Thank you! I feel like I've been screaming into the void for the past two decades. Children don't need nostalgic movies about childhood, they're busy living it.
I agree that Pixar has more yawns and groans than masterpieces, but generating anything truly great is no small achievement. The Incredibles continues to delight with its future retro 60s spy caper design, humor, and wonderful characters. The way it transcends its underlying tedious Ayn Randian world view just adds to its greatness.
I love your observation that critics seem so often to be talking themselves into an opinion they feel they are supposed to hold.
I think another reason for the raptures directed at Pixar films is that so much of kids’ programming is annoying and boring for adults. Some large percentage of film critics are parents who have suffered through these shows. The more kids love an annoying show and the more obsessively they watch it (Peppa Pig, Elmo’s World, and Dora all leap to mind), the worse it is for parents. Whenever a critic rhapsodizes about a mediocre Pixar film, I’m imaging that s/he is comparing it not with actually good films, but with the wretched stuff they usually watch with their kids. Pixar films always include winks and nods for the adults in the audience--because they work.
My daughter around 10 years old loved Ratatouille. She didn't really like UP. Even for a kid the more adult themes in Ratatouille seemed to resonate (she loved the chef). I liked UP more than she did.
Most Pixar movies have a really interesting premise, but then the actual story is nonsense. This is why the first acts and world-building in Wall-E and Up are mesmerizing and then the movies just become really boring and/or nonsensical. I like the Toy Storys because they actually do something with the premise, and even Cars as well, but as you mention, those seem to be the only movies from Pixar that are made for kids.
It kind of makes sense. My niece is six and watches the same movies obsessively. However, only the first 30-45 minutes of movies before she goes to bed. I think most kids are like this. Outside of the first time they watch, they're not appreciating the whole of the movie because they don't have the attention span or time. If you're going to focus on making a section of a movie hum for kids, it should be the first.
That said, she hates Up, couldn't get through Wall-E, doesn't like Inside Out... she just really loves Cars and Toy Story and the first Monsters Inc and then would rather watch Disney Animation or Dreamworks stuff vs. Pixar.
Freddie, I fear you’ve fallen into rather very trap you identify here by producing a super sophisticated and complex adult review supposedly accusing Pixar of pandering to a very particular group of adults, to which…. you yourself belong.
I’m the actual mother of an actual 5-year-old child. We saw Elemental three days ago and had a blast. Do you know how much utter garbage is out there for kids? How much of this relentless crap relies on Exploding Galaxies and Armageddon because of a dearth of actual feelings? How much sexual innuendo is in movies for kids because, I guess, the script writers think that parents need to guffaw at sexual jokes while sitting next to their kids at the theater? How much superhero junk and claptrap pyrotechnic rubbish they pack into movies with no emotions at a normal scale that a young child can digest? I’m grateful for anything Pixar and Miyazaki churn out. The New Yorker and Guardian fans that pan these movies apparently haven’t taken the trouble to review, say, Sonic 2 or Puss in Boots. Because they write these reviews for overgrown kids, not for adults with actual kids.
For the parents on the audience: a friend recommended Common Sense Media as a good barometer of quality, and I find it’s usually on the mark.
Obviously clouded by youthful nostalgia here, but for me Toy Story through Wall-E really did feel like a golden age (Cars excepted). Something worth noting was that during this era there was a noticeable and often astonishing improvement in graphical quality with each movie, something that can't be recaptured now that we've hit a relative plateau in CGI quality.
I don’t disagree with you but I’d add Monsters Inc to the masterpiece list. That movie is funny as hell and the door chase at the end is thrilling. It’s my kid’s’ favorite.
Love your prose and POV on the world Freddie, but in terms of INSIDE OUT and the “Bing Bong” I think you genuinely got this one wrong and missed the OTHER half of the purpose of the character; and then, how it feeds back into the theme of the film. In terms of film and story structure his moment of enabling Joy to get back onto her mission back to HQ his act is one of sacrifice to and for the greater good - and love, that which all imaginary friends are created for. This moment is a wonderful example of the 2nd Act Midpoint, or “the Turn”, where Joy experiences for the first time the mixture of emotions that will come to dominate the rest of the film, as well as deeper emotional knowledge that an adult has, that a child does not: that with the good, comes the bad, and that is ok. Adult life is messy. Bing Bong’s act had this intention baked into it, and he too as a character was just as lost as everyone in the film is at that point. But HIS moment is transcendent (yes, I used that word) because he has genuine, bona fide purpose; and a deeper, adult meaning in his sacrifice to the girl’s and her emotions greater good. The death of the imaginary friend is both the literal and figurative start to becoming an adult, which the entire story is built around: growth and maturity; and that process really begins with his for-the-greater-good death that has a deeper meaning. A 180-degree reversal of the typical imaginary friend.
I’ve had friends say to me about certain great films after first viewing, “I love you, but I think you got it wrong about ______ film” and I too in turn would say this to you about INSIDE OUT.
How is Wall-E problematic now?? That still is my favorite Pixar film to date.
https://youtu.be/RywJSc3I6dU
Thank you! I feel like I've been screaming into the void for the past two decades. Children don't need nostalgic movies about childhood, they're busy living it.
