I guess there are two camps here: one camp feels that Pixar films shouldn’t be compared against other Pixar films and they should be looked at of their own merit and as a general film, and the other camp feels that Pixar films do deserve to be compared against one another.
I suppose if you wanted to do it that way, if I were comparing Cars 2 on its own as a general film, then I’d give it two stars. But if I were rating it with the expectation that it’s a Pixar film (who release films of quality and had a good record up until now), and I will be getting quality, then I’d rate it one star out of five because I expect more from the company, being a fan and all.
But, and I don’t think that some people here are getting this, it’s one thing to compare Pixar films and say which ones you personally feel are better and why. But my argument isn’t about that. My criteria and argument is much simpler. My question is, whether it be any Pixar film, is: does this film live up to the Pixar brand? Does it enhance and strengthen the Pixar brand, or does it take away from it? In my opinion I don’t feel that this film is good enough, nor was it good enough to be released as a Pixar film, and I think that there are other aspects that come into play, such as Lasseter’s role in the company and merchandising, that you may not want realise. Yes, you can say, “If this were a Disney film, you wouldn’t be as harsh!” But it’s not Disney. It’s Pixar. People have expectations from them, and they shouldn’t have set the bar that high if they weren’t confident that they could release films that reached that mark each time (no matter what they film is about or whether it’s a tear-jerker. I don’t care.)
I just think it’s very convenient to dismiss critical reviews and flail your arms about when people are saying that they dislike it, but when the reviews are excellent, you’re cheering.
Of course Disney and Pixar are not going to release a statement that Cars 2 is an embarrassment. That is MY personal opinion that it is for them. It wouldn’t be very good marketing or PR to say that your film isn’t any good. I’m not even sure what that has to do with anything though. This isn’t even about animation or 2D or 3D or IMAX or clay or whatever. I didn’t enjoy this film’s story or the characters or the message (whatever it was). You can have a fun film or action film, but if it doesn’t have a point, then Pixar must be having a different action plan, and good luck to them because it is a bit confusing to me.
So, when it suits you, film critics are paid to pull films apart (like the vultures they are), but when a good film comes out, then lets praise the rotten tomato status because it’s doing really well! I didn’t want to believe rotten tomatoes either, and I went in with an open mind that I was going to enjoy it, but, in my experience, Rotten Tomatoes is pretty much on the mark (if 80% of people recommend it, then it’s 80% of an excellent film).
Having said that, I have no doubt that Brave will be awesome, since JL isn’t directing, and since there isn’t as merch to sell as with Cars 2, the only reason why they could push it through is because it has a strong story, and I’m sure it does.