By Charlie Schutt
I was trying to think of a timely article to write the other day, and nothing came to mind. The summer movie release schedule is in full swing, but I’d already covered “Top Gun”, and I have very little experience with the Jurassic Park franchise beyond the original film. So, in light of the release of “Lightyear”, I decided to try and convince everyone that Pixar is the best studio out there.
I think it’s hard for any of us to say when we fell in love with Pixar, but I think we all remember the feeling of sitting down for a family movie and leaving with a new outlook on life. The first two Pixar films that I can recall watching are “WALL-E” and “A Bug’s Life”. To be clear, those are on two different ends of the spectrum. “WALL-E” is a beautiful exploration of the human race and climate change, while “A Bug’s Life” is about finding out the person that you are and standing up for yourself (“A Bug’s Life” is also blatantly inferior to “WALL-E”). But the point is that both have a message, and it’s a message that is clear to parents and children alike.
This week Pixar released their 26th feature film in 27 years. “Lightyear” is a movie that I have been anticipating for months as a fan of both science fiction and Pixar. However, it debuted to 51 million dollars. For an animated film, a 51 million dollar opening is to die for. However, in Pixar’s case, they have to make back the 200 million that they spent to make the film, likely meaning that “Lightyear” will lose money at the box office (apologies to those of you that want a sequel). This isn’t something that happens to Pixar often, as 15 of their films are in the Top 50 highest grossing films of all time. To be clear, that means that Pixar makes up 30% of the chart. However, even with the financial failure that “Lightyear” is bound to be, it’s holding a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although this score is less than the average Pixar film, it is by no means a bad score. For example, “Braveheart”, “Black Hawk Down” and “Gangs of New York” all range from 72-77% on the Tomato Meter. “Braveheart” won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and “Gangs of New York” was nominated for the same award (Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t decide a film’s fate). In honor of Pixar adding another film to the family, I’ve decided to share my Top Five Pixar films, and explain how each one touches me in a different way.
#5: Cars 3
“Listen to me! You got into his head! Don't you understand? He wouldn’t have done that if you didn't scare him. He sees something in you that you don't even see in yourself. You made me believe it. Now, you gotta believe it too. You’re a racer! Use that!”
“He said what?!?” Yes, Cars 3 is in my top five. Personally, I feel that the Cars films have gotten an inexcusable amount of hate over the years. Yes, “Cars 2” is possibly one of the worst films I’ve ever seen, but “Cars” is a great film, and “Cars 3” has always been my favorite of the three.
Let me explain. The film opens with an aging Lightning McQueen at the top of his career. He has great friends, a great legacy, and a good retirement from the sport ahead of him. But, just when things are going his way, Jackson Storm pulls up from behind and wins his first race. Throughout the movie, Storm poses a threat to Lightning, both on and off the track. If Lightning keeps losing to Storm, he’ll be forced to retire early and sell products for the new management at Rust-Eze. So, to prepare for the deciding race, Lightning gets help from a personal trainer named Cruz Ramirez. We later learn that Cruz had attempted a career in racing, but was quickly shut down by other racers. At the end of the film, Lightning chooses to give up his last chance to race in order to give Cruz a shot at her dream. Although the film has lighthearted parts, and doesn’t necessarily carry the same deep, philosophical meaning that “Coco” or “Soul” does, it reminds me how important it is to consider others, and how, “Sometimes, to do what’s right we have to give up the things we want the most. Even our dreams.”
#4: The Incredibles
“When everyone’s super, no one will be.”
Should this one be higher? Quite possibly. But the fact that this is only in fourth place is a testament to how great of a studio Pixar truly is. When Pixar launched with “Toy Story” in 1995, I don’t think anyone could tell where this studio was headed. The next few years would see the release of classics like “Monsters Inc.” and “Finding Nemo”, but no one was prepared for Pixar to try and break into the superhero genre. “The Incredibles” was released the same year as Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man 2”. However, “The Incredibles” is rated higher critically, with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. This was director Brad Bird’s second feature film, his first being a little movie called, “The Iron Giant”, which went on to win numerous awards. However, I doubt even he was prepared for the accolades that “The Incredibles” was going to receive.
What is there to say about this film, other than that it lives up to its name? The first thing that I want to point out is simply the perfection of the family dynamics here. Bob Parr is the average dad, who wants the best for his kids, but doesn’t exactly know how to express that. Helen Parr is the strong foundation for the family, keeping the peace and doing the hard work of parenting two superpowered children (We don’t learn about Jack-Jack’s powers until the end of the film). Violet is the typical teenage girl, dealing with growing up, boys, and school. What I love about her character is that she seems shy, but is completely confident when she puts on her mask. The amazing part of that is that when she’s in the mask, she’s allowed to be her true, superpowered self. Pixar is subtly telling us that it’s much easier to be the person that you are then who everyone else thinks you should be. Dash is the Yin to Violet’s Yang. He’s a troublemaker who wants to use his powers in front of everyone. He believes that he should be able to show off his gifts, rather than keeping them hidden, which gets him into trouble more than once. The true art of “The Incredibles” is this: it’s a movie for adults in children’s packaging.
