Archived Movie Reviews

PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION, VOL. 1

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 4 Reels
MPAA Rating: Not rated in the U.S.; Rated G in Canada
DVD Release: Nov. 6, 2007
Genre: Family, Animation, Short, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 54 minutes
Directed by: Various; many directed by John Lasseter.

Cast: Various, including the voices of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Owen Wilson, and Larry the Cable Guy.

SYNOPSIS: Thirteen short films from Pixar Animation Studios are gathered together in this wonderful collection. Shown at the beginning and end of Pixar’s full-length theatrical movies, these films are nothing “short” of ingenious. Selections range from “For the Birds” to “Mike’s New Car” to “Jack-Jack Attack.”

Sex/ Nudity: Mild flirtations, such as between a snowman and a mermaid.

Violence/Gore: None.

Profanity: None.

Which Kids Will Like It? Great for all ages. Even little ones will like the short, colorful films, generally centered around an object (lamp, bike, snowman) with very human characteristics.

Will Parents Like It? Yes, the stories are sweet and simple and free of inappropriate content.

Special Features: The Pixar Shorts: A Short History; audio commentaries; four excerpts from “Sesame Street,” featuring a little lamp and his parent: Surprise, Light and Heavy, Up and Down, and Front and Back.

REVIEW: You know those cute short films shown before and after Pixar movies? Thirteen of those shorts are now collected together on this DVD.

The sweet and simple stories are wonderful because they touch on basic human emotions everyone can relate to, such as sadness, frustration, fear, pain, and love. And since many of the subjects are inanimate-objects-turned-animate, they don’t target any one particular age group or person.

I wish they would have included more behind-the-scenes production stuff in the special features, but the “Short History” segment is very interesting. The founders of Pixar gab about their beginnings and the challenges of starting a whole new genre of film.

Some of these films you might not recognize, like “The Adventures of Andre & Wally B.,” an early short by John Lasseter from his days at the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Project. But you’ll probably be familiar with many of these, as they’ve been shown at Pixar movies like “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and “The Incredibles.”

Stand-outs include:

Luxo, Jr. – A cute little baby lamp (so lifelike!) delights in playing with a ball, while an elder lamp patiently looks on. Little lamp is crushed when the ball deflates, but happy again to find an even bigger ball.

Knick Knack – A snowman trapped in a snow globe longs for life on the outside, especially when he sees a beautiful mermaid on the shelf near him. When the little guy finally escapes, his vacation plans are abruptly cut short.

For the Birds – A flock of sweet little birds huddle together on a telephone wire. When a goofy bigger bird tries to join them, they make fun of him. But guess who gets the last laugh?

Mike’s New Car – Mike from “Monsters, Inc.” shows off his new car to co-star Sulley. But everything goes wrong. These two have some of the best chemistry in the biz.

JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM :

One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels: Something to talk about.

Four Reels: You want the truth? Great flick!

Five Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net