TOY STORY 2

Sequels are notoriously tricky to pull-off. On the one hand, people who go to see a sequel want to see the same thing that they saw before. They want to relive the adventures of the same characters and experience a similar feeling as they did during the original. On the other hand, they want something different. If there is any hint of 'copy-catting' the first one then the audience will feel simply bored at best. Needless to say, this creates a tough balancing act that has seen very mixed results in the history of cinema.

This movie is one of those rare times (Dark Knight being a notable recent example) where the sequel very well may be better than the original! What an accomplishment! As this movie begins, we know the characters, we know their weaknesses and their strengths, and we know what is important to them; so where do you make a character arc from there?! Well, Pixar answered that question with flair.

In this film, Woody is presented with a choice. He can either choose to live forever in a loveless, sterile world; or he can live with his owner who loves him. Seems like an easy choice, right? Well, what if there was no guarantee that the owner would always love him? This then, is the decidedly adult choice that this 'kids movie' character must face, and it resonates with the audience because it is a decision that we all must face at some point in our lives. Do we give our hearts to others even though they may at some point break them, or do we keep them locked up; safe, sterile, and hard? 

This heart and pathos is what gives the movie its core. It makes the jokes funnier, the stakes higher, and the characters more endearing. For most of the movie, you don't even seem to be watching toys anymore, but old buddies who you actually care for! One last thing; with the recent announcement that there will be a third film in the series one has to wonder if the trend will continue. The history of successful 'thirds' is positively elite compared to simply sequels (in fact, off the top of my head i can only think of Harry Potter, Bourne, and Lord of the Rings). However, i have learned to simply have faith in this studio, as they have yet (in my opinion) to make a single bad movie...

A Bug's Life

Unlike most of the Pixar movies (with the possible exception of The Incredibles) which focus on one main character (or a pair of them), this is the closest the studio came to a true ensemble picture. And honestly, with a movie about a colony of insects, how could that not be the case! That is the true victory of this film, the richness of its secondary cast members. Each one of the circus bugs is so well cast and characterized, and oftentimes are the most well-remembered parts of the movie. The fat and lovable Heimlich who only wants to be a butterfly, the ladybug who is actually a man-bug, and the two spanish/russian/?-speaking pill bugs ("You fired!") just to name a few!

The plot channels many classic films like Seven Samurai, and follows the plight of a helpless group of insects which must come to an understanding of their place in the world while under the oppression of the evil grasshoppers. The ants (spearheaded by the outcast Flik) seek in vain to find an extrinsic solution to their problem, in the end discovering that they had always held the power to vanquishing the enemy...the power within (cue Chariots of Fire music). Ironically this is something that the villains had known and exploited all along, exhibiting a simple yet powerful lesson (which history has shown us time and time again) on the ability of the 'powerful' few managing to oppress the 'weak' many.

The animation in this movie was stunning, giving the viewer a glimpse into how nature is seen from the other side. And last but certainly not least is what i consider to be the most ingeniously clever thing that has ever been done in an animated film, outtakes. I mean seriously, whoever had that idea should be set for life, because it was a stroke of brilliance!!

 

TOY STORY

The year was 1995, and the movie was Toy Story. I was merely a tender lad of 12 at that time, but even i could tell that something important was happening. I was obsessed with this movie then, spending every cent i had on anything i could get my hands on (which at the time wasn't actually very much...stuff, as well as my budget). I listened to the soundtrack on cassette until it started to wear and the little tape thing actually broke (Boy, those were the dark ages)! This was the world's first computer animated film. But what is even more important, is that instead of using that fact alone to trump up publicity, Pixar created what many still consider to be the greatest CG animated film ever!! 

Now, i'll admit that i do consider others to be better per se, but the beauty and intelligence of this original Toy Story cannot be overstated. 

As tensions in the story rise, one of this films crowning achievements begins to surface; its superb characterizations!! Woody is selfish and jealous of Buzz taking the attention away from him, but who isn't!? Potato Head is quick to accuse Woody and slow to forgive him, who isn't? These characters are flawed and have personal insecurities! They are real!

Mix that with genuinely funny moments (which come from the actual situations, as opposed to relying on pop culture reference with tongue firmly in cheek as so many animated movies tend to), witty dialogue ("The word I'm searching for, i can't say."), and beautiful animation and you end up with this pioneering masterpiece in every sense of the word. 

So, it occurred to me the other day that it had been some time since i had last perused the perfect pantheon of Pixar pictures (and obviously a long time since i had used shameless alliteration in a blog post). These are in my opinion the most well-made set of movies in existence. Now that may seem naive considering all of the amazing movies out there, but in my opinion no other collection of movies even comes close to Pixars' in regards to: cleanliness, humor, heart, visuals, characterizations, and creativity. So, i decided that since i was planning on watching them again anyway, i might as well make the whole experience a little more productive and include my humble bloggers in the blessed experience (i.e.- if your reading this, your probably the only one). So i decided that i am going to watch one Pixar movie a day for the next 8 days, and then write a review describing the event! Should be fun, right? RIGHT?! :)

What Happened to Your Face?

I enjoy having facial hair. And i think that only recently am i finally coming to understand exactly why. It is a fact well understood (coming from such credible sources as Hitch) that 90% of communication is non-verbal. 

Now, nobody likes to have lulls in the conversation, so who wants lulls in the nonverbal landscape? Facial hair helps create variety and excitement; so it seems perfectly reasonable to me to exhibit some pleasant decor on one's face so as not to allow the nonverbal discussion to hit a snag! Now, i suppose the debate rages on over whether or not facial hair (and more especially the creepy, half-filled-in kind as demonstrated here by this poor fellow) actually qualifies as "pleasant decor." So, i figure until that debate is resolved i shall continue to use my 'enhanced' nonverbals to say the following to the detractors....

What are You Doing? Pouncing

I found this picture and decided that it pretty much sums up...well, everything. Admittedly this is how i often feel in life. I am meant to be the aggressor, the alpha male, the hunter!  Dating provides a good example. Now like any cat, i have labored at times under the false impression that the world has been laid out for my enjoyment. So at my leisure, i would choose to pounce on my "unsuspecting prey" feeling that they would quickly surrender to my glory and might! Come to find out though, that my claws don't even puncture their skin, and that they instead only force me to hang on for dear life as the "prey" carries me about helplessly. Admittedly, not the lesson in leadership that Mufasa had intended. Now, forgive me if i have run away with the metaphor here; in truth, i think its just a really funny picture.

This feels weird...

I guess i have finally made the jump. Up to this moment I had always been comfortable with the fact that i was not very techno savvy, in fact i kind of enjoyed it. I managed to grow up right behind the curve. All this business of cell phones, internet sites, and moving pictures didn't really catch on until the "learning of new technology" window in my brain had already closed. However, one day i looked around and saw that everyone had Facebook (i was the last one to jump on that train), and cellphones (swore i would never need one). So, now i have joined their ranks. I am now a certified techno-phile! If you need to contact me you can reach me on my pager :)