“Toy Story,” "A Bug’s
Life," “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” "The
Incredibles," and now, “Cars,” which
comes out on DVD in November. Call them Pixar’s
magnificent seven.
What did you think of “Cars” and how do you think it
stacks up against
Pixar’s six other films?
Let’s be honest, there’s not a clunker in the bunch. Pixar’s got a
great
track record and I suspect John Lasseter’s “Cars” will attract
solid repeat DVD viewings
from car buffs, NASCAR fans and others who’ll just want to see more of the rich details they missed in their
first
viewing.
That said, I’d likely place “Cars” squarely in the middle of the
pack.
As much as I’d love to pick Lasseter’s “Toy Story” as my favorite –
without its
success there wouldn’t have been any of the
others – It’d would be fifth on my list. Sid and the torture he
puts
the toys through is just a bit too dark for a G-rated film.
I’d give the checkered flag to
“Finding Nemo,” my favorite for its sheer
beauty and emotionally appealing story. It’s no surprise
that
director Andrew Stanton’s little fish tale holds the box office title as
Pixar’s best. It entertains
children and adults equally.
Lasseter’s “Toy Story 2” would follow in second place, one of
those rare
sequels that tops the original in every way. I especially enjoyed Woody’s backstory with Jessie,
Bullseye and Stinky Pete the Prospector.
Third would be director Pete Docter’s "Monsters,
Inc.," which I thought
was cleverly inventive with an original script and memorable
characters.
“Cars” is fourth – but I take exception to those who call it a total rip-off of
“Doc Hollywood.” Heck, I remember a classic “Andy Griffith” episode with the same storyline.
“Cars,” like Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” and other films, is a basic fish out of water story,
excellently executed. In “Cars,” all the residents of “Radiator Springs” are changed by
Lightning McQueen’s appearance even as Mater, Sally and Doc Hudson tinker with the engine (the emotional heart)
of the hotshot rookie racer. “Cars” has
some great dramatic racing sequences, a beautiful look,
a
sweet, charming story and the best soundtrack of any Pixar film.
Sixth would be Lasseter’s "A
Bug’s Life," although it was the first time
Pixar employed the credit roll gags. "A Bug’s
Life" was far better than DreamWorks’ “ANTZ,” but I felt its story was geared a bit more to
younger children.
Seventh would be director Brad Bird’s “The Incredibles,” Pixar’s
only
PG-rated release. Now, I know some users of this site as well as fans of comic books and James Bond-type
of films would rate “The Incredibles” a lot higher than I did, possibly in the top spot. The style and
look of “The
Incredibles” is great --and Bird’s “Iron Giant” for Warner Bros. is one of
the most under-appreciated animated films ever released – but I was a
disappointed by the film’s end battle
sequence with Syndrome. I really wanted the Jason Lee-voiced villain – especially because he was in essence a
child – to find redemption and his own unique super power he could use for good.
Let the debate begin.
I’m sure most of you can make your own case for each ranking.
