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Friendo.
09-19-17
Originally Posted by FromBeyond
I found Toy Story 2 such a disappointing sequel, how you can compare it alongside T2 in sequel territory is a mystery to me. Toy Story 3 captured the magic again.
You liked Blair Witch... your opinion is officially invalid.

The comparisons was obviously more for fun; to create an overly exaggerated expression of how much I like it. The movies can't be compared really...

But I do think it's one of the best sequels out there. Toy Story 3 is just a bland rehash of past storylines and concepts combined with a bit of nostalgia.

The opening of a seemingly real-life action-event kind of parallels the opening with Buzz in the second movie.

The toys being given away accidently parallels the second movie where Woody is also given away accidently.

Buzz being turned to demo-mode and Spanish mode parallels the second movie where he also turns against the toys / changes personas.

The flashback backstory with Lotso the Bear, Big Baby etc. clearly parallels the flashback backstory of Jessie from the second movie and how she was let down by her owner.

Lotso ending up "in the wrong place" by getting what he deserves and ending up on the grill on the garbage truck kind of parallels how Stinky Pete in the second movie ends up also getting what he deserves by ending up in a bag with a girl who loves to decorate her toys.


And there is a lot more than that... And if it ain't a clear parallel it is a clear contrast, which is their way of "switching it up" so it isn't obviously taken from the other films in the franchise.
Last edited by MovieMeditation; 09-19-17 at 08:41 AM.



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09-19-17
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation
You liked Blair Witch... your opinion is officially invalid.

The comparisons was obviously more for fun; to create an overly exaggerated expression of how much I like it. The movies can't be compared really...

But I do think it's one of the best sequels out there. Toy Story 3 is just a bland rehash of past storylines and concepts combined with a bit of nostalgia.

The opening of a seemingly real-life action-event kind of parallels the opening with Buzz in the second movie.

The toys being given away accidently parallels the second movie where Woody is also given away accidently.

Buzz being turned to demo-mode and Spanish mode parallels the second movie where he also turns against the toys / changes personas.

The flashback backstory with Lotso the Bear, Big Baby etc. clearly parallels the flashback backstory of Jessie from the second movie and how she was let down by her owner.

Lotso ending up "in the wrong place" by getting what he deserves and ending up on the grill on the garbage truck kind of parallels how Stinky Pete in the second movie ends up also getting what he deserves by ending up in a bag with a girl who loves to decorate her toys.


And there is a lot more than that... And if it ain't a clear parallel it is a clear contrast, which is their way of "switching it up" so it isn't obviously taken from the other films in the franchise.
I thought Toy Story 2 had already tarnished the franchise by the time Toy Story 3 had arrived, had it been better I might of been more bothered by the blatant nostalgia rip (which I did get) of the first two films but it didn't bother me a lot, TS2 just did what most Disney sequels do... give a back story... find a love interest for characters.. blah blah blah everything about it was so dull, also I think it's a bit unfair on TS3 to say that everything that isn't a direct parallel is just there to placate the viewer or "filler".. it was it's own thing as well, the animation was really neat too

Blair Witch was good, what the hell is wrong with you?



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09-19-17
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2001
Monsters, Inc.
"Pixar theme" #4



Here is a movie that seems to monstrously increase in quality with every new viewing. I always liked it, certain aspects I loved, but I do really think this is one of the very best movies from Pixar, which makes it even worse when the general response isn’t quite up there with the likes of ‘Toy Story’ and such. Because this movie did for monsters in the closet what ‘Toy Story’ did for toys on the floor and moreover the concept for ‘Monsters, Inc.’ seem even more ingenious than what came before.

In many ways, it is a more diverse and dangerous movie to make, because it puts the monsters in the closet on display – which many children fear – and even though they do turn things around, the monsters start out exactly how we perceive them and “evil ones” are still essentially evil and therefore will perhaps continue to cement themselves in the minds of the children. That said, I do think that Pixar builds it up nicely, even things out, and then wraps it all up well in the end, so that most children should walk away being less scared of monsters in their rooms.

As I said, the overall response for this movie is a tiny bit “less” than the greatest successes of the studio, yet this might be a greater achievement than those in question, mainly because ‘Monsters, Inc’. is so inventive and creative and really sets out to make something original and outstanding within cinema and not just within children’s cinema. The whole deal about monsters living in a world beyond ours, living children’s fear by collecting their screams, which is then used as energy to power the entire monster universe. That is truly Pixar at their finest and their best – always taking ideas and concepts to the next level in a way that can even make the parents excited.

