The Inside Out (2015) - Working Title of Pixar Project

Concept art for "Inside Out"

Not much is known about this Pixar project with the working title "The Inside Out." Directed by Pete Docter of "Up" and "Monsters, Inc." fame, with co-director Ronnie del Carmen and produced by Jonas Rivera (all three of whom worked on "Up"). The film is set for release June 19, 2015.

Pixar has given this hint:

From director Pete Docter ("Up," "Monsters, Inc.") and producer Jonas Rivera ("Up"), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.

More information as it becomes available.

2013

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The Good Dinosaur (2014) - Dinosaurs Never Went Extinct, by Disney/Pixar

The Good Dinosaur (2014) - Coming Soon from Disney/Pixar

"The Good Dinosaur" (2014), directed by Bob Peterson and Peter Sohn for Pixar, is an animated feature film scheduled for release on May 30, 2014 (18 July 2014 in the UK). Enrico Casarosa is working up the story and John Walker is producing.

John Lasseter gave details about the film's plot:

"They are kind of cartoony but they are dinosaurs; they are not walking around with clothes on or anything like that, they still are kind of dinosaurs. We focused on mostly the plant-eaters, not the carnivores… Their society becomes more of an agrarian society, meaning farmers. They become farmers. It’s a very funny story about a certain way of life that a young dinosaur has trouble fitting into and he ends up going on this quest. He kind of messes up and he has to put everything right by going on this quest and on that quest he meets this our character that is an outcast from his society too and so the two of them form this bond and it becomes this unique kind of story…"

Concept art for "The Good Dinosaur"

Meanwhile, Director Bob Peterson said:

"It's time to do a movie where you get to know the dinosaur, what it's really like to be a dinosaur and to be with a dinosaur".

Peter Sohn said:

"The title is deceptively simple. It has more meaning than it seems."

The Good Dinosaur

Nothing is know about "The Good Dinosaur" aside from those comments. Apparently, the premise of "The Good Dinosaur" is what would the world be like if the asteroid that may have destroyed life for the dinosaurs missed the earth completely? There no doubt is some additional plot, perhaps something about one dinosaur standing up for humans or something like that, which would make it like "Planet of the Apes." As it is, some of the artwork makes it look like "Jurassic Park."

"Jurassic Park 4" now is scheduled for release two weeks after "The Good Dinosaur," on June 20, 2013, so it should be a great summer for dinosaur lovers!

2013

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Monsters University (2013) - Prequel Arriving June 21, 2013

Monsters University, Prequel to Monsters, Inc.

Monsters University (2013) is the upcoming animated Disney/Pixar prequel to "Monsters, Inc." (2001). John Goodman,, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Frank Oz, Dan Gerson, Dave Foley, Jennifer Tilly, Julia Sweeney, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Ken Jeong, Rob Riggle, J. B. Smoove, and John Ratzenberger (of course) are all slated to voice Monsters University characters. Kelsey Grammer replaces James Coburn as Henry J. Watermoose, Chairman of Monsters, Inc.

Mike has arrived! Let the party begin!

"Monsters University" is being produced by Pixar and will be distributed by Pixar's parent company, Walt Disney Pictures. Once again, Goodman voices James P. Sullivan, Crystal is Mike Wazowski, Steve Buscemi is Randall Boggs, Jennifer Tilly is Celia Mae, Frank Oz voices Jeff Fungus, and John Ratzenberger is hte Abominable Snowman.

Reading on the green

Details about the plot remain secret. The film will be set about ten years prior to "Monsters, Inc. Sulley and Mike meet, become rivals, then join the same college fraternity and at some point settle their differences. According to Pixar:

"Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends. Screaming with laughter and fun, Monsters University stars the vocal talents of Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray and Peter Sohn and is directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae."

Studious students at Monster University

The narrator of a television commercial says, promoting the "Monsters University" college:

"Your future is knocking. Open the door."

The spot was actually shown during California’s New Year Rose Bowl Parade, which takes place in Pasadena, north of Los Angeles.

Rowdy Frat monster

Georgian Progressive Metal band Mastodon have stated that they are contributing a song. Randy Newman is preparing the score.

Mike and Sulley get down

"Monsters University" will be accompanied by the short "Umbrella." Television commercials already are airing, and you may visit the Monsters University website. "Monsters University" will be in 3D computer animation. Dan Scanlon directs, Kori Rae is producing.

Below is the official trailer, and below that a television spot that began airing early in 2013:

2013

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Ratatouille (2007) - Adorable Little Rodents

Ratatouille: So, Do You Want Rats in your Kitchen?

