May 14, 20169 yr Absolute no surprise to see the Cars double at the bottom, don't think I've ever seen a Pixar list/rate with something different :rofl: (apart from maybe good dinosaur or brave once!). The first Cars I loved when I was younger but I find it crappy now after having to watch it multiple times. I really enjoyed the 2nd one though and find it underrated! I find The Good Dinosaur to be so so underrated, possibly Pixar's most underrated movie :( I absolutely adore it and it was an instant Pixar classic for me when I watched it! The characters and the story was beautiful and the film was moving and powerful, I cried a few times and loved everything, terrific and should be way higher :heart: Yasssss at that thing being out in 13th :cheer: Incredibly shocked about that as I thought it would be around 7th/8th! I just really hated it but couldn't give it a -1 due to Pixar/some cute moments.
May 14, 20169 yr And for top 12 prediction: 1. Finding Nemo 2. Toy Story 3 3. Toy Story 4. WALL.E (shock high placer I'm hoping/thinking!) 5. Inside Out 6. Up 7. The Incredibles 8. Toy Story 2 9. Monsters Inc 10. A Bug's Life 11. Monsters University 12. Brave ^ Surely those two next, the only film I can see replacing them is A Bug's Life! I can also see Nemo not winning again but I have no clue what is going to replace it!
May 21, 20169 yr Author http://i65.tinypic.com/2vkx0rt.jpg 12. Monsters University (2013) - 6.96875 Graduating: 10 (Ultraviolence1989), 9.5 (Josh) Lower Second Class: 5 (bipolar angel), 4 (HausofKubrick) Rotten Tomatoes: 78% IMDb: 7.4/10 Plot Summary: Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn't always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. "Monsters University" unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends. My thoughts: (POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD) Another canon film bites the dust, though a prequel this time rather than a sequel. Monsters Inc. was one of Pixar's finest and most successful and well known films to this date, though a sequel never felt necessary as a full story was told very well in the first film, so an alternative was a prequel, which wasn't exactly what everyone was praying for either, as prequels are more often than not a bad idea (do I need to mention any examples? ;o), however it has an interesting prremise of just how Mike & Sulley - two complete opposites, one of the many charms of the first film - came to be the best of friends and of course an excuse to see them both again, so it had something going for it at least. Was it worth it? Welll, it definitely didn't desecrate the memory of the original which was a good thing, Mike certainly hasn't changed much at all and for the most part (though he's much more flawed than the original), Sulley hasn't either, so the charms of them both are still present here and work just as well as arch enemies as they do the best of friends. As for the other characters, Roz makes a brief but still wonderful cameo, and seeing Randall actually as a good student gone bad is something rather interesting too, it's unfortunate that most of the new characters introduced (though beautifully animated for the most part) just serve as college stereotype cliques that don't stick in the memory, complete with a group of 'nerds' & 'jocks' and all. Doubtlessly, the one character that was a genius creation was Dean Hardscrabble, brought to life by the ever gracious Helen Mirren, she serves as a voice of reason and watchful presence throughout the film with a wonderfully hard and biting persona, she is easily the most new memorable character in the film. It is also nice to get a story centred around Mike's journey of realisation, as the first film was largely about Sulley's journey, we feel like they have both over the two films become fully fleshed out characters. And indeed, the eventual resolution is quite refreshing in that it's moral message isn't the cliched 'you can be anything you want to be if you work for it' as in some ways, you just can't, as not everyone is right for doing what they want to do, but you can use that knowledge for better uses. It's a worthwhile and still very relevant message for young people, and something of a glorification of the statement 'those than can, do, those that can't, teach'. It's a shame that apart from this the story is generally quite unremarkable and predictable in many other ways, it just feels like a lot more could've been explored in this world that wasn't, for example Mike & Randall's relationship is touched on at the beginning when they were roommates