Ken Masters
Banned
their streak of quality movies was impossible to sustain, just didn't thing they'd have a string of mediocre films
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First reviews for MONSTERS UNIVERSITY rolling in.
- Thread starter SCULLIBUNDO
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PaleFolklore
Member
What is going on at Pixar? What has changed in the last few years there? Anything?
Soulscribe
Member
Preach.
Brave was a fully realized epic. The art direction and voicework is top shelf Pixar, and the story line, while ultimately predictable, was still executed exceptionally well. Pixar took a seemingly kids-only allegory and made it accessible to any age group. That's an ability that they exclusively hold. They pulled that off perfectly with Brave.
Here's how I would rank their work:
GOD TIER:
1) Wall-E
2) Ratatouille
3) The Incredibles
4) Finding Nemo
AMAZING TIER:
5) Brave
6) Toy Story 3
7) Up
8) Toy Story
VERY REALLY DAMN GOOD TIER:
9) Monsters Inc.
10) Toy Story 2
11) A Bugs Life
DREAMWORKS TIER:
12) Cars
13) Cars 2
Damn what a resume.
I'm expecting really good things from Finding Dory. Nemo as a film holds a special place for people; it isn't as frivolous as Monsters Inc. but leans more toward Toy Story in terms of cultural impact. I think there's more on the line for Pixar to do well with a Nemo sequel than a Monsters prequel, and with Stanton on board I'm sure it'll be top-shelf. I can't see them fucking up Finding Dory.
The Librarian
Banned
Brave had no idea what it wanted to be.
malingenie
Member
I'm surprised at all the backlash against Brave, I thought it was beloved?
I like it, not their best, but very nice coming of age story.
Cars 2 on the other hand, deserves to be called a money grubbing, cash-in, pandering POS
I like it, not their best, but very nice coming of age story.
Cars 2 on the other hand, deserves to be called a money grubbing, cash-in, pandering POS
Aquamarine
Member
The issue is that instead of relying on Pixar greats like Pete Docter, Brad Bird, Lee Unkrich and Andrew Stanton, Disney/Pixar started hiring a bunch of nobodies to work on their films.
First we had Lasseter go completely off his rocker with the soulless Cars 2, then we had Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman come to Pixar to work on Brave, and now we have Dan Scanlon for Monsters University.
I can understand Lasseter going crazy (the man has an extraordinarily busy life), but I just don't get why Pixar keeps bringing in untested talent to senior roles. It's really taking a toll on their reputation.
Swap A Bug's Life and Ratatouille and Toy Story with Wall-E and we're good.
It was quite clearly a coming of age story.
I never really got into the whole "Cars 2 sucks" train, but I always considered the first Cars to be superior to it. It had a really great story with a great ending.
The Librarian
Banned
Among its ADD with wanting be a historical, medieval, mystical, coming-of-age story, sure. Also, bears!
Please. Any idea it had it failed to execute all that well.
Soulscribe
Member
I think it had a better handle of itself and its universe than Up did.
What held Up back from being Pixar's best film is the second half. It suddenly remembered that it was a cartoon and resorted to its gimmicks. The first half of Up is probably tied with Wall-E's first half as the best material from Pixar.
People have different opinions than you?
Soulscribe
Member
Finding Nemo is an exceptional film. Very well-structured, well cast, funny, heartwarming and smart. What don't you like about it?
The Librarian
Banned
I thought the whole plot point of mom-turns-into-bear wasn't enough to carry the movie. It's as if the film was making excuses to go on, after it wrapped up the whole conflict with the tribes rather quickly.
lordfroakie
Member
Watch it win a best animation award too :/
Fixed.
Brave was mediocre bland and generic, at low tier Disney straight to video level, it was so by the book I couldn't believe it was a Pixar movie.
It's not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but the most common complaint I hear irl is from guys saying: "I couldn't relate/care because it was about a girl and her mum." In any case, I have to wonder if people calling it generic know the meaning of the word.
