The Good Dinosaur

Directed by Peter Sohn and screenplay by Meg LaFauve from a screen story by Sohn, LaFauve, Bob Peterson, Erick Benson, and Kelsey Mann from an idea by Bob Peterson (with additional material by Peter Hedges and Adrian Molina), The Good Dinosaur is the story of a dinosaur who meets a young cave boy as they travel through mysterious landscapes so they can return home. The film is set in an alternate universe where dinosaurs aren’t extinct as it play into a dinosaur coming of age while helping a young cave boy. Featuring the voices of Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A.J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Jeffrey Wright, and Frances McDormand. The Good Dinosaur is a wondrous and majestic film from Peter Sohn and Pixar Animation Studios.

Set some million years after an asteroid had missed hitting planet Earth that would’ve caused the extinction of dinosaurs, the film revolves around a young Apatosaurus who is consumed by fear for much of his life as he falls down a river only to saved and protected by a young cave boy as they make a journey to return home. It’s a film that is a simple story of a young dinosaur trying to conquer through his fear as well as the fact that it’s about a dinosaur trying to make his own mark with a family of Apatosaurus creatures who are essentially farmers. For the young Arlo (Raymond Ochoa), he is trying to find his place as a farmer but when meeting this cave boy that he would eventually call Spot (Jack Bright. Arlo would eventually go into an adventure where he would meet other dinosaurs as it would play into his development from a young scared dinosaur to someone who would learn about being brave but also realize that it is OK to be scared.

Peter Sohn’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he presents the world that is evolving yet kind of peaceful as it’s really just dinosaurs living their lives as the family that Arlo is part of. The film opens with the shot of planet Earth as it was back in the days when dinosaurs as an asteroid is about to enter the Earth’s atmosphere only to pass by it as the dinosaurs get a glimpse and continue to do what they do. Sohn’s usage of the wide and medium shots showcases a world that is quite beautiful as well as have something that is quite prosperous in what Arlo’s family does as farmers. There is something that is light-hearted and comedic in the first act in what Sohn does but when the second act begins where Arlo has to go into his own journey when chasing Spot over a handmade silo that his father had built had been opened. The film becomes not just an adventure story but also a coming-of-age story where Arlo has to contend with his surroundings but with the help of Spot.

With the aid of cinema Sharon Calahan and Mahyar Abousaeedi and production designer Harley Jessup, the film has a very evocative look into the way the many locations look like as well as in their lighting. Notably in scenes where Arlo’s father (Jeffrey Wright) shows him the beauty of overcoming one’s fear through fireflies as it is one of these little moments that are touching. Sohn would also create sequences that are rich in its imagery that include a sequence where Arlo and Spot meet a trio of Tyrannosaurus Rexes as has this great depth of field into the landscape as it is also a character-changing moment for Arlo. Especially in what he would have to do to show who he is and what he can do to show that he can no longer be afraid. Overall, Sohn crafts an exhilarating yet heartwarming film about a young dinosaur overcoming his fear to help a young cave boy.

Editor Stephen Schaffer does excellent work with the editing as it feature some unique rhythmic cuts to play into some of the suspense and adventure as well as in some of the drama. Sound designer Craig Berkey does brilliant work with the sound as it help create textures into the sounds of the way the flash floods would sound as well as some of the spare aspects of nature. The film’s music by Jeff and Mychael Danna is amazing for its music score that mixes elements of folk, country, and orchestral pieces to play into some of the serene moments in the film as well as some of the adventurous moments.

The voice casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is fantastic as it feature some notable vocal contributions from Pixar regular John Katzenberger as well as Dave Boat, Calum Mackenzie Grant, and Carrie Paff as a group of Velociraptors trying to steal a herd of longhorns from the T-rexes while director Peter Sohn is terrific as a Styracosaurus named Forrest who is kind of this chameleon-like dinosaur. Other notable small voice roles include Marcus Scribner and Maleah Padilla in their respective roles as Arlo’s sibling’s Buck and Libby, Mandy Freund and Steve Clay Hunter as a couple of pterodactyls, and Steve Zahn in a superb voice performance as a fearless but crazy pterodactyl named Thunderclap. Anna Paquin and A.J. Buckley are fantastic in their respective roles as the young T-rexes in Ramsey and Nash who are quite wild and full of joy while Sam Elliott is excellent as their father Butch who is this grizzled Tyrannosaurus Rex that gives Arlo some wisdom about fear as well as the confidence that fear can be overcome as well as be OK to be scared.

While he doesn’t get to say much, Jack Bright’s voice performance as Spot does have a lot of life as a boy who is quite wild but is also dazzled by the wonderment of his surroundings. Frances McDormand and Jeffrey Wright are brilliant in their roles as Arlo’s parents with McDormand as this sense of warmth who guide her children on what to do to earn their mark while Wright has this weariness yet determination as a father trying to guide his son to overcome his fear as well as find himself. Finally, there’s Raymond Ochoa in an amazing vocal performance as Arlo as this young Apatosaurus who has dealt with a lot of fear in his life as he exudes all of the growing pains any young person faces while he would eventually become someone brave as well as show what it takes to overcome fear.

The Good Dinosaur is a phenomenal film from Peter Sohn. It’s a film that features a story that is just compelling and relatable to a wide audience as well as filled with gorgeous visuals, a strong voice cast, and incredible music as it’s one of Pixar’s finest films. In the end, The Good Dinosaur is a sensational film from Peter Sohn.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2016

Lava (short)/Inside Out

Directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen and screenplay by Docter, Meg LaFauve, and Josh Cooley from a story Docter and del Carmen, Inside Out is the story about five figures representing different emotions who observe a young girl who copes with moving to a new city as they embark onto an adventure. The film explores not just a family dealing with a new move as it is largely told by emotional spirits who observe everything that is happening in these ongoing changes in life. Featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Lewis Black, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Lane, and Kaitlyn Dias. Inside Out is a compelling yet evocative film from Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen.

Lava

Written and directed by James Ford McMurphy, Lava is a musical short film that revolves a volcano falling in love. It is a simple short story where a volcano is singing to find someone to love as he often sees two of everything while being unaware that there’s a volcano under the sea looking for him. It’s a visually-exhilarating and evocative short film that features the voices of Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig as these volcanoes as they both sing the song continuously which is presented in a traditional Hawaiian presentation. The result isn’t just one of Pixar’s finest shorts but also a love story that manages to be so much more.

Inside Out

The film revolves around the five emotions inside the mind of a young girl as she copes with moving from Minnesota to San Francisco as things go wrong prompting two key emotional figures to retrieve some core memories that define this young girl. It’s a story that is about a young girl growing up and coping with changes in her life as she struggles to adapt to her new situation only to act out in ways she couldn’t understand. Most notably as her two main emotions in Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) struggle to retrieve core emotions from a world of long-term emotions where Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), and Anger (Lewis Black) are forced to take over where things go wrong. Even as they would try to do something to make her happy again but realize that all five emotions need each.