but is largely tossed aside by the end and he is forgotten about. It's a shame as he was a great character and this could've been the opportunity to flesh him out a bit more. It's not without it's flaws, but if you like Monsters Inc., there's certainly nothing to lose from watching this. Choice scenes: - - Pretty much every scene with Dean Hardscrabble in is made wonderful by her presence. - One slightly amusing one is the mother driving Mike & Sulley's clique to the dumpster, again the mother is one of the better creations here. Choice quotes: Sulley: You don't need to study scaring, you just do it. Young Mike: I found a nickel! Sure wish I had pockets. Dean Hardscrabble: You two have managed to accomplish something together no one ever has: you surprised me. Squishy: What's gonna happen to them? Roz: That's for the university professor to decide, but I can assure you we'll always be watching these two. Always watching. Edited May 21, 20169 yr by Chez Wombat
May 21, 20169 yr Author http://i66.tinypic.com/2la55ad.jpg 11. Brave (2012) - 7.0625 Lang may yer lum reek!: 10 (princess_lotti), 9 (SamJudd, Lee Wallace, Jacob Alan, Ultraviolence1989, Emily Haines) I’ll gie ye a skelpit lug!: 0 (Johnkm), 3 (HausofKubrick) Rotten Tomatoes: 78% IMDb: 7.2/10 Plot Summary: Set in Scotland in a rugged and mythical time, "Brave" features Merida, an aspiring archer and impetuous daughter of royalty. Merida makes a reckless choice that unleashes unintended peril and forces her to spring into action to set things right. My thoughts: Despite what it might seem in this thread, this film does have fans :magic: Doing quite a bit better than last time around, Brave is the last film to fall before the top 10. I wrote about this film as part of my Masters dissertation last year so am quite familiar with it and so I may ramble a bit here (but you can expect that from me now :kink:). Pixar were acquired by Disney at the time so it could've only have been expected, but princess films are not something they've done before, and indeed this was the first Pixar film whose director and lead character were female, Pixar's films had undeniably been rather male dominated up to now and coming when princess movies were experiencing something of a rise in popularity again - following from Tangled and of course preceding Frozen, this film certainly had something to prove. Did it work? Well, you have to commend it, it was genuinely a step forward into proving to it's critics that it can do a female-centric story and risking alienating their core teen boy fanbase that would've loved all of their past films, and the film's plot is certainly not typical Disney either - instead focusing on a princess that couldn't care less about finding love and wanted to experience the world, against the wishes of her conservative mother, the queen, something more realistic to the younger generation, and the male characters in the story like King Fergus or Merida's brothers are largely seen as arrogant and stupid or there for comic relief, rather than the female characters, and it's set in Scotland with Scottish dialects throughout, definitely something quite risky with international audiences. Of course, this setting allows for some of the greatest animation in Pixar's time with the vastness and beauty of the Highlands portrayed excellently here and one of the film's big strengths and the celtic soundtrack (including Beaverdonia BJfest SMASH Volare *_*) is wonderful. The actual story is rather slow for the most part, indeed the establishing of characters takes longer than usual and when the big inciting incident happens, it slows down a bit until the climax when they return to the castle and mostly build the relationship between Merida and her mother, and it's rather dialogue heavy so...it depends if you like the Scottish accent that that's a good thing. But one of the film's truly unique points is the focus on Merida and her mother - very few Disney/Pixar films until Tangled focused on the mother, more often than not she was already dead or had next to no relevance to the plot next to the father, with the exception of movies where animal mothers took prominence. So this mother-daughter relationship was a big step forward and it's portrayed very well, much like real world mother-daughter traditionalism vs individualism battles, it certainly showed the mother's importance in the family, so that was good from a feminist perspective, even if the mother spends most of the film as a bear. What was less good was the supposed 'feminism' it was trying to portray - it was all