Interlude: Pixar and Dreamworks, a love story.

Hey, everybody. I know how long it's been since I wrote. I haven't given up on the dream. I apparently had more free time in the summer than I realized. Please accept my apology. I noticed earlier this week a friend of mine began following the blog. And here's how awesome Phil is: now I know he's expecting material, I'm going to write a bonus blog just to tide him over until I finally conclude my research for A Bug's Life.

My buddy Adam sent me a cartoon depicting Buzz Lightyear and Woody badmouthing Dreamworks movies between takes of Toy Story 3. They name many successful Pixar movies next to many movies Dreamworks came out with. To me, the cartoon shows two things quite well: How formulaic Dreamworks movies can be, and how snooty Pixar die-hards can be. I've noticed how often positive Pixar reviews tend to dog on Dreamworks, so I vowed to steer away from that here. The truth remains, however, that my opinion of one affects my opinion of the other. So I'd like to elaborate more why I admire Pixar movies so much, especially in light of what Dreamworks offers.

It was inevitable. Dreamworks' first cartoon was Antz, and almost dared us to compare it to A Bug's Life. The two approaches fascinate me. Antz really sets the mold for Shrek and other movies to come. A Bug's Life, meanwhile, seems almost to deliberately avoid the same story as Antz. But since the two movies came out only about 2 months apart it's brilliant how different they are because they had to have been worked on pretty much at the same time. Nowadays A Bug's Life is largely forgotten, sandwiched between two Toy Story movies. It's like the movie we watched while we waited for more Toy Story.

So how are Pixar and Dreamworks different? Several ways:

Style

Pixar loves doing research and incorporating what they learn into their stories. Ants sometimes corral aphids like cattle, so why wouldn't the queen have an aphid for a pet? The father in Finding Nemo is a homebody like all clown fish. And the cooks in Ratatouille walk and act like real artisans in a restaurant. The movie makes a big deal that Remy is not supposed to walk on his hind legs. It isn't the way of the rat.

Dreamworks likes research, too, but they tend to translate what they've learned into human terms. The ants in Antz burrow, but they use pickaxes. In Shark Tale, fish walk upright on their fins, with smaller fins where ears would be. Quadrupeds in Madagascar grab things with their paws. Yes, it's just a cartoon, but giving animals human qualities feels like pigeon-holing the characters into a man-made story, rather than letting the story come organically out of the characters themselves.

Story
Let's give a rundown of Pixar stories:
An old toy envies a new toy's popularity.
An ant helps overthrow oppression and creates a new way of life for his colony.
An old toy chooses between immortality and loyalty to friends and family.
A monster overturns a widely held myth, and uncovers a scandal in an energy plant.
A father searches for a kidnapped son, hoping to patch up the relationship.
A superhero comes out of hiding to deal with a misgiving made earlier in his career.
A racing champion breathes new life into a dusty, sleepy town.
A cook chooses between doing what he wants and honoring his family.
A robot redeems the human race from self-made exile.
An old man travels to South America to fulfill his life's greatest regret.
Old toys look for new purpose when their owner out-grows them.

Now for Dreamworks. These are their own movies, not the ones developed in conjunction with other companies:
An ant has trouble fitting in.
An ogre is bitter because he doesn't fit in.
A fish doesn't fit in.
A zebra wants to escape a zoo because he doesn't fit in.
An ogre doesn't fit in with his in-laws.
An ogre doesn't fit in as a king.
A bee doesn't fit in.
A panda doesn't fit in.
A lion doesn't fit in when he reunites with his family.
A young lady survives a radiation accident, but no longer fits in.
A viking's son doesn't fit in.
An ogre doesn't fit in as a father.
An alien doesn't fit in.

Yes, there's more to a Dreamworks story than that, but take away the action and this list describes the same main conflict each hero has. Not only that, but Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon were based on books, and Pixar's list are all stories from scratch. Pixar is reportedly working on adaptations, but after showing what original ideas they can create it's clear they know how to make stories work.

I'd like to give credit where due, and I admit Dreamworks has improved their content. I liked Monsters vs Aliens, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train your Dragon. The latter two, in fact, seemed to tone down their pop-culture references considerably, and I could relate more to the characters. I joke sometimes that Dreamworks is starting to think more like Pixar.

