Cars 3 (2017) review

The Cars franchise has always been one of the more fascinating facets of Pixar Animation’s prestigious filmography. And that’s because while the films have been highly successful at the box-office, along with amassing an impressive $10 billion in merchandise sales, they’re generally considered to be some of Pixar’s weakest efforts. The first Cars film, released in 2006, did do well with critics but not necessarily on the same level as some of Pixar’s most beloved films (e.g. Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, etc.). Things only got worse with the 2011 sequel, Cars 2, as that film became the first Pixar film ever to receive primarily negative reviews from critics. Thus, Cars basically became Pixar’s ‘black sheep’ franchise and, if you ask me, was the catalyst for what I feel is the current internet mindset when it comes to the legendary animation company. That mindset is that if a Pixar film isn’t a ‘critically-acclaimed, 15/10 masterpiece’, then it isn’t worth a damn. This is the mindset that would ultimately affect films like Brave, Monsters University, and The Good Dinosaur. But I’ve never held Pixar to those standards, hence why I still love the first Cars film and will even argue that Cars 2 isn’t as bad as the internet puts it out to be. But now, here we are with Cars 3, which Pixar fans are either anticipating or dreading depending on their opinions of the franchise. It does promise, though, to return to the series’ original roots, and it certainly grabbed the attention of everyone when its first teaser showed main protagonist Lightning McQueen in a devastating crash. And while this ultimately may not be enough to convert those who aren’t fans of the series, Cars 3 is a worthy follow-up to the original Cars thanks to a solid and poignant story that gives a satisfying conclusion to its main protagonist’s overall arc.

Year in and year out, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has been one of the most successful racers in the league. However, that success is soon threatened by the arrival of hot-shot rookie Jackson Storm (Armie Hammer) and a new line of racers who train using the most advanced technology on the planet to be the fastest on the race track. The growing dominance of these new ‘high-tech’ racers soon lead to many of Lightning’s old racing pals being forced into an early retirement, and it seems like Lightning’s future is doubtful as well after he suffers a devastating crash during the final race of the season. Not wanting to be forced out of the sport the same way that his mentor Doc Hudson (who, despite having passed away after the events of the first film, returns in this film via flashbacks and unused audio of his voice actor, the late Paul Newman) was back in his day, Lightning realizes that he must start training the same way that the new rookies are training if he has any chance of beating them. Luckily for him, the company that sponsors him, Rust-eze Medicated Bumper Ointment, has just built a new training facility with all the upgrades courtesy of the company’s new owner, Mr. Sterling (Nathan Fillion). Now guided by enthusiastic trainer Cruz Ramirez (Cristela Alonzo), Lightning begins a journey of redemption as he attempts to adapt to the newest racing techniques to not only stand a chance against his new opponents, namely Storm, but to also save his career.

One of the key things that Cars 3 does is that, from a story perspective, it does return to the series’ roots after Cars 2 took an admittedly interesting but ultimately rather messy diversion into the world of ‘car espionage’ which, in turn, was based around a separate ‘world tour’ story. This time around, there aren’t two different plotlines that are struggling just to co-exist with one another to the point where the main plotline ends up becoming a ‘secondary’ one. Like the first film, this one’s all about racing again and this time it’s based around an effectively poignant story in which Lightning McQueen, who was the hot-shot rookie back in the first film, now finds himself being outdone by a new generation of racers. Thus, this film manages to make the entire trilogy of Cars films have a clear beginning, middle, and end. After all, it was during a crucial scene from the first film in which Lightning learned about how Doc used to be a famous racer until a devastating crash resulted in a premature end to his career. Now, Lightning finds himself in the same situation in racing’s modern landscape. Sure, like its predecessors, this film’s plot is a rather simplistic one for a Pixar film. However, I’d argue that the divide between generations in this film, and the ways in which the characters deal with it, does give Cars 3 a great amount of emotional depth. From the arcs that the main characters go through to the film’s effective use of the character of Doc Hudson despite Paul Newman’s passing in 2008, this film is steeped in poignancy. Granted, this may depend on whether you did like these characters in the previous films but it does work in the long run.  

Of course, like any Pixar film, the animation is excellent. In fact, this may just be the best-looking Cars film yet in terms of lighting and some of the new ways in which it creates a world inhabited by cars. Like its predecessors, this film features great racing sequences that are set within fun and unique locales, like the one ‘race’ that Lightning and Cruz participate in that’s ultimately more of a demolition derby. Plus, as is also common with Pixar films, Cars 3 features an excellent ensemble cast to portray this franchise’s lovable cast of characters. And this time around, they thankfully aren’t all under-utilized like most of them admittedly were in Cars 2. Granted, the Radiator Springs crew are still just side characters at the end of the day, as the focus is more on Lightning and his trainer, but they are utilized better in this film, especially Mater. Fear not, folks, this isn’t like last time where he ended up becoming the main character whereas Lightning was relegated to what was basically a minor supporting role. Lightning is truly the main character in this film, and Owen Wilson does a great job once again in not only making Lightning a likable protagonist but also a sympathetic one in this instance given that his storyline in this is one of redemption. The big standout of the show, however, ends up being Cristela Alonzo as Cruz. Her infectious enthusiasm instantly makes her a likable character, and she’s also given a nice character arc in which we see that she can hang with Lightning and the other racers on the track. As for Lightning’s new rival, Jackson Storm, he’s a serviceable foe just like Lightning’s rivals from the previous two films. Though, at the same time, he does serve as a nice foil to Lightning in this film given that he acts the same way that Lightning did at the beginning of the first film (i.e. an egotistical show-off).

