Pixar to 2019
This month continues a new series of blogs for fans of popular culture. Whereas in the past explorations of Walt Disney films we highlighted individual works, we will now be talking about the larger groupings of movies, and the various artistic and commercial visions sought for and achieved from said movies.
A quick run though of the eras:
The Golden Age: 1937-1941
Wartime: 1942-1949
The Silver Age: 1950-1967
The Bronze Age: 1968-1988
The Renaissance: 1989-1999
Post-Renaissance: 2000-2009
Revival: 2010-2019
Streaming: 2020-Present
As you can see, the various eras are inspired by historical art movements over the year, as well as comic books. You can draw the parallel, for instance, between the Italian Renaissance, or between the iterated variations of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.
We will also be covering Disney live action films. The list of films owned by the Walt Disney Corporation is quite expansive because it includes multiple studios and production companies, such as Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, and more. And for good measure, we will also cover animated films that released without the official Walt Disney Pictures branding, as well as films that only released via television or Disney +.
So buckle up everyone as we retread the Disney films of years passed:
Pixar enjoyed a virtually unbroken string of successes, from the start of their company to the release of Toy Story 3. In modern times, it was practically unheard of, with the universal praise and general audiences approval that few films had ever enjoyed. To be a Pixar film meant something, even if the exact definition was hard to quantify.
With that said, the following decade offered a notable change of pace for the company, with a shift to more sequel films and franchise-building, along with a perceived drop in quality and originality. Even a 'lesser' offering from Pixar, however, could still be a tremendously successful film, as our list will show.
In the waning of 2006, Disney and Pixar locked heads over the future of their partnership. Disney, as part of their original agreement with Pixar, retained the right to produce sequels to films they both produced. As such, with the partnership in jeopardy, Disney had already begun working on sequels to several of their films, including Toy Story 2 and 3, Finding Nemo, and Cars. The purchase of the company brought the hostile sequel plans to a very abrupt end, Pixar retained its creative autonomy, and new plans for sequels began in earnest.
Cars 2 began production pretty quickly after the first film released. The concept was unique and expanding: a spy thriller, starring cars, against a world-wide setting, in the form of a World Grand Prix. Michael Caine enters the cast as Finn McMissile, the James Bond of the Cars universe, who teams up with the comedically lovable Mater to solve a crisis threatening the biggest race of Lightning McQueen's life (so far). The film was highly successful, earning over $562 million in theaters.
Brave is unique, even among the eclectic collection of Pixar films. Pixar visited Scotland, determined to produce a film steeped in Scottish folklore and myth. Starring the film is Merida, a feisty young girl who gets in over her head with ancient magic, but was also notably a princess. Not only did Pixar make a film featuring a princess, they went the extra mile and Disney made her an Official Disney Princess, a distinction reserved only for their most prestigious leading ladies. Merida remains the only Disney Princess not created by Disney.
To add to the interest, Pixar also researched historical accuracy in accents, activities, and kilt patterns. The film featured numerous historically accurate kilt patterns and their relevant Clans, and in addition the filmmakers created their own unique kilt pattern, which they registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans. This film was another success of over $539 million.
Ever seen a college movie? Then you've probably already seen Monsters University! This film tells the story of how Mike and Sully met and eventually grew up into becoming the top scarers at Monsters Inc. Despite an existing line of dialogue describing their first meeting, Pixar retconned that fact so they could make a whole new film, with a new setting.
The film faced some significant critique when it released in 2013. While Pixar had yet to produce a film set on a university, such films already existed and had a known quality and jokes. Monsters University lampooned many of those already existing jokes and premises, but landed a bit flat-footed in execution. Movie reviews were less forgiving of this sophomoric film, despite making a staggering $743.6 million at the box office. In the end, Pixar released a massively popular film that was by all accounts 'good', but when compared to most of its stellar brethren, it felt lacking.
Pixar fans worried about future films need not worry too much about upcoming films. In 2015 the studio released one of its freshest and best received films in years, Inside Out. The film was about the primary emotions -Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear- living inside a human girl named Riley, and how they help her navigate through life. Development began as early as 2009, but did not really kick off until after 2011, making it the first Pixar film produced entirely without input or supervision from Steve Jobs, who had recently passed away.