well and good having a female character as the main character that was feisty, but Merida is rather bratty and difficult to root for, and indeed it's only when she admits her wrongdoing and cooperates with others that she is able to be redeemed and happy. Merida may be active and unwilling to be tied down, but she lacks foresight and didn't have any clearly defined goals that she works towards (and she relies on her three younger brothers to get her out of a lot of situations) - it's a bit of a blip in that respect, and whilst it's different from the passive anti-feminist princess of Disney lore, it's still a bit of way to go. It may not feel like a Pixar film (indeed it's rather serious in tone and a lot of the wit and charm is missing) and may fall short on various aspects and will never be remembered as a classic, but ultimately it is a film that deserves to be commended for it's difference and ahem, bravery in what it's representing, and in Disney terms, is a step forward to acknowledging the different kind of princess/female that would be taken forward in Frozen. In Pixar terms, they have yet to try something like this again, but it can be seen in a certain other film to come that things could be changing.... Choice scenes: - The path of blue light to the witch's cottage is stunningly well done and the best of the animation shown. - The last brawl between Mor'du and Elinor is brutal, yet very powerful and though predictable the final admittance by Merida is also very touching. Choice quotes: Princess Merida: [narrating] There are those who say fate is something beyond our command. That destiny is not our own, but I know better. Our fate lives within us, you only have to be brave enough to see it. http://25.media.tumblr.com/5795e59048bb4c9aa969d56ad1a28285/tumblr_my9zfbfXLv1s4r2kno4_250.gif http://media0.giphy.com/media/nBD6ScWxpfp0A/giphy.gif
May 21, 20169 yr 'Brave' should've been lower. I get the message and what they were trying to do/commend them for doing so, but for me, it just went completely bizarre and fell flat! Definitely my least favourite (that I've seen).
May 22, 20169 yr Agree with Jonjo. Brave was utterly forgettable and lazy. Â Ratatouille was never my favourite but can be commended for being original, quirky and unique and no way deserves to be below Brave.
May 22, 20169 yr Definitely agree on the Brave comments. It definitely should not have finished higher than Monsters University or Ratatouille. I did like it, but it's definitely one of the weakest Pixar films. Edited May 22, 20169 yr by Taylor Jago
May 22, 20169 yr Adore Monsters University, great prequel and movie and I always wish it was more appreciated then it is! Brave is good but should be a couple of places lower!
May 29, 20169 yr Author http://i67.tinypic.com/seadxs.jpg 10. A Bug's Life (1998) - 7.416666667 A beautiful butterfly: 11 (Jacob Alan), 9 (Johnkm) Annoying ants: 3 (bipolar angel), 5 (HausofKubrick, Emily Haines) Rotten Tomatoes: 92% IMDb: 7.2/10 Plot Summary: Every year, a bunch of grasshoppers come to the anthill and eat what the ants have gathered for them. The "offering", as the ants call the ritual, is a part of their fate. One day in spring, when the offering's preparation has just been finished, Flik, a misfit and reviled inventor, accidentally drops the whole offered seeds into the river. The grasshoppers come and give the ants a second chance to collect food until Fall. Flik sets off to find bugs that are willing to fight the grasshoppers (nobody expects him to succeed anyway) and, due to a double misinterpretation, returns with a circus crew, giving everybody new hope. When the misunderstanding finally gets cleared out, there is only little time left for a new plan, which has to work, or else... My thoughts: This is probably the last of the 'obvious' first films out, it gets a lot more competitive after this. Poor A Bug's Life, by anyone's standards, a very strong animated film, but one that's just forgotten next to Pixar's classics. The main reason is the timing of it's release with Pixar's rivals, Dreamworks' similarly themed film, Antz, in fact they were released just a month apart according to Wikipedia. It has been established that Pixar had the idea first so technically they were the originators, however that didn't stop Dreamworks from going ahead with it anyway and openly admitting to challenging them, which caused some quite heightened tensions between the two filmmakers. Pixar by far won on the worldwide gross, but Antz did capture critics' attention more due to it's challenging and adult tone and