Thoughts on Soul, Wonder Woman 1984, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Another Round, and more.
Continue reading David’s Watch Diary: December 2020, Part 2Tag Archives: pixar
David’s Watch Diary: March 2020
Thoughts on Onward, Avenue 5, Emma, and much more as we all stay inside.
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Review: ‘INCREDIBLES 2’ Is Worth the Wait
After 14 years, Brad Bird and Pixar’s superpowered family is back in action and it feels so good.
Review: Pixar’s ‘COCO’ Is a Musical Delight
The animation studio’s latest is another technological leap forward and places an affectionate spotlight on Mexican culture.
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Review: ‘CARS 3’ Finds a Comfortable (If Unremarkable) Gear
The world of CARS is still utter lunacy, but there’s something satisfying about this unwanted third installment.
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Review: ‘FINDING DORY’s’ Waters Run Deep
Pixar’s sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo flips the script, but keeps the poignancy.
Review: Pixar’s ‘THE GOOD DINOSAUR’ Is Just Okay
Would you even know this was a Pixar film without the jumping lamp at the beginning?
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Review: ‘INSIDE OUT’ Is Another Pixar Masterpiece
Pixar’s first film in two years takes its place among the studio’s very best — which is really saying something.
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Re-View: MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
Not only one of Pixar’s flat-out funniest films, MONSTERS UNIVERSITY is surprisingly moving and resonant, and shows that rumors of the legendary studio’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
David’s Favorite Films, #25: RATATOUILLE
It’s not a huge secret that many Pixar productions, at least to outsiders, take on the appearance of being “troubled.” The animation juggernaut has produced commercial and critical hit after hit* since the original Toy Story set the industry on fire back in 1995, but the production process has occasionally hit some speed bumps.
Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.
-Anton Ego
Toy Story 2 was rescued from the direct-to-video trash heap and given a brand-new script. John Lasseter took over Cars 2 from the original director when that film started to have problems. Mark Andrews took the reins of Brave after Brenda Chapman (Pixar’s first female director) was dismissed. Even the highly-respected Bob Peterson was relieved from next year’s The Good Dinosaur, reasons unknown (fortunately, he’s not leaving the company).
We may never know what the original Ratatouille would have looked like, and on what scale Brad Bird made changes when he came in to replace Jan Pinkava, but we do know this: Bird crafted an exceptional film.