Star Power
Woody Allen and Sharon Stone were big names years before Antz came out. Every Dreamworks movie since then advertised all-star casts to go along with their movies, so much that for the fourth Shrek movie a reporter made a big deal that the voice of Rumplestilskin was by a writer, not a famous actor. I could almost hear Pixar writers rolling their eyes because their team had been doing that kind of thing for years.

Tom Hanks was famous but not a big deal, and Tim Allen was kind of popular as a TV comedian. They became more in demand after Toy Story's release. Actors are hired for their ability to vanish into their characters. I don't watch Finding Nemo thinking, "Ellen DeGeneres is funny!" I think, "Dori's funny!" Early in the creative process, the writers or animators at Pixar record demos of what the characters should sound like. Often (Monsters Inc, Ratatouille, Incredibles, WALL-E) the demo sounds so good that the no-name records the final voice. In my opinion that helps the audience immerse into the story more fully.

Infrastructure
Dreamworks churns out the movies, but as I mentioned briefly, not all of them are 100% Dreamworks. Some are in conjunction with other studios, which explains how they can quickly release so many films in succession. Ultimately, comparing Dreamworks to Pixar is apples to oranges. Dreamworks is not solely animation after all, but a movie distribution group. They're more like Disney as a whole, and we know that not everything Disney produces has lasting value. This realization came to me recently, so I can finally cut them slack, and I can be at peace with my views of Pixar and Dreamworks.

Pixar, meanwhle, continues their steady pace of one movie per year. And their fans keep waiting, wondering what they'll pull out of their hats next.

Toy Story: Snow White for Computers

"Why would Andy want you? Look at you! You're a Buzz Lightyear! Any toy would give up its moving parts just to be you! You've got wings, you glow in the dark, you talk, your helmet does that...WHOOSH...thing! You are a cool toy!"

Pixar had animated several short cartoons by the time they began Toy Story. They already whetted their appetites with "Luxo Jr," "Red's Dream," "Tin Toy," and "Knick Knacks" so they had plenty of experience animating the inanimate. Now at last, we learn what toys could say if they could talk. Turns out they have three movies worth of things to say.

Story
Watching Toy Story fifteen years and two sequels later, I find the movie fascinating for a number of reasons. First of all, the concept is remarkably simple. Later Pixar movies deal with family dysfunction, an energy crisis, humanity in exile, or widowers fulfilling dying requests. In this movie, an old toy is jealous of a new toy. We could make the case that Pixar's earlier shorts were a rough draft and Toy Story the finished product. ("Toys again? What else have you got?") And yet how many stories can deal so subtly with fame, jealousy, unity, prejudice, with room left over for an identity crisis?

Toy Story’s themes are unique because the story itself is unique. Other tales involving living toys have the toys come alive through witchcraft or imagination. But these toys really are alive. They laugh, play, get scared, love and want love. They also want to keep their animated side a secret. We never learn why. The only clue we get is Woody mentioning that coming alive in front of people “breaks a few rules.” What this “rule” does is create a world we can believe in. Have you ever seen your toys move? That’s because they don’t want to. But have you ever found a toy somewhere you didn’t leave it? So Toy Story’s world could very well exist in our own.

Ultimately, what motivates a toy to go limp in our presence and let us play is not as important as knowing it brings joy both to us and to our toys. We see Andy’s joy at the beginning of the movie. Andy uses his toys to recreate a bank heist. I laugh to hear Mr. Potato Head “shout,” as the villain, “Don’t anybody move!” The next shot is the hostages not moving because they’re toys. Why would they move? Andy's favorite toy is a lanky cowboy named Woody. He presides over the other toys when Andy isn't around to play with them. He enters the heist game to save the day. Andy pulls Woody’s string, and as the camera zooms in on his face we hear Woody say “Reach for the sky!” It’s a truly heroic shot. All the while, the camera ignores Andy, choosing close-ups of the toys instead, as if they really are saying the words Andy puts in their mouths. This is their story, after all.