Now, if I were to be honest, if you weren’t a big fan of these Cars films, to begin with (and not just because of Cars 2; I’m talking about the entire series in general), there’s a good chance that this new film isn’t going to win you over. Like the two films that came before it, the plot is admittedly a simpler one compared to other Pixar films. And heck, this is only Pixar’s first 2017 release, so I have the feeling that this film will, unfortunately, be completely forgotten about by the internet once Coco gets released in November. However, I will always argue that these Cars films (yes, even Cars 2… it’s not THAT bad!) are much more than just ‘middle-of-the-road’, ‘below average’ Pixar films that are ‘just for kids’ and are only there to sell toys. Cars 3 manages to come full-circle on the story of Lightning McQueen on his journey to prove that he can still be as successful of a racer as he used to be in a sport that is continuously evolving at a faster rate than he is. And through a plot that does indeed have the emotionally poignant moments that you can always expect from a Pixar film, Cars 3 does succeed in this regard. No, this isn’t the best film that Pixar’s ever made, but it doesn’t have to be. As I’ve said time and time again, not every film that they make will be a masterpiece. It’s just that the unfortunate downside of all the success that they’ve had since 1995 is that the internet now expects a masterpiece from them with each new release. Thus, given this film’s measly 66% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (which, for the record, IS still a fresh rating!), I know that many out there will regard it as an ‘unnecessary’ continuation of Pixar’s so-called ‘weakest’ franchise. But, as a fan of this so-called ‘black sheep’ of Pixar franchises, I enjoyed its newest installment. And if you are a fan of these films, I think you’ll like this new one just fine. 

Rating: 4/5

Disney/Pixar's Cars: Double Feature Review (2006/2011)

This weekend sees the release of Pixar Animation’s first release of 2017, Cars 3. It is, of course, the third installment of the studio’s highly successful franchise… at least, from a commercial perspective. In terms of merchandising sales, this series has earned over $10 billion worldwide, easily making it one of Disney’s most commercially successful brands. But in terms of critical reception, the Cars films are generally regarded as some of Pixar’s weakest outings. The second film, especially, is quite infamous for being their first negatively-received film, breaking a ‘win-streak’ that had been going on ever since their first feature film, Toy Story, back in 1995. Thus, there’s quite a bit of uncertainty surrounding this new film. Will it be subjected to the same mixed reception as its predecessors, or could it potentially turn things around for the franchise? We’ll soon find out, but until then, today I’ll be doing a double feature pairing of reviews for the first two Cars films. Now, technically speaking, I did review these films before back in 2013, when I did a ‘Pixar Retrospective’ in time for Pixar’s then-newest release, Monsters University. However, those ‘reviews’ didn’t have much to them content-wise, meaning that the following reviews are going to be more constructive by comparison. Also, I’ll admit that I haven’t watched either of these films in quite some time, so it’ll be interesting to see if my opinions on them change in any way. Finally, I just want to mention that I won’t be doing reviews for the two Planes spin-off films that were released in 2013 and 2014. No, it’s not because both were subjected to generally mixed reviews and, from what I’ve read, were initially meant to be direct-to-video releases. It’s just that I wanted to focus solely on the Cars films for today’s post. Plus, the Planes films were not made by Pixar. While they were produced by Pixar’s John Lasseter (director of the first two Cars films) and are considered spin-offs of the Cars franchise, they were instead made by DisneyToon Studios, Disney’s home video division. We’re only talking about Pixar today, folks! Ka-Chow!

CARS (2006)

We start things off, of course, with 2006’s Cars, the film that spawned one of Disney and Pixar’s most successful franchises in terms of its merchandising. However, while it did do fine with critics, it wasn’t considered one of the studio’s best efforts. Thus, it could be argued that this film (and its sequel) basically went on to spawn the internet mindset which argues that if a Pixar film isn’t an outright critically-acclaimed effort (or, as I like to call it, a ‘15/10 masterpiece’), it ain’t worth a damn. Here’s where I disagree with that notion. Yes, I’ll admit that the plot of Cars is a simpler one compared to other Pixar films; in fact, many have pointed out the similarities that it shares with Doc Hollywood, a 1991 film starring Michael J. Fox which has a similar plot. And I’m also well-aware of how quite a few people have questioned the concept and logistics behind a universe in which cars are portrayed as sentient beings without human drivers. But, even with all this in mind, that doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t have any heart because it does. It’s a story about an egotistical celebrity, a racer named Lightning McQueen, who learns to have a greater appreciation for the old-fashioned charm of a simpler lifestyle when he gets stuck in a forgotten town on Route 66 while on the way to a big race. This overall arc that Lightning goes through is well-handled, and the film also does a great job of making the residents of the Route 66 town that he comes to, Radiator Springs, a lovable bunch. Case in point, I dare you not to get even a little bit emotional during the ‘Our Town’ sequence, where we see how Radiator Springs was severely impacted by the development of a nearby interstate that caused a severe blow to their town’s tourism.