The movie hooks you from the start with the beautiful traditionally animated opening credits set to jazzy music from Pixar-favorite, Randy Newman. From there, the premise is made clear within the first few minutes and the main characters are introduced only a few seconds later, while the rest of the movie moves forward in a well-timed pace, until it reaches the dazzling “door distress” of a climax, taking place inside the factory. Once again, the voice acting is top notch, with the likes of John Goodman, Billy Crystal and Steve Buscemi delivering A-grade performances that really shows us that animated characters can be so filled with life that they almost feel real.

Apart from all that, the animation is great, the humor is warm and wicked enough to keep things exciting and the story is heartfelt and touching in a subtle yet satisfying way. All this is incorporated nicely into ‘Monsters, Inc’, which certinaly broke down some doors in connection to how animated children movies are made and director Pete Docter continues to be one of the most interesting minds working at Disney/Pixar to this day... For me personally, this movie definitely moved up a few notches on my ranking list…


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09-20-17
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation
Quite the reply there, @gbgoodies !

Thanks for the comment. what's your top 3 Pixars?
WALL-E is my favorite Pixar movie, and one of my all-time favorite movies.

Monsters, Inc. is a close second.

I also love Inside Out and Finding Nemo.

Those would be my top four favorite Pixar movies, with either The Incredibles or Cars rounding out my top five.
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09-20-17
Originally Posted by FromBeyond
I found Toy Story 2 such a disappointing sequel, how you can compare it alongside T2 in sequel territory is a mystery to me. Toy Story 3 captured the magic again.
I'd probably agree with this. Toy Story 2 was definitely the weakest of the trilogy, although i still think it's great. Toy Story 3 is the best of the 3 in my opinion.
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09-24-17
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2003
Finding
Nemo
"Pixar theme" #5



Pixar is constantly on the edge-2-Ovation even before they release their next feature – and with ‘Finding Nemo’ that was no exception. With a fish out of water story and some super breathtaking visuals, the studio sets yet another sky high standard – here, on deep sea detail – and how to bring animation to life and make the audience connect to dots and connect the dots as to what we perceive in the moving pictures on screen.

Flowing through the fantastically detailed underwater world is utterly mesmerizing to watch and being in this whirlwind of wonder is beyond this world; the colors and the authenticity really makes me sit in awe several times throughout. The movie as a whole used to impress me infinitely, on every level, especially sea level (and below), but this time the story didn’t take me on the same emotionally elevating and effortlessly entertaining journey that it used to… I don’t know what it was, maybe it will change back again in the future, but for now, I will try and put my thoughts into words and wash away past memories…

In one way or the other, ‘Finding Nemo’ just didn’t float my boat this time around and I’m not sure why. However, the animation was still awe-inspiring, the story was still interesting though less inviting, and the execution felt a little more frantic and “fumbly” this time around. The movie was always rather rapidly paced, though the energy was very welcoming and the characters made it all a fun waterpark ride. But this time around, I didn’t connect as much with the story nor the characters – I became a bit more annoyed by the hectic and jumbled way the story was told and that held me back from falling headfirst into the otherwise harmwarming beautiful story that lies below the surface. The themes of family, friendship, prejudice, loss, loneliness and more is all very fascinating, but the tempo and timing of the story kept me from really attaching myself to it this time.

There were still scenes that were fast-paced and fragmented, which I still enjoyed. The scene where they meet the shark is pretty amusing, but I’m not a fan of it. The following chase scene though is rather engaging and the scene where Dory attempts to read the scuba mask is a pretty good example of when the wildly energetic style clicks with the capable but confused relationship between her and Marlin, as well as Dory’s long term short term memory loss running gag going on. The gobble scene is fun and very exciting too.

Still, all this might be fun, but the tone of the movie is quite confused. I mean, the opening scene is extremely intense, dark and very heartbreaking, yet the movie that follows is Disney at their most lightweight, except for a few small areas. Then you have the fish tank, which is filled with loud speaking, bobble-blabbering characters, yet there are instances like the filtration system scene and the whole deal about Darla and the death of a fish – including a horrible photo of a downward floating dead friend of theirs – that just doesn’t match up with the rest of the movie.