The Librarian
Banned
I'm not interested in it at all but then again, I'm not a huge fan of Monsters, Inc. Definitely looks like a rental at best to me. I'm hopeful that The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out get them back on track. Brave was about an 8 at best sadly (not a bad flick by any stretch, but not nearly as good as I'd expect from Pixar despite its lovely visuals).
That's what GAF is for!
I didn't know Brave was so hated. I enjoyed it much more than I did UP for instance.
The setting, music, characters were awesome. Story was really cool too, I wasn't spoiled by trailers or any other media so the
caught me by surprise
UP started to get boring as soon as they reach Paradise Falls. At that point I wanted it to end and I hear often that is one of their universally praised movies, beats me.
Anyway it's sad Pixar are losing their touch. I think all of the sequels are not necessary (for the public, I get they are necessary for them to make money or so it seems) and I'd rather see any of those canceled projects like Newt.
The setting, music, characters were awesome. Story was really cool too, I wasn't spoiled by trailers or any other media so the
mother transforming into a bear and what happened after that
UP started to get boring as soon as they reach Paradise Falls. At that point I wanted it to end and I hear often that is one of their universally praised movies, beats me.
Anyway it's sad Pixar are losing their touch. I think all of the sequels are not necessary (for the public, I get they are necessary for them to make money or so it seems) and I'd rather see any of those canceled projects like Newt.
Keylime
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I'm not so sure it's about money (as in box-office), I suspect it's much more about merchandising. If you establish a cast of characters that essentially become Pixar mascots, you can design toys/clothes/attractions/rides/etc that have more hooks than if you're constantly dropping 1-offs.
Just my assumption, as all the Pixar movies were doing incredibly well financially prior to the sequels showing up in force.
Soulscribe
Member
Well if it's any consolation I think the upcoming run of films with The Good Dinosaur --> Finding Dory --> Inside Out might put them back on the winning streak again.
Just no more Cars.
Just no more Cars.
The original brain trust and brad bird is mostly gone or have other responsibilities. Maybe their talent pool is diluted by sharing with disney as well. Sequels aside, Docter's Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur might be interesting.
All studios have this problem though, for all the praise ghibli gets, I'd say they have it worst, relying on two directors that are past retirement age. Dreamworks is more hit of miss depending on the directors they can get their hands on.
BladeoftheImmortal
Member
Ts3>TS2>TS1. That's my contribution to this thread.
Plinko
Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Much of the humor falls completely flat. Dory's shtick gets old about 15 minutes into the film. Albert Brooks is incredibly irritating as the father fish. It's the one Pixar film where I just don't get why people like it as much as they do.
Yeah, Disney sure tried their best to associate it with Cars, but just looking at clips of it, the animation looks so cheap and direct-to-video.
Ken Masters
Banned
voters just see "Pixar" and vote
Could be due to the face that Pixar fired the original director.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Brave was Mulan without the balls to do anything interesting with the cultural backdrop. So disappointing.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
I dunno about that. I enjoyed Toy Story 3, and movies from other studios last year like wreck it ralph and madagascar 3 were surprisingly good.
GuitarAtomik
Member
These reviews sound like how I felt about the first one.
It just seems Pixar has really dropped the ball since Up.
I grew up with Toy Story and while I loved 3, that thing was a drama more then a kids movie.
I grabbed my head and shook it in disappointment after seeing cars 2, I really loved the first one and find all the hate unwarranted. Brave was just all over the place and just came off as very generic, Mum is a bear and it just rolled with that, mediocre film. I have high hopes for the next two films since they're going to be original works.
I grew up with Toy Story and while I loved 3, that thing was a drama more then a kids movie.
I grabbed my head and shook it in disappointment after seeing cars 2, I really loved the first one and find all the hate unwarranted. Brave was just all over the place and just came off as very generic, Mum is a bear and it just rolled with that, mediocre film. I have high hopes for the next two films since they're going to be original works.
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