themes, in comparison to A Bugs Life's relatively simple and accessable story by comparison. Given the fact that Pixar's next feature film was Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life always feels like an afterthought in both being sandwiched between two perfect animated films and also having the innovativity of the film snatched away by Dreamworks. Which is a shame, as if you take away all the context, it's a great little film as said. The story is quite simple - disliked kooky male protagonist cocks up and is given chance of redemption, blows it initially but makes it work and eventually defeats the villains, just like any film except it's insects who are there, but the charm all comes from the charm around the story - the animation is yet again very wonderful, wouldn't come as much of a surprise as Toy Story at the time, but still the insect world (one we traditionally think of as icky) is brought to glorious, beautiful life here, with every insect from ants to ladybirds to Goliath beetles. The characters are also memorable - Flik is a great quirkily likeable protagonist and one that continued Pixar's emphasis on outspoken male protagonists, and the Circus bugs are a wonderful array of personalities - Heimlich particularly as covered in the character rate manages to comic relief with depth and there's the wittiness of Francis & Slim, the intelligence of Manny and the loveableness of Dim, as well as the menacing villain in the form of Hopper. Yes, the toys at Toy Story were more likeable, but at least there's some much needed feisty female presence here that there wasn't in the first Toy Story film - what with the rebelliousness of Dot and the dry nature of Rosie, the black widow. Honestly the characters are the strength, they are amongst Pixar's best creations. So yeah, a lovely film and recommended watch, just one that doesn't stand up to the majority of what's still to come. Choice scenes: - Seeing the different ways the ant colony and the circus bugs all work together to bring Hopper & the grasshoppers down (with a little help from the birds) is wonderful, always great to watch when the whole case unites. - The limited glances at the bug world when Flik ventures out to find warriors have great gags aplenty. Choice quotes: Hopper: First rule of leadership: Everything is your fault. Fly: Hey, waiter, I'm in my soup. Heimlich: I'm a beautiful butterfly. Slim: [stuck among branches] Francis! Francis, I'm stuck! Francis: Where are you? Slim: I'm over here. Francis: Where? Slim: Here! [irritated] Slim: I'm the only stick with eyeballs! ]
May 29, 20169 yr I was about to comment about how good the results were going but HOW THE f*** is 'Ratatouille' that low? :mellow: Are people watching the same film as me? It's utterly charming and at least better than 'A Bug's Life', 'Monsters University' and CERTAINLY 'Brave'. :(
May 30, 20169 yr Author Just before your night of other results, here's one more ;o -x- http://i66.tinypic.com/35jh0yw.jpg 9. The Incredibles (2004) - 7.75 Heroes: 11 (SamJudd), 10 (princess_lotti, Josh, Johnkm, Ultraviolence1989) Zeroes: 1 (bipolar angel), 2 (LeeWallace) Rotten Tomatoes: 97% IMDb: 8.0/10 Plot Summary: Bob Parr (A.K.A. Mr. Incredible), and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl), are the world's greatest famous crime-fighting superheroes in Metroville. Always saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. But fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they have no choice but to retire as superheroes to live a "normal life" with their three children Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack (who were secretly born with superpowers). Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction. My thoughts: It's at this point where the films are all so close together it gets rather impossible to separate them so The Incredibles might seem a bit wrong, but it did very well, it's just the films above it did better. The Incredibles is still a very stand out film from Pixar over a decade on since it was released, animated superhero movies that aren't about already existing comics/franchises are rather rare, and coming at a time when there already was a rather saturated market in that genre in the years following the 9/11 incidents, it was an intriguing move, especially one with not just one male American hero but a whole family of superheroes, although of course Pixar didn't have much to lose at this point. This was also the first Pixar film directed by an outside director, Brad Bird, who would bring a significant new style to the