These characters are portrayed excellently by a great ensemble cast that includes the likes of Owen Wilson as Lightning, Larry the Cable Guy as Lightning’s dim-witted but loyal best friend Mater the Tow Truck (I know Larry the Cable Guy isn’t the most popular comedian out there, but Mater IS a legitimately lovable supporting character), and the legendary Paul Newman in his final film role* as Radiator Springs’ resident judge/mechanic Doc Hudson, who is revealed to have been a famous racer himself back in the day known as the ‘Hudson Hornet’ before a devastating crash forced him out of the game. This, by the way, also happens to be a retroactively subtle set-up for the events of the new film, which will see Lightning go through the same hardships as his mentor. And, of course, the animation is just as great as you’d expect from a Pixar production. I do love all the ways in which the film reimagines our world through the eyes of cars (e.g. cows are portrayed as tractors (the ‘tractor-tipping’ scene… need I say more?)). So, in short, I’ll admit that my love for this film may partially stem from the fact that it was one of those films that I saw at a young age and then proceeded to re-watch numerous times when I got it on DVD. However, upon this most recent re-watch, I find that I still stand by my overall opinion on this film; that it truly is a worthwhile entry in Pixar’s prestigious filmography and an underrated one at that. No, I’m not saying that it’s one of their absolute best; some parts of it are, admittedly, kind of slow. But at the end of the day, it’s more than enough proof that not every film that Pixar makes needs to be a game-changing masterpiece.

Rating: 4.5/5

(*It’s recently been confirmed that Doc Hudson will appear in Cars 3 via unused audio of Paul Newman taken from this film)

CARS 2 (2011)

And here we are… Cars 2, the film that effectively killed Pixar’s ‘winning streak’ as their first effort that garnered generally negative reviews from critics. Sure, it did solid enough at the box-office and it did continue to impact the franchise’s impressive track record when it comes to merchandise sales. But as for Pixar fans, some felt that this was a betrayal (a criminal offense, even) from the legendary animation company to put out an ‘inferior’ film like this after all that they’ve done. Seriously, I wish that I was kidding about this, but my friend and fellow blogger Kyle Ostrum (kylesanimatedworld.blogspot.com and kylelovesanimationnmore.wordpress.com) has informed me that he once saw comments like that in online forums. Now that I have finally seen this film for the first time ever since I saw it at the Wellfleet Drive-in in Cape Cod back in 2011, what do I think about it now? Well… it’s honestly not THAT bad. Granted, though, it’s far from perfect. Ultimately, the biggest issue with Cars 2 is that the overall narrative is a messy one. The main plot consists of Lightning McQueen participating in a worldwide Grand Prix after he’s challenged by a hot-shot Italian formula racer named Francesco Bernoulli (John Turturro). This then leads to him, Mater, and the Radiator Springs crew going on a world tour to spots like Japan, Italy, and London. Now that alone would be a cool idea for a Cars sequel, as it allows us to see this world of cars expanded upon in fascinating ways. But then there’s the other plot of the film, which involves Mater unintentionally getting caught up in the world of espionage when two agents, veteran Finn McMissile (Michael Caine) and rookie field agent Holley Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer), confuse him for one of their contacts. This is also a rather cool route for a Cars film to explore. I mean, sure, maybe it’s a bit ‘out there’ given this franchise’s simpler roots, but it does lead to some fun action sequences.

But ultimately, that’s the big problem here… when paired together, these two plotlines don’t properly co-exist. Despite what I said earlier about the World Tour/Grand Prix being the focus of the plot, it’s ultimately the other way around. It’s the spy plot that comes first, basically making Mater the main character of the film. And remember what I said earlier about how not everyone is a fan of Larry the Cable Guy? Well, if you aren’t... then you’re probably not going to like this film for this exact reason. As for me though, as I noted before, I am a fan of Mater the character, so I personally didn’t mind him getting more screen-time in this film. However, this also means that Lightning, AKA the MAIN CHARACTER OF THE SERIES, is relegated to a supporting role along with the other members of the Radiator Springs gang. And yet, based on the film’s teaser trailer, it seemed like Lightning was going to be involved in the spy stuff as well… that’s ultimately not the case here. With that said, though, I do genuinely like the arc that Mater goes through in this film as he tries to prove to everyone that he’s not just some goofball. Plus, the animation is excellent, as one can always expect from Pixar, and the racing scenes are entertaining as are the action sequences involving the spy characters. Thus, in conclusion, Cars 2 seriously isn’t as bad as the internet has consistently put it out to be. I mean, to be fair, if I had to rank this amongst the other films in Pixar’s filmography, it would admittedly be near the bottom of the list… in fact, maybe even the exact bottom. Still, in my book, that’s not too much of a bad thing because I don’t hold Pixar to the same high standards that the internet holds it to. And from what I’ve heard, a lot of this film’s shortcomings were just the result of Pixar being somewhat rushed into getting this film completed. Hopefully, that isn’t the case with Cars 3, which is set to re-embrace the series’ roots.

