{"id":5982,"date":"2018-04-23T11:45:34","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T15:45:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pixarplanet.com\/blog\/?p=5982"},"modified":"2018-04-23T11:45:34","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T15:45:34","slug":"spoiler-free-review-pixars-bao-delicious-heartwarming-treat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pixarplanet.com\/blog\/spoiler-free-review-pixars-bao-delicious-heartwarming-treat\/","title":{"rendered":"Spoiler Free Review: Pixar's Bao Is A Delicious And Heartwarming Treat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this month I was one of the first audiences to watch Pixar’s new theatrical short Bao<\/em>. I’ve had a lot of time to think about the\u00a0film since then, and I’m still 100% certain it might be one of my favorite shorts to come from the studio.
\nBao<\/em> is directed by Domee Shi and she just so happens to be the first female to direct a short film at Pixar. Although that fact alone is unnerving, considering the studio has been around for 30+ years and their Brain Trust has been notoriously male dominated; it’s inspiring to see the studio finally moving forward and giving others the opportunity to\u00a0tell their stories.
\nDomee was born in China and\u00a0raised in Toronto, which heavily influenced the setting and aesthetics for\u00a0Bao<\/em>. Domee is only 28-years-old and landed a Job at Pixar after graduating from\u00a0college in 2011. Before her directorial debut, Domee was a story artist and had worked on The Good Dinosaur\u00a0<\/em>and most recently Inside Out<\/em>.
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(Photo by Deborah Coleman \/ Pixar)<\/p><\/div>
\nBao<\/em>\u2019s initial story started over 4 years ago\u00a0\u2013 while working on Inside Out<\/em>\u00a0Domee was feeling that itch to make something herself,\u00a0a film that was\u00a0ultimately weird and uniquely hers. Domee had initially intended for the short to be her weekend gig, but when Pixar had an open call for short pitches, she decided to throw her story into the mix and see what would happen.
\nShe\u00a0first pitched it to Pete Docter<\/strong>, the director of Inside Out<\/em>, Up<\/em>, and Monsters Inc<\/em>., to get his feedback. He was so passionate about\u00a0the story and enthusiastic about her idea that she decided to pitch it to the studio. And obviously\u00a0through their support and feedback Bao<\/em> was green-lit as their next theatrical short.
\nBao<\/em>\u00a0tells the story of a Chinese mother who’s dealing with an all too familiar feeling\u00a0among\u00a0parents: figuring out what to do with their life after their\u00a0children have grown up and moved out. The empty nest syndrome soon evaporates\u00a0when the mother discovers that\u00a0one of the dumpling’s she’s about to eat suddenly springs to life. She’s given another chance at parenthood\u00a0as she watches her baby dumpling grow\u00a0up in the world around her. As the story progresses the mother realizes that what she wished stayed precious and innocent soon\u00a0matures and grows bigger and “doesn’t stay cute forever.”
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\u00a92018 Disney\u2022Pixar. All Rights Reserved.<\/p><\/div>
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\u00a92018 Disney\u2022Pixar. All Rights Reserved.<\/p><\/div>
\nWithout giving anything away, here’s what I absolutely adored<\/strong> about the short:<\/p>\n