The film’s screenplay does start off with the birth of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and the emergence of Joy who would be the leader of controlling Riley’s emotions as she is later joined by Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger. Joy would also make sure that Riley’s most important moment would emerge as they would represent core memories and special islands that represent her personality. When Riley is forced to move from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents (Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane), things become complicated where Joy tries to maintain control but an incident where Sadness touches a core memory orb would trouble things as an attempt to discard it would force Joy and Sadness out of their headquarters and into the world where Riley’s long term memories are at. The script doesn’t just have elements of adventure but also drama and humor as there is a balance to the many things that occur in the film. Most notably as the five emotional figures are well-rounded characters who are just trying to manage a young girl’s emotional state.

The direction of Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen is quite vast in not just their approach to the world that Riley and her family is in but how it’s viewed from her emotional figures. It is presented with a richness in the 3D-computer animation style as it plays into not just the world that these characters are in but also what they need to do. Though much of what Riley experience is controlled by Joy, the sense of curiosity from Sadness would be the catalyst for what is to come. Most notably as it plays into the sense of change that Riley would encounter in San Francisco ranging from all sorts of things include veggie pizza, not having things at the home already, and not feeling the need to play hockey. It plays into not just a girl growing up but finding herself at odds with her surroundings as she becomes moody where Anger, Disgust, and Fear try to make her happy but a lot of comical hi-jinks ensue and more.

The direction also plays into some very strange moments where Joy and Sadness meet with an old imaginary friend of Riley in Bing Bong (Richard Kind) where they try to catch a train to the headquarters as the stop into a world that is literally abstract. It plays into things that these emotions aren’t able to comprehend as they’re growing along with Riley where Joy is forced to come to terms that she can’t control everything. What would happen wouldn’t just be moments that are very emotional but also some realization that all of these emotions have to be together help develop a person in its growth despite all of the growing pains this young girl would go through. Overall, Docter and del Carmen create a sprawling yet riveting film about a group of emotions watching the development of a young girl.

Editor Kevin Nolting does excellent work by going for something straightforward with some montages for the film‘s opening pre-credits sequence that plays into the life of young Riley. Production designer Ralph Eggleston and art director Bert Berry do amazing work with the look of the headquarters where the emotions do their job as well as the land outside of headquarters and the dark abyss in between. Sound designer Ren Klyce and sound editor Shannon Mills do fantastic work with the sound from the sound effects that occur in the world outside of headquarters as well as the places that Riley goes to. The film’s music by Michael Giacchino does brilliant work with the film’s music as it features an orchestral score that is very playful as well as some quirky elements that play into its humor and themes to play into its sense of despair.

The casting by Natalie Lyon and Kevin Reher is incredible as it features voice work from Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as a cloud, Bobby Moynihan and Paula Poundstone as a couple of forgetters who suck out fading long-term memories, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea as a mind-worker cop, Frank Oz and Dave Goelz as a couple of security guards, Paula Pell in a dual role as a dream director and the mother’s anger, Josh Cooley as the fear manifestation in the form of a clown, Lori Alan as mother’s sadness, Pete Docter as father’s anger, Rashida Jones as a cool girl’s various voices of emotions, and Carlos Alazraqui in a dual voice role as father’s fear and an imaginary Brazilian helicopter pilot. Richard Kind is terrific as the voice of an old imaginary friend named Bing Bong who helps Joy and Sadness find their way back as he also hopes that Riley would remember him. Kyle MacLachlan and Diane Lane are superb as Riley’s parents who deal with Riley’s sudden moodiness as it relates to their new living situation and changes in their life. Kaitlyn Dias is amazing as the voice of Riley as an 11-year old girl who deals with growing pains and changes in her life as Dias brings a realist approach to anyone who has deal with growing pains in that age.

Lewis Black is brilliant as Anger as he represents someone that knows when to push buttons as he comes up with a plan that he thinks will get Riley to become happy. Bill Hader is hilarious as Fear as someone who is constantly scared as he always list things that should go wrong on a certain day. Mindy Kaling is excellent as Disgust as a manifestation who makes Riley say no to broccoli and other things while giving Riley things not to like. Phyllis Smith is phenomenal as Sadness where Smith brings a lot of emotional weight and curiosity to the role as it adds a balance to Riley’s emotional turmoil. Finally, there’s Amy Poehler in a remarkable voice performance as Joy as the upbeat head of emotions who tries to maintain some control unaware of how troubled Riley is in her growing pains forcing her to grow up a bit as it’s that great mix of humor and realism in Poehler’s voice.

Inside Out is a tremendous film from Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen as it is definitely one of Pixar’s finest films. It’s a film that doesn’t just explore the idea of growing pains but also one that is told through various emotions that try to cope with changing times and changing worlds. It’s also a film that manages to be so much in terms of bending genres as well as be something that kids and adults could relate to in terms of growing up and change. In the end, Inside Out is a magnificent film from Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen, and Pixar.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2015

Summer of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Directed by Irvin Kershner and screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Leigh Brackett from a story by George Lucas, The Empire Strikes Back (Star Wars: Episode V) is the story where the Empire tries to find the small band of rebels who had destroyed their most powerful weapon as the group of rebels each go into different journeys where one of them would seek his destiny to become a Jedi. The second part of a trilogy about a civil war between an evil empire and a resistance group, the film plays into characters trying to evade the Empire as its evil leader is trying to pursue the young man who could destroy that empire. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, David Prowse with the voice of James Earl Jones, the voice of Frank Oz, Billy Dee Williams, and Alec Guinness as Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Empire Strikes Back is a riveting and intense film from Irvin Kershner.

Set three years after the events of the previous film, the film is a vengeance story of sorts from the point of view of its antagonists in the Imperial Empire led by Darth Vader (David Prowse with the voice of James Earl Jones) as he is trying to hunt down the group of rebels that had managed to defeat them in a big way. Most notably in Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) who has become a top pilot for the rebellion while having the abilities to become a Jedi where his journey would lead him to be trained under one of the Jedi’s great masters in Yoda (voice of Frank Oz). Meanwhile, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) tries to leave the rebellion in order to pay some long-standing debts to a criminal as he is chased by the Empire along with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), his sidekick Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew), and the protocol droid C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels). It’s a film that has a lot that is happening as it shows exactly how angry the Empire is in their pursuit to crush the rebellion. At the same time, it also plays into the sense of hope that the former Republic longs for in the hands of a young man who needs to learn the ways of the Force.

The film’s screenplay not only explores the complexity of what the Empire is trying to do in the aftermath of their major defeat but also into who is really running things where Vader is revealed to be under the orders of its leader in Emperor Palpatine (Elaine Baker with the voice of Clive Revill). While Darth Vader is still a very dangerous and cunning antagonist, the script allows to reveal much more into who he is as he’s not a man that is totally evil as he’s willing to give those who work for him second chances. Even in the film’s climax where he and Luke Skywalker have a battle with lightsabers where Vader offers Luke the chance to join him where it reveals an ambiguity into Vader. The character of Luke Skywalker also becomes more layered in the film but as someone who is more unsure about the ways of being a Jedi as he travels to the swampy planet of Dagobah to meet Yoda with the astromech droid R2-D2 (Kenny Baker). Upon learning who Yoda is and Yoda’s reluctance to train him because of Luke’s lack of patience.

