Watching Pixar grow up

Have you heard? Pixar is coming out with a movie this summer. It's a follow up to their modest hits, Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I've heard it's okay (100% on RT after 77 reviews on Thursday night).

It's shocking to consider that Toy Story, Pixar's first major release, hit the silver screen fifteen years ago. Not to date myself too terribly, but I was scantly out of grammar school at the time. As I've personally grown up, developing my taste in film, my outlook on the world, and approaching something resembling maturity, Pixar has done the same. All the evidence you need is in their release slate to date.

Toy Story (1995): Like all other films to follow it, Toy Story started with a simple question: "what if?" What if our toys could walk and talk, but only when we weren't looking? The themes of Toy Story are simple - jealousy and friendship, and the resolution comes down to looking at a situation beyond yourself - Woody goes after Buzz because it's the right thing to do for Andy. Make no mistake - the storytelling is sophisticated, but the morals provide more food for thought for younger viewers.

A Bug's Life (1998): Our "what if": what if bugs could talk? Again, the themes dealt with are not terribly complex, namely, Flik, our outcast inventor, has unique talents that aren't recognized by the rest of the colony. What we learn is that everyone has something to contribute, no matter how strange their contributions may seem at first. An important lesson and lofty sentiment for a youngster, but not necessarily for their parents.

Toy Story 2 (1999): What if our toys could talk some more? Friendship again is important in the sequel, but responsibility and hubris take the center stage when Woody learns he is a valuable collector's item. It's with their third film that Pixar begins to dive into more sophisticated thematic territory.

Monsters, Inc (2001): What if there really were monsters under our beds, but they were just in the midst of an energy crisis? Monsters, Inc is obviously not the first film from Pixar to have children play a role, but here, Boo is also in need of protection rather than just the companionship Andy needs. Again, responsibility is a major theme, and we can see our little CGI studio maturing in the subjects it tackles. Additionally, the way that the energy crisis is solved, by thinking outside the box and finding new, more efficient sources of energy, is even more amusingly prescient today than it was in 2001.

Finding Nemo (2003): What if fish could talk? Finding Nemo doesn't reinvent the wheel with it's "what if," but it is undoubtedly the darkest Pixar film to date with the opening death of Nemo's mother. Again, we're shown that all of us have unique talents and value no matter what society might make us think at first. With Finding Nemo, we see a combination of themes explored in Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Monsters, Inc: responsibility, contribution, and friendship.

The Incredibles (2004) and Cars (2006): The next two installments from Pixar are not bad by any means, but after the ground gained by the previous films, seem to just go through the motions. Again, loyalty and family are explored, more compellingly in The Incredibles than Cars. This is Pixar in the creative throes of adolescence. You can tell they're on the verge of exploring new territory, but not quite ready to find their footing.

Ratatouille (2007): What if rats could talk? And cook? The thematic elements of love, unique gifts, and loyalty aren't new, but Ratatouille is the first of Pixar's films to intimately explore the lives of (mostly) normal human characters. Additionally, the fact that much of the film revolves around cooking as an art form is a decidedly sophisticated step towards maturity of story elements. Pixar is growing up.

Wall-E (2008): Pixar has a major growth spurt with the release of Wall-E. Now all-too-familiar themes of unique talents paying off and responsibility play into a love story that is wrapped in a potent social satire. Not since 2006's Idiocracy has our culture of lazy disposable consumerism been so effectively lambasted. Pixar had something to say, and the critical community noticed. There was some consensus that in a field of Best Picture nominees Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Milk, Frost/Nixon, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; Wall-E would have held its own.

Up (2009): Although some were turned off by the whimsy and accused the story of being haphazard, I think even the biggest critics of Up would be hard-pressed to deny the power and maturity of the way Up tells the initial part of its story of Carl and Ellie. I've personally seen this film close to a dozen times, and that now-infamous montage still gets me choked up. What if you tied a bunch of balloons to your house? What if you found an exotic bird in a strange land? What if your childhood hero turned out to be your enemy? These are all more progressive "what ifs" that Pixar presents us, but they pale to the central "what if" of Up that literally keeps me up at night: what if you spent your entire life without accomplishing the one thing you wanted to with the only person that mattered to you before they slipped away? Up would have been a worthy competitor for Best Picture even in a field of five, my friends.