When Andy is gone the toys come alive and we get introduced to their personalities. Bitter Mr. Potato Head complains that Andy’s baby sister pulled him apart and drooled all over his parts. Oh, if only you knew the horrors awaiting you in the future. Hamm the piggy bank (John Ratzenberger!) acts aloof of the other toys because he sits atop a shelf. Then there’s Rex: (Trailer announcer voice) In a world where dinosaurs are feared and hunted, one T-Rex dares to have low self-esteem. (Normal voice) Rex is cheap plastic, and comes from a small toy company bought out by Mattel. He lives up to his heritage by lacking the confidence even to roar like a dinosaur.

Rex: Were you scared? Tell me honestly.

Woody: I was close to being scared that time.

Rex: I'm going for fearsome here, but I just don't feel it. I think I'm just coming off as annoying.

Woody’s right hand toy is a Slinky Dog. From his first scene we can see how upbeat and loyal he is to Woody, as he gets ready to play checkers:

Slinky: Right here, Woody! I’m red this time.

Woody: No. Slink…

Slinky: Oh, well, alright. You can be red if you want.

Woody: Not now, Slink. I’ve got some bad news…Just gather everyone up for a staff meeting and be happy.

Slinky: Got it.

Woody: Be happy!

Slinky: HA! HA! HA! HA!

Andy's family is moving soon, and Woody urges each toy at the staff meeting to pick a moving buddy so no toy gets lost. He then reveals the “bad news:” Andy’s early birthday party. None of them want to be replaced by newer and better toys. Woody assures them that no one will be replaced, but soon he has to eat his words when Andy receives a Buzz Lightyear action figure.

Buzz believes he is a real space ranger on a galactic mission. His bells and whistles make him Andy's favorite toy, and his heroic and helpful personality makes him more popular among the other toys. He is as confident and strong a personality as you would expect from a Space Ranger. Sometimes he can be condescending:

Buzz: Local law enforcement! It's about time you got here…Do you still use fossil fuels or have you discovered crystallic fusion?

But he really has a good heart, taking everyone’s admiration in stride. Never do we see on his face any signs that he enjoys taking Woody’s glory. He helps Rex learn to roar, leads a workout with the other toys, and gives Slinky a good ear scratch. Star Command apparently teaches diplomacy first and combat second (Or maybe not, since Buzz fired his laser when Woody first startled him.).

This is the point in the movie where we begin to see Woody’s more complete personality. Woody is most likely Andy’s oldest toy, as we learn in Toy Story 2. When Woody begins to lose popularity he doesn’t seem to cope well:

Hamm: What’s with him?

Potato Head: Laser envy.

Popularity may not be as much of an issue as his connection with Andy. That bond seems to be what matters most to him.

Woody: Listen, Light Snack, you stay away from Andy. He’s mine, and no one is taking him away from me.

Woody must have had a pretty easy life as a toy, because he’s much less confident in tricky situations than other toys.

Buzz: Sheriff, this is no time to panic.

Woody: Thisisaperfectimetopanic!

Woody probably resents the most that Buzz isn’t even aware of his true nature, despite his confidence and abilities.

Woody: YOU! ARE! A! TOYYY! You’re not the real Buzz Lightyear! You’re a…grrrr, you’re an action figure! You are a child’s PLAYTHING!

Happily, it is not just envy that drives Woody to explain the truth to Buzz. His life is full and fulfilling as a toy, and wants Buzz to understand those joys as well.

Woody: Whoa, hey -- wait a minute. Being a toy is a lot better than being a Space Ranger.

Buzz: Yeah, right.

Woody: No, it is. Look, over in that house is a kid who thinks you are the greatest, and it's not because you're a Space Ranger, pal, it's because you're a toy! You are his toy.

During the opening credits we can’t read Woody’s emotions, but the song and the peaceful way his body rests makes us feel content to see Woody and Andy at play.

However, Woody's jealousy does drive him to cause Buzz to fall out of a window in Andy's room, just before Andy comes in the room to take Buzz on a car ride. Slinky trusts that it was an accident, but Mr. Potato Head is not so sure. Little by little, up to this point, Mr. PH has taken on the role as a villain in the movie. It makes sense he would have an ax to grind if his parts keep falling off as easily as they do. He argues with Woody the most, and mocked him when Woody tried to believe that Andy only moved him from his “favorite toy” perch by accident. He spells out the jealousy Woody tries to hide, becoming a “shoulder devil” in some scenes.