film. The film was another financial and critical success and a sequel is due to be released in 2019, and they definitely took a big step forward with it. I'd say at this point in Pixar's timeline, while they weren't to explore more adult themes in children's films, this is definitely the most adult yet. Not only is it quite a bit more violent and action oriented than other Pixar films (trademark of the superhero genre), but themes such as mass genocide, lawsuits and a clear case of how idolisation can negatively affect someone's life decisions are rather heavy for younger children, but it still works, especially coming after the extremely delicate and heartwarming Finding Nemo, The Incredibles is a welcome dose of hard hitting, action packed thrills. The characters definitely can't be seen as 'loveable' but they are certainly memorable and who you'd definitely want as an action toy - the main family is very well rounded as individual personalities, yet none read as stereotypes, and they are backed with a great supporting cast - namely Samuel L Jackson's masterstroke as Frozone and...well I don't think anything else needs to be said about Edna Mode *.* It might seem hard hitting on the outside, but there's definitely heart present here and the unique streak of the film being the superhero family works well as it emphasises (to us and as Bob learns in the movie) how they all need to work together to save the day, far too often in the genre it can only be the role of the male hero that saves the day unaided, this reminds us that the support cast they need is crucial. I think the most unique message here is it's not afraid to debunk the standard 'everyone's special' message, as is clearly stated, the family hates it when it's a normal dull life, they feel they cannot do anything amongst commoners. The film implies that it's only when they can use their powers and do something exciting that they can prosper, even at the end of the film, they feign normality, but keep their powers secret, knowing that they are better than everyone else but they keep it secret, it's shown as well with the main villain, Syndrome, he longs to be a superhero but he is bluntly told no. There is an 'elite' that is being claimed, and it's odd (yet weirdly refreshing) to be told by a children's film that there actually are clear winners and losers, and if everyone's special, then really no one is... Choice scenes: - I linked to it earlier but the Edna cape scene...screw it, every scene with Edna could fit in well here. - - Jack Jack's final fight with Syndrome (as well as the babysitter short that he features in) Choice quotes: Helen: Everyone’s special, Dash. Dash: Which is another way of saying no one is. Edna: This is a hobo suit, darling. You can't be seen in this. I won't allow it. Fifteen years ago, maybe, but now? Feh! Bob: Wait, what do you mean? *You* designed it. Edna: I never look back, darling! It distracts from the now. Edna: [to Mr. Incredible] My God, you've gotten fat. Edna: I didn't know the baby's powers so I covered the basics. Helen: Jack-Jack doesn't have any powers. Edna: No? Well, he'll look fabulous anyway. Edna: [shouts] You are Elastigirl! My God... [swatting Helen with a newspaper] Edna: Pull-yourself-together! "What will you do?" Is this a question? You will show him you remember that he is Mr. Incredible, and you will remind him who *you* are. Well, you know where he is. Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win! [normal voice] Edna: And call me when you get back, darling. I enjoy our visits. (I'll stop now before I just quote every Edna Mode line in the film) Edited May 31, 20169 yr by Chez Wombat
May 30, 20169 yr Ooh. Thank goodness. I'm sorry, but I really don't love 'The Incredibles' as much as I should or as much as everyone else seems to. I DO think though, a sequel could be potentially great. I rewatched it not too long ago, and it wasn't as interesting as I originally thought. Edna is quite annoying too (sorry, not sorry). I LIKE it, but nowhere near as much as I should and thus, it leaves me disappointed every time!
May 30, 20169 yr 'The Incredibles' is a film of two halves I think. The first half with all the family development is really well done but the second more "fiesty"/action stuff bores me slightly. It's good, but not great imo.
May 30, 20169 yr Was hoping that 'The Incredibles' would have managed slightly higher, but considering the quality of these movies, it's no shock. Plus soon as these results are finished I'll by doing a Disney Animated feature rate and very excited about it.