Toy Story 3 (2010): I've purposely kept from reading reviews as I don't want to go into Toy Story 3 with any expectations beyond the simple plot I already know. Andy is grown up, and about to leave for college. While I'm not sure what the thematic elements may end up being beyond the usual, that basic premise is a beautiful metaphor to how far Pixar, as a studio, has come.

Pixar is growing up, and they know they have to put childish things aside. Making simple statements about friendship or the importance of being true to yourself simply won't cut it any more.

I'm certain that even if the themes they explore continue to mature, Pixar will never abandon the child-like playfulness for which we've always known them. Enjoy Toy Story 3 this weekend, folks. I think you won't have much of a choice.

MARMADUKE: FUN FOR YOUR FAMILY

Editor's note: I simply refused to see the big-screen adaptation of Brad Anderson's surreal and humorless comic strip Marmaduke. Instead, I hired my 9-year-old neighbor Spencer to see and review the movie for me, in exchange for ticket fare and five dollars in small change. His unedited words are below. Enjoy.

WELL I WAS EXCITED WHEN JOE TOLD ME HE'D GIVE ME SOME MONEY TO GO SEE THE NEW MARMADUKE MOVIE BECAUSE I LIKE FUNNY MOVIES AND DOGS AND I COULD TELL FROM THE POSTER THAT THIS MOVIE WOULD PUT THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER.

MARMADUKE IS ABOUT A BIG DOG NAMED MARMADUKE THAT CAUSES TROUBLE FOR HIS OWNER NAMED PHIL BUT THE REST OF THE FAMILY DOESN'T SEEMED BOTHERED BY MARMADUKE THATS PROBABLY BECAUSE PHIL CARES MORE ABOUT HIS JOB THAN HIS DOG AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE PHIL IS A MARKETER FOR A DOG FOOD COMPANY THAT GETS A NEW JOB FOR A BIGGER DOG FOOD COMPANY AND HE HAS TO MOVE HIS FAMILY TO CALIFORNIA FOR THE NEW JOB THEY USED TO LIVE IN KANSAS.

YOU CAN TELL THAT EVEN THOUGH MARMADUKE SOMETIMES IS A TROUBLE MAKER HE IS STILL A GOOD DOG BECAUSE HE TAKES THE YOUNGEST KID FOR WALKS IN THE BEGINNING SO SHE GETS EXERCISE I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE YOUNGEST DAUGHTER BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THE REST OF THE MOVIE.

SOME OF THE SILLY STUFF MARMADUKE DOES IS DIG LOTS OF HOLES IN THE YARD BECAUSE HE WANTS TO FIND CHINA AND RUN OUT OF THE TUB WHEN HE IS GETTING A BATHED. ALSO IN THE BEGINNING HE FARTS IN THE BED WITH PHIL AND HIS WIFE AND IT SMELLS BAD AND I LAUGHED.

SO ANYWAYS PHIL GETS HIS FAMILY READY TO MOVE FROM KANSAS TO CALIFORNIA AND HE PUTS MARMADUKE AND HIS CAT CARLOS IN A CAGE AND GIVES THEM MEATBALLS THAT MAKE THEM SLEEP IN THE PLANE AND MAKES THEM SILLY. CARLOS LOOKS AT HIS PAWS AND SAYS IT'S WEIRD. THERE WAS A MOM SITTING IN FRONT OF ME THAT LAUGHED REALLY HARD AT THAT.