Rating: 3.5/5

And those are my [potentially controversial] thoughts on the Cars films. Thanks for following along and stay tuned, as a review of Cars 3 will be posted sometime in the next week. Until then…

KA-CHOW!

Pixar: Sequel or Not?

In recent news, Pixar announced two sequels that were in development; one was the long-awaited sequel to 2004’s ‘The Incredibles’, with Brad Bird returning to write the film (no confirmation yet on whether or not he’ll direct it). The other sequel was ‘Cars 3’… which, simply put, was not as anticipated given the negative critical reaction to its immediate predecessor. This has all raised a few questions, and some worries, about the path that Pixar is currently taking with their animated movies. They do have two original films coming out next year in ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and ‘Inside Out’. However, after that, they have not only a ‘Cars’ and ‘Incredibles’ sequel in the works, but a ‘Finding Nemo’ sequel as well. Now, I’m not that worried about Pixar when it comes to them announcing ‘sequels’. But this did get me thinking about whether or not the films in Pixar’s filmography could possibly get a sequel because many of them have a real sense of finality, meaning that there’s really no need to continue the story through another film. But there are some possibilities here and there.

This was something I was going to do some time ago most likely around the time ‘Monsters University’ was released. Ultimately though I never published it on here, so with this recent news in mind, I decided to finally finish it. This is what I like to call ‘Pixar: Sequel or Not?’

TOY STORY FRANCHISE

Possible Sequel: It’s possible, but I don’t want it to happen

This has been somewhat of a developing rumor in regards to the possibility of Pixar doing a ‘Toy Story 4’, which might even lead into a whole new trilogy. Overall, I think it could be done seeing how at the end of ‘Toy Story 3’ Woody, Buzz, and the gang were left in the care of a new owner, Bonnie, meaning that there can possibly be some new stories for this franchise to explore. However, I really don’t want a ‘Toy Story 4’, or new trilogy for that matter, to happen. Why? Well, it’s quite simple… why should Pixar even attempt to follow up on one of the greatest film trilogies of all time; one where every film in the trilogy is fantastic. I don’t want to see the legacy of this franchise tarnished if this supposed fourth film doesn’t turn out to be that good. Quite frankly, I’m more of a fan of what Pixar is currently doing with the franchise right now in regards to the short films that they have been making. This currently includes ‘Hawaiian Vacation’, ‘Small Fry’, and ‘Partysaurus Rex’. There’s also the half-hour long special that they released this past Halloween, ‘Toy Story of Terror!’, and there’s another one coming out this winter, ‘Toy Story that Time Forgot’. I think that this is a nice simple way of keeping this franchise relevant without having to do another movie. Like I said, it could happen but that doesn’t mean I would want Pixar to do another ‘Toy Story’ film. Just leave the film franchise where it is.

A BUG’S LIFE

Possible Sequel: Can’t see it

It has been almost two decades since ‘A Bug’s Life’ was released in 1998… so I doubt if Pixar currently has, or ever will have, plans to do a sequel to this film. Nothing really screams ‘sequel’ with this one anyway.

MONSTERS’ INC/UNIVERSITY

Possible Sequel: Unnecessary

Pixar, you’ve already done a prequel and despite my, and many others’, initial hesitation towards it, ‘Monsters University’ turned out to be really good… in fact, considering how it was not nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, apparently now kind of underrated. I mean sure, it still wasn’t up to par with Pixar’s best films but it was still a very entertaining, heartwarming, and well-made prequel to ‘Monsters’ Inc.’, which has actually sort of become one of my all-time favorites from Pixar. But in regards to this franchise, the only step now would be to do a sequel and I don’t really see a possibility here for a follow-up to the first film. There is the whole scenario about the Monsters switching from scare energy to laugh energy but I can’t really see them doing another film just based around that. The only way I can see them continuing this franchise is by going the ‘Toy Story’ route and do short films instead. They just released a new short, ‘Party Central’, which ran in front of ‘Muppets Most Wanted’, and that one was pretty good.

FINDING NEMO

Possible Sequel: Confirmed- We’ll see where it goes

This was the first of the upcoming three sequels to be confirmed; ‘Finding Dory’. Currently set for a 2016 release date, this film will follow the amnesiac Dory (once again voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) as she reunites with her family… this one could go either way. There is the chance that it could be a very solid follow-up. Andrew Stanton returns to direct this film and they do have a few of the other members of ‘Finding Nemo’s cast returning, including Albert Brooks and Willem Dafoe. However, I’m fearing that this one could potentially go the route of films like ‘Taken 2’ or ‘Hangover 2’ and just do a retread of the first film’s plot. I mean, it doesn’t actually look like it will be that way, but regardless of that I’m going to be rather cautious about this one.

