Poll: Has Pixar lost its touch?

[DrunkOnEstus]

I think they do things like Monsters U and Cars 2 for safe money that permits something like a Wall-E or Up (even though those movies still made fucking bank despite being unsafe experimental movies comparatively). They'll be back with something that captures the hearts and minds of audiences everywhere, or whatever.

I really miss non-CG animation, though. What was the last feature film with that, The Princess and the Frog? It seems like CG is the de-facto means of doing animated films these days, when it's not like it objectively surpasses and improves the 2D animated experience. I'd like a balance.

 

[Kenbo Slice]

Honestly the only Pixar movie that warrants a sequel is The Incredibles. I really don't know why they don't make one.

 

[Olas]

I'm going to be the big bad-guy here and state a very unpopular opinion, but maybe.... just maybe...

[sub][sup]Pixar was a little overrated to begin with.[/sup][/sub]

Please don't lynch me. I'm not saying Pixar is bad, just that maybe we got a little unrealistic in our expectations from them. Wall-E and Up were both good movies, but I feel like it was the first 30 minutes of each movie people really liked, the later parts of each kinda felt like just a generic animated adventure story than something extraordinary. And I think Toy Story 3's adoration comes from equal parts quality and nostalgia blended together.
And keep in mind before that they had also made A Bugs Life and Cars which were kinda lackluster, even the original Monster's Inc seemed at best slightly above average for an animated film.

Basically I'm just saying not everything they touched turned to gold, they were still all human.

In the end though Pixar is clearly the best animation studio and even Cars 2 was actually pretty good viewed objectively, so let's not get flip out just because they released a couple average movies.

 

[chozo_hybrid]

Every studio has its hit and miss films, we're just so used to them being amazing that their movies that are just "okay" seem bad I guess. Give them time, they will make another hit.

 

[IGetNoSlack]

They've haven't completely lost it. Just a bump in the road.

Brave was....OK, not Cars 2 bad, not TS3 great* just OK. Haven't seen MU yet, although a couple of friends went to see it and said it was very funny. Inside Out is a film they're working on dealing with the human mind due in 2015, and it seems like they could really go places with the concept, so if there's a film where they get their full stride back, it's that one.

They're also working on a dinosaur movie due next year, which seems like it'll be alright.

Also, people seem to be forgetting one thing: Not every Pixar movie needs to affect you on an emotional level to be good even truly great. The top tier ones (see: everything they put out from 2007 to 2010) do, but I like The Incredibles because, hell, it is an AMAZING action flick.

*I guess I spoiled myself by skipping Cars 2 entirely until after I saw Brave.

 

[mitchell271]

Their short films are still consistently imaginative and entertaining, even stemming way back from Gary's Game. Their full length movies, while not fantastic lately, are still fun for a watch or two. It hasn't been like WALL-E, Ratatouille or Toy Story for a while but if Disney sees this, they might get more free reign.

 

[McMarbles]

Pizar hasn't lost its touch. The corporate heads at Disney have simply tied their hands behind their backs.

 

[Ryu-Kage]

Being totally owned by Disney now and asked to make mainly sequels to movies rather than trying to make new IP is certainly keeping a cap on Pixar's abilities, but I think they still have the touch. They're just not really able to use it right now. I mean, next thing I heard they're doing is a sequel to Finding Nemo, which... seriously?

Of course, if we HAVE to do the whole sequel cycle for now, why not The Incredibles?

 

[Callate]

Sigh... Planes?

I like Pixar. I don't even think sequels are necessarily death to them... The Toy Storys were good across the board in my opinion. But there's a certain sense that some of their recent movies have been made more with toy lines in mind than character arcs. My suspicion is that it's there that they're starting to show some stress.

Hopefully they can get back on track.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Don't blame Brave, it was pretty good. I liked the liveliness and looks of Brave, and even though the plot had unoriginal standings, it was pulled off with original set pieces and characters. It wasn't Up or Toy Story, but it is better than most of the movies that came out in 2012.

I think they're at a point where they don't want to take many risks. The reason Wall-E, Brave, and Up got pushed out was because they had been in developement under Pixar for quite some time at the point. I believe that after Up, all they really wanted to do was play it safe and return to their other movies that they think can pull in the nostalgic crowd while still dazzling the new crowd. Cars 2, Monster's University, Toy Story 3, and Finding Dory, are just them not wanting to test new waters just yet.

Hopefully The Good Dinosaur will prove my thought wrong.

 

[floppylobster]

God yes. And as far as I'm concerned they lost it after Toy Story 2.

Toy Story - 7/10
A Bug's Life - 8/10
Toy Story 2 - 9/10
Monsters, Inc. - 3/10
Finding Nemo - 4/10
The Incredibles - 5/10
Cars - 2/10
Ratatouille - 7/10
WALL-E - 4/10
Up - 7/10
Toy Story 3 - 3/10
Cars 2 - did not see
Brave - 5/10
Monsters University - did not see

 

[Abomination]

I haven't seen Cars 2 or Toy Story 3 (haven't had the time or the mood to watch it recently) but everything else they've done has been entertaining for me. I mean Cars was probably the worst thing they've done but I wouldn't call it objectively bad.

I actually really liked Brave, it just had an unfortuante amount of hype.