Pixar was at its peak, and decided to go for a high concept film about... rats.  It didn't make sense, but once you saw the film, suddenly it did.  "Ratatouille" (2007), directed and written by Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava, proves that a one-joke idea can be stretched out into one of the top animated films of all time.

Remy loves his cheese

Remy (Patton Oswalt) is a Parisian rat who has high aspirations: he intends to become a top French Chef.  His family tries to dissuade him, but he perseveres.  Living in the sewers of Paris, he finds his way to a restaurant once run by his idol, Auguste Gusteau (Brad Garrett).

Colette flirting with Linguini

Given a chance to prepare some soup due to an accident, Remy accomplishes that feat to perfection.  The person who created the opportunity, Linguini (Lou Romano), takes the credit and is accepted as a competent chef. Linguini, realizing that his success is due to Remy, takes the rat home with him.

Linguini learning how to cook

Linguini turns out to be the rightful heir to the restaurant, and Remy helps him to establish his claim and remove the current owner, Skinner (Ian Holm). Linguini settles in and starts up a romance with one of the chefs, Colette (Janeane Garofalo). Skinner, however, discovers Remy's skills and kidnaps him to help his career. Remy is freed by his father, Django (Brian Dennehy), and then must return and help Linguini prepare a meal for a famous food critic, Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole), whose decision about the restaurant's quality will make or break the restaurant.

Remy testing out the controls

There are absolutely gorgeous colors in this computer-animated film. The moral of the story, though, is the real pay-off, as Remy learns to find his place in a tough and unforgiving alien world.  It also is a standard Pixar comedy-with-heart, as the good guys are easily identifiable and must triumph despite the usual trials and tribulations.

Linguini owes it all to Remy the rat

If there is a typical criticism of this film, it is that the main voice actors are inexperienced. Lou Romano and Ian Holm never seem to get their characters completely down, and the character of Linguini is sometimes a mystery.  However, the quality of the animation is superb. Pixar is terrific at getting things to look real but not too real, so as to retain the air of animation without becoming too cartoonish.  Fluids and Remy's fur flow in realistic patterns that are truly amazing. Michael Giacchino's score evokes the sounds of Paris, creating a unique ambience not found in other animated films.

Anton Ego holds the fate of the restaurant in his hands

"Ratatouille" has a bit of fun poking away at French cooking pretensions, but it never does so in a mean way. It won the Oscar for best animated film and was nominated in several other categories.  In the end, it is a satisfying meal with enough adult humor to satisfy most people, while the adorable rats and sight gags will keep children amused.

2012

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WALL-E (2008) - Loneliness, Solved, By Pixar

WALL-E: The Lonely Robot Who Finds Love

Some would call the animated "WALL-E" (2008), directed by Andrew Stanton, the top animated film of all time.  Truly, it is difficult to find fault with this film, but I'm not making that call here.  This is a quality animated film that definitely is at the top of the recent pile along with "Beauty and the Beast" and a few others.  But virtually all recent animated films are done with exquisite quality and detail, so saying one is "the best" is simply pointless.  One will be "the best" if its particular focus and theme speaks to you.

The plot is fairly original, and has a valuable lesson for kids.  This is the kind of thing that will stick with them when they grow up, so if you want them to become aware of the ecology and how important it is to not trash planet Earth, this film is a must-see.

It is the future.  Earth has been abandoned by mankind because it has become covered in trash.  The powerful multi-national conglomerate "Buy N Large" (personified by CEO Fred Willard) is responsible.  WALL-E (Ben Burtt) is a garbage collecting robot who has been left to clean things up.

WALL-E is fascinated with the things that have been left behind.  He finds Earth's history and culture fascinating.  He is alone except for a pet cockroach.

One day, EVE (Elissa Knight), a sleek (and dangerous) reconnaissance robot, arrives.  She has been sent to find out if life is once again sustainable. WALL-E rescues EVE from a storm and shows her around.  Of course, he falls in love with her.

When WALL-E shows Eve a plant growing amongst the trash, things change.  Following her programming, she  automatically enters a deactivated state.  All that is left of her is a blinking green beacon. WALL-E then tries to figure out how to bring his love back to life.

Rather than having just a rote tale designed to showcase its lovable characters (such as, oh, getting kicked out of your simple village by some mean guy and then having to find your way back), this film actually becomes philosophical about loneliness and alienation.  It is very sophisticated, but at the same time, very down to earth in its focus on love.

