Where it all begins...

Rating: 9/10 (8 September 2011)

Pixar strikes out in feature films with its first full-lengther, and the results are stunning! They set the bar almost impossibly high for anyone else interested in getting into full length computer animation. But what made Toy Story have such staying power and make the characters immediately house-hold names wasn't so much the technical brilliance (although it did dazzle), but the storytelling. Okay, case in point. Independence Day. The media hyped this up and it got a lot of viewers. It had a lot of effects. It dazzled our eyes (not our hearts) on the big screen. It sold a lot of DVDs. It made a lot of money...during its run. So who remembers it much now? For that matter, who will remember much of just about any of Roland Emmerich's films years from now? But who can forget Woody, Andy, Buzz, etc.? Who can forget that bedroom? Who can forget Sid? The writers at Pixar took a great idea which was understanding how many of us (even as adults) have emotional attachments to our toys and found a way to bring the heart of that idea and nail it down to a heartwarming story about friendship. That the technical details are flat out amazing for its time was an added bonus (even seeing reflections from Buzz's space helmet -- they didn't have to do that! The animators threw that in just to make the experience all the more special and believable). No other studio has ever come up to the standard set by Pixar. Dreamworks hasn't, though they have made a good film or 2. Sony Pics hasn't, etc. etc. Because they lack a great story to begin with, and when they do land upon one, they muck it up by trying to make it something it isn't. I can almost hear the writers in their studios thinking, "Well, this is good, but we need to add more adult jokes so that the parent's won't get bored." Advice, just follow Pixar's example and let the story unfold as it needs to. Pixar got it right and has gotten it right up through Toy Story 3. I fear we may be in for a nadir of creativity as we move into Cars 2, but we'll see...