If you ask me, Pixar has a pretty good thing going. Its last 12 releases have been runaway successes at the box office. That’s an incredible string of winners, if you think about it.
It’s not just the box office green that’s been impressive, though, but the movies themselves. With the exception of last year’s less-than-beloved Cars 2 (which still made $192 million), Pixar flicks have been praised universally and, as of this month, the perennial hitmakers have lodged four films (Ratatouille, WALL-E, Toy Story and Toy Story 3) in Metacritic’s Top 100 movies of all time list—all four of them beating out recognizable favorites such as Patton, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Saving Private Ryan.
We here at Plugged In have certainly lauded the virtues of this animated fare from a family-friendly perspective. It’s rare that you can find movies that tell creative, emotionally involving stories and somehow keep it clean while maintaining equal appeal for kids and adults alike. As director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) told the Los Angeles Times‘ online magazine Hero Complex:
Everyone in Hollywood says they wish they could do it like Pixar, but they really don't. There's no secret at Pixar, but there is a belief in letting people pursue something with passion and take chances, and most of Hollywood, really, doesn't like that. It's too scary. Some studio executives will say they love obsessive creators who take risks, but really most of them would rather play it safe.
Ain’t that the truth? Moviemaking is a big-budget deal, of course, and most of the big studios appear to be opting for some kind of a numerical formula they can insert into their magical movie-making machines. You must find the broadest common denominators, this philosophy seems to say, and churn out something that everybody’s gonna like. Unfortunately, what happens all too often is that we end up with offensive jumbles, tepid remakes and strange takes on everything from old TV shows to board games. Anybody up for a movie based on Scrabble?
Anyway, all of that leads up to the fact that Pixar’s number 13, Brave, is drawing back its bow to take a shot at the box office bulls-eye this weekend. For those of you who have been vacationing in Kaliningrad for the last year and might not have heard, Brave tells the tale of a highland princess who feels trapped by her royal duties and attempts to change her frustrating fate by gaining the help of a mysterious woman in the Scottish wilds. (You’ll want to check out Paul Asay’s Plugged In review for the full set of details.)
Some seem to be secretly hoping that Brave misses the mark. I’ve read some articles that suggest that the Scottish fairy taleish tale isn’t grand enough or emotional enough to capture the same level of interest that some of the other Pixar favorites have mustered. But I’ve got a feeling those naysayers might be a little short-sighted. I mean, who would have figured that a story about a stew-cooking French rat, or a yarn about a grumpy octogenarian who strings balloons up on his house, would have captivated the masses either?
In any case, I’m kind of looking forward to number 13. It may not take the place of my fave in the batch, The Incredibles, but we’ll see. What do you think? Are you excited to see this brave red-haired heroine’s story, or does it have all the appeal of leftover haggis? And do you have a favorite Pixar film you’d like to share?
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