THAT MOM LAUGHED AT SOME OTHER STUFF TOO THAT I DIDN'T GET, LIKE WHEN DOGS ARE SHOWING MARMADUKE THE DIFFERENT GROUPS AT THE DOG PARK AND THERE ARE THE MUSHROOM DOGS AND THEY'RE ACTING WEIRD, OR WHEN A DOG DRINKS TOO MUCH DRAIN PIPE WATER, OR WHEN A DOG IS DRINKING OUT OF THE TOILET AND OTHER DOGS ARE TELLING IT TO CHUG CHUG CHUG. THAT MOM THOUGHT ALL THOSE JOKES WERE FUNNY. SHE WAS DRINKING OUT OF A PAPER BAG WHICH I THOUGHT WAS WEIRD.

SO ANYWAYS THEY GET TO CALIFORNIA AND THERE ARE TWO SONGS ABOUT CALIFORNIA ONE FROM TUPAC AND ONE FROM THE OC SHOW MY MOM DIDN'T LET ME WATCH. THEN MARMADUKE MEETS NEW FRIENDS AT THE DOG PARK MAINLY MAZIE WHO IS A GIRL DOG AND HE DOESN'T FIT IN BECAUSE HE'S BIG. HE GETS A CRUSH ON THIS DOG JEZEBEL BUT SHE HAD A BOYFRIEND BOSCO WHO IS THE ALPHA DOG AND SURFS.

TO BE COOL, MARMADUKE ASKS CARLOS TO PRETEND TO GET BEATEN UP BY MARMADUKE AT THE DOG PARK AND CARLOS AGREES BUT GETS MAD AT MARMADUKE.

SO IN THE MEANTIME PHIL'S NEW JOB ISN'T GOING SO WELL AND HE'S NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO HIS SON WHO DOESN'T WANT TO PLAY SOCCER AND HIS OLDER DAUGHTER THAT WANTS TO MEET BOYS. PHIL NEEDS AN IDEA TO MARKET THE DOG FOOD AND MARMADUKE IS SCARED OF A BEE IN THE CAR AND STARTS BARKING SO PHIL PULLS OVER AND THINKS MARMADUKE WAS BARKING AT SURFERS AND HAS AN IDEA TO MARKET THE DOG FOOD BY HAVING A DOG SURFING CONTEST.

EVEN THOUGH BOSCO IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE BEST SURFER MARMADUKE WINS THE DOG SURFING CONTEST.

MARMADUKE GETS TO BE POPULAR AND HE FORGETS HIS FRIENDS THAT TAUGHT HIM TO PLAY DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION AND TAKES JEZEBEL ON THE DREAM DATE MAZIE TOLD MARMADUKE ABOUT AND MAZIE IS SAD. JOE SAID IT WAS IRONIC JEZEBEL WAS NAMED JEZEBEL BUT SAID I WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHATEVER I THINK ITS A PRETTY NAME FOR A FEMALE DOG.

THEN MARMADUKE HOLDS A PARTY AT HIS HOUSE WHEN PHIL AND THE FAMILY LEAVE FOR THE WEEKEND AND EVERYONE FINDS OUT CARLOS AND MARMADUKE ARE FRIENDS AND THEN NO-ONE LIKES MARMADUKE AGAIN.

THERE WAS A FUNNY PART AT THE PARTY WHERE A DOG WAS ON THE ROOF BY THE POOL AND YELLED OUT I AM A GOLDEN DOG BEFORE JUMPING INTO THE POOL JOE SAID THAT WAS A REFERENCE TO THE MOVIE ALMOST FAMOUS BUT MY MOM WON'T LET ME WATCH THAT BECAUSE SHE SAYS IT GLORIFIES ROCK AND ROLL AND JOURNALISM.

SO ANYWAYS THE HOUSE IS TRASHED FROM THE PARTY AND PHIL IS MAD SO HE PUTS MARMADUKE OUTSIDE IN THE RAIN AND MARMADUKE RUNS A WAY AFTER PUTTING THE SOCCER JERSEY AND DAUGHTER'S CELL PHONE ON THE TABLE FOR PHIL. MAZIE FINDS OUT MARMADUKE RAN AWAY AND GOES LOOKING FOR HIM.