Luke would go through a rigorous training as he would also learn about the dark side of the force where a vision he would have would become the catalyst for the film’s climax. A climax that would involve Han and Leia where their storyline involves the two finally realizing their attraction for one another after years of tension where they seek shelter in a friend of Han in Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) who is an ambassador in a planetary city known as Cloud City. Calrissian is a unique character who is someone that is loyal to Han but is forced to reveal that his city had been taken by the Empire as he becomes consumed with guilt into what Vader is doing. The climax at Cloud City wouldn’t just be a moment where many of its protagonists would come together but also would create a resolution which would bring more motivation to destroy the Empire.

Irvin Kershner’s direction maintains the vast tone of its predecessor by not just setting it into different worlds but also create something that is very dark as it relates to Darth Vader’s pursuit of Luke Skywalker. Shot partially on location in Norway with much of it shot in studios in London, the film has a very broader look in terms of how diverse the galaxy is. The film would begin in a snowy and icy planet where the rebels are in hiding where Luke’s encounter with a monster would play into his evolving powers with the Force. Kershner’s usage of wide shots not only plays into the ground battle between the rebels and the Empire but also in some medium shots and close-ups that add to the sense of suspense and drama. Even in the action where many of the scenes set in space such as the chase between the Star Destroyers and the Millennium Falcon through asteroid fields and such do play into the vast tone of the story.

There’s also some humor in the film as one of the running jokes involves the Millennium Falcon’s attempt to jump into hyperdrive where it is this great attempt at dark humor. The scenes set in the planet of Dagobah where there’s all of these creatures and such play into Luke Skywalker not just being out of his comfort zone but also in a land that is quite damp and desolate which is the last place he would expect to find someone like Yoda. Some of the visual effects that are used aren’t just miniatures and puppets but also in stop-motion animation for the battle scenes in Hoth as it adds a realism to the film. The film’s climax as this sky-based city known as Cloud City isn’t just one of the most chilling moments in the film but it would also feature a moment that is very shocking. Overall, Kershner creates a gripping and exhilarating film that explores a group of rebels trying to escape and defy an evil empire.

Cinematographer Peter Suschitzky does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with the damp look of the scenes set in Dagobah as well as the usage of orange lights for some of the exteriors in Cloud City as it creates something that is gorgeous as well as eerie. Editor Paul Hirsch, with additional work by George and Marcia Lucas, does amazing work with the editing with its usage of dissolves, transition wipes, and other stylish cuts to play into the action and suspense. Production designer Norman Reynolds, along with set decorator Michael Ford and art directors Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange, and Alan Tomkins, does fantastic work with the look of the rebel base at Hoth as well as the bridge inside the Star Destroyer Excelsior Class and the rooms inside Cloud City. Costume designer John Mollo does nice work with the clothes from the look of the Imperial uniforms as well as the clothes the main protagonists wear in their journey.

Makeup designer Stuart Freeborn does excellent work with the look of Emperor Palpatine as well as some of the alien creatures that appear in the film. Visual effects supervisors Richard Edlund, Brian Johnson, Dennis Muren, and Bruce Nicholson do phenomenal work with the visual effects from the look of the AT-AT Walkers with its usage of stop-motion animation to the design of the scenes in space. Sound designer Ben Burtt does superb work with the sound in not just the sound of the droids but also in the creatures and other aspects in the sound. The film’s music by John Williams is incredible for its bombastic orchestral score that includes some lush and soaring string arrangement pieces as well as some low-key orchestral moments to play into the drama.

The casting by Bob Edmiston, Irene Lamb, and Terry Liebling is marvelous as it features notable small roles from John Ratzenberger and Bruce Boa as a couple of rebel military leaders, Julian Glover as General Veers who leads the attack at Hoth, Michael Culver as Captain Needa who tries to capture the Millennium Falcon, John Morton as Luke’s gunner at Hoth, Michael Sheard as the Imperial Admiral Ozzel who would make a fatal mistake at Hoth that angers Vader, Kenneth Colley as Ozzel’s replacement Admiral Piett who would be the one to find the rebels at Hoth, Denis Lawson as rebel pilot Wedge, and Jeremy Bulloch, with the voice of Jason Wingreen, as the bounty hunter Boba Fett who is tasked to capture Han Solo for a major reward. Clive Revill is terrific as the voice of Emperor Palpatine with Elaine Baker as the character in physical form as it displays a figure that is truly evil.

Alec Guinness is superb as the late Obi-Wan Kenobi who appears as a spiritual guide of Luke through the Force while Frank Oz is fantastic as the voice of Yoda that is an alien figure who would teach Luke the ways of the Force and show him that nothing is impossible. Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker are excellent in their respective roles as C-3P0 and R2-D2 as the two droids who both endure separate adventures with Daniels being the comical protocol droid who complains about what is happening to him while Baker brings a more whimsical yet low-key approach to his role as he would play a crucial part for the film’s ending. David Prowse is great as Darth Vader as he maintains a dangerous presence with James Earl Jones providing the voice that would show glimpse of the humanity that makes Vader a very interesting antagonist. Peter Mayhew is amazing as Chewbacca as Han Solo’s Wookie sidekick who often brings some comical commentary to Han’s attempt to woo Leia while being the guy that everyone can count on.

Billy Dee Williams is brilliant as the smooth-talking Lando Calrissian as an ambassador of Cloud City who is an old friend of Han while being forced to work with the Empire over Han’s capture. Carrie Fisher is remarkable as Princess Leia Organa as a top rebel leader who copes with her feelings for Han while dealing with the chaos that is surrounding her as she tries to keep things calm. Harrison Ford is incredible as Han Solo where he brings in some charm and humility into his anti-hero character that is being chased by the Empire while dealing with his feelings for Leia. Finally, there’s Mark Hamill in a sensational performance as Luke Skywalker as he displays not just an immaturity and naiveté in his training as a Jedi but also a determination to prove himself to become a Jedi.

***The Following is Based on the 1997 Special Edition and its Subsequent Revised Editions***

The 1997 Special Edition and its subsequent revised versions of the film not only featured new visual effects and remastered sound design by Ben Burtt along with additional edits by T.M. Christopher. What George Lucas does in this edition aren’t a lot of new things as it’s only a few subtle changes with new effects for the scenes in Cloud City as well as a fully-realized look of the monster that would attack Luke early in the film. The one big change that is most evident in the film that would emerge in later editions is the Emperor Palpatine character as he would be played by Ian McDiarmid in a 2004 revised version as McDiarmid would play the character in Return of the Jedi and its prequels. Another change is in the character of Boba Fett as the 2004 revised version would feature a new voice by Temura Morrison who would play the role of Jango Fett in 2002’s Attack of the Clones and the many storm troopers in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. While it is a different version than the original film, the revised versions is able to at least maintain some of the heart of the film’s original story and its dark tone.

***End of Special Edition/Revised Versions Tidbits***

The Empire Strikes Back is a magnificent film from Irvin Kershner. Armed with a great cast, sprawling visual effects, and a thrilling story that is dark as well as raising the stakes. It’s not just one of the best sci-fi adventure films ever made but also a standard into what blockbuster cinema is and more. Even as it’s revised editions don’t do much to deter some of the elements of the original films. In the end, The Empire Strikes Back is an incredible film from Irvin Kershner.