THE INCREDIBLES

Possible Sequel: Confirmed- Finally!

Out of all of Pixar’s films that have come out as of now, ‘The Incredibles’ is the only film in their filmography that truly demands a sequel; I mean, the film ended by basically setting up a potential future film. Thankfully, we are getting one, and Brad Bird will be back to write it. However, there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll direct it. Also, it will probably be a few years for this film to come out seeing how Bird is currently busy with 2015’s ‘Tomorrowland’. I hope that Bird will be back in full capacity; not just as a writer, but as its director as well. Regardless, I’m very much psyched to hear this news and eagerly await this long-awaited sequel.

CARS FRANCHISE

Possible Sequel: Confirmed- But does anyone really want it?

‘Cars 3’ has been announced to be in development alongside ‘The Incredibles but the question here is… does anyone really want to see it? The first ‘Cars’ film did not exactly get the same amount of critical acclaim as previous Pixar films but it still got solid reviews from critics. ‘Cars 2’ on the other hand, while a success at the box office, got slammed by critics. I’ve only seen ‘Cars 2’ once and at the time, I didn’t think it was that bad but at the same time it wasn’t a ‘great’ film either. It had a solid idea for a ‘Cars’ sequel being that it followed the characters of Lightning McQueen and Mater on a world tour but the execution of it was where things went wrong; namely for focusing too much on Mater to the point where Lightning became a side character. So if they are doing a ‘Cars’ sequel, they should make sure that give these two equal roles in the film. I’m not entirely looking forward to ‘Cars 3’, but at the same time I’m not dreading it either.

RATATOUILLE

Possible Sequel: Not really

Just like ‘A Bug’s Life’, nothing about ‘Ratatouille’ screams sequel to me. I mean, the only way I can possibly see a sequel to this would require the filmmakers to have to revert back to square one seeing how at the end of the film, Remy the rat had become a successful cook in his own right. There’s nothing they can do to follow up on that.

WALL-E

Possible Sequel: I can kind of see it happening

Now here’s a Pixar film that could potentially be followed up on. After all, the plot of ‘Wall-E’ revolved around us humans leaving the Earth after it had become so polluted due to mass consumerism. At the end of the film, the humans began to return to the planet and that’s where there could be a sequel to this; we could see how they attempt to inhabit the Earth again and try to return it back to the way it once was. I have no idea how the characters of Wall-E and EVE would fit into this story, but as a whole, a sequel to ‘Wall-E’ is possible.

UP

Possible Sequel: Nah, not really…

While this film was based around the idea of adventuring to new places, I’m not sure how they can follow up to 2009’s ‘Up’. I mean even if they did, it’s unlikely that the character of Carl would be in it seeing how he’s, well, old. Besides, his relationship with Ellie, along with his future relationship to his new friend Russell, was the heart of the film. I hate to say it, but if they do decide to do a sequel to ‘Up’, which would probably take place a few years after the events of the film, it’s rather likely Carl would be dead by this point meaning that we would lose one of the great characters from its predecessor. Quite frankly, I don’t think it’s worth it to do an ‘Up 2’ for that exact reason.

BRAVE

Possible Sequel: If so, please do it better...

‘Brave’ was a rather disappointing effort from Pixar. I’m not saying that it was a bad film by any means; it’s just that the film starts off with an incredible first half before veering into ‘Kids film territory’ for the rest of the film and these two halves of the film didn’t particularly mix well. I’m not even sure that there’s potential for a sequel. I wouldn’t be too bothered if they did do a ‘Brave 2’ but if they did, I hope that it will turn out better than the first one.

For the record, I’m not trying to say that Pixar should absolutely do sequels to their film because as I’ve pointed out, many of these films have a great finality to them. There’s not much of a need to follow up on some of these stories, like ‘Ratatouille’ or ‘Up’ because they end at the right time. There is some potential for future stories with films like ‘Toy Story’ or ‘Wall-E’ but overall, ‘The Incredibles’ is the only Pixar film right now that deserves a sequel and thankfully, we will be getting one. I’m not saying that I want to see some of these films to get sequels but I wouldn’t mind if they did. However I hope that Pixar will continue to make more original films like the upcoming ‘Good Dinosaur’ or ‘Inside Out’. After all, that’s exactly how they became the company we all know and love today; through their original stories.

The Films of Pixar



At this point, Pixar is a company that needs no introduction. Once, it was just a small part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm, helping create visuals for films like ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’. Now, they are known as the company behind some of the best computer animated films of all time. Since 1995, they have made 13 animated films, which have grossed a cumulative total of over seven billion dollars worldwide. Pixar has earned 27 Academy Awards, seven of which for the Best Animated Film of the Year, along with many other awards (Golden Globes, Annie Awards, etc…). This weekend sees the release of their 14^th animated feature, Monsters University, a prequel to their 2001 film ‘Monster’s Inc’. Will it be another roaring success for Pixar? We’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out. But for now, it’s time to look back at the premier filmography of what is probably the best computer animation studio around today.