And, in contrast, to the touching and terrifying opening scene, the closing moral conclusion with the fish swimming down and the whole thing about working together, trusting and listening to each other doesn’t really match neither the opening nor the movie as a whole, mostly coming off as quite “easy” and anti-climactic in my opinion. I have hope for finding the love for ‘Finding Nemo’ once again in the future. I will “just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…”

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movies can be okay...
09-24-17
Not the biggest fan of Pixar here, but your write-ups are great regardless, even if I disagree with what you're saying, at least it was well worded and visually pleasing.
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09-24-17
Originally Posted by Okay
Not the biggest fan of Pixar here, but your write-ups are great regardless, even if I disagree with what you're saying, at least it was well worded and visually pleasing.
Thank you very much. Which ones do you disagree with and what are your favourite Pixar films?



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movies can be okay...
09-24-17
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation
Thank you very much. Which ones do you disagree with and what are your favourite Pixar films?
I like the first Toy Story and what it brought to the animation world, but I do disagree about it totally holding up against the test of time, I mean Sid's dog looks horrible during quite a few shots, but it's the first computer animated movie ever, so what the hell. I didn't think the writing at least of Buzz's character was that much thought through, he constantly keeps insisting that he is a space ranger but as soon as a human walks in he pretends to be a toy.

I also don't like any of the films so far as much as you do, none of their stories intrigue me that much nor do I think they're that imaginative, but that's just me, although, I do agree that TS2 is the best of its trilogy.

As for my favourite Pixar films, most of them are good, but good is where it stops for me, with the exception of Ratatouille, which I easily find to be their best work.
Last edited by Okay; 09-24-17 at 04:23 PM.



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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
09-24-17
I've done that, went through a movie I've always enjoyed and then felt meh about it.
No worries, the love does come back so, yeah, keep swimming, keep swimming, keep swimming



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09-24-17
Originally Posted by Okay
although, I do agree that TS2 is the best of its trilogy.
Well, for all our disagreements, this makes up for all of them!!!

I can't get ANYONE to agree with me on that so THANK YOU!



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
09-24-17
@MovieMeditation
I had the opposite reaction to multiple watches of Finding Nemo than you seem to have had. I liked it the first time I saw it, but I didn't love it. I have since rewatched it numerous times, and I like it more and more every time, to the point that it's now one of my favorite Pixar movies.

I absolutely love Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, and I liked the sequel Finding Dory too. I've only seen Finding Dory once so far, so I don't love it as much as the first movie yet, but I hope that it has the same effect as the first movie, and it gets better and better with each rewatch,



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Friendo.
09-24-17
Originally Posted by gbgoodies
@MovieMeditation
I had the opposite reaction to multiple watches of Finding Nemo than you seem to have had. I liked it the first time I saw it, but I didn't love it. I have since rewatched it numerous times, and I like it more and more every time, to the point that it's now one of my favorite Pixar movies.

I absolutely love Ellen DeGeneres as Dory, and I liked the sequel Finding Dory too. I've only seen Finding Dory once so far, so I don't love it as much as the first movie yet, but I hope that it has the same effect as the first movie, and it gets better and better with each rewatch,
I, too, had that reaction actually. It only just now went the other way.

I liked it, then I liked it more, and suddenly I loved it!! I gave it a
last time I watched it... I don't know what happened. Yeah, I like Ellen too. Great casting. I found the sequel tolerable and definitely not bad, but MILES from Pixar's usual good. I have only seen it once too though. Might see it again on this Pixar binge...



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
09-24-17
Originally Posted by MovieMeditation
I, too, had that reaction actually. It only just now went the other way.

I liked it, then I liked it more, and suddenly I loved it!! I gave it a
last time I watched it... I don't know what happened. Yeah, I like Ellen too. Great casting. I found the sequel tolerable and definitely not bad, but MILES from Pixar's usual good. I have only seen it once too though. Might see it again on this Pixar binge...

Maybe I should quit rewatching it while I'm ahead.

I think I had an advantage when I saw the sequel because I knew the ratings were mixed, and some were even bad, but I avoided reading too much about it so I went in almost completely blind, and with low expectations. Maybe that's why I thought the sequel was much better than most of the reviews.



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09-24-17
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2004
The Incredibles
"Pixar theme" #6



“That was totally wicked!” I mean, who could have known that on top of a movie experience lost at sea with me attempting to rescue back my love for ‘Finding Nemo’, a movie called ‘The Incredibles’ would come straight down fast and fiery from above and slam me senseless into the water right after it exploded directly in my face! I don’t even know what I was waiting for… something amazing, I guess? And oh, boy did I get just that!

