Janet’s Animation Corner: In Pixar We Trust?

Ahead of the Cannes festival this month and all eyes (and by all eyes I mean my eyes) are on the response to Pixar’s 2015 release Inside Out. By now I’m sure you’ve all heard the plot, angst tween Riley tries to adjust to a new school, new city and life in general with the help of the voices inside her head. These of course are Anger, Sadness, Joy, Fear and Disgust (the sassier of the bunch) that is until Joy and Sadness get lost inside another part of Riley’s mind leaving the rest to fend for themselves. Cue disaster and an emotional uphill struggle for the young girl which – if their track record is anything to go by – translates into Pixar success.

You only have to feast your eyes on this here trailer to remind yourself just how awesome Pixar can be at drawing out the gooey, sticky, messy emotions of human (or machine) life only turn it into a tear-jerking, stomach tickling hit.

Or should I say were? As rumours have been churning and swirling at the media mill, suggesting that animation giant, Pixar, has lost its edge.

Cars 2 and Monsters University have been publically nominated as the duds to illustrate this point. Followed by the movie that never was (The Good Dinosaur, which has been shelved and re-shelved pending its Autumn 2015 release) and the announcement of a Toy Story 4.

The latter, I must admit, appalled me thoroughly. Toy Story 4?! That horse was nowhere near dead before Pixar began to flog it but they seem determined to get a head start. And to glaze that injury in insult it’s a love story. Talk about ruining a perfectly, well-round trilogy. Can anyone say diminishing returns?

Questionable choices aside, could Inside Out be the ‘comeback’ Pixar are looking for? Does a couple of so-so movies and a quiet spell even equal a need for a comeback? The real question is, are we really so ready and willing to give up on Pixar’s ability to razzle dazzle us? The same Pixar who herald in a new age in animation with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the Toy Story clan? Not to mention the Pixar who has mind-boggling captivated us with the Pixar theory (yes, I’m a believer). I’m certainly not and despite my humongous misgivings about the addition to Toy Story franchise. Inside Out will be Pixar’s first film in a year and I’m going to hedge my bets and say it’ll be a tale of success.