I apologize in advance if, at times, I start to repeat myself during this retrospective, but come on, it’s Pixar. What else can you say about them?

TOY STORY (1995)



Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film ever made. Obviously, there was a lot that Pixar had to do to get this film made. In fact, at one point, the production of the film was actually shut down because of a disastrous first cut of the film which was filled with, according to director (and head of Pixar) John Lasseter, ‘the most unhappy, mean characters that I’ve ever seen’. Even Tom Hanks, who voiced the main character Woody, once proclaimed that the original interpretation of the character was a ‘jerk’. Why was this happening? Well, Disney wanted the film to appeal to both children and adults and then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested that Pixar should make the film edgier. Obviously, this didn’t go far and after major rewrites (even Joss Whedon came in to help rewrite the film), the final product that we know today was finally complete.

Even after 18 years, ‘Toy Story’ still stands as one of the best computer animated films of all time. The visuals are still very good even after all this time but the main thing that holds the film together is the writing. As Disney had hoped, the film does appeal to both children and adults but instead of being edgy, the writing is both witty and sophisticated which works much better. The main characters Woody and Buzz (both excellently voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, respectively) are both very likable and Hanks and Allen work together very well. The rest of the voice cast (which includes Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and Wallace Shawn) is great as well. The bottom line is that if you haven’t seen ‘Toy Story’ yet, this is a must-see animated film that is great for the whole family.

Rating: 5/5!

A BUG’S LIFE (1998)



For now, let’s ignore the whole controversy surrounding 1998’s two ant-themed animated films, Dreamworks’ first computer animated film ‘Antz’ and Pixar’s second film, ‘A Bug’s Life’. Did Jeffrey Katzenberg steal the idea from Pixar? Who knows? But now let’s talk about Pixar’s second film which, as a whole, isn’t really as good as ‘Toy Story’ but it’s still an enjoyable animated film. Compared to ‘Antz’, which had more edge to it, ‘A Bug’s Life’ is more kid-friendly in tone. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that I kind of prefer ‘Antz’ over this film. The main characters are a little bland, but the supporting characters make up for that shortcoming, namely the circus bugs that the main character Flik enlists to help his colony deal with the grasshoppers that oppress them. It’s not really one of my favorites, but it’s still a solid film from Pixar.

Rating: 4/5

TOY STORY 2 (1999)



Believe it or not, ‘Toy Story 2’ was originally supposed to be just a direct-to-video film, but just like how ‘Toy Story’ was re-done after its first cut, Pixar decided to make a full-length theatrical release instead and what a film this is. It’s hard for a sequel to top the original, but ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of those rare sequels that is not only as good as the original, but possibly better. It’s my personal favorite Pixar film for a few reasons; namely due to the broadened scope and new cast of characters. The writing is still fantastic, and the filmmakers do a great job at further continuing the story by bringing up the question of what will Woody do when Andy grows up and will most likely forget about him (which is developed further in Toy Story 3). The backstory for the character of Jessie is also a highlight of the film, and a guaranteed tear-jerker. ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of the best sequels of all time, and I have to say that I actually prefer it to the original.

Rating: 5/5!

MONSTERS’ INC (2001)



It’s the film that led to the upcoming ‘Monsters University’ and, as you might have guessed, it’s another great film from Pixar. It’s a nice creative take on the whole ‘monsters in the closet’ idea and Pixar does a great job at setting up the monster universe and its characters. The two main characters, Mike and Sulley, are both very likable and both Billy Crystal and John Goodman (Mike and Sulley, respectively) do great jobs in the roles. The two also have great chemistry together, and Crystal does pretty much steal the show here. It’s a heartwarming comedy and another great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

FINDING NEMO (2003)



I don’t think I need to go into this film that much because it’s already been done to death but I’ll give my thoughts on it anyway. Finding Nemo is one of the best Pixar films ever; it’s pretty much a masterpiece in terms of computer animated films. The story is based around a touching father-son message and both the characters of Marlin and his son Nemo are very likable. You can see where both are coming from; Marlin is afraid of losing Nemo after his wife and their other kids are eaten by a barracuda (also, on another note, that opening… um… DAMN! Talk about a way to open up a movie, especially a family film, no less) and Nemo is annoyed by how overprotective his father is. Ellen DeGeneres is also great and hilarious in the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss. Finally, this is one of Pixar’s best films in terms of visuals, which are just beautiful. Not only is this one of Pixar’s best films, but it’s one of the best animated films ever.

Rating: 5/5!