Bo Peep: Andy will always have a special place for you.

Mr. PH: Yeah, like the attic.

Now he rouses the other toys to suspect Woody of foul play. Woody intended to use RC the remote-controlled car to push Buzz behind the desk. He looked and sounded genuinely shocked when he saw how far his prank went. RC tries to explain what happened:

Rex: RC’s trying to say something! What is it, boy?

Mr. PH: He’s saying this was no accident…I mean Humpty Dumpty was pushed…by Woody!

Now, think about think about this, friends: Mr. PH was the only one, somehow, who could interpret RC’s sounds. The other toys had probably known the car as long as Mr. PH, and we never saw any special connection between him and RC. Could it be possible that Mr. PH merely hid his own deduction under RC’s carspeak? I’m just sayin’.

Andy takes Woody instead, though Buzz stows away atop the car. When Buzz confronts Woody at a gas station they get separated from the car as it drives away. A boy named Sid eventually finds them. He lives next door to Andy, and mutilates toys. For this reason it’s easy to label Sid as the villain. He cackles like one, and everyone fears him, even his little sister. On the other hand, he’s just a kid playing with his toys.

Sid: (Frying Woody with a magnifying glass) Where are your rebel friends now? Heh, heh, heh…

Sid’s Mom: Sid! Your Pop Tarts are ready!

Sid: (Excited) All right! (Runs downstairs)

When he plans to blow Buzz up he shouts “To infinity and beyond!” This is Buzz’s catch phrase. He may love explosives, but he also knows how cool his new toy is. Until the toys come alive in front of him he’s oblivious that he hurts his toys in any way. It’s role-play for him. We could psychoanalyze the kid and say he may grow up over-aggressive, but even the movie’s writers admit they identify more with Sid than with Andy. In addition, Woody’s main conflict is jealousy, not fear of destruction. Granted, in light of the entire trilogy we could think of him as a minor villain because all three movies together ask what becomes of toys that are used up or expendable. For now, though, escaping Sid’s house is like escaping a bear attack. Who can fault the bear for doing what bears do?

At Sid's house, Buzz sees a commercial for Buzz Lightyear toys at Al’s Toy Barn. It’s undeniable proof that he's only a toy, and the news crushes him. Curse you, Al’s Toy Barn! Heaven help you should we find further reason to despise you! And here we get to see one of the great dialogue-free scenes that Pixar does so very effectively. As Randy Newman sings “I Will Go Sailing No More” Buzz drags his feet to a staircase, and leans his head against the railing, defeated. He looks out a window to see a bird fly by. Newfound determination on his face, he climbs the railing and takes a leap of faith to prove his wings work after all. The impact on the floor causes his arm to snap off. I repeat: His arm snaps off! How would you feel to find out one minute that you were fabricated in Taiwan, then the next minute see your own arm fall off? When Woody finds him again, Buzz is not well.

Buzz: Don’t you get it!? Do you see this hat? I am Mrs. Nesbitt!

Woody: Snap out of it, Buzz! (Slaps Buzz with his detached arm)

Buzz: I-I-I’m…I’m sorry I…you’re right, I’m just a little depressed, that’s all. I…I can get through this…OH I’M A SHAM! Look at me; I can’t even fly out of a window! But…the hat looked good? Tell me the hat looked good. The apron is a bit much, but…

Woody tries signaling to Andy’s toys for help, since he can see Andy’s room from Sid’s. Buzz is still delirious, and his detached arm is all that Andy’s toys can see of him. Their opinion of Woody is now solid, and we see another great scene without words. Slinky, Woody’s most trusting and loyal friend, says nothing as he turns away from Woody and closes the window blinds, completely disillusioned. Woody now has to turn to Sid’s toys for help. They look like bits of other toys Sid “surgically” attached together. They close in on Buzz, appearing to attack him, but they disperse, revealing Buzz’s arm reattached.

Woody: Uh, sorry. I...I thought that you were gonna, you know, eat my friend.

