Pixar and the Movie Up

I remember when I had just turned ten. It was the summer my grandfather was in a car accident, and my mother took me and my brother to take care of him in N.C. It was also the summer the first Toy Story came out, and I was… fanatical. I adored the film. Woody was my all-time favorite childhood toy. I wanted to get the pull-string doll so bad, but it would be a year before I could find them available in stores. For that summer, I just had an action figure of Woody and Buzz Lightyear I bought at Kroger, of all places.

And with each new Pixar film, I grew to like computer animated films more and more, and more relevantly, I was convinced Pixar had a great thing going. Not all of their films would be as popular as the next, and many may care less about certain subject like race cars they depicted in the movie Cars. Still, you have to acknowledge that Pixar is one of the most family-friendly, creative pools of hard-working people alive. From their humble beginnings, Pixar has become one, if not the number one, most influential family movie maker of this generation.

When there is an exceptionally brilliant stream of creativity from one studio, you know it’s more than a coincidence that each new film is so successful. Pixar films are not shots in the dark when they come to screen. The Pixar crew does more than the usual share of homework, and they come out with fantastic pictures because of their dedication, attention to detail, and appreciation for the finer, moral, relationships in life.

What’s your favorite Pixar film?

While there is much to like about each of them, and I was a diehard fan of the Toy Story movies, today, I think it’s WALL•E. With Pixar’s latest on my mind, Up, now in theaters, I watched the DVD commentary to WALL•E Sunday evening. It the third time I’ve watched WALL•E, and I can’t think of anything I don’t like. The music, imagery, story, characters, originality all sing. The picture is a reminder that artistry and movies still have ample room to tell original stories.

What do you think of the Pixar/Disney Alliance?

This concerns me, naturally. It would be like the New York Yankees joining the Minnesota Twins. Disney has their moments, and they are exceptionally few and far between. Not only do they lack story telling talent, I’m convinced Disney is terribly commercialized and lost to all things worldly. Do I think there’s hope? Absolutely. Pixar is, hopefully, better than Disney is bad. I hope that Pixar will revitalize its adopted parent, and together they will only give many more fantastic movie classics in the decades to come. Still, I am wary.

Who’s better: Woody or Buzz Lightyear?

Woody. Buzz is a fad, and fifty years from now, he’ll be a relic of childhood toys. Woody? He’s a classic American icon of yesteryear. He may not be the rootin’est tootin’est today, but wherever westerns and childhood things are remembered, Woody would be near the top of the list.

Are you going to see Up in theater?

I don’t know. I would like to, but no one will watch it with me. I’m alone in my circles of entertainment that wants to see it. I think it would be worth it, but I really don’t want to watch it by my lonesome. I’m not a lone ranger at the theater. Going to the movies has to be a social event for me. [Update] I’ve heard that if you see Up in theaters, skip the 3D showing. It’s nice, but not worth the extra.

Do you think Up will do well in theaters?

Pixar has taken great risks and pains to get originality and creativity. Consequentially, the surface level of some of their stories may not appeal to wide audiences at the get-go in theaters. Up may be too original for its own good. A duo of an old man, and a boy scout (of sorts), are two reletively misfit characters in today’s cuture. They are uniquely unpopular personnas. Old people don’t particularly like old people stories, and youth rarely relate to old people. That said, if anyone can pull off a great entertainment value, and get you to appreciate characters you never saw value in before, it would be Pixar. I think they know what they’re doing, and they can pull another surprise for us all.
So what do you think? Does Pixar have the wherewithall to reform Disney? Does Up stand a chance against the greatness of The Incredibles and Monsters Inc.? Who’s your favorite Toy Story toy? Don’t be shy; leave a quick comment and let me know what you think.
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