This film was always fun, for sure, and I remember loving it back in the old days as pure powerhouse of entertainment, though now as an adult the little more subtle details are what sets this movie apart. I guess the emotional core, which usually makes you a crybaby when we reach the climax, is what many have come to expect from Disney and Pixar – myself included – so when this movie aims for something else I left the movie several times unable to appreciate the undertones of larger themes. In a lot of ways, this is Disney’s best portrayal of family and togetherness yet, because the superhero element is used to enhance these themes, not merely the action set pieces.

And the balance of life is something we all struggle with to some extent, which ‘The Incredibles’ shows incredibly well, by using the superhero in hiding, attempting to be ordinary, to help tell that part of the story. Also, the whole deal about identity. Dash’ trouble at school and wanting to compete in sports and be social and do something that may also help him stay motivated and interested, so he doesn’t take it all out in school. Some clever ADHD vibes going on here too. Violet and her “invisibility” is obviously not just a random superpower the writers gave her. Her character is this insecure person, hiding in plain sight, acting as a lot of teenagers do too. And the mother “stretches” herself to keep things together and doing a thousand things at the household at once, while the father is living a life in the past, building up all this anger and unresolved emotions.

Overall, the family aspect just hits home, especially when Mr. Incredible says to his wife “No. I’m not strong enough” emphasizing that without her and the family he is weak and all those muscles amount to nothing. I have to be honest, the power of those words never felt as great as they did this time around. Just all these things about family and identity and all that really is well done. And “my parents are my superheroes” never rang truer than this. Oh, and Brad Bird as Edna Mode… Brilliant!

And hey… talking about family, how about that spoiled little brat who may actually not have had the greatest childhood? Actually, I used to think he was a weak villain. He still isn’t a favorite, but he liked his character and motivation more this time. In a way, he is merely a fanboy who was let down by his hero, then growing up in anger and hatred, wanting to show his worth and be the best, but doing so by removing all who may intervene and stop him from succeeding, only to realize he will never be able to be or do what a real superhero does, which is then shown with karma coming back to bite him after he gets defeated by his own making and his own uncontrollable ego and power-dream crashing down upon him.

Sure, in broad strokes, this might sound as something we have seen before, but the execution makes it seem like so much more. He is a twisted little pyscho for sure, but there is a broken boy behind that mask – actually simply a human behind that mask – who hides behind his creations and while the real superheroes try their best to be ordinary, the ordinary in this case tries his best to be super. But he can never be what someone else is and his power-hungry dream sucks the life out of him – literally at one point actually...

Ultimately, this is a great homage to the superhero and action genres, which is beautifully held together by a strong bond of togetherness and spiced up with stunning visuals and a breathtaking audio experience – seriously, I have said it before, Disney/Pixar has some amazing sound design and mixing (oh, it won an Oscar I see now). The DTS track on ‘The Incredibles’ blew me away, especially the scenes with Dash running and the robot scenes filled with earthshattering bass. And the score is amazing, jazzy yet upbeat and thematically heroic. Anyways, this movie is a super-fun time with superheroes, super villains and slick gadgets, but the connection we all make no matter the superficial surface, is to the characters who are no more super than we are, when it all comes down to it. They deal with the same stuff we do and in a way… we are all superheroes…


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Last edited by MovieMeditation; 09-25-17 at 07:35 AM.



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You can't make a rainbow without a little rain.
09-25-17
It's been a while since I watched The Incredibles, but I remember the movie being a lot of fun. It kind of reminded me of a Fantastic Four wannabe, but that's not a bad thing because Pixar did a great job.

My favorite character is Edna, ("No capes!"). I even have a little figure of her on my desk.



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Friendo.
09-25-17
Originally Posted by gbgoodies
It's been a while since I watched The Incredibles, but I remember the movie being a lot of fun. It kind of reminded me of a Fantastic Four wannabe, but that's not a bad thing because Pixar did a great job.

My favorite character is Edna, ("No capes!"). I even have a little figure of her on my desk.
Yeah, as I said in my review LOVE EDNA!!!

And that she's voiced by director Brad Bird is even more amazing.



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Women will be your undoing, Pépé
09-25-17
just finished reading Monsters Inc review, totally agree with all of it -- also, Finding Dory was a lot of fun. Seen it about 3 times and it does get better with rewatches.

Will be back to read the Incredibles. LOVE that movie. Saw it countless times annnd EDNA ROCKS!!

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