Star Wars Films: Star Wars - Return of the Jedi - The Phantom Menace - Attack of the Clones - Revenge of the Sith - The Force Awakens - The Last Jedi - The Rise of Skywalker

Related: Holiday Special - Caravan of Courage - The Battle for Endor - The Clone Wars - Fanboys - The People vs. George Lucas

Star Wars Anthology Films: Rogue One - Solo - (Untitled Star Wars Anthology Film)

George Lucas Films: THX 1138 - (American Graffiti)

© thevoid99 2015

A Bug's Life

1995’s Toy Story ushered in a new era of cinema with the advent of computer-animated films as that film was the first feature-length computer-animated film ever made. The success of that film helped Pixar Animations studio as they were set to create various new projects that would help build the studio and their relationship with distributor in Walt Disney Studios. For their second feature film, the studios chose to create a film that mixes Aesop’s fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper and Akira Kurosawa’s legendary 1957 film The Seven Samurai into A Bug’s Life.

Directed by John Lasseter, with additional direction by Andrew Stanton, and scripted by Stanton, Donald McEnery, and Bob Shaw that was based on a story by Lasseter, Stanton, and Joe Ranft. A Bug’s Life tells the story of a worker ant who seeks help from other insects to fight off against grasshoppers whom they had been gathering food for. Unaware that the insects he hired are circus insects, he teams up with them to fight off the grasshoppers they had been slaving for. With an all-star voice cast that includes Dave Foley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Hayden Panettiere, Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary, David Hyde Pierce, Phyllis Diller, Madeline Kahn, Bonnie Hunt, Brad Garrett, Roddy McDowall, and John Ratzenberger. A Bug’s Life is a fun yet adventurous film John Lasseter and company.

With ants gathering food for grasshoppers before the harvest is to end, Flik (Dave Foley) is an inventive ant who tries to get things better only to cause trouble as his latest invention has him causing an accident. The accident has upset Hopper (Kevin Spacey) who demands that the ants work double-time before he and his group of grasshoppers return for harvest’s end. Wanting to find a way to keep things going and get rid of Flik, Flik suggests getting other insects to help rebel against Hopper and grasshoppers. Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) likes the idea thinking it will get rid of Flik as she lets him go. Upon his journey to the city, Flik encounters a group of fired circus performers he believes are warriors as he asks them for help.

The troupe takes the job thinking it’s a gig as they’re welcomed by the ants led by the queen (Phyllis Diller) as she along with many believe are the warriors that will help them. Yet, the troupe realizes through a celebration of what they’re asked to do as Flik learns that they’re really circus performers. When the queen’s youngest daughter Dot (Hayden Panettiere) is in danger from a bird, the troupe and Flik save her as they decide to stay. Realizing that Hopper is afraid of birds, Flik and the troupe create a bird with a group of ants to stop Hopper and his gang. With the plan working, everything seems to be in place until the arrival of the troupes’ former boss P.T. Flea (John Ratzenberger). With Hopper finally returning and the ants worried, it’s up to Flik and the troupe to remind the ants who are the stronger species.

The film is about an ant who rebels against a group of grasshoppers by hiring a group of circus performers to help him and the ants out. Yet, it’s a plot that is sort of similar to Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 epic The Seven Samurai that is about a group of villagers asking seven samurai warriors to fight against rebels. Still, John Lasseter and his team of writers do create a story where an ant is trying to make up for his mistakes while trying to win over the acceptance of a princess who is groomed to become the next queen.

Then there’s the circus troupe who are a very eccentric, lively bunch. There’s the intellectual stick-bug Slim (David Hyde Pierce), a male-centric ladybug named Francis (Denis Leary), a fat yet hungry caterpillar named Heimlich (Joe Ranft), a black widow named Rosie (Bonnie Hunt), the moth Gypsy (Madeline Khan), Manny the cricket (Jonathan Harris), Dim the beetle (Brad Garrett), and twin ticks who barely speak English (Michael McShane). They’re just a bunch of insects needing a job while using their talents to fight off against Hopper and his gang while being accepted by the ant colony. Yet, they become more than that as the script allows them to develop and forge an alliance with the ants. The grasshoppers may be villains but that’s only because their leader Hopper is a ruthless insect who is aware of how weak his species are and tries to use his wit and power against the ants.

The direction of John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton is definitely very broad as they shoot everything with wide angles to let the audience be enraptured by the locations the characters are at. Since this is the first film from Pixar to use the widescreen format, it allows Lasseter and Stanton to go for bigger compositions and to create more ants to help fill in the frame. The action sequences allows the directors to move the camera move and create some exciting sequences. The overall work is definitely phenomenal as John Lasseter, with additional help from Andrew Stanton, creates a lively yet magical film.

Cinematographer Sharon Calahan does some fantastic work with the lighting for many of the exteriors of the ant hill as well as its surroundings while the inside look is truly gorgeous. Editor Lee Unkrich does a great job with the editing by creating wonderful rhythmic cuts for the film’s action moments along with more relaxed cuts for the dramatic and funny moments. Production designer William Cone, along with art directors Tia W. Kratter and Bob Pauley does a wonderful job with the look of the ant hill and city that Flik goes to along with the interiors of the ant colony itself. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editor Tim Holland do amazing work with the sound from the grasshoppers breaking through to the circus event where P.T. Flea create a fiery stunt.

The film’s score by Randy Newman is definitely a highlight of the film as its orchestral score is thrilling with loads of pieces to complement the emotions and adventurous moments of the film. Even as it features another Newman original song in The Time Of Your Life to play up the joy and humor of the film.

The voice cast that is assembled by Mary Hidalgo and Ruth Lambert as it features various voices such as Frank Welker as the scary grasshopper Thumper along with the bird plus Edie McClurg as the young ants’ teacher Mrs. Flora and Roddy McDowall as one of the ants’ key top figures in Mr. Soil. Other notable small roles include John Ratzenberger as the greedy P.T. Flea, Jack Angel as a bunch of flies, and Richard Kind as Hopper’s dim-witted brother Molt. For the roles of the circus troupe, there’s standout performances from Michael McShane as the foreign-talking ticks Tuck and Roll, Brad Garrett as the sensitive beetle Dim, Madeline Kahn as the exotic moth Gypsy, and Jonathan Harris as the dramatic Manny.

Joe Ranft is hilarious as the overweight Heimlich who sports a German accent and has an insatiable appetite while Denis Leary is really funny as a tough ladybug who eventually gives in to his feminine side when he spends time with the little ants. David Hyde Pierce is really good as Slim, a stick-bug with a wonderful intellect who wishes he wasn’t just a prop while Phyllis Diller is great as the queen who is trying to maintain her colony’s safety while prepping Atta for her big role. Kevin Spacey is superb as the villainous Hopper who is smarter than a lot of his grasshopper minions while trying to realize that he has to be smart unless the ants realize how powerful they are.

Hayden Panettiere is wonderful as the queen’s youngest daughter Dot who is determined to fly while seeing Flik as a role model as someone who doesn’t quit. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is excellent as Atta, a princess who is trying to become a leader as she learns the importance of trust. Finally, there’s Dave Foley in a brilliant voice performance as the everyman Flik who tries to make a difference while being the one to stand up against Hopper.

A Bug’s Life is an extraordinary film from John Lasseter and Pixar studios proving that they have ambition and do big ideas. While it may not be up there with more revered films like the Toy Story trilogy, or the films that other Pixar directors like Andrew Stanton, Brad Bird, and Pete Docter has done. It is one of the essential films of their large collection of films as it help set the stage for the ambition that the studio would do in later films. In the end, A Bug’s Life is a glorious yet entertaining film from Pixar studios.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters, Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2011

Toy Story 2

When Toy Story first came out in the fall of 1995, the film proved to be an event as it was the first computer-animated feature film of its time. The film drew rave reviews and massive box office giving Pixar Studios the power it needed as they returned three years later with their second film A Bug’s Life with Walt Disney Studios as its distributor. While Disney wanted a sequel to Toy Story to be a direct-to-video release, Pixar and the people involved with the film refused as it eventually became a feature-film that finally came out in the fall of 1999.

Directed by John Lasseter, with additional direction by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon, and screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsaio, Doug Chamberlain, and Chris Webb that was based on a story by Lasseter, Stanton, Brannon, and Pete Docter. Toy Story 2 tells the story of Woody being kidnapped by a toy collector as Buzz Lightyear and other toys go on a rescue mission. During his captivity, Woody discovers that he was an old TV star as he is about to be sold to a Tokyo toy museum with other toys. The second film is a more ambitious film that blends all sorts of genres as it also introduces to new characters for the franchise.

Featuring the voices of previous players like Tom Hanks Tim Allen, Jim Varney, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts, John Morris, and R. Lee Emrey plus Joan Cusack, Estelle Harris, Jodi Benson, Wayne Knight, and Kelsey Grammer. Toy Story 2 is an adventurous and heartwarming film from Pixar.

After being accidentally ripped by Andy (John Morris) before going to cowboy camp, Woody (Tom Hanks) gets shelved as he finds the old squeeze penguin toy Wheezy (Joe Ranft). When Andy’s mom (Laurie Metcalf) takes Wheeezy to sell for a garage sale, Woody with help from the dog Buster saves Wheezy only to be found by a toy collector named Al (Wayne Knight). Andy’s mom refuses to sell Woody as Al decides to steal him while Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) tries to save him. With a chicken feather and a license plate ID as clues, Buzz finds out who Al is as he organizes a mission to save Woody with help from Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky the Dog (Jim Varney), Rex (Wallace Shawn), and Hamm (John Ratzenberger).

During his captivity, Woody learns he was a popular toy/TV star in the 1950s as he meets Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl (Joan Cusack), the horse Bulls-Eye, and Stinky Pete the Prospector. Learning that Al wants to sell him and the other toys to Japan to a toy museum, Woody doesn’t want to go only until he gets fixed and learns about Jessie’s story of abandonment. When Buzz and the gang finally reach Al’s toy store and his apartment with another Buzz Lightyear joining them. They learn what Woody wants to do as Buzz reminds Woody about being a toy as they’re stopped by Al prompting Buzz and the gang to go on a more daring adventure to save their friend.

In this sequel to the 1995 landmark film, director John Lasseter and his team create a story that is far more ambitious than its predecessor. Even as it recalls themes of growing up and abandonment which would play out in the third film eleven years later. Yet, the heart of the film is the friendship between Woody and Buzz as it grows much stronger in the second film. When Woody gets kidnapped, Buzz feels that he owes Woody for rescuing him in the previous films as supporting players like Slinky, Rex, Mr. Potato Head, and Hamm join in the rescue. Woody meanwhile, learns about Jessie’s own issues in a wonderful sequence that recalls Jessie’s brief life as a toy to a young girl until she got abandoned and be sent to Goodwill.

Jessie is a new character to the franchise as she is a rare female character that is more active and is willing to go out there and do what’s right. She is definitely an equal to Woody and Buzz while the character of Stinky Pete is also interesting as he is someone who had been inside a box that hopes to be loved and seen. Yet, when he realizes that Woody wants to return home, Pete’s sudden change of character becomes evident since he had never been played. Other antagonists like Al and Zurg aren’t fully-realized antagonists as Al is just a greedy man while Zurg is just a villain that wants to destroy the other Buzz Lightyear.

The direction of John Lasseter, along with help from Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon, is truly spellbinding from the way he opens the film with a wonderful sequence of Buzz fighting aliens. The look of the film is broader with a wide depth of field as Lasseter allows the frame to show more space and characters in the film. At the same time, he mixes all sorts of genres for the film while bringing in a few film references to give it some humor. From the wide shots and close-ups Lasseter uses to the wild, intense camera movements such as Woody’s first ride with Bulls-Eye is truly amazing to watch. Overall, Lasseter and his team of co-directors and animators create a film that is equal to its predecessor.

Cinematographer Sharon Calahan does some great work with some of the lighting used for the film to bring some mood to the look such as the scene where Woody tries to sneak out at night or the scenes on top of the elevator where Buzz and the gang try to rescue Woody. Editors Lee Unkrich, Edie Bleiman, and David Ian Slater do a fantastic job with the editing such as Jessie’s flashback scenes as well as the amazing rhythm for many of the film’s action sequences. The overall work in the editing is superb as it plays it straight while adding some stylistic flairs for some of the film’s dramatic and funny moments.

Production designers William Cone and Jim Pearson do some wonderful work in the look of Al‘s Toy Barn along with the apartment and the look of Zurg‘s base in the opening sequence. Sound designers Gary Rydstrom and Tom Myers along with sound editor Michael Silvers do a fantastic job with the sound from the opening scene to the scenes in the city as the sound work is masterful.

The music by Randy Newman is a highlight of the film as it plays a wonderful mix of bombastic orchestral pieces along with low-key dramatic and funny moments to country-western music for Woody’s old show. Featuring a jazzy version of You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Robert Goulet and the theme to Woody’s show by Riders in the Sky. The real moment of the film’s soundtrack is the somber song When She Loved Me that is sung by Sarah McLachlan in Jessie’s flashback scene. It is truly the most heart-wrenching song of the soundtrack as McLachlan’s vocal performance truly captures the sense of loss that Jessie endures in that sequence.

The casting by Mary Hidalgo and Ruth Lambert is phenomenal as it features cameo voice appearances from John Lasseter and Lee Unkrich as Rock N’ Sock ‘Em Robots, Andrew Stanton as the Evil Emperor Zurg, Jodi Benson as Barbie dolls, and Dave Foley in a cameo as Flik from A Bug’s Life. Other notable voice appearances include R. Lee Emrey as Sarge, Joe Ranft as Wheezy and from A Bug’s Life Heimlich, Jonathan Harris as Geri the Cleaner, Laurie Metcalf as Andy’s mom, John Morris as Andy, and Jeff Pidgeon as the Squeeze Toy Aliens. Estelle Harris is wonderfully funny as Mrs. Potato Head along with Annie Potts as Bo Peep. Wayne Knight is very funny as over-zealous toy collector Al while Kelsey Grammer is great as the manipulative yet charming Stinky Pete the Prospector.

John Ratzenberger and Don Rickles are amazing as in their respective yet hilarious roles as Hamm and Mr. Potato Head. Wallace Shawn is joyfully superb as the insecure yet video-game obsessed Rex. Jim Varney is excellent as loyal yet sassy Slinky. Joan Cusack is phenomenal as Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl with her lively vocal performance as well as the sense of anguish she faces about her memories in being a toy as she is the real highlight of the film. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are spectacular in their respective roles as Woody and Buzz. Hanks brings that every-man quality to Woody along with a sense of fear about not being played with only to remember the value of being a toy. Allen brings a performance that is very engaging as Buzz along with some humor about his own reaction to the Buzz Lightyear toys. Even as he gets to be very silly as the other Buzz.

Toy Story 2 is truly a superb sequel to its 1995 predecessor as John Lasseter and company step up their game in bringing a film that is entertaining and heartwarming. While it’s hard to say which of the three films of the Toy Story trilogy is the best as they each have something different to offer. The second is truly one of the most lively and imaginative thanks to the introduction of new characters like Jessie and Bulls-Eye along with old characters from the previous everyone knows and love. In the end, Toy Story 2 is a joyful film that allows the audience to spend more time with Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the characters of the beloved franchise.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug’s Life - (Monsters, Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2011

Toy Story

Before 1995, animated films was hand-drawn and presented in two-dimension whether as feature films or as shorts. The idea of computer animation was something that had been thought of for years as a computer scientist named Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith founded a company called Pixar as a spin-off for George Lucas’ Lucasfilms computers division. When Lucas’ interest towards the company decreased, Apples Computer co-founder Steve Jobs took interest as they found an animator in John Lasseter to help create computer-animated shorts. For many years, Lasseter and Catmull dreamed up of creating the first-ever feature-length computer-animated film that finally came true in the fall of 1995 called Toy Story.

Toy Story is the story of a pull-string cowboy doll who finds himself competing against a new space ranger toy for the affection of their owner. In turn, the two would go have an adventure as their owner would move to a new town. Directed by John Lasseter with a story written by Lasseter, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft, and Andrew Stanton that was later scribed by Stanton, Joss Whedon, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow. It is a film that transcends the idea of not what an animated film can be but also reach an audience wider than just kids and families. With an all-star voice cast that includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney, Don Rickles, Annie Potts, John Morris, and R. Lee Ermey. Toy Story is an exciting and entertaining landmark film John Lasseter and Pixar Studios.

Since kindergarten, Andy’s favorite toy is a pull-string cowboy doll named Woody (Tom Hanks). Andy (John Morris) often has Woody play with other toys like Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Slinky the Dog (Jim Varney), a Tyrannosaurus Rex named Rex (Wallace Shawn), a piggy bank named Hamm (John Ratzenberger), Bo Peep (Annie Potts), the binoculars named Lenny (Joe Ranft) and RC the Car. When Andy’s birthday is moved a week earlier before the big move to a new town, Woody asks the toy soldier Sarge (R. Lee Emrey) to scout for new presents as the new toy Andy gets is a space ranger named Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen). Woody is at odds with Buzz, who believes he’s a real space ranger, as he becomes Andy’s new favorite.

When Andy’s mom (Laurie Metcalf) wants to take Andy and his baby sister Molly (Hannah Unkrich) to Pizza Planet, Andy wants to take Buzz as Woody makes a plan to get rid of him only to have it go wrong. Buzz decides to exact revenge as the two get lost while they try to return to Andy at Pizza Planet. Instead, they get retrieved by a kid named Sid (Erik von Detten) who loves to destroy toys. With Sid living next door to Andy and Woody trying to redeem himself, Buzz learns some surprising revelations as he and Woody try to find a way to return home.

The film is about a cowboy toy who feels upset over the fact that he’s being replaced by something new and exciting in a space ranger. Because of this sense of jealousy, he decides to have this new toy get lost only for the plan to go horribly wrong where the two embark on an adventure. During this adventure, an unexpected friendship between the two happens where both learn the values of being toys and sharing the love for their owner.

What has kept Pixar vital over the years isn’t the use of the technology they created that has gotten better over the years. It’s always been about the story and how the technology enhances the story as Woody and Buzz are the main characters that start off as rivals only to become the best of friends. The screenplay is a mesh of various genres ranging from the buddy comedies to action-adventure with a dash of family entertainment. This mesh of genres is one of the reasons Pixar has been so successful which always bring in wide variety of viewers with different taste as the script is truly a highlight of the film.

John Lasseter’s direction is truly lively in the way he frames the scenes and gets the action going. Yet, he also allows the presentation of the film to be very simple for some of the dramatic moments of the film. The animation is truly amazing for its three-dimensional look as well as the layers of light and shadows used for some of the scenes in the film. The look of the characters are also shown with a movement that is very loose as the camera is always looking at the action and playing up its intensity. Lasseter’s direction is truly spellbinding in every frame he creates for this film.

Editors Lee Unkrich and Robert Gordon do an incredible job with the film‘s editing in creating a straightforward presentation that has wonderful rhythmic cuts for the film‘s action sequences. Art director Ralph Eggleston does a phenomenal job with the look of Andy‘s room and the objects used including the dark world that is Sid‘s room. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editor Tim Holland do an amazing job with the sound from the way the soldiers walked to the places that Woody and Buzz encounter throughout the film.

The music by Randy Newman is a real highlight of the film as it features a mixture of piano-based pop music with elements of orchestral scores to play up the intensity of the film in terms of drama or humor. The songs Newman create such as Strange Things to play up the rivalry of Woody and Buzz along with I Will Go Sailing No More as a dramatic piece. Yet, the highlight of the soundtrack is the song You’ve Got a Friend in Me that serves as the theme for entire series about the friendship between Woody, Buzz, and the rest of the toys that includes a duet version with Newman and Lyle Lovett.

The voice cast is absolutely phenomenal as it features some memorable voice appearances from Jack Angel as Shark and Rocky Gibraltar, Jeff Pidgeon as the Squeeze Toy Aliens, Joe Ranft as Lenny the binoculars, Sarah Freeman as Sid’s sister, and R. Lee Emrey as Sarge. Other notable voices include Erik von Detten as the destructive Sid, Laurie Metcalf as Andy’s mom, Hannah Unkrich as Andy’s baby sister Molly, and John Morris as Andy. For the varied roles as the toys, there’s Don Rickles at the funny yet outspoken Mr. Potato Head along with Wallace Shawn as the insecure yet lovable Rex. Annie Potts is excellent as Bo Peep as is John Ratzenberger as the humorous Hamm and Jim Varney as loyal yet witty Slinky .

Finally, there’s Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in superb voice performances as Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Hanks brings a wonderful mix of comedy and drama as a pull-string cowboy doll who adores Andy while also being a bit of a schemer when it comes to Buzz. Hanks’ funnier moments is when he gives Woody a chance to go all out when Buzz refuses to believe that he’s a toy. Allen’s voice work is perfect for the heroic tone as Buzz where there’s a lot of bravado and dead-pan humor to the voice. Hanks and Allen don’t just elevate the film with their voice performances but also provide life to two of the best animated characters on film.

Toy Story is a dazzling yet exhilarating film from John Lasseter and his team at Pixar. Anyone that is interested in the films of Pixar Studios will no doubt see this as a great place to start. Even for anyone interested in animated films should find this as one of its landmark films. Particularly as this was the film that helped launch a slew of computer-animated films for many years to come. In the end, Toy Story is a remarkable feature film from Pixar Studios and John Lasseter.

Pixar Films: A Bug’s Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - WALL-E - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2011

WALL-E/Presto (short)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/29/08 w/ Additional Edits.

Throughout the collection of films Pixar Studios has made over the years, the 3D computer-animation studio has always been in the foreground of groundbreaking animation to enhance worldly stories that audiences can enjoy. Whether it's about toys being supportive of another, bugs fighting grasshoppers, monsters protecting children, a fish trying to find his son, a family of super heroes fighting evil, a car learning about life from other cars, or a rat who wants to become a chef. These stories have been in the heart and minds of the people who created these amazing stories as another one is about to emerge about the last robot on Earth named WALL-E.

Directed by Finding Nemo director Andrew Stanton with a script co-written with Jim Reardon based on Stanton and Pete Docter's original story, WALL-E tells the story of the last working robot named WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class) on Earth whose job was to clean-up the place to make the planet habitable again. Yet, when a robot named EVE arrives to check on the planet, WALL-E falls for her until she has to return to outer space as WALL-E decides to join her to explore the world of outer space. A part-sci-fi film and a part-love story, WALL-E is a film that takes Pixar's animation style to new heights.

Accompanied with a short film called Presto, written and directed by Doug Sweetland about a magician. With a voice cast that features longtime Pixar regular John Ratzenberger plus Jeff Garlin and Elissa Knight along with cameo voices and appearances by Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver, and Fred Willard. Finally, in the voice of the title character and other characters, legendary sound designer Ben Burtt. WALL-E is a magnificent, spectacular, and heartwarming film from Andrew Stanton and Pixar.

Presto

A magician is having show in a big theater as his big trick is to pull a rabbit out of his top hat. The problem is that the rabbit is hungry for a carrot and when the magician decides to pull his magic trick. The rabbit refuses to cooperate leading to mayhem as all the rabbit wants is a carrot. The magician tries to take control but instead finds himself pulling other things and such leading the audience to be entertained.

The short film written and directed by Doug Sweetland is truly entertaining as it revolves on slapstick comedy and light-hearted entertainment. Presto is a great accompanying short film to the more epic, emotionally-laden feature film WALL-E.

WALL-E

It's 2815 as Earth is in ruins where it's surrounded by garbage and strong dust winds. Humans have left the planet on a bunch of space ships called the Axiom prompting robots to clean up the planet. Yet, only one named WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter-Earth Class) is the only working as he's developed emotions over his curiosity over his surroundings. With a pet cockroach, WALL-E spends a lot of time alone as he does his job, finds things, and watch Hello, Dolly! to learn about human interaction. Then one day, a spaceship lands on Earth to drop a probe known as Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator aka EVE (Elissa Knight) to find signs of life. WALL-E falls for the sleek, rounded-looking robot who can fly and probe things while also carrying a laser gun. WALL-E falls for the robot as he tries to get her attention with mixed results as he later saves her from a dust storm. EVE becomes fascinated by WALL-E's home as he presents her a plant that he had found earlier as she suddenly shuts down.

WALL-E devotes his time toward EVE until she's taken from the spaceship that brought her as he stows away on the ship amazed by the world he's encountering. Finally arriving into the Axiom, WALL-E follows EVE as he encounters various robots including an obsessive-compulsive cleaning robot named M-O (Ben Burtt) and a couple of humans named John (John Ratzenberger) and Mary (Kathy Najimy). WALL-E's encounter with the two humans have awoken them from their consumer-driven yet lazy lifestyle as like all humans on the ship, have become morbidly obese as WALL-E even brings some spark into the ship's captain (Jeff Garlin) who becomes obsessed with the knowledge when he learns of the few samples that WALL-E had brought was dirt. Realizing that the plant that was inside EVE had disappeared, WALL-E had caused more trouble prompting him to leave the ship until they learned that a little robot named GO-4 had the plant and was trying to get rid of it.

Realizing that the robot AUTO was trying to get rid of the plant under the order of Earth's old leader Shelby Forthright (Fred Willard). EVE and WALL-E try to stop AUTO with help from the captain, malfunctioning robots, and other humans. Even as WALL-E becomes the little robot who makes a major difference to bring humans back to Earth.

Science-fiction is a genre that usually explores huge themes about alienation, dystopia, and other social issues where often, the look and feel of sci-fi films are often cold and desolate. Then some of those films are geared for entertainment in the form of movies like Star Wars. What makes WALL-E stand out among all of these classic sci-fi films is the fact that it has a very simple plot. It's about a robot who has been alone for 700 years as he falls for another robot and goes onto a journey to win her over and to try and save the world. Writer-director Andrew Stanton along with co-screenwriter Jim Reardon,co-story writer Pete Docter, Jim Capobianco, who does the film's final credit sequences, create a story that is truly universal but at the core of the film is the love story between WALL-E and EVE.

The first thirty-forty minutes of the film set on Earth has very little spoken dialogue with the exception of robotic voices. What that sequence explores is WALL-E's loneliness and what does he do until he meets EVE as he falls for her and show her the world outside of what she's programmed to do. WALL-E is a character who isn't great looking as his look is kinda square with the head of Johnny 5 from Short Circuit but has a lot of personality and a curiosity that audiences can relate to. When EVE is introduced, she has this clean, polished, rounded, sleek look to her where she is here to do her job. Her character goes through the biggest development as she goes from a robot programmed to do her job to becoming someone who realizes there is more to do as she starts to fall for WALL-E.

When the film's second act takes place in outer space and the Axiom spaceship. The film does go into a bit of social commentary and dystopia but it's done with a bit of humor and satire. The concept of humans becoming morbidly obese, sitting on floating chairs and drinking mashed up food as they're manipulated by consumerism is a cautionary tale. Yet, it doesn't hit the audience over the head of what might happen as the focus is still on WALL-E who manages to bump into a few people and wake them up. Stanton and Reardon's script is filled with all of these themes of sci-fi while adding loads of genres ranging from adventure to romance with characters that audiences can root for as the script and story itself is truly universal.

Then there's Stanton direction that clearly raises the bar of what 3D computer-animation can do as well as what the science fiction genre can do as well. Taking elements from many classic science fiction films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris (both the 1972 & 2002 version), The Omega Man, Logan's Run, Star Wars, Alien, and Short Circuit. Stanton takes everything that makes those unique, use them as subtle references/tributes but keep it true to the story itself as he creates a unique vision that is mesmerizing from the first shot to the last shot of the film. Stanton understands that the film must have a wide depth of field, particularly on the film's Earth sequences to tell the audience of what the planet is like while the whole film in that section acts like a silent movie. No dialogue, just robot noises and the character of WALL-E being accompanied by songs from Hello, Dolly! to make up for all the sound.

