Which movie is the most grown-up (plotwise)

Pixar's Feature Films
#21

In regards to WALL-E, it’s pacing and backstory is perhaps more grown up and complex than the story itself…which really is rather simple, at least at first glance. I never once found WALL-E difficult to follow; rather, it made me think instead. Inception on the other hand was a mindscrew, and took an awful lot of attention to grasp, which of course is great or terrible depending on the kind of viewer you are :slight_smile:.

And thinking about it, every Pixar movie has themes that can be considered as grown up. Even the more “childish” ones like Cars and A Bug’s Life. Let’s not forget that scene in ABL where Hopper beats the **** out of Flik; it’s a distressing scene to watch when you’ve grown so attached to the character. Standing up for your rights, as well as realising your imperfections like Flik does, are fairly mature themes. Cars too, the backstory of the town becoming defunct, and the echoing of the celeb lifestyle that Lighting so wishes to follow. And when Lightning is asked to bring friends to his party, he realises he has none. Because every Pixar film also covers loneliness in some shape or form.

More obviously, we have Bob Parr’s minor midlife crisis, and his family who are stuck between normality and superiority. “Normal? What do you know about normal!?”, Violet says early on, and that line stands out because it reflects the mundaness of a society who seemingly strives for equality and sameness to the extent where everything is dumbed down. Again, a similar theme is touched upon in Ratatouille.

And then theres abadonment (Toy Story series), losing a loved one (Finding Nemo, UP), dystophia (WALL-E)…these are all adult themes. Every Pixar theme has them, and to an extent, that is part of their appeal to a broad audience :slight_smile:

#22

I like how you outlined each movie’s most adult theme, definedancing!!

The Chicken Man, I agree entirely. But watch Inception. Now. It’s wonderful.

#23

This is probably why I dislike Up so much. Thank you for clarifying that.

There are no Pixar movies that are “grown-up” in the sense that The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Mulan are grown-up, yet.

#24

What? How can you say that? Mulan is not grown up. And The Hunchback is pretty much just about being shunned and misled, which is not that grown up. It is dark and the Frollo fettish thing is pretty adult, but I don’t understand your post at all.

P.S. If you’re referring to adult humor, i.e. dirty jokes, that’s every Pixar movie. Even Toy Story.

#25

Yeah I’m confused. How do you define ‘Grown up Movie’?

#26

I really think he is just doing his best to be disagreeable and confusing in every thread.

#27

I’m thinking that this thread is asking what we think which of the Pixar films is aimed for more mature audiences? MMPA ratings wise, it’s the Incredibles. But when it comes to plot and deepness, I would give it to Up or WALL-E.

#28

I say Toy Story 3. I’t teach’s you won’t be a kid forever and that you will have to leave some people you love. Up come’s really close for Toy Story 3 slightly wins.

#29

Excuse me, Mulan is the most grown-up Disney movie ever. When I watched it again in fall 2010, after years of having not seen it, I was appalled. The movie is about a culture where woman are supposed to be subservient to their husbands, where their only role is as wife and children. The whole “Honor to Us All” song sounds nice, but when you think about what it means, it is saying that woman who do NOT live only for their husband and children are disgraceful. Then there’s crossdressing, and words like “concubine” that no kid should be allowed to hear.

Yes, Frollo’s fetish is part of it, but what about genocide? What about disobeying orders to burn down a home and kill the family within it, and then the captain who disobeyed the orders is shot with arrows? I think blood is shown, too…and then the song about wanting God to help the outcasts…and all the other things people wanted, including love and fame…that is not something kids even notice…they just hear beautiful music.

And going back to Mulan, there is the concept of war strategy. Mulan shoots the cannon at the mountain to cause an avalanche…do you seriously know any kids who understand war strategy at all? They just see pretty pictures…not even know what is going on, except that Mulan and the leader of the Huns come face to face and he realizes she is smarter than he took her credit for…but that’s not understanding war strategy.

And PLEASE do not tell me about dirty jokes in Toy Story; I never will be able to watch that movie again.

#30

It’s called HISTORY. And if you don’t teach it and forget, it’s doomed to repeat itself. And you’re exaggerating on the moving being inappropriate, if I do say so myself.

What’s your beef with dirty jokes?

#31

If Mulan didn’t have Mushu, kids would not have been able to stand it, except that when kids watch Mulan and adults watch Mulan, they are entirely different movies, so maybe even without Mushu it still would have been enjoyed by kids.

