Copyright 2009, Disney/PixarFor a time, this will be the last Pixar-related post on the blog, unless it's in regards to the box office success (or lack thereof, but I doubt such bad things will happen) of the latest release, Up or, who knows, maybe another Pixar story will seep through the cracks. Assuming such things don't happen, this is the last one for now. Some of you may be happy, some of you may be sad, but so it goes.
As mentioned in a previous post, I figured I'd spend my final post as a backwards countdown of my favorite Pixar films, which is a harder list to make than I'd have originally thought. Let's say this much: there's a big divide between the Pixar films I like a lot and love. No more wasted time, let's get started.
At number 10, currently holding the final position (and hopefully, always holding that position) is Cars. No surprises here if you know me or...well, if you've seen this movie. It's not that I dislike the film, but as I told someone today in an e-mail, just watch Doc Hollywood. All you need to do is watch the Michael J. Fox comedy, transplant cars instead of humans, and you've pretty much got the entire experience of watching Cars. Obviously, the most exciting aspect of the film is its eye-popping animation. Here more than anywhere else does the idea of photorealistic animation come into play. In the best scene of the film, Lightning McQueen and Sally take a drive around the wilderness surrounding Radiator Springs. At one point, awed by the beauty, Lightning drops his jaw; it may seem a bit arrogant on Pixar's part, but when you look at that animation, can you blame the jaw-dropping? Though its story and characters are the weakest among the bunch, there's still good here.
At number 9 is Monsters, Inc. If it makes anyone feel better, I like this film more than I did originally. Still, there's just something about this movie that I just don't love. It's funny, it's got some great action (the sequence at the end with the flying doors is the best scene in the film), enough drama. I suppose what turns me off is the screwball comedy elements that pervade the first hour of the movie. Mike Wazowski is just a bit too on-the-nose cute, with his snake-headed girlfriend and hammy jokes, just like Billy Crystal is in general. So...I like this movie a lot, but just not enough.
At number 8 is a sentimental favorite, A Bug's Life. Though it's certainly no one's favorite Pixar movie, I used to watch this a lot when I was younger; it was a movie I wore out on VHS. From the stunning visuals of Ant Island and the surrounding area to the frequent laughs to even those outtakes, I really loved A Bug's Life when I was but a mere teenager. Now, I find it a bit more clever than funny, but I still enjoy all of the characterizations that are covered in a very short period and still have some favorite lines ("I'm the only stick with eyeballs!"). Granted, A Bug's Life is the least complex film Pixar's ever made (even the original Toy Story deals with rejection), but as a fun lark, I think it's just fine.
For the number 7 spot, we have The Incredibles. Here's where it gets difficult. I want to make it perfectly clear that the seven Pixar films I'm mentioning starting here are all great movies, among the finest animated features ever made. I'd put these toe-to-toe with the other films released in the respective year. What it comes down to is nitpicks. For example, The Incredibles is not only a highly entertaining, suspenseful superhero movie, but a finely realized look at an imperfect American family. My two problems stem from the point that director Brad Bird wants to make, that mediocrity shouldn't be rewarded. I agree with the point, but by making Helen Parr, also known as Elastigirl, be so staunchly against acknowledging she was ever a superhero, and by having her son Dash enter the track team only to be encouraged to lose, things get screwed up. In all other ways, The Incredibles is much like its title, but those two elements have caused it to wind up on the bottom half of the list.
Of course, being the seventh-best Pixar movie makes it still one of the best animated movies ever. At number 6, though, is Toy Story. You see what I mean when I tell you that the top 7 aren't really appropriately listed. If I had to choose five movies to keep on a desert island, this would be one of them. So, don't get too freaked out. As it stands, this one's a nostalgic favorite, with the introduction of some iconic cinematic characters, hilarious humor, clever gags, exciting action, and even some well-earned emotion. Also, this is the film to feature one of my favorite lines in any movie--"Wait a minute. I just lit a rocket. Rockets explode!"--so don't think of this as being the sixth-best Pixar movie. See it as being tied for number one with five other movies.
We're now onto the top half of this top 10, and the fifth-best for me is Finding Nemo. At this point, I'm not going to be able to justify one way or the other why a movie is placed at a certain number. This story of lost souls in a vast ocean is moving, funny (but not in the normal Pixar way, thanks to the two lead characters), and tense. Sure, we all know Nemo will be found, but the stakes are high because who among us hasn't flushed a fish down the toilet? Who among us hasn't put fish into an aquarium? Who among us hasn't eaten a fish? Though we're in the place of the fish here, it's hard not to feel a pang or two of guilt when you see fish caged up nowadays.
Number 4 is Toy Story 2. Let's get this bold statement out of the way: Toy Story 2 is, along with a sci-fi epic and a lengthy mob movie, one of the best sequels ever. Those three movies are so damn good because they're better than their predecessors. How is it that the folks at Pixar could turn what was once going to be a direct-to-DVD story into one of the most successful and amazing movies of the past 10 years? How is it that these people can make me feel bad for abandoning my toys when I grew past a certain age? Maybe this is why I'm so worried about the upcoming threequel, a movie that could be incredible (fingers very much crossed), but could be a big mistake. Either way, we have Toy Story 2, with all of its humor, excitement, and the best Randy Newman song ever.
At number 3 is Up. As I mentioned in a previous post today, here we have the saddest film Pixar's ever made. What is sadder in this life than wasting it? What is sadder than watching a man lose his dreams, his wife and, eventually, his house, all because he can't let go? What is sadder than finding out that your boyhood idol has turned into a madman? What is sadder than losing your parents to divorce? I've only seen the film once, hope to do so again, and am confident of its status here. One of the reasons I hesitate to have the new film top the list is precisely because it's new. I want to make sure it still holds up in a few months; not that I doubt it won't, but it's nice not to jump to such immediate conclusions. What I can say is that the film is the best of the year so far, and yet another monumental achievement from this studio.
The silver medal goes to WALL-E, a movie that pushed Pixar even farther away from the mainstream, although it's celebrated for appealing to such mass audiences. How do you sell a movie with a silent first half-hour, a title character who doesn't speak, and a love story between two robots? Of course, the same could be asked of Up, but the point stands: this was the film that may well have put a line in the sand. Here is the movie where Pixar shies away from its past. Here is the movie where something different is called for. The soaring romance, the minimalist score, the bleak but awe-inspiring visuals...need I say more about WALL-E to prove its greatness?
And, yes, all of this means that the number-one pick is Ratatouille, a movie I just took a look back in the post below this one. Like all of Pixar's films, it has flaws (though it's fresh in my mind, Up is the one that works best by either glossing over its flaws or just not having any), but I don't care. The character of Remy is decidedly imperfect, decidedly human. He pushes his friends and family away at the wrong times, but they pay off for him in the end because, somewhere deep down, they want him to do better. The rats may not understand why Remy wants to cook, but they want him to do it. Linguine may not get much of anything, but he knows what friendship is and will stick by his little chef. Ego may not understand or comprehend that a rat can cook, but it will finally prove to him that the late Auguste Gusteau was always right: anyone can cook. Kudos to Brad Bird for making the best portrait of the modern artist.
So there you go. The best Pixar's offered. Now, come next June, I won't do an extra look back, but I may comment on how well Up has done in its growing longevity. Other than that, feel free to comment, tell me I'm crazy, tell me I'm wrong, or even--shocker--agree with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment