Monsters University (2013) review

#15- Toy Story 2 (1999) review

Creating a sequel to an animation film had never been successful until Toy Story 2 and even since then, has only been successful in one other film- The third installment of the Toy Story trilogy. So, just prior to the release of this film, audiences would've been anxious and uncertain whether the film would live up to the hype of the original

Not only do I consider Toy Story 2 one of the all time great sequels but I even consider it better than the original. This is how a sequel should be made to an animation film, not how Shrek did it or how any of the other animation films such as The Lion King II have done. 

Woody is one day, mysteriously stolen by a man at a garage sale whilst saving another toy from 'facing the inevitable'. Woody is stolen and comes to learn about his past and how he is a famous and rare sheriff woody doll. It is here that he  meets Bullseye, the horse, Jesse the cowgirl and the Prospector, who are Woody's Roundup Gang as they were also featured on his TV show. Out of curiosity, Wood learns that he is about to be sent to a museum in Japan, where he will indeed by able to prolong the inevitable and where the other toys will also be sent if he is there. Eventually Woody comes to realize that maybe going to Japan may well be the only option but Woody's loyal friends are once more, out there to save him! 


Here is a sequel, much like The Empire Strikes Back which proves that it is not a cash grab but a a necessary installment to a series of films. The fact that the plot is split into two clearly indicates that this is a fresh film. In terms of entertainment, this film has more to offer than the original. Even in terms of emotion, this film may even contain more emotion than the first and the characters are truly put to the test here. The dialogue is clever and witty and works charmingly well, the story is written and directed brilliantly and the new characters, being some of the best of Toy Story, are done fantastically. 



Jesse is the most interesting character of the film and her constant mood swings are what makes her interesting, even if her character is often jerky! When her character is given the flashback sequences involving Emily, there is the emotion of the film right there. In terms of story, Woody is definitely put to the test in terms of prolonging the inevitable, something which his penguin friend Wheezy said was useless as it comes right back at you. Simply the fact that both Woody and Jesse have such an explained past makes them extremely great characters. Jesse's backstory is some of the finest emotional moments of the series, something which Toy Story 3 seems to rip off to some extent with Lotso. 

So many memorable stuff do happen in this film. Some absolutely classical lines and scenes such as the toys driving the car, the scene in the airport and plane, the scenes early on and Jesse's backstory truly make for one of the greatest animation films, right up there with the other two installments of the Toy Story trilogy. In fact, these three films should be tied for the best animation film of all time, each having a place in my top 25. To make Toy Story all the better for me, I have no nostalgic feelings towards it!  

Grade- 10/10 

#16- Toy Story (1995) review

To think that by 1995, CGI was such an infestation amongst all action movies simply for the sake of being able to avoid the use of practical effects. No one would have believed that the first film, to be entirely made out of CGI would be a kids animation film about toys! 

Woody and his group of toys belong to a young boy named Andy, and upon his birthday, the toys anxiously await to see if they may get replaced by any new toys and thus, never get played with ever again. These toys find a Buzz Lightyear model to be the newest toy and all love it, except for the sherrif Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks. Woody's attempts to get ahead of Buzz for Andy's favorite spot accidentally causes an attack by Woody to knock Buzz out a window, and as Andy reluctantly takes Woody to the shops, Buzz seeks revenge on the sheriff. But both toys are eventually captured by Andy's neighbour, Sid, a young boy who loves destroying toys and are taken to his house! As Andy is moving houses in a few days, it becomes a battle against time! 

Toy Story is quite possibly, the greatest animation of all time. Not only is this the most revolutionary animation film, for the beginning of 3D Animation films and the beginning of one of the great studios, Pixar, but Toy Story is the perfect animation film. Basically flawless, Toy Story is far more depth than what the premise may make the film sound. The characters are the film's biggest strength. Each character, whether the toys or humans, are utterly fantastic. Every single toy in this film is such a great and likeable character! A lot of the credit goes to the fantastic cast, made up of Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz and several others, including John Ratzenberg, who would later become the man in every Pixar film. The writing is flawless with each character receiving the perfect amount of detail and attention. The love put into this project astounds me and the level of success that this film achieved stuns me even to this day! 

When talking about Toy Story, some may consider it corny or stupid, or even use words like retarded, saying that it is a film about a bunch of times. That is as much of an understatement as saying that The Lord of the Rings is a bunch of long films about a bunch of rings! What could so easily have come off as horrible, something laughable, something ridiculous, is actually a very heartwarming and serious film. Not only appealing to children, but Toy Story could possibly have more for the adults and teenagers, with many adult jokes and dealing with more mature themes. 

 

The animation effects in the film are mostly great but considering that this is indeed the first full 3D animated film, I can let it pass. Some of the effects are definitely poor, including the textures given to all the humans and the dog, who looks by far, the worst thing in the film. Even the way that the humans move is often laughable but thankfully, the animation only looks poor only with the humans and not with the toys. In fact, the texture given to the humans looks vaguely similar to the texture of the toys! Aside from some of the outdated effects, Toy Story is absolutely flawless in every aspect. 




One of the best things about the film is the Buzz and Woody friendship and how it grows throughout this dangerous adventure. The way that Tim Allen and Tom Hanks worked together was fantastic and the writing and direction was great, making sure the friendship became a believable one. Despite knowing that the two will always be friends by the end, there comes the "lowest point" of the film where that thought is completely blown off mind. In fact, there are a few scenes that display heavy emotion with Buzz and Woody. There was a moment in this film that stands out to me and that is when Buzz and Woody are in Sid's house and Woody manages to talk to the other toys, only for them to betray him. The final shot with Slinky, the dog, and his quick glance at Woody was actually, emotional. Even the smallest of stuff worked in the film and worked to the best. 



To think that in order to revolutionalise all animation films to come, all that needed to be done was to create some toys and a couple of bad situations, can shock some people! Toy Story is the definition of all animated films, and easily the best there is. Flawless from start to finish, Toy Story is a mind dazzling film with an amazing cast, story and characters. Even most of the effects, despite nearing 20 years of age, still look amazing. 

Grade- 10/10 

#18- Toy Story 3 (2010) review

 


Now, I am perfectly clear that this isn't the best Pixar film nor is this one of the greatest films of all time, but I am certain that this is one of my all time favorite films. Very few releases, since 2010 have made my top 20 list but this is one of them. 

Prior to its release, audiences were uncertain whether or not this third installment to a now Pixar trilogy would work, considering the last Toy Story film was released in 1999. 11 years later, people were uncertain whether or not Pixar could do it once more and actually make an amazing animation trilogy. WELL OF COURSE THEY DID! 



Woody and his crew of toys now face the challenge of 'prolonging the inevitable' as Andy has grown up and lost his love for toys. A major misunderstanding by Andy's often foolish mother, prior to Andy's first day of college, causes the toys to get thrown out as trash. The toys manage to escape at the last moment and realizing that Andy has no special place in his heart for them, they decide the only thing to do is to head off to daycare. 

Toy Story 3 is definitely the most emotional of the Toy Story trilogy. As the penguin, Wheezy, said in Toy Story 2 "What is the point of prolonging the inevitable?", Toy Story 3 spends a lot of time focusing around this question. Despite the toys heading off to Sunnyside Daycare, which is run by a teddybear named Lotso, Woody realizes that this was all a big misunderstanding and decides to somehow get back to Andy's before he moves off to college. As he is picked up by a girl named Bonnie, who somewhat resembles a much older Boo, Woody is taken to her place where he must get back to Andy's, whilst learning the truth about everything. This is what I love about Pixar, how they can make each of their films work. Toy Story 3 most definitely does not feel like a cash grab like the Shrek sequels but actually has a lot to offer in terms of story and characters, which are done amazingly well! 


As Woody is told that Lotso is actually an evil teddybear and he runs Sunnyside Daycare, Woody decides to return to save his friends, out of love. The last act of the film is truly hilarious, entertaining yet emotional. Whilst the first and second act are truly great, they have some slow moments but the third act truly makes this is a fantastic film and a near masterpiece due to its emotional and comedic satisfaction, even if the final scene with Andy and Bonnie is laughable. 

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are fantastic in this film as always, as are the rest of the voice acting crew. John Ratzenberger is a Pixar veteran, appearing in basically all Pixar films. He is great as always, nailing the role of Hamm. It is Ratsenberg's ability to deliver comedic lines perfectly that makes his character one of the best! Don Rickles is amazing in this film as Mr Potato Head and Estelle Harris is fantastic as Ms. Potatohead! Part of the reason that this Toy Story trilogy is successful is due to how amazing the cast is! 

Any concerns regarding Toy Story trilogy, prior to its initial release was lost as sparkling reviews came by. To think that this third installment has an 8.5 on IMDb and a high 90% rating on RottenTomatoes clearly indicates how loved this film has already become. It is so brilliantly that people have a tough time choosing the best of the three. Officially, Toy Story is now one of the greatest trilogies of our time!

#19- Finding Nemo (2003) review

The moral behind Finding Nemo is that two fish go on an adventure only to find a whole new world that has been closed by their eyes. In 2003, we audiences also went on an adventure to a whole new world where animation films would change forever. We went to a world where Finding Nemo became the pinnacle of brilliance.

Pixar films such as WALL.E or Up are visually stunning and spend a great deal of time on its attention to detail. That said, that Pixar craze began with Finding Nemo which creates a beautiful world that is clearly well thought off and provides extreme attention to detail. Not only is it the attention to detail, but the film does not ever get carried away with the attention to detail and get lost in the story. Finding Nemo follows the story of two clownfish named Nemo and Marlin, who since the loss of his wife has been an overprotective father to Nemo. On the opening day of school, Nemo defies his father's rules when he grows sick of his father's overprotective and oversensitive behaviour and decides to prove to his father that he can indeed swim but on the way back, gets captured by divers and is taken! 



Pixar have always had a strange taste in films. Despite being intended for children, Pixar makes it a film for all ages and is able to carefully craft in emotion with humor. A lot of the film is spent based around the relationship of Marlin and Nemo and as the film progresses, Marlin's ability to save his son often comes to a lowest point. The core of this film is indeed the relationship between Marlin and Nemo, which is portrayed excellently in this film. It is quite the Sully-Boo relationship from Monsters, Inc and that is, putting aside all the differences, the two must learn to get along with each other and overlook each other's flaws. It is such a classic father-son story. 

Normally, each of these Pixar films has a comedic character. One that stands out, and yes, Finding Nemo does have its standout character: Dory! We now have an official confirmation for a 2015 sequel, Finding Dory, which indicates how much love there is for the character. One thing I find truly amusing is how Dory isn't a Jar Jar Binks in the fact that for quite a lot of the film, she doesn't serve too much purpose but is instead the bumbling, forgetful fish who suffers from short term memory loss! "You've gotta be kiddin' me!" as said by Marlin perfectly sum up her character but honestly, that is what makes her so lovable. Her comedic delivery is done extremely well, with many of Dory's lines now been iconic! The fact that the director can make a character like Dory work clearly indicates how amazingly well this film is directed! Not only that, but it proves that Finding Nemo is yet another Pixar masterpiece! 
 
All the characters in Finding Nemo are absolutely fantastic, whether it be Nemo's friends at school or Marlin and Nemo himself. Even the turtles that pop up for a while are absolutely hilarious! However, a few of my favorite characters are Nemo's friends in the tank. They represent the innocence of the film. Then there's Bruce and his friends who are absolutely hilarious, representing at times, the darker tone of the film but never downplaying the tone. Pretty much every character of the film is friendly, in some way, and whilst this may sound stupid, it actually works with the film. It adds to the somewhat, realism of the film. 



Since 2003, Finding Nemo has stunned audiences across the world to the degree, that it is possibly Pixar's most talked about film. The love for Finding Nemo is very clear from the fact that there was an extremely successful 3D Re-release and its upcoming 2015 sequel, Finding Dory. In all, Finding Nemo is a perfect animation film and is successful in directing, which is tough to achieve considering that the 90 minute run time has a lot of introducing characters, places and story elements, yet it all fits perfectly. It has hilarious lines, is written perfectly and has fantastic voice acting by the crew. 

Grade- A+