May 30, 20169 yr Author http://i63.tinypic.com/2ev6x5s.jpg 8. Toy Story 2 (1999) - 8.555555556 Bullseye: 10 (Joe, Slick, SamJudd, Froot, Lee Wallace, Johnkm, Ultraviolence1989, HausofKubrick), 9 (Dandy*, Chez Wombat, HarryEzra) Stinky Pete: 3 (bipolar angel), 6 (Josh, Iz) Rotten Tomatoes: 100% IMDb: 7.9/10 Plot Summary: While Andy is away at summer camp, Woody has been toynapped by Al, a greedy collector and proprietor of "Al's Toy Barn". In this all-out rescue mission, Buzz and his friends Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex and Hamm spring into action to rescue Woody from winding up as a museum piece. They must find a way to save him before he gets sold in Japan forever and they'll never see him again. My thoughts: So the first of the trilogy to leave, and of the three it is commonly seen as the weak link in a near flawless trilogy so seeing it come as low as 8th isn't too much of a shock in this case. It seems to be the rule of thumb that sequels are not as good as their predecessors in the movie world, but there has been notable exceptions and this definitely stands as an example of a film that doesn't relive the past glories of it's predecessor and is it's own film, and is far better than sequels have a right to be. Of course, there are similarities between this film and the last. It again revolves around a rescue mission and involves the central character going on an arc realising that their position as a loving figure in Andy's life is better than positions of glory or marvel, like museum artefacts in this case, this time it's Woody rather than Buzz that experiences this, yet it still holds resonance, as it works well with the film's key theme (that was expanded upon again in the third film) - that of just what happens to toys after their kids are too big for them, it's one we've all faced before and we see nothing wrong with throwing/giving them away, but in the context of these toys who we are already so emotionally invested in, it becomes something truly quite daunting and sad, just a testament to the film's power to make us think about these things. Of course, it ends happily, but there was always a sense Toy Story wasn't quite finished with this and was 'teasing' us with this topic, and indeed the third film truly explored this theme more thoroughly. Asides from the emotional themes, there is a ton of fun to be had that again expands on the previous film rather than repeating it. The gang are as likeable as ever and particularly gives Hamm, Mr Potato Head, Rex & Slinky a chance to shine through fully as memorable supporting characters, and there is new toys added that mirror this - Woody's female counterpart, Jessie, is a welcome strong female voice in the film and her and her adorable horse, Bullseye instantly become favourites, and the Prospector, while not particularly likeable, serves a purpose of introducing us to how bad a toy can become if they're unloved (which again wasn't shown much in the first film), and if you want a comedic villain, look no further than Zurg~ Overall, a film that KNOWS it can't be as good as it's predecessor and doesn't let that stop doing what that film did best and expanding it's scope. This was tied with the film in 7th and got less 11s ;o Choice scenes: - If you haven't watched the Jessie scene I linked to with her character description, that's all you need for this </3 - My most enjoyable sequence is pretty much everything from when the toys use the traffic cones to get to the toy store, the Barbie dolls giving the toys a tour and Zurg fighting fake Buzz and revealing he's his father, is all amazing. - The closing credits bloopers are excellent too (and such a staple on my childhood omg) Choice quotes: Emperor Zurg: Surrender, Buzz Lightyear. *I* have won. Buzz Lightyear: I'll never give in. You killed my father! Emperor Zurg: No, Buzz. I *am* your father! Buzz Lightyear: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Jessie: You never forget kids like Emily, or Andy, but they forget you. (:cry:) Rex: [gasps] What're we gonna do, Buzz? Buzz Lightyear #2: Use your head! [the toys use Rex as a battering ram in the next shot] Rex: But I don't wanna use my head! Edited May 31, 20169 yr by Chez Wombat
May 30, 20169 yr Author I will now post a result a day until Sunday when I will reveal the top 2~ The END IS IN SIGHT (and then you have another Disney rate for your pleasures following this :magic:)Â A reminder of your top 7:Â Finding Nemo Inside Out Monsters Inc. Toy Story Toy Story 3 Up WALL-E
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