Even tho i’m English i’d be happy for all of Pixar’s movies to be set in and around USA (or maybe Canada on odd occasion) because that country is just AWESOME.
Other countries, Mexico looks nice, i like they’re culture with the big hats they have etc, that would be nice, and also the eastern European countries’ cultures
Gasp You mean you don’t? Then again, everyone still lives in trees in Malaysia, just so you know…
Oh, I’ve been on a tour to Amsterdam before with my family. I remember there were a lot of bicycles and canals. And yes, I did see the ‘coffee houses’, and walked around De Wallen. Borat voice Is niiiice… I like!
I’d love to see Eastern Europe and Scandinavian cultures explored. What could be cooler than Slavs and Vikings?
I’m glad Pixar is the most progressive studio in terms of ethnic representation… I can’t wait to see what they do with Scottish culture in ‘Brave’!
This is Disney, wut I want a Spanish princess, because that’s the only chance of a princess with a red/orange dress, and my Spanish class is very inspiring.
I believe Cars 2 will have some scenes set in England, and there will be a British secret agent who will rope Mater into some of his adventures.
I would really love for Pixar to expand their borders beyond Euro/Americana-cultures and try something Latino or Eastern flavoured. We’ve got USA, USA (cos’ of the caravan where the bug metropolis is and the various flora), USA, Brooklyn-inspired fictional city, Australia, USA, alternate-reality USA with a capital A, France, unknown USA city and outer-space, USA and Peru, and USA.
Most of their films are set in Western societies (even Wall-E’s space opera had distinctly-sounding American passengers on the Axiom), and while I’m thrilled they’re gonna attempt an international world trip and a Scottish fairy tale next, it would be nice if they looked at Africa, Aboriginal Australia or anywhere in Asia.
Two of my favourite animated films this year are set in alternate worlds, but with a distinctly Scandinavian and Australian outback landscape respectively. We’ve already got two animated films set in Latin America from rival studios next year ([spoil]Rio and Rango[/spoil])… if any Western studio can push the envelope for truly global storytelling, it’s gotta be up to Pixar.
I was diurnally pontificating on my way to school about the cultural diversities and settings in Pixar and other animated studios, and I realized Pixar, for all its courageous and bold plots, is suprisingly Western-centric.*
*Where the setting is not explicitly stated or does not exist on Earth, I draw the closest cultural match which inspired the fictional location.
Pixar
USA
USA (cos’ of the caravan where the bug metropolis is and the various flora)
USA
USA-inspired fictional world
Australia
USA
USA-inspired fictional world
France
Unknown USA city and outer-space
USA and Peru
USA
Dreamworks
Unknown, though judging from the chequered picnic cloth, possibly Western
Egypt
South America
European-inspired fictional world
USA
Middle-Eastern-inspired fictional world
European-inspired fictional world
USA-inspired alternate reality
USA and Madagscar
USA
European-inspired fictional world
USA
China
African continent
USA
Scandinavian-inspired fictional world
European-inspired fictional world
Aardman
UK
UK
UK
Blue Sky
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
Brazil (upcoming)
Studio Ghibli (From 2001 onwards)
Japanese-inspired fictional world
Japanese-inspired fictional world
European-inspired fictional world
European-inspired fictional world
Japan
Japan (upcoming)
Animal Logic
Antarctica
Australian-inspired fictional world
Antarctica (upcoming)
Pixar is probably gonna get a lot of stamps on its passport for the Cars World Tour next year, but it really needs to explore other cultures as well.
Actually, even though Up was set in Venezuela, there was little about the local culture (though it would be kind of cheesy if Carl and Russell were to be chased by the indigenous natives). So really, Finding Nemo and Ratatouille are the only ‘foreign cultures’ that Pixar has touched on (which are Euro/Anglo-centric to begin with), though that will soon change with Cars 2 and Brave next year. Cars had a very diverse cast of characters, but it had an Americana-focus to it, and Tokyo Mater remains the only Eastern example I can think of that Pixar pulled off with panache and style.
Dreamworks has covered Middle Eastern cultures in two films, South American in one (ancient Aztecs), Africa in two (although in a very simplistic manner), China in one and its upcoming sequel (very respectfully with a little tongue-in-cheek humour, I might add), and Scandinavian in one. Animal Logic has only covered Australian mythology in one, since the Inuits weren’t mentioned in Happy Feet (and the penguins had a surprising knowledge of American pop songs).
That’s why I’m very eager for animation startups to bring their own brand of culture to the mostly American/British-dominated playing field. Even better if Pixar or any of the big-leagues take the initiative and lead by example.