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)



Speaking of the best animated films ever, let’s look at ‘The Incredibles’. It’s interesting that, with this film, it was the first Pixar film to be made by someone who was not directly affiliated with Pixar. However, because director Brad Bird was friends with John Lasseter (the two attended the same college, California Institute of the Arts), I’d go as far as say he’s pretty much part of the ‘Pixar team’. As for the first of the two films he has currently made for Pixar, it’s a loving homage to superheroes and it’s also a nice satire on suburban life, with the main characters being a family who just so happen to have superpowers. It’s also one of the funniest Pixar films (‘Honey, where’s my super-suit?’).  It’s pretty much a masterpiece and it’s another one of Pixar’s finest. On a final note, it’s also the only Pixar film right now that is truly worthy of a sequel. The ending of the film pretty much sets it all up. That probably won’t happen for a while (Bird’s currently busy working on his newest film, ‘Tomorrowland’) but I certainly look forward to an ‘Incredibles 2’.

Rating: 5/5!

CARS (2006)



The two ‘Cars’ movies have probably received the weakest ratings of any Pixar film to date (the second one getting even worse reviews than its predecessor) but in regards to the first film, I actually do really like it. It’s not really Pixar’s best film, but I do think it’s a solid animated film, even if it’s not really up to par with some of Pixar’s best work. It goes at a much slower pace than other Pixar films and admittedly the film may be a bit too long but I never found the film to be boring. Sure, the story is a little cliché, but the characters make up for it. All in all, the first ‘Cars’ is not really for everyone, but it’s still pretty entertaining.

Rating: 4/5

RATATOUILLE (2007)

 



Brad Bird returns to Pixar with ‘Ratatouille’, and once again Bird delivers another fantastic animated film. First off, the visuals of Paris are fantastic; they’re almost like works of art. In fact, that’s the best way I can describe the film. It’s pretty much a work of art. Granted, some of the dialogue is a little cheesy (no pun intended) but the film is very entertaining, as Bird’s talents at storytelling are once again evident in this great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

WALL-E (2008)



I think this film’s kind of hard to sell to people because the first half of the film contains little to no dialogue; the two main characters are robots who don’t speak much. However, the atmosphere is incredible and the main characters of Wall-E and EVE are both very likable. The film succeeds at connecting with the audience even though the main characters barely say anything. Then, the second half of the film takes them into outer space. Along with some of Pixar’s most breath-taking visuals, there’s a bit of satire on the idea of consumerism and the economic message that the film promotes (pretty much the following; don’t pollute) is executed well enough that it doesn’t keep hitting you over the head. I won’t say it’s really one of my favorites, but it’s still a well-made animated film.

Rating: 4.5/5

UP (2009)

I have to admit that I was not really interested in this film at first, most likely because I didn’t think a movie focused around an old man sounded that exciting to me. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong by another Pixar masterpiece. This film sells you just by the first ten minutes alone, which follows the main character Carl’s marriage to his wife Ellie, all without any dialogue and yet the music and emotions in this scene make it one of the best sequences ever put on film (not just in animated films). But that’s just the first ten minutes. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is also very creative, funny, and charming which makes this another must-see from Pixar.

Rating: 5/5!

TOY STORY 3 (2010)



After 11 years, the Toy Story crew returns for what is hopefully the final Toy Story film (there’s rumors of a fourth film circulating right now, but while it is possible, I believe that they should end the film series right here), and it’s a fitting conclusion to this series. It’s not afraid to take a dark turn, namely the scene near the end where the toys almost meet their own end. The writing is once again excellent, bringing the story arc of Andy’s toys to a close as they wonder about the future now that Andy is grown up and heading off to college. Of course, by the end, I will admit it… this is a film where, young and old, I guarantee you’ll be fighting back tears. It’s probably not the best Toy Story film, but even after a whole decade since the last installment, it ends the series on a high note and it’s a rare threequel that actually to be as good as its predecessors.

Rating: 4.5/5

CARS 2 (2011)



AKA the first major Pixar film to receive mixed to negative reviews. Is it Pixar’s worst film to date? It probably is, but as someone who was a fan of the first Cars film, I don’t think it’s that bad. However, was the first ‘Cars’ film in need of a sequel? It really wasn’t, and while the whole world-traveling idea seems cool, it’s not really the main focus of the film. Instead, the focus is on spies with the character of Mater getting caught up in international espionage. This film focuses on that plotline so much that Mater is pretty much the main character, and the other main character Lightning McQueen is now just a side character. Obviously, the film still looks great visually but the writing is not really as good as some of Pixar’s other films. I can’t say that it’s a bad film, but Pixar has obviously done much better.

Rating: 3/5

BRAVE (2012)



In a way, ‘Brave’ did get Pixar back on the right track after ‘Cars 2’. The film received better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews weren’t still up to par with Pixar’s classics and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who didn’t really agree with the Academy picking this film for the best animated film of the year when there were much better films in that category (Wreck-it Ralph, Paranorman, etc…) that year. But that doesn’t mean that this is a bad film. It’s just that this is just an okay Pixar film and it could have been a whole lot better. The first half is actually really good, as the filmmakers do a fantastic job setting up this universe and also taking a much darker route than some of the studio’s other films. But sadly the film starts to fall apart in the second half, where the film descends into typical kids’ film material. The trailers are actually quite mis-promoting. While it seemed like the film would follow the main character of Merida as she tried to ‘change her fate’, in reality the film is about Merida trying to save her mom after accidentally getting her turned into a bear. For the record, the whole mother-daughter aspect of the film is quite touching and well-done, but unfortunately this film just isn’t up to par with Pixar’s other masterpieces.