 
Pixar was at the top of its game when it made "WALL-E."  It borrows from the classic Stanley Kubrick film "2001: A Space Odyssey," which is undeniable and which is the case with a lot of other films, too. This film, though, is not a remake, but instead has its own distinct style and themes.  Comparing the two is pointless.  "2001" was ground-breaking, solidified the careers of people who wound up making "Star Wars" and other classics, and dealt with profound philosophical issues in the context of the manned space program and man's glorious future (which, at the time of that film, seemed shaky).  "WALL-E" is a wonderful love story, primarily (but certainly not exclusively) aimed at younger viewers that is another in a seemingly endless series of quality products turned out by the Disney/Pixar machine.  If you enjoy it more, then it is the better film for you.  It certainly is more accessible for a general audience and especially younger viewers, with its cute robots and quirky love story and over-arching theme of loneliness. That doesn't make it "better" in the grand sense unless that is how you, reading this, choose to define quality, which is perfectly fine if that works for you.   If you're hungry, a quick crust of bread may be more satisfying to you than a seven-course meal. It seems a clear choice, however, as to which film is the more "influential," and I don't think that's even debatable. Be that as it may, this may well be "the Pixar movie for people who don't like Pixar films."  My biggest complaint is that it seems too short, but maybe that's just because I enjoyed it so much.

The film is kind of sad in a way.  We are made to sympathy with these robots, but the future inevitably is a dead end for their kind.  Still, it is a wonderful tale about how love can grow in the strangest places.

Well worth giving a shot.  You may wind up enjoying it more than you thought you would.

2012

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Up (2009) - An Honored Gem that is Tops with Kids

Up: Look, Up in the Sky, It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's... Old Man Carl Fredricksen in His Flying House!

Pixar did it again with "Up" (2009). Most people who have seen it love this film. Ed Asner plays - what else - a gruff old man named Carl Fredricksen. Unintentionally, he befriends a boy named Russell (Jordan Nagai). Together, they take on the world in grand style. Isn't that the perfect set-up for an animated film? And it is Pixar's first film in 3D! What else could you want? You will find yourself loving this film if you are into animation.

Kids can be so annoying!

Well, maybe and maybe not, but an awful lot of people liked this film. It grossed the standard $700 million plus, and won a couple of Oscars (Michael Giacchino for music and Best Animated feature). Not too shabby. Veterans Pete Docter and Bob Peterson directed. It begins with a stunning montage of a marriage, from first love to tragic goodbye. There is more emotion packed into that opening sequence than in most live action films. What follows shows a motley crew of adventurers who let nothing stand in their way.

Carl never gets too excited

Carl wants to meet his long-time hero, Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer), who is reputed to be lost in a jungle far away. The defining characteristic of this movie, though, is that people and animals are not what they seem at first glance. There are all sorts of sight gags of menacing beasts turning out to be something different, and an awkward bird that becomes sympathetic. Great character development, especially for kids.

Long shot of house taking off

This was Pixar's second feature to get a PG rating, for some relatively violent imagery and deeds. Obviously, for a kid's flick, there is no sex or anything like that.

In the jungle

Carl, it turns out, had a love named Ellie (Ellie Docter). They had a dream, just like so many young people. Unfortunately, they never realize it together. After Ellie is long gone, Carl decides to fulfill their joint dream alone. However, a tragedy intervenes, and it appears that the dream will never be realized after all.

On the porch of the flying house

But Carl has a plan. You have to have a plan in life. And boy is it a good plan. He's not going to stick around to be incarcerated. Gotta watch out for those old dudes, right?

Kind of makes you think of King Kong

It turns out that someone else has horned in on his escape, though. That is the young boy, Russell. Instead of Ellie, it turns out to be Russell who joins with old Carl to accomplish their age-old dream. The film is loaded with nods to Disney veterans and metaphors whose meaning isn't always clear at first glance. There are dogs in a "dogfight" at the end, calling out to each other with "Star Wars" code names. If you pay attention, there are all sorts of sly bits to enjoy.

Strange birds

There are some who would say that the story is trite and awkward, and that the ending is a bit odd, even for a kid's animation film. Obviously, a lot of people disagree, and on most public boards, they will be shouted down. This was one of Pixar's most profitable films, for what that's worth. Little children certainly shouldn't have any problems with such issues, nor many older ones, but opinions on animation films that have new themes can differ wildly. Adult viewers, should at least be able to enjoy a love story among all the weird creatures and tragedy.

Enjoy the trailer below!

2012

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