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Each summer, animation fans anxiously await the latest Pixar release, eager to see what the studio’s animation super-geniuses will come up with next. Before the feature begins, though, they’re treated to the latest Pixar short—some kind of clever little film that’s often every bit as entertaining (and awe-inspiring) as the feature itself. And when they pick up the latest Pixar Blu-ray release, there’s a pretty good chance that they’ll find even more of these amusing little movies.
Pixar’s second collection of short films contains a dozen of the latest animated morsels. Highlights include 2008’s Presto, which played before the theatrical release of WALL•E. Director Doug Sweetland’s five-minute adventure shows the battle of wits between a famous magician and his clever—and very hungry—rabbit. It’s no big surprise that the animation is eye-popping, but the film’s outrageous sense of humor makes this magical adventure stand out.
Director Enrico Casarosa’s Oscar-nominated La Luna follows a little boy on a brilliant journey with his father and grandfather. Originally released with Brave (and screened in 3D), it’s absolutely gorgeous—and charming, too.
Peter Sohn’s Partly Cloudy (which was shown before 2009’s Up) explores the life of a baby-delivering stork—particularly one whose job is to deliver the less-than-cuddly babies. With its airy animation and its clever sense of humor, it’s another fun-filled short comedy.
Meanwhile, more familiar Pixar characters appear in other shorts—like Dug’s Special Mission (also from the Up Blu-ray release), Your Friend the Rat (from the Ratatouille Blu-ray release), and the Toy Story Toon Small Fry (which played before Disney’s The Muppets).
Pixar’s up-and-coming filmmakers create these fun little films as practice exercises. Here’s where they try out their newest techniques—and perhaps even audition for their own feature-directing gigs. As such, you’ll often find something new and exciting in these little movies—whether it’s gorgeous, glittering animation (as in La Luna), some clever writing, or just a fun little adventure.
Whether they’re light-hearted and fun or downright hilarious, Pixar’s latest shorts are well worth adding to your Blu-ray collection. Almost all of them are brilliantly written and wildly entertaining—though a few (particularly those involving Mater from Cars) feel just a little bit Saturday-morning-cartoony. And they all have that stunning animation for which Pixar is well-known.
While they may not have the depth or drama that may come with a feature-length runtime, Pixar’s latest shorts sure are sweet. They’re stylish and witty and just plain fun to watch—and they’re perfect for those times when you need a quick animation fix.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of Pixar’s second short films collection isn’t just a bunch of movies that most loyal Pixar fans have already seen. It also includes a few fascinating extras. Each film in the collection features an optional commentary track, often by the directors, who talk about the filmmaking experience, their favorite parts of their film, and more.
Even more fascinating, though, are the student films: seven bonus shorts that were created by beloved Pixar directors John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter for their animation classes at CalArts. From Lasseter’s pencil tests and the later director’s more finished works, each one is an interesting piece of animation history—and each includes an introduction by the director for even more behind-the-scenes stories.
So while you might already own copies of all of the films in the latest shorts collection, the extras make this separate Blu-ray release worthwhile.
