Genres

Visitors Review

Ribtim 2012-05-23 06:02:08

A shallow and boring look at a very interesting subject

Yes, Pixar has made some great films.Yes, they are definitely amongst the best in the world when it comes tocomputer animation.Yes, they helped basically change the whole industry.So why make such an awkwardly shallow "pat-on-the-back" film aboutthem, consisting of nothing but a bunch of people saying how great theyare? I wanted to see this because I was fascinated with animation, andhoped to learn some behind-the-scenes secrets and technical insightinto how Pixar films are actually created. However this was neveraddressed in The Pixar Story.I also thought it would be interesting to hear the back-stories of allthe competitive titles that has come out from other companies at aboutthe same time as Pixar films (A Bug's Life/Antz, Finding Nemo/A Shark'sTale, The Incredibles/Meet the Robinsons), but this was never mentionedeither.At some point the "documentary" (if you can even call it that) brieflymentions that it was technically impossible to have more than 50characters on the screen at once, and this caused a problem duringproduction of A Bug's Life. "Oh," thought I, "this'll be interesting.What was the technical limitations? What computers were they using? Howdid they work around it?" Instead of answering any of these questions,the film simply moves on to talk about how great the people were whocame up with a solution. Of course they never mention what thatsolution was.The Pixar Story also goes into great lengths in making it appear asthey were basically the inventors of all computer generated images. Butwhat about The Mind's Eye series? Or what about the hundreds ofthousands of computers games? What about the hundreds of otheranimation studios around the world who have been, and are stillconstantly punching out a great stream of amazing animation? What aboutthe fact that producing high quality animation has become easier andeasier, so much so that the greatest computer animated films are notfrom Pixar at all? Do the people at Pixar feel threatened by all thecompetition? Do they continue to look for new talent? The Pixar Storyalso dwells a short while amongst the first Jurrasic Park movie, andhow the computer generated dinosaurs in that film changed the wayaction films were made. But why did nobody question if that wasactually a good thing? Why weren't Pixar nailed to the wall withquestions about CGI versus authenticity? Again, there was a briefmoment towards the end when the death of old-school 2D animationsparked some interest, but again the makers of The Pixar Story movedpast it with a few simple statements about how sad it was.All in all, this could have been an amazing making-off documentarywhich had 88 minutes to really dig deep and portray a world very fewknow anything about.Instead it's just your average "oh, I am so great, and so are all mycolleagues" snore-fest, which runs three times as long as it shouldhave.

jorge 2012-05-22 17:56:21

A good documentary

Todo documental puede parecer aburrido, aunque cuando el mismo trata sobre las mejores peliculas animadas de la última década,el aburrimiento es lo menos que este film te despierta. Cuenta, desde un inicio, la historia de Pixar, hasta sus éxitos recientes como Cars y un poco de Rattatouie. Es bueno saber como les costo a esos patojos poder hacer sus peliculas, las cuales siempre esperamos con mucha emoción.

planktonrules 2012-05-14 14:59:25

If you are a fan of CGI, you've gotta see this film...

Wow...what a great and thorough film. This is the story of PixarStudio--from its earliest days to the present (which was 2007 at thetime). It offers so much more than you might expect from such afilm--wonderful access to the folks who built the studio who you mightthink were too busy or too important to participate--but they did. So,in addition to seeing lots of great films being made, you get to meetfolks like John Lasseter and Steve Jobs and see them as people--veryexcited and creative people, but still people. Amazing access, however,isn't all. You also get a great sense of excitement and fun--and it'spractically impossible to watch this film without feeling this andfeeling inspired. For fans of CGI...heck, for ANYONE, this is amust-see film and you learn a lot and have a great time learning. Seethis film.

lizziebeth-1 2012-05-14 07:16:42

"Art challenges technology, (while) technology inspires the art", so Iwerks' end crawl itself elevates her fabulous doco to art. AVAILABLE ON DISC2 OF WALL-E (Sp.Edn).(10/10)

