Pixar

Like most people, I was introduced to Pixar in 1996 following the release of Toy Story. Taking the new medium of computer graphics and making full length films was a groundbreaking move, and let's face it, something we couldn't imagine being without today. Be it in an animation, or special effects for the latest hollywood action cheese fest, computer graphics are here to stay.
Being a hardened Pixar fan, I have enjoyed *almost* every film they've done in recent years. Bug's Life was OK, but hardly as good as Toy Story. Ratatouille was a nice diversion, but the comic timing shown in things like Monsters Inc was very spartan. Admittedly the animation itself was superb throughout though. They've won many awards over the years for their work. Mostly Oscars admittedly, and mostly for the animation category. My all time favourite was the short film For the Birds. For those that haven't seen it, you must. It'll have you laughing like a drain.

And so, last night, John and went to watch Wall-E. The general buzz about this film sells it alone. We haven't been bombarded with adverts for it really, but this is because we know that it'll be worth every penny of our cinema tickets. And we weren't disappointed. It's an interesting experience, because you know it's basically a cartoon. It's not real, it has no actors (except for Fred Willard), and yet I have never seen a film with such real emotion. It has the same effect as Bambi, when her mother dies, or Watership Down. Real waves of emotion lap over you as you watch the film. I wasn't, I hasten to add, brought to tears, but it was a superbly made film. The word on the street is this film will clean up at the next Academy Awards. I have to agree. You get completely drawn in, and spat out at the other end having enjoyed the rollercoaster ride. And so, this week, I present the trailer for Wall-E for those that haven't seen it. (this is the HD version, so it's only 2:30 but needs to be extra long for Youtube. When it finishes, it's just padding to keep it High Def.)

Enjoy