SO THE NEXT DAY PHIL FINDS OUT HE'S BEEN A BAD DAD AND TAKES THE FAMILY LOOKING FOR MARMADUKE EVEN THOUGH HE HAS A BUSINESS MEETING AND MARMADUKE AND MAZIE FALL IN A BURST DRAIN PIPE AND PHIL HAS TO SAVE MARMADUKE FROM THE LA RIVER AND THE VIDEO GETS ON YOUTUBE AND IT SAVES PHIL'S JOB AND MARMADUKE LIKED MAZIE BACK AND THAT WAS THE END.

SO MARMADUKE WAS ABOUT BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE NOBODY LIKES PHONIES. THE MOVIE ENDED GOOD TOO BECAUSE PHIL'S BOSS WONDERS IF THEY CAN MAKE A COMMERCIAL WITH TALKING DOGS BUT PHIL SAYS HE WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT WHICH IS FUNNY BECAUSE THE DOGS TALK THE WHOLE MOVIE THEN THEY WONDER WHAT IF DOGS DANCED AND THEN THE DOGS DANCE AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS COOL BECAUSE I ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE IF DOGS DANCED.

THEN AT THE VERY VERY END THEY END IT WITH A LAUGH BECAUSE MARMADUKE FARTS IN BED AGAIN JOE SAYS THAT VIOLATED THE COMEDY RULE OF THREE WHICH I GUESS IS RIGHT BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE LIKED THREE FART JOKES INSTEAD OF JUST TWO OH WELL THEY CAN DO IT IN THE SEQUEL.

THERE WERE LOTS OF FAMOUS PEOPLE IN THIS MARMADUKE MOVIE OWEN WILSON WAS THE VOICE OF MARMADUKE AND HE WAS IN CARS AND GEORGE LOPEZ WAS THE VOICE OF CARLOS AND HE HAS A SHOW IN TBS BUT MY MOM WON'T LET ME WATCH CABLE AND EMMA STONE WAS THE VOICE OF MAZIE AND SHE WAS IN ZOMBIELAND BUT MY MOM WON'T LET ME WATCH THAT BECAUSE IT GLORIFIES VIOLENCE AND WOODY HARRELSON AND FERGIE WAS THE VOICE OF JEZEBEL AND SHE IS IN THE BLACK EYED PEAS BUT MY MOM WON'T LET ME LISTEN TO THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRIBLE. ALSO LEE PACE AND KEIFER SUTHERLAND AND JUDY GREER AND MCLOVIN AND STEVE COOGAN AND WILLIAM H MACY AND SAM ELLIOTT.

SO ANYWAYS JOE SAID I SHOULD RATE THIS MOVIE ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE SO I GUESS I WOULD RATE IT A FOUR OUT OF FIVE BECAUSE IT WAS FUN AND MADE YOU THINK BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THERE HAD BEEN THREE FARTS. ITS FUN FOR EVERYONE.

THERE WERE SOME KIDS IN THE BATHROOM AFTER THE MOVIE THAT SAID THEY SAW EVERYTHING COMING AND THE ONLY GOOD PART WAS GEORGE LOPEZ AND I WANTED TO SAY HEY KID IF THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK I DARE YOU TO MAKE A BETTER MOVIE BUT BY THE TIME I THOUGHT OF IT HE HAD ALREADY PEED AND WASHED HIS HANDS AND CHECKED HIS HAIR AND WALKED OUT OF THE BATHROOM OH WELL I GUESS I NOW HAVE SOMETHING SMART TO SAY NEXT TIME I HEAR SOMEONE SAY THAT.

SO ANYWAYS THAT WAS MY REVIEW OF THE MOVIE MARMADUKE AND I LIKED IT AND YOU SHOULD SEE IT IF YOU LIKE TO LAUGH AND YOUR PARENTS WILL TAKE YOU SO I HOPED YOU LIKED READING THIS REVIEW UNTIL NEXT TIME THIS IS SPENCER BYE.