixar charm that made each film so precious. Pixar's main special ingredients to making a great movie was their compelling storylines and touching moments that really spoke to the audience. Brave and Monsters University were not great because Brave's touching moments seemed cliched and trite. Monsters University strove for comedy but lost its charm that way by abandoning what made it so Pixar. While other Pixar movies had its laughs, they conveyed their message through great emotional moments but Monsters University fails because the emotional moments weren't that...well, emotional. I hate to say it but Pixar's masterpiece period is over.
But who knows? Maybe Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur can prove that Pixar still has it in them. Maybe the flame inside them still burns on, only waiting for the proper fanning to give us instant classics. But while we wait for their movies in 2015, other companies will overtake Pixar. While I'll still be a die-hard Pixar fanboy, it's time to look past their old masterpieces and see how the animation industry will fare now. Maybe Disney or Dreamworks can prove that animation truly is a wondrous art form.
Let's start in Pixar's timeline. Toy Story was released and everyone loved it and I mean everyone. People were amazed at this new computer technology that produced such stunning graphics. Looking back on it, the visuals don't seem all that spectacular but Toy Story was the pioneer in computer graphics and proved that animation could become even more outstanding. The movie itself was also amazing by calling back nostalgic memories of childhood while entertaining children. I won't go into too much depth because each Pixar movie could warrant its own post based on how great it was. Then came A Bug's Life which improved the graphics while offering a fresh way for story-telling. Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. proved Pixar was getting better and better.
Then came Finding Nemo. While it may have had the best plot, its visuals were so mind-blowing that everybody had this as their favorite. Pixar continued to wow us again and again with these films. However after The Incredibles came Cars which seemed to have audiences less impressed. All their pessimistic thoughts toward Pixar were dashed when Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3 came under Pixar's title. These were possibly the best we'd ever seen from Pixar and the engaging plot provided more thought-provoking questions that focused on long term hardships and personal stories that connected directly to the audience. Critics and anyone else were raving about Pixar. Pixar proved that animation didn't have to just engage the children, it could provide ethical and moral dilemmas through each adventure. Pixar made it so that animation wasn't exclusively for the younger audience and while Disney did do this to some degree in the past, they were past their golden age while Pixar was for the current generation. Pixar took Disney's rein.
Many other companies followed suit. Companies like Dreamworks and Disney were aggressive competitors until Disney and Pixar combined. Dreamworks proved to be a competent producer of animated films but they had good and bad movies that didn't hold a light to Pixar's legacy. Disney struggled to start its animation industry again and succeeded though not up to Pixar's quality. They made their break with Wreck-It Ralph and so far seem to be doing well though they had a huge flop with the obvious sellout Planes. Animated TV shows also proved to be entertaining for the whole family as shows like The Powerpuff Girls had adult jokes. Pixar essentially redefined the genre after its decline from Disney's original hand-drawn cartoons.
But then we had to get Cars 2. Let's face it, as much as I defend this movie it was a movie designed to sell toys. With a weak plot but excellent animation, this movie was a huge flop. Cars was already an okay movie and making a sequel was just asking for a huge "train wreck." After this movie, Pixar enthusiasts were doubting Pixar's magic. What if they lost their touch? What will happen to the animation industry now? Who will carry on the torch?
Well, Brave and Monsters University came out as a comeback. Only this didn't have the same Pixar charm that made each film so precious. Pixar's main special ingredients to making a great movie was their compelling storylines and touching moments that really spoke to the audience. Brave and Monsters University were not great because Brave's touching moments seemed cliched and trite. Monsters University strove for comedy but lost its charm that way by abandoning what made it so Pixar. While other Pixar movies had its laughs, they conveyed their message through great emotional moments but Monsters University fails because the emotional moments weren't that...well, emotional. I hate to say it but Pixar's masterpiece period is over.
But who knows? Maybe Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur can prove that Pixar still has it in them. Maybe the flame inside them still burns on, only waiting for the proper fanning to give us instant classics. But while we wait for their movies in 2015, other companies will overtake Pixar. While I'll still be a die-hard Pixar fanboy, it's time to look past their old masterpieces and see how the animation industry will fare now. Maybe Disney or Dreamworks can prove that animation truly is a wondrous art form.
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