Mulan even has a scene about a village of people that were killed instead of taking prisoner, and Mulan seeing a doll left behind to show that the Huns are all powerful, do you think kids understand the emotional impact of that at all?

And I dislike things that force women to be underdogs…

Dirty jokes are called “dirty” for a reason. They are disgusting and disturbing, and they besmirch the mind. Please lock them in a drawer and don’t let them out.

#32

Lover_of_Fiction: A lot of Disney film’s have subtle backstories in their films though, like in Hunchback when Quasimodo was kidnapped and almost drowned, like in Tarzan when his parents are killed, and so on. Mulan isn’t the first, nor the last. And for the record, I loved it when I saw it…when I was about 5.

Honor To Us All, see, the whole thing is pretty ironic if you look at it. Mulan clearly does not want to be there. But as e-j-e pointed out, these things happened. Same with Hunchback. Even Disney aren’t going to turn around and say "we’re going to water this down so much, we’re going to take the entire plot out in the fear of offending a minority audience).

Looking back, film’s I watched at that age-Mulan, Tarzan, A Bug’s Life, The Lion King, and my goodness, Antz-all have “dark” undertones, but they’re not really things you pick up properly until you’re older. Have you ever been almost emotionally void of a film as a child, simply because you didn’t “get” why it was sad? I had that with Finding Nemo. I didn’t cry as a 9 year old in the cinema, because the concept of “his whole family has been brutally murdered and there is sad Thomas Newman music playing” hadn’t been fully grasped :slight_smile: . But when I saw it again at 15, I bawled.

And as for “dirty jokes”, well, they’re again subtle. You don’t have to read into them, and the chances are most children won’t. If you hate dirty jokes, lust, anything in a slightly sexual or crude manner, well, you’re effectiveley eliminating yourself from 99% of films. And at the end of the day, all these things happen in real life. I commend Pixar for tackling issues they do, because they’re not mollycoddling their audience. Kid’s will one day learn that you may lose a loved one, grow old, have to stand on your own two feet and make decisions, and what better way to do it than incorperating these morals into these films?

#33

With Mulan, it’s not a backstory…it’s in the foreground, blaring you in the face. Even at the end when Mulan’s grandmother says that she should’ve brought home a man.

And again, Hunchback of Notre Dame has genocide, that isn’t subtle at all.

Tangled at least tried to turn the Angel of the House idea on its head, with Eugene saying, “I gotta get myself one of these,” about the frying pan and one of the thugs being a knitter, another making cupcakes, and yet another who liked ceramic unicorns.

Also, I despise the song Shang sings in Mulan, and it’s on everybody’s favorite Disney songs list, which drives me insane…it is not a good song at all. The lyric about having been sent daughters when they asked for sons is terrible…saying that woman are not strong enough to handle the tasks…and yet a woman is the first to complete the task standard he set for all of them.

And I hate how they “find out” Mulan is a woman…when I was a kid, I didn’t get it…but seriously, did they have to emphasize that part of her body as being the indicator? It’s revolting.

And Shang won’t speak to Mulan even though he KNOWS she’s a better soldier than he is, which is really aggravating…women being invisible…

See, this is one reason I like Phineas and Ferb. It does not have dirty jokes, and they dont’ make jokes regarding bodily functions.

What I didn’t like about Toy Story 3 was Hamm’s line about the things in the sandbox not being Lincoln Logs, Big Baby’s spitting noise at Lotso when he was in the dumpster, the whole toddler scene, especially where the one toddler slobbered on Buzz and another sat on the aliens, and any other things regarding bodily functions, including Buzz’ line about hoping that the bad smell in the garbage truck hadn’t come from himself.

#34

I understood the emotional impact of Mulan at the village! Children are smarter and more aware than you are giving them credit for.

As for womans being treated as underdogs. DID you even realize the MORAL of the story? Mulan overcame those sexual opression obsticles, and PROVED to her nation that WOMAN ARE EQUAL.

#35

^ I agree entirely. Why exactly should there not be movies where a girl is the underdog, anyway?

I know you talk this way about just about every movie ever made, so I shouldn’t be upset about this. But, really? That’s how China was. It’s a fact. It isn’t disputable, that’s just how ancient China was. You can’t change that completely just to make a “kid’s movie”. And Mulan isn’t a kid’s movie; it was never meant to be. It’s a family movie. The adults have to be able to enjoy it too, you know. I think Mulan is a wonderful movie, and it is not dirty. Neither is Hunchback.

#36

Guys, please try to stay on topic.