A Pixar triple feature - Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and WALL-E

4/24/16 Finding Nemo, Best Animated Feature, 2003

As I have gotten older, I have found that animated movies don't hold my attention like they used to do. I suppose that could be due to a number of factors: I'm a crank, I don't have little kids in my life anymore that I can watch them with, they aren't as good as they used to be, or a combination  of all the above. So, when I can watch a movie with as much enjoyment years later, that makes me so happy. I present to you Pixar's Finding Nemo. I saw this originally in the theater when it was released, and then several times over the subsequent years, re-watching it last week - and I still love it. If you haven't seen it (it's on DVD, you don't need a kid to justify watching it), you should. It's one of those movies that appeals to kids and adults, and the adults don't feel like the kid humor is too simple. Anyway, back to the story. Nemo (Alexander Gould) is a young clownfish who has been raised by his overprotective, unadventurous father, Marlin, voiced by Albert Brooks. Nemo is captured by a diver who collects fish for aquariums, the particular aquarium is in Sidney, Australia. The story is told from two perspectives: Nemo and his new friends in the aquarium (including: Willem Dafoe, Allison Janney, Brad Gilbert); and Marlin's journey to find Nemo with Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), a blue tang with short term memory issues, but a great personality. As they swim through the Pacific Ocean, Marlin and Dory encounter sharks, jellyfish, real cool sea turtles, and my favorite, a whale. Dory tries speaking whale, which are sounds that I cannot reproduce on the keyboard, but if you know me, ask me, and I'll do my impression. It's hilarious, Dory's version, that is. Marlin is forced to break out of his small, secure world to find Nemo, and Nemo is forced to grow up a little as well, showing his courage as he tries to escape through the water filter and later the plumbing in the office. The movie really has everything: parent/child relationships (although why does a parent always have to die? Nemo's mother dies in the first 10 minutes); adventure; making friends and accepting others for who they are (Dory exasperates Marlin); humor; and great animation; and whale-speak. I guess I have reviewed this just in time for the sequel: Finding Dory, expected to be released in June 2016.



4/25/16 Monsters, Inc., Best Original Song, 2001

You read that right - Monster's Inc. won an Oscar for Randy Newman for Best Original Song, "If I Didn't Have You", his first Oscar after fifteen nominations. It was also nominated for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Shrek. I'm not sure how I would have voted on that one. Monster's Inc. (like Shrek) taps into the imaginations of kids and adults alike; I mean, who hasn't thought about the monsters under the bed. I love it when movies create an alternate universe that, in the moment, seems totally believable. Of course the monsters have to live somewhere, and that somewhere is Monstropolis, and they need to power the city somehow and that's with the screams of children. Our guides through the multi-eyed, furry, reptilian and otherwise scary creatures are Mike and Sully (Billy Crystal and John Goodman, respectively). The power company is run by Henry J. Waternoose (which is a great name, and is voiced by the perfectly cast James Coburn). Sully is the 'scarer' and Mike is his coach, bringing in new doors which are entrances to the kids' rooms. Sully is big and furry, kind of like the Abominable Snowman in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and Mike is a big eyeball, an ocular representation. Their nemesis is Randall (Steve Buscemi), and he and Sully are very competitive. While the monsters seem to be fearless, they are not; they are terrified of being contaminated by one of the children, either bringing back a piece of clothing or, as happens to Sully, a child. Most of the movie involves Sully and Mike trying to hide Boo, as they name the little girl. Of course, this leads to some pretty funny scenes, but also a little danger as Randall tries to take her. You can imagine things turned out well in the end, but if you haven't seen the movie yet (seriously, you don't need a kid, jut get the DVD) or you don't recall the details, I don't want to spoil it for you. Like Finding Nemo, I enjoyed Monsters, Inc. years later after watching it many times in previous years. The voice actors are so well cast, especially Billy Crystal and James Coburn, they are so perfect. I loved the creativity with the different monsters. The animation still holds up fifteen years later; Pixar, like Disney, makes movies to last.

WALL-E, Best Animated Feature, 2008

And then we come to WALL-E, a movie that I watched years ago and I have no plans to watch it again. I understand the concepts and ideas it was trying to communicate: the environment and the waste that humans create, technology, etc., but the movie bored me to tears. It even had music by one of my all time favorite singers, Peter Gabriel, and I still didn't care. I guess WALL-E was originally a short film, and that I could probably watch and go, yeah, hey, great, but not 98 minutes, which seemed like a lifetime. This movie was also done by Pixar and the creative team of Andrew Stanton and Pete Doctor. Maybe one day, when I'm done with my list and if someone can convince me, maybe I'll try it again.