I agree that Pixar has more yawns and groans than masterpieces, but generating anything truly great is no small achievement. The Incredibles continues to delight with its future retro 60s spy caper design, humor, and wonderful characters. The way it transcends its underlying tedious Ayn Randian world view just adds to its greatness.
Pixar goes for the “fun for kids and doesn’t make adults want to puke” market and has an unusually high success rate.
I love your observation that critics seem so often to be talking themselves into an opinion they feel they are supposed to hold.
I think another reason for the raptures directed at Pixar films is that so much of kids’ programming is annoying and boring for adults. Some large percentage of film critics are parents who have suffered through these shows. The more kids love an annoying show and the more obsessively they watch it (Peppa Pig, Elmo’s World, and Dora all leap to mind), the worse it is for parents. Whenever a critic rhapsodizes about a mediocre Pixar film, I’m imaging that s/he is comparing it not with actually good films, but with the wretched stuff they usually watch with their kids. Pixar films always include winks and nods for the adults in the audience--because they work.
My daughter around 10 years old loved Ratatouille. She didn't really like UP. Even for a kid the more adult themes in Ratatouille seemed to resonate (she loved the chef). I liked UP more than she did.
Great animated films: The Michells vs The Machines, Penguins of Madagascar, Into the Spiderverse
Most Pixar movies have a really interesting premise, but then the actual story is nonsense. This is why the first acts and world-building in Wall-E and Up are mesmerizing and then the movies just become really boring and/or nonsensical. I like the Toy Storys because they actually do something with the premise, and even Cars as well, but as you mention, those seem to be the only movies from Pixar that are made for kids.
It kind of makes sense. My niece is six and watches the same movies obsessively. However, only the first 30-45 minutes of movies before she goes to bed. I think most kids are like this. Outside of the first time they watch, they're not appreciating the whole of the movie because they don't have the attention span or time. If you're going to focus on making a section of a movie hum for kids, it should be the first.
That said, she hates Up, couldn't get through Wall-E, doesn't like Inside Out... she just really loves Cars and Toy Story and the first Monsters Inc and then would rather watch Disney Animation or Dreamworks stuff vs. Pixar.
Now I just wanna know how you feel about studio Ghibli. Is Grave of the Fireflies just one big bing bong? Etc
At the very climax of Inside Out, my six-year-son leaned over and said 'I have no idea what's going on' so that failed
Freddie, I fear you’ve fallen into rather very trap you identify here by producing a super sophisticated and complex adult review supposedly accusing Pixar of pandering to a very particular group of adults, to which…. you yourself belong.
I’m the actual mother of an actual 5-year-old child. We saw Elemental three days ago and had a blast. Do you know how much utter garbage is out there for kids? How much of this relentless crap relies on Exploding Galaxies and Armageddon because of a dearth of actual feelings? How much sexual innuendo is in movies for kids because, I guess, the script writers think that parents need to guffaw at sexual jokes while sitting next to their kids at the theater? How much superhero junk and claptrap pyrotechnic rubbish they pack into movies with no emotions at a normal scale that a young child can digest? I’m grateful for anything Pixar and Miyazaki churn out. The New Yorker and Guardian fans that pan these movies apparently haven’t taken the trouble to review, say, Sonic 2 or Puss in Boots. Because they write these reviews for overgrown kids, not for adults with actual kids.
For the parents on the audience: a friend recommended Common Sense Media as a good barometer of quality, and I find it’s usually on the mark.
Obviously clouded by youthful nostalgia here, but for me Toy Story through Wall-E really did feel like a golden age (Cars excepted). Something worth noting was that during this era there was a noticeable and often astonishing improvement in graphical quality with each movie, something that can't be recaptured now that we've hit a relative plateau in CGI quality.
I don’t disagree with you but I’d add Monsters Inc to the masterpiece list. That movie is funny as hell and the door chase at the end is thrilling. It’s my kid’s’ favorite.
Love your prose and POV on the world Freddie, but in terms of INSIDE OUT and the “Bing Bong” I think you genuinely got this one wrong and missed the OTHER half of the purpose of the character; and then, how it feeds back into the theme of the film. In terms of film and story structure his moment of enabling Joy to get back onto her mission back to HQ his act is one of sacrifice to and for the greater good - and love, that which all imaginary friends are created for. This moment is a wonderful example of the 2nd Act Midpoint, or “the Turn”, where Joy experiences for the first time the mixture of emotions that will come to dominate the rest of the film, as well as deeper emotional knowledge that an adult has, that a child does not: that with the good, comes the bad, and that is ok. Adult life is messy. Bing Bong’s act had this intention baked into it, and he too as a character was just as lost as everyone in the film is at that point. But HIS moment is transcendent (yes, I used that word) because he has genuine, bona fide purpose; and a deeper, adult meaning in his sacrifice to the girl’s and her emotions greater good. The death of the imaginary friend is both the literal and figurative start to becoming an adult, which the entire story is built around: growth and maturity; and that process really begins with his for-the-greater-good death that has a deeper meaning. A 180-degree reversal of the typical imaginary friend.
I’ve had friends say to me about certain great films after first viewing, “I love you, but I think you got it wrong about ______ film” and I too in turn would say this to you about INSIDE OUT.