Writer/producer/director/co-editor Leslie Iwerks, granddaughter of UbIwerks (SFX Oscar-winner, The Birds(1964)), submitted this doco of hersfor Oscar consideration too, but The Pixar Story received only Emmy andAmerican Cinema Editors award nominations.Such oversights don't prevent this delicious voyage from Mickey toRatatouille(2007) from also being an emotive, ennobling ride--much asPixar Treks usually are. Along the way we discover that animation is alabour of love for keen students, the best of whom go to CalArts to belectured by Disney's retired artists, who themselves retain a student'sattitude despite being lifelong pros. And when the lecturers went home,we're told the animation students taught each other--just like computerscientists do. I know that excitement well.It dawns on us that animation really is a me-generation- andrecession-busting globaliser of minds.Back in 2004-5, according to this "lucid" ('Bottom Line: the lucid andentertaining story behind Pixar's success', Kirk Honeycutt, THR, 9 Oct2007) feature documentary, the traditional animation industry was beingdismantled. Established and talented 2D animators were being laid offin an industry contraction blamed on 3D and Pixar specifically. EdCatmull goes to great lengths on camera to emphasize how beingscapegoated hurt them. After all, they were just animators trying tosurvive in a hostile business environment.The trades kept declaring that 'Animators draw less as computerstooning up' (Greg Reifsteck), and '3D success is flatteningtraditionally animated pix' (THR's Carl Diorio). Of course by thenPixar had been in a production deal with Disney Studios, whichdistributed their product, for 14yrs. Perhaps to buy time for their own2D animators, Disney is alleged to have decided to source Pixar'sblockbusters to create direct-to-video 2D sequels without any Pixarinput. The decision would prove contentious since Pixar creators wouldnot abandon their "children" (to career-killing sequelitis). A mightybattle over creative control allegedly ensued within the Pixar/MouseHouse.Eventually, 6yrs after the alleged Toy Story2(1999) near-calamity,there was a massive Disney shake-up instead.According to Iwerks' roadmap, the Mouse House had also been strugglingwith an industry-wide Fear of the Computer for some time, which firstresulted in their early loss of John Lasseter in 1984. They hadexpected 3D to be cheaper than 2D! This industry war may have lasted30+yrs, but venerable Disney artist Joe Grant, speaking just monthsprior to his death in 2005, makes the astonishing admission that inlosing Lasseter, Disney was set to lose their heir to Walt.Lasseter had been 3D-animating his 'Brave Little Toaster' at Disneyduring the early 1980s, while concurrently, Pixar co-founders Alvy RaySmith and Ed Catmull were creating the famous high-quality early CGI"Genesis Project" clip for STII-The Wrath of Khan(1983) at ILM.Interestingly, Star Trek performed the same universal-appeal humanistfunction then that Pixar does today.Iwerks' documentary reveals that during that momentous year at acomputer graphics conference, Catmull, having heard SOME of Lasseter'stale of woe, instantly snapped him up post-Disney as the new animationhire for the fledgling CGI company that George Lucas had permitted themto start up. The Pixar Story also claims that for two decadesafterwards, Disney kept trying to tempt Lasseter back, but he alwaysremained more committed to Pixar.In the late 1990s Disney finally over-invested in the lukewarm 2D/3Dactioner Treasure Planet(2002), and LOST around $100M for their FeatureAnimation division. This was almost certainly the cause of thesubsequent organisational shake-up in late 2005, when Michael Eisnerwas replaced by Bob Iger as head of Disney. And with that, The PixarStory informs us, the entire mood, prospects, and history of Pixarchanged.3D's success is arguably just a natural evolution; if it wins the finallook of cinema feature animation, so what? Conversely, many feel muchmore comfortable with 2D full-frame for TV weekly comedies, whichaccording to Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame, is a much moreintimate format for his type of entertainment.As industry insiders know, 2D is still the staple of animation and thebulk of the business--it's just not sexy. 2D is also vital to 3D itselfpre-rendering, so plenty of animation jobs remain at as many studios asare able to offer great UNIVERSAL STORYTELLING. Roy Disney (Walt'snephew) confirms this in the home stretch of Iwerks' triumph.But more than that, enchanting storytelling perhaps needs to berarer/harder to do than the annual supply of 3D multiplex featurescurrently proposed. Even 3D's over-reliance on animal-allegories/fablescan prove fatal. Audiences are already reaching saturation point fromtheir inundation by the big three 3D studios. This could prove just asdevastating as Disney's "perfectionist" movement-over-characterisationhad become to 2D. Under no circumstances should anybody again attempt aMeet Dave(2007)-like stylistic debauchery of contemporary culturalcool.Thankfully, Iwerks reveals Pixar artists as remaining "hungry" after adecade-and-a-half of financial success. Equally, they're well aware oftheir high regard not only by the public at large, but among 2Dtraditional animators, recently giving their "9 Old Men"/CalArtslecturers Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas animated cameos within TheIncredibles(2005).The Pixar Story also features welcome live-action cameos by the twosaddest quick-succession losses to animation in 2005: Joe Grant(Fantasia(1940), Dumbo(1941)--heart attack); and Joe Ranft (our belovedHeimlich--car accident). Tragically neither saw Iwerks' doco, 7yrs inthe making, completed.This often gobsmacking, educational and deeply moving featuredocumentary finally concludes with a moving end credit sequence full ofquiet dignity showcasing the enormous workloads underpinningwireframes. The end crawl is overlain by a powerfully Beatlesesqueinstrumental, "Modern Inventions", by The Submarines. It sells thewhole message of 3D, willing us to fall in love with the entire preceptof animation--and certainly with the Pixar folks at Emeryville, CA.For everything else I had to say about The Pixar Story(2007), consultHoneycutt's review referenced earlier.(10/10)