The concept of having the first thirty-forty minutes of the film with no dialogue, might seem like a challenge to a very young audience, notably children. It's sense humor, romance, and whimsical nature proves that there's no need for dialogue when characters are involved with these situations. When the film moves into space. The look of it is mesmerizing as is the animation where in the exteriors, it's just gorgeous. Inside the Axiom ship, there's a bit of claustrophobia and a sense of light-hearted dystopia it acts like a full-on sci-fi feature. The references are there were the character of AUTO is essentially HAL from 2001 while some of the framing comes from the Star Wars movies in terms of its conflict.

Fans of science fiction will no doubt know these references that included Sigourney Weaver of the Alien movies in the voice of the ship's computer. Yet, the film also explores different kinds of genres aside from romance, comedy, and silent films. Another genre explored though through an emotional accompaniment is the musical, notably the 1969 Gene Kelly film Hello, Dolly! A film that when it came out at the time, was very reviled by film critics at a time when foreign films and non-Hollywood productions like Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy were about films about the current generation of that time. While some might feel baffled about the inclusion of Hello, Dolly! as the choice of musical accompaniment for WALL-E, it's emotional resonance and how it helped bring a development to the character of EVE is what the musical brings. Stanton understands the idea of character development as even the few human parts that are played are given a chance to be developed though their look may be cartoonish. It's only cartoonish to emphasize how humanity has somewhat devolved into.

What Stanton has envisioned is a film that is true to the tradition of sci-fi while giving the world of computer animation something that hasn't been explored. The result isn't just truly magnificent but the look and visual language of the film is just extraordinary and full of heart. The scenes themselves whether it's romantic, adventurous, or humorous is always done with a lot of effort and heart into making the characters relevant to a wide audience and themes they can truly understand.

Andrew Stanton not only breathes new life into the science fiction genre but raising the bar of what animation films can do, whether it's 2-D hand-drawn animation or 3-D computer animation. What Stanton does is proving that these films are more than just cartoons that will do cute things but breathe life into them that they can be just like the audience who are watching. The resulting work Stanton does is phenomenal and certainly tops nearly all of the films he and his Pixar associates have made before.

Helping Stanton in the film's visual department are his team of animators, visual effects mastermind Dennis Muren, and as a visual consultant, reknowned cinematographer Roger Deakins. The animation team along with production designer Ralph Eggleston create a unique look and layering to Earth where though it's kind of a trash heap, there is something beautiful to its look including the buildings made by block of trash. With Deakins' expertise in look, the look of Earth is given a wide scope into what the whole place looks like including how these buildings are made by WALL-E. When the film moves to outer space and Axiom, the look is even more grand and colorful including this great shot of WALL-E getting a touch of the rings of Saturn that is just truly gorgeous. Muren's contributions to the film's sci-fi look pays homage to the old sci-fi films of the past as the ship itself is amazing in its mix of a cruise ship and a space ship.

The character animation is phenomenal in the way both WALL-E and EVE look while other minor robotic characters are also given a distinct look. Jim Capobianco does some great work in the film's final credit sequences where it's done in a style of old caveman drawings while the movement is inspired by 1980s video game animation. Editor Stephen Schaffer does a great job in the film’s pacing styles where the film takes time to tell the story while not delving into hyper-active cutting with most films. Schaffer's editing also has a sense of rhythm while paying homage to the few scenes that are referencing to other films like Star Wars.

Thomas Newman's score is truly mesmerizing from the upbeat, melodic music for the film's Earth scenes along with sweeping arrangements for the film's more sci-fi scenes including a great dance scene involving WALL-E and EVE that flourishes with every movement of string performance and arrangements. Along with music from Hello, Dolly! that are sung by the film's actor Michael Crawford and a cover of La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong. One new song for the film's soundtrack comes from Peter Gabriel, Down To Earth that is one of Gabriel's best songs as he's joined by the Soweto Gospel Choir in this worldly yet amazing song. Another composition, that sci-fi fans will get is the Richard Strauss composition Also Sprach Zarathustra from 2001: A Space Odyssey that is wonderfully used in a comic moment.

The voice cast is excellent a wonderful voice cameo from Sigourney Weaver as the ship's computer along with Kathy Najimy and Pixar regular John Ratzenberger as two individuals who are awoken out of the doldrums that they're living in. Also included are voices from director Andrew Stanton and co-writer Pete Docter as humans and robots, Fred Willard makes an appearance through visual effects as the Buy-N-Large president of the world who is trying to manipulate humanity through consumerism. Jeff Garlin's voice appearance as the ship's captain is truly funny as he has one of the film's most memorable lines where he brings life to a caricature who is also awoken from his own dreary role.

The film's biggest and most notable technical work is in its sound design created by the legendary Ben Burtt. Along with sound editor Matthew Wood, Burtt's sound design for the voices of WALL-E, other robots, and mixing to the voice of Elissa Knight as EVE is truly mesmerizing. There's a lot of life and noises to the voices of the characters where they may sound robotic but what they're saying is more human than robotic though some might not understand what they say. Burtt's work for the voices and the objects that are in display are great while the use of the Macintalk device from Apple for the character of AUTO to give that cold, robotic personality that is with most villains. Burtt, Wood, and their sound team create some of the year's best sound work as it also acknowledge the contributions Burtt has made over the years from his work in Star Wars as the voice of R2-D2 and the lightsabers to everything else. The film's real star is Ben Burtt who gives life to a little, cuddly, square robot named WALL-E.

WALL-E isn't just the best animated film since Toy Story or the best sci-fi film since Star Wars. It's truly one of the best films ever made from the mind of Andrew Stanton and Pixar studios. Fans of science fiction will no doubt be amazed at what Stanton and Pixar has done along with its references while fans of Pixar's animation films will truly be amazed by its visual splendor and heartfelt story. Though it's hard to see whether the upcoming 2009 film Up or the widely-anticipated Toy Story 3 will ever top this film.

WALL-E clearly raises the bar for the studio of what to expect from computer-animated film as well as sci-fi films. What makes WALL-E stand out among its crop of films is a universal story about a robot who brings life to another robot as there's a new onscreen couple to fall in love with WALL-E and EVE. In the end, for a film that truly mesmerizes both visually and emotionally, WALL-E is the film to go see as it stands as not just one of the year’s best films but one of the best films ever made.

Pixar Films: Toy Story - A Bug's Life - Toy Story 2 - (Monsters, Inc.) - (Finding Nemo) - The Incredibles - Cars - Ratatouille - Up - Toy Story 3 - Cars 2 - Brave - Monsters University - Inside Out - The Good Dinosaur - (Finding Dory) - (Cars 3) - Coco - Incredibles 2 - Toy Story 4 - (Onward) - Soul (2020 film) - (Luca (2021 film)) - Turning Red - (Lightyear) - (Elemental (2023 film)) - Inside Out 2 - (Elio) – (Toy Story 5)

© thevoid99 2011