Rating: 3.5/5

And now, here are my overall rankings of the 13 Pixar films that have currently been released. For the record, if one of your favorite films is lower on this list, remember… this is Pixar we’re talking about. Aside from some less-than stellar efforts, pretty much every film they have made is a masterpiece.

Rankings:

13. Cars 2

12. Brave

11. A Bug’s Life

10. Cars

9. Wall-E

8. Ratatouille

7. Monsters’ Inc

6. Toy Story 3

5. Up

4. Finding Nemo

3. Toy Story

2. The Incredibles

1. Toy Story 2

Fast and Furious 6 (2013) review

It’s truly amazing how far the ‘Fast and the Furious’ series has come ever since it was just a simple street-racing franchise back when it began in 2001. I’ll admit that for a long time, I was never really a big fan of the series, mainly because I thought it was… just that; a franchise that was more focused on the street races than actual story. Looking back, that was clearly the case with the first two films in this series. However, it feels like this series has been on a better run since director Justin Lin took over the franchise in 2006. While ‘Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’ and 2009’s ‘Fast and Furious’ were still focused on the street races, they do benefit from better direction and the latter also benefits from the return of the original cast. Then, there came ‘Fast Five’, the first film in the series to abandon the street racing theme, with the end result being more of a heist film. So now, this series has reached its sixth installment; quite a feat for any franchise that has not done a reboot after all of this time. ‘Fast and Furious 6’ is not really a heist film like its predecessor but that doesn’t stop it from being an exhilarating action film from beginning to end.

After successfully stealing $100 million from a crime boss in Rio, professional criminal Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his team, including ex-cop Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and Dominic’s sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) have since spent their time ‘in retirement’. But, all that changes when Dom is approached by DSS Agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), the same agent who chased after them in Rio, to help him take down a group of criminals led by former British Special Forces solider Owen Shaw (Luke Evans). Dom ultimately ends up helping when he learns that one of the members of Shaw’s crew is his ex-girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), who was thought to have been killed in ‘Fast and Furious’. Dom gathers up his team to help Hobbs in taking down Shaw in exchange for full pardons for the whole team. More importantly, Dom looks to get Letty back in order to make their family whole again.

Don’t go into this movie expecting some major Oscar contender, because you won’t find it here. But that’s the whole point of the movie. ‘Fast and Furious 6’ is a film that doesn’t try to be something it isn’t. It’s just a straight-forward action film that is extremely entertaining. Lin is a director that knows how to direct some impressive action sequences, as this movie once again proves. Sure, there are still some moments that completely defy all logic and physics, but when considering what has happened in this franchise before (remember the safe being dragged around the streets of Rio in the last film?), it’s not really that big of a surprise. The plot is fairly simple, and the reintroduction of Letty into the franchise is a bit of a cop-out after the events of ‘Fast and Furious’, but again, that’s not what this series is all about. It’s about the fast cars and the high-octane action sequences. It’s just that since Lin took over, the movies have gotten much better at doing just that.

But that doesn’t mean the writing is devoid of substance. For one thing, one of the key themes that have been a part of the series since the beginning, the importance of family, is still present here. This is mainly thanks in part due to the cast. Yes, these characters are supposed to be criminals but they’re there for each other (to quote Vin Diesel in the film, ‘You don’t turn your back on family, even when they do”). Here, it’s shown in contrast with Owen Shaw, who doesn’t really react much when a member of his team gets killed and in Shaw’s mind, the code of family makes Dom and his team ‘predictable’. The acting may not be ‘Oscar’ material, but in terms of action movies go, it works for this movie. The cast just works well together, leading to some really funny dialogue (namely from Tyrese Gibson as Roman Bridges). The new additions to the cast are also pretty good as well; namely Gina Carano as Riley, a member of Hobbs’ team who has some really awesome fights with Michelle Rodriguez, showing off her fighting skills from all those years in MMA.

‘Fast and Furious 6’ won’t be winning any Oscars, but really, who goes into these movies expecting a great story anyway? This film knows what it is and it doesn’t try to be something that it’s not. It succeeds at being what it wants to be; an entertaining action film with impressive action scenes, even if they do defy all logic and physics. Sure, the plot is fairly simple but after six films, that is something that you just expect to see in these movies. It’s amazing how far this series has come, and it’s mainly been thanks to Justin Lin, who has breathed new life into this franchise. The last three movies (this included) have easily stood out as the best in the series. Also, be sure to stay a while after the credits for a post-credits scene that sets up the next film. Sadly, Lin won’t be back to direct the next one but the character (more importantly, the actor playing him) that they introduce certainly has me excited for what’s to come in ‘Fast and Furious 7’.

Rating: 4/5