DICK STEEL 2012-05-13 02:15:40

A Nutshell Review: The Pixar Story

Pixar has made so many blockbuster hits, each just about being almostbetter than the last in terms of anticipation translated to box officereceipts, that it's tempting to speculate whether an upcoming moviewill be the one infamously credited to bringing the juggernaut to atemporary halt. Going by what The Pixar Story presented, so long as theteam stays hungry, focused and passionate with transforming their ideasinto films stemming from the heart, then it's probably a formula thatwould be difficult to break, and computer animation fans will be in fora treat, for a long time to come.The Pixar Story is a documentary charting the meteoric rise of thecompany we all have probably in one way or another, come to love, withits groundbreaking effects and animation taking the world by storm witheach new release. It's tough for any studio to build upon and betterthe success of its previous release with the new one, but somehow Pixaralways managed to come through unscathed. But as the documentaryreveals, it's never plain sailing, and thank goodness most of thecockups, especially weak stories, get junked and reworked, rather thanthe company crossing its fingers that a mediocre work could cut it.Technological advances also meant that animators get constantlychallenged to break new ground, and the film systematically presentsthese challenges so that we the audience could take a step back, andappreciate the efforts.Most history buffs will already know that Pixar has its first originsfrom Lucasfilm (and you can sense George Lucas reeling from lettingthis opportunity run away), where a division with a mixed expertise ofcomputer scientists and animators spun off to do what they love, andthat's to explore the possibilities of combining their skills to makeanimation. And with angel investor Steve Jobs providing seed fundingand despite the studio being in the red in the first few years, oneshort clip lead to a short film, and with Disney on board in an initialuneven partnership, Toy Story was born, and as they say, the rest ishistory.The first parts of the documentary devoted quite a lot of time to JohnLasseter, who's credited with making things work with his direction ofthe first crop of movies coming out of Pixar. It traces hisprofessional start as an animator with Walt Disney, the run ins and theunfortunate firing, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise onhindsight. We see how he, and the rest of his co-workers, had toundertake pressure to perform, each pouring in copious amounts ofpersonal sacrifice to turn their dream into reality. And with eachsuccess, the director taking over the reins for the next movie, will nodoubt feel the pressure of its predecessor's success, especially PeteDoctor coming off Lesseter's impressive track record, and others likeBrad Bird coming from outside the company culture.We take a sneak peek into the facilities at their swanky companygrounds, admiring the grounds in which Pixar creations are conceived,but what is of extreme value here is the tons of archived footage, mostof which are unseen because they never see the light of day, be itrough storyboard sketches or skeletal computer animation, most of whichcontain early stages of the characters with whom we've been acquaintedwith. The Pixar Story spent significant amount of time on Toy Story(since it's the first movie), and you can witness how the early Woodycharacter and storyline was rejected because they didn't seem right.And it seems that Pixar doesn't compromise on quality - that plans doget trashed if they don't measure up, even with a fixed deadlinelooming. Talk about grit, determination and perfectionism all rolledinto one.With plenty of interviews with the creators, big name CEOs past andpresent, and the stars sharing their experience with providing thevoices for their digital counterparts, director Leslie Iwersk alsoprovided a brief look into the political wrangling behind the scenes,just for completeness sake, making The Pixar Story well suited foranyone curious to know how it call started, and how the energy issustained until this very day.

Sean Lamberger 2012-05-12 20:19:54

Doesn't Compete With What They Put on the Screen

I'd heard this was remarkable, but it seems like a lot of that washype. Pixar seems like an unbelievably cool place to work, and I lovedthe message of "quirky small company refuses to give up theirpersonality for financial stability" but there were only a smallhandful of moments that really felt like big deals. It's amazing howmany huge names they wrangled up for the interviews, though,(seriously, you got Steve Jobs and Bob Iger to sit down for a goodlength of time? That's pretty impressive) and those little chats arethe most revealing, interesting moments of the entire documentary. Oncethe subject of Toy Story comes up, it becomes a tale of "and here's howwe made our next big, huge, runaway success." It's also overproduced tothe point of distraction. Good but not great.