Everything about the movie makes you think that it’s for children. Dash and Violet are both kids, and much of the movie is action and comedy. All of this appeals to the younger generation. Besides that, it’s an animated film, which are traditionally geared towards children. However, after rewatching “The Incredibles”, I’ve realized that it has more of a message for adults. The main character of “The Incredibles” is an adult man, Bob Parr. The previous five Pixar films had main characters that included toys, bugs, monsters, and fish. The only main human characters in Pixar prior to this were Andy, Sid, and Boo from “Monsters Inc.” All three were children. Instead of focusing on toys and animals, “The Incredibles” focuses on the journey of an adult man rediscovering the person that he used to be, and finding a reason to get back to doing what he loves. There are subtle messages about desk jobs, marital trust, and raising kids. Not exactly targeted towards a 6 year-old. Beside all of this, the music, visuals, action and story are absolutely phenomenal, and I would recommend this movie to anyone, not just fans of the genre.
#3: Ratatouille
“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.”
Another film directed by the excellent Brad Bird, "Ratatouille" has always been one of my favorite Pixar films. However, it never crossed into the top 5 until recently. I rewatched the film in December, and I came away with a whole new perspective. On a surface level, the message of "Ratatouille" has always been to follow your dreams, no matter how outrageous they might seem to those around you. And don't get me wrong, that's an incredible message to send to kids. But what I figured out is that the movie has much more to offer than that. Specifically the dynamic that Remy has with his father, Django. Throughout the film, we watch from Remy's point of view. We see his father as unaccepting, pressuring Remy into doing something wrong, and then eventually returning to a good relationship at the end of the film, but I had never considered Django's side of the story. He's in charge of the clan, and his successor (Remy) wants nothing to do with the family. He wants to strike out on his own and experiment with food of all things. Not only would that leave the clan in the incapable hands of Émile, it's also a dangerous world for Remy to be living in. Django only wants what's best for the clan, and for his son. The problem is that he's a little shortsighted. Watching the movie with his character in mind gives it levels of depth that Brad Bird himself might not have even intended. All in all, Ratatouille is an amazing film that deserves much more praise than it gets. After all, who doesn’t love a movie about food?
#2: Toy Story
"In that house there is a child who thinks you are the best, and not because you are a stellar guardian, friend, it is because you are a toy".
To say that Pixar came out swinging would be an understatement. To date, their first film remains at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, a score that they’ve retained since the site has existed. Considered an instant classic by critics and audiences alike, “Toy Story” was the film that made Pixar. If not for the incredible story, iconic characters and groundbreaking animation, we might not be sitting here today. What was accomplished in 1995 was already amazing from a technical standpoint, but I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to tell you how this film affected me. Where most kids grew up on the “Toy Story” films, I wasn’t so lucky. The earliest I can remember watching “Toy Story” was probably 2013. At that point in my life, I would have been about Andy’s age in the film, and at the peak of my playing-with-toys stage.
What works so well about this film is how two-dimensional it is. Yes, that was an animation joke. But seriously, on a story level, you get the perspective of Woody throughout the film, but you also get constant flashbacks to the toys at Andy’s house. You watch as they slowly realize what Woody is trying to do to Buzz, and as Woody himself realizes his own mistake. Throughout the film, Woody goes from the patriarch of the toy community to a great friend to Buzz. That relationship inherently makes him a better leader in future movies, and his arc is one of the best of any character put to film, I would propose. The message that the film sends about teamwork and accepting new people is one of the most important messages to send families, as many children struggle with including new siblings or friends in their circle. Besides all of this, as I mentioned earlier, “Toy Story” is one of the most important animated films of all time. Only second place to…
#1: Up
“Adventure is out there.”
Other than “The Lion King”, “Up” might just be my favorite animated film of all time. The music alone is enough to give me chills, and the voice work from Ed Asner was a career defining moment (that came pretty late in his career). The animation is beautiful, and the story is even more so. The light-hearted presence of Russell gives the film an airy feel, although the subject matter is so heavy. The inclusion of brightly colored side characters like Kevin and Dug gave the movie a fun angle, and helped Pixar sell a lot of toys. Charles Muntz was a villain that seemed so innocent at the beginning, but grew more and more sinister as the film progressed. I mean, he was ready to kill a man to get what he wanted. Besides that, he would have to imprison Russell at the very least. We’re talking about a child here. To be honest, Muntz might have been the scariest movie villain as a child, other than (sorry to throw “The Lion King” in here again) Scar and the hyenas. His voice was also terrifically portrayed by Christopher Plummer.
What I love about this movie most of all is the analogy that it presents. We watch as Carl Fredrickson comes to terms with the death of his wife, and the loss of his best friend. We see him learn to love someone as much as he loved Ellie, and we see him sacrifice his own home to save Russell. I think what strikes me the most about the film is that Russell needed Carl as much as Carl needed him. He doesn’t have a father figure, and he finds one in the old man. Carl also learns that he and Ellie’s idol was not only a fraud, but also a horrible person. The movie presents all of these things through the lens of a fun adventure film, but underneath is a deep and human story about love, loss, family, heroes, and what it means to live life to its fullest. For all these reasons and more, Pixar is my favorite studio, and “Up” is my favorite of their films.
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