To really hone in on their character, Pixar involved numerous female writers on their staff, to better understand the feminine psych. The film was a hit when it released, earning several records, including biggest Pixar release, biggest #2 debut, and largest opening weekend of an original film.
The Good Dinosaur might be considered Pixar's first true flop. While a well made film, audiences did not quite flock to theaters in droves to see the film. This fact is partially Pixar's own fault, as this was another 2015 release, the first time Pixar released multiple films in the same year. Audiences and reviewers alike were also quick to point out that Pixar's own film schedule had increased as time elapsed; where once the studio took several years between films, now they were working on multiple projects at the same time for annual releases, and in this case, two in a single year. Pixar may have grown as a studio over the years, but perhaps this was the first real sign of growing pains for the company.
The film itself is a heart-warming adventure about loss and overcoming adversity. With a budget north of $350 million, the film lost an estimated $85 million, despite impressive reviews.
Leave it to Pixar to bounce back. If anyone was worried about the future of the company regarding The Good Dinosaur, those fears were firmly quashed by the sequel to Pixar's 2003 hit. Finding Dory had been announced in 2013, but like many of their films, has an early prototype script dating back to the shortly lived Circle Seven studio. This film marked the final film for Ellen DeGeneres as well, effectively wrapping up her backstory.
Though yet another sequel, Finding Dory had more of a unique premise compared to Monsters University. Against a $200 million budget, the film became the Pixar hit of that summer with over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide.
Cars was another of Pixar's tentpole franchises, but for once this was a sequel that did not date back to 2005. Could Pixar secure another victory in the highly competitive animation film lineup? 2017 would mark the second year that the studio released multiple films, but luckily for them the studio found more success. After several years of success, Lightning faces stiff competition from a new generation of younger, faster racers. Now he faces his toughest challenge yet: what will his legacy be?
Compared to the first two films, Cars 3 came up a bit short at the box office, only earning $384 million against a $175 million budget. But in many ways, Cars 3 is the best film of the franchise, being just a really good film about a famous racer in his twilight years, mentoring the next generation. That message works double time, as the latest generation of Pixar filmmakers rises.
Pixar's expeditated schedule begins to show a telling trend. While none of their films could be called 'bad', it does seem like there are notable dips and valleys of quality. The second film of 2017 received a notably warmer reception and financial success, in Coco. The film tells the story of Miguel, a young aspiring musician struggling against his family's hatred of that which brings him joy. Movie aficionados might be quick to point out similarities to The Little Mermaid and Footloose, but it's a winning formula. The film was notable for featuring an entirely Hispanic cast, and prominently featuring Mexican folklore, particularly Dia de los Muertos.
The results speak for themself: against a budget of about $200 million, Coco made over $814 million, a very solid hit and due to be followed by a sequel in 2029.
Announced in 2015, Incredibles 2 serves as the first sequel to the hit 2005 film about Disney's own 'fantastic four'. Brad Bird returned to direct, alongside most of the original cast, with the exception of Dash Parr, now voiced by Huckleberry Milner, and Johnathan Banks as Rick Dicker. The film follows the official forced retirement, and then reinstatement, of superheroes, this time with Mrs. Incredible taking a more proactive role.
Against a $200 million budget, the film earned a staggering $1.2 billion, and is due to be followed by a sequel releasing sometime in 2028.
Once again, we are ending our blog entry with Toy Story. The fourth episode follows the gang's new life with Bonnie, and Woody living life on the sidelines, no longer as appreciated as he used to be. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks return as Buzz and Woody, along with most of the rest of the cast, and Bo Peep is back, along with some new friends. Some fans may have felt dissatisfied at Toy Story 3 no longer being the finale, but it's hard to argue with the quality and end result here as Pixar swings and hits another home run.
Against a $200 million budget, Toy Story 4 earned a comfortable $1 billion dollars. Its sequel Toy Story 5, releases in June of this year.
That wraps up this entry. Stay tuned as we finish our coverage of the Disneytoon Studios and other assorted non-major releases.
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