C’mon Hollywood #213

… Pixar is amazing!
by Sturdy

This column is normally reserved for ranting about something that pisses us off in Hollywood, but I wanted to divert from the usual fare and take time to give some credit to a company that is actually doing everything right. It’s easy to complain about something you don’t like, but we don’t always take time to praise something we do. Pixar is an amazing company and although their films receive lavish praise from virtually every critic alive, I’m not sure we, as movie fans, truly pause to appreciate what we’re experiencing with Pixar.

To think; it all started with a lamp

We’ve never seen a string of success to the level of Pixar’s current streak in the history of the movie business. Think about it; Pixar has made 10 films, all of which are spectacular. Now, making 10 great films is not a feat in and of itself, but making 10 consecutive films at the quality in which Pixar is making them, is unheard of. I’m not just talking about box office success, each of their films receives plenty of praise from critics alike. Their appeal is so widespread that even the most pessimistic of movie snobs seems to enjoy their films.

Still the best Pixar film?

How many of you out there were like me after TOY STORY 2 or MONSTER’S INC. and said “well, the next one will probably suck because they’re due for a failure”? Now, we say “it’s Pixar, so of course it’s great”. Even when the storyline is something that I don’t find interesting in the previews (CARS, UP), they still manage to wow me. For the last few films, I was sure they were going to slip up. But they actually seem to be getting better, if that’s possible. Not only is the animation sharper and more impressive, but the stories are more original and the dialogue is even wittier. I like to think of myself as a decent writer, but after watching a Pixar film, I feel like an incompetent ass. They are that good.

Unlikely we’ll agree on the worst

It’s also great to hear people discuss which film they liked the most and which one they liked the least. I’ve been in some pretty heated discussions about which Pixar film is the “worst”, but the funny thing is; Pixar’s “worst” film is still better than 80% of the films released. For me, CARS is the least of the Pixar films, but even after I saw it, I thought it was pretty good. If anything, I complained because I wasn’t blown away by it. The bar has been set so obnoxiously high for them that if they don’t wow you, then it’s kind of a letdown.

They continue to amaze me

So what can Hollywood do at this point to acknowledge the greatness of Pixar? Well, I think the only thing left is to give them an Oscar. And no, I don’t mean the “Best Animated Feature” Oscar because there’s little to no competition in that category. Pixar needs a nomination in the Best Picture category (which WALL-E should have gotten last year). Other than that, the next time you watch a Pixar movie, pause and acknowledge the fact that you are living movie history right now and this kind of hit streak will probably never be matched in our lifetimes.