In defense of Pixar

Introduction


For the longest time, Pixar has been the top pioneer animation company thanks to the innovation and creativity of their features. Yet for the past several years, there's been thi as stigma that Pixar lost its touch and it doesn't like taking risks anymore. It also doesn't help that in 2017, John Lasseter, the man who helped shaped what Pixar (and Disney) what it is today, was accused of unwanted hugs and kisses from former employees. I'd like to take the time to address these critisms and why Pixar is still as creative as ever.


Lasseter's Last Days


It's well known at this point about the egregious accusations made against John Lasseter in 2017 during the rise of the #MeToo movement. He was accused of unwarranted hugs and kisses and generally being making a select few former Pixar employees feel uncomfortable. Make no mistake, these accusations are as shocking now as they were when they were in the news, but it's worth noting that these behind the scene drama do not show in the final product of films such as Coco, Incredibles 2 or Toy Story 4 (the last films Pixar released following the controversy). Whether you like these films are not, the quality of these films is still very much Pixar's standard and should be judged as such. I fully understand why people were disappointed in John Lasseter, but please don't throw all the talented artists at Pixar under the bus with him. It helps no one.


The Case For All The Sequels


In the 2010 decade, Pixar had made a total of 8 sequels to their original films. The general consensus is that they're derivative or completely unnecessary and I have to disagree strongly. Pixar's rule for making a sequel to any of their films is if they have an idea for a story that's as good (or better) than the one that came before. Many people give Cars 2 a bad rap because of Mater being the main character as opposed to Lightning McQueen and for being a spy movie in a world full of anthropomorphic cars. Personally though, I think the whole point of a sequel is to be a standalone adventure while also expanding on the world set up by the first film. The same is also true for Monster's University, which I think they made the right call in going with a prequel instead of a sequel. In addition to expanding the monster world, it also showcased how Mike and Sully became best friends. Finding Dory and Incredibles 2 have often been label for being derivative and I think that undermines the merit of directors Andrew Stanton and Brad Bird. To call these films derivative is ignoring the elements of world building, the vlearly improved animation quality, the memorable new characters and the themes each film presents in a unique and amazing way. To call these films derivative is to imply the directors got lazy after and went with the easy route, which is both untrue and really insulting. I get it's all a matter of taste but the crew at Pixar still poured their hearts and souls into the sequels just like they did with the originals.


The Well Is STILL Full


There's been this odd notion that Pixar is running out of original ideas for film. This mindset is false and completely devalues the creativity of the people at Pixar. In addition to the 8 sequels, Pixar also made 4 great original films with their own distinct vision and atmosphere. Brave seems to get a bad rap for beating Wreck-It Ralph for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars. I agree Wreck-It Ralph is a great film, but I feel as though the prize could've been given to either film. Brave was a great coming of age tale that also served as an ode to Scottish culture. I also think this film deserves more credit for depicting a mother/daughter relationship not often seen in animated films. Then there's The Good Dinosaur's underperformance at the box office (making $332.2 million on a budget of $175 million). This had less to do with the quality of the film itself and more to do with it's budget and marketing costs. The film was revised during production with a change in cast and director, and that's not uncommon in the animation (or even film) industry. It is disappointing The Good Dinosaur underperformed, especially when it came out the same year as Inside Out, which was both a critical and financial success. Lastly there's Coco, a film that celebrated Dia de los Muertos and Mexican music. People often compare it to The Book Of Life, which was released in 2014 (3 years prior to Coco). I very much see this as coincidence as director Lee Unkrich pitched the idea for Coco back in 2010, long before Book of Life was even released. Also I think it's great that there's more than one animated film celebrating Dia de los Muertos and Mexican culture: I hope there more where that came from. All that said and done, Pixar actually has a tone of original ideas coming for the foreseeable future, starting with Onward and Soul in 2020. They also have films coming out in 2021 and 2022 and they're all going to be original as they're holding off making sequels for a while.


Conclusion


Overall, the notion that Pixar's quality has been declining this past decade is nothing short of false. Sure, there were mistakes made behind the scene, but Pixar has maintained the same quality in their films as they did when they first started with Toy Story. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for us in the future and how each of their new films will turn out.