Sid tapes an explosive rocket to Buzz, in the hopes of lighting it the next morning, on Andy's moving day. Woody convinces Buzz that life as a toy is better than the imaginary life Buzz had before. The next day Woody gains the trust of Sid's fragmented toys in a plan to scare Sid away before he lights the rocket. Together, Buzz and Woody race to catch up to the moving truck carrying all the belongings of Andy's family. The rest of Andy's toys don't see Buzz at first, so they still believe Woody is guilty of toy slaughter.

It doesn’t help that when Woody manages to climb on the truck (with Buzz’s help) he goes looking for RC. Fascinating story twist right here, because it looks to everyone like Woody wants revenge on RC for blowing the whistle on Woody’s earlier scheme. What Woody is really doing is using RC to rescue Buzz, redeeming himself from taunting Buzz with RC before. Since no one knows what’s really happening they toss Woody off the truck. Buzz catches up with Woody thanks to RC, and they continue their pursuit. Now, did anyone else catch the foreshadowing in the opening credits? Neither did I until my third watching in a row. When Andy plays with Woody he sets him on RC and takes him for a spin. Now he’s driving RC by himself. It’s like Pixar is bookending the movie, visually.

Slinky has an opportunity to make up for doubting his best friend earlier. Woody and Buzz almost catch up to the truck, and Slinky doesn’t hesitate to leap off the truck to try pulling them aboard. The pull proves too much stretch for his coils, but to see him risk himself in such a way is a testament to his courage and desire to do the right thing.

Buzz and Woody use the rocket still strapped to Buzz to race to the family car. Woody holds on to RC to take him back to the truck. As the rocket lifts off the ground he lets RC go with enough momentum to fling him straight at Mr. Potato Head, totally smashing him. Sweet comeuppance. Buzz has been holding on to Woody, and his toy wings cut him free of the rocket before it explodes. Okay, how cool is it that Buzz uses his wings right then? He may not fly for real, but his wings are still good for something. Buzz now thinks less like a Space Ranger and more like a toy. They land safely in Andy's toy box. Andy doesn't see them, but the sound of his toys falling through the open sunroof gets his attention, and he is equally happy to discover both Woody and Buzz in the car. None of the toys are afraid of getting replaced anymore, even when Andy receives a puppy for Christmas.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

Blah blah blah innovation blah blah never seen before blah blah blah change the face of animation etc. Glad to get THAT out of the way…

You ever notice what an effective blank face the toys all have? The eyes unfocus to everything around them. I don't know exactly how Pixar accomplishes this, but you can easily tell, in any still frame of the movie, when a toy is alive or frozen.

Seriously, can you imagine what this movie would have been about had it not been about Toys? Maybe some office comedy or high school drama full of sass and teen angst. But how would being pushed out a window or tortured by Sid translate then? Such a unique story, with such meaning, and it doesn't give any huge "I shouldn't be jealous" speeches, either. Pixar thought up a conflict and saw it through to its satisfying conclusion.

Sid's toys do bring up a good question: what of the toys' soul? There is a pair of Barbie legs attached to a fishing reel. Where is that toy's brain? Did the legs graft toy spirit into the reel like a tree branch? It's too bad the Combat Carl tells no tales. The question is in the same category as "Why not come alive in front of the humans." The story steers away from the question, avoiding the asking altogether. Toy Story 3 may help answer the question, though, so stay tuned.

There is plenty of action in the film, but half of it is due to the characters simply acting true to their personalities, especially Buzz. At Pizza Planet they get caught in “The CLAAAAAAW” because Buzz thought it was the best means to get to his home planet. In Sid’s room the rocket was first intended for Woody. Buzz got strapped to it only because he was too depressed at being a toy to move. I’ve often heard some writers say they move their stories along by simply asking how their characters would react to the situations they’re in, and this movie’s an example of that.

Speaking of The Claw, hardly any gag goes to waste in these movies. Or maybe they only kept the “useful” jokes in the script so we don’t hope for the ending too soon. (Coming in under an hour and a half probably didn’t hurt, either) The Claw is, after all, how Sid found Woody and Buzz. The world of Toy Story feels so nuanced already that many moments feel like foreshadowing thanks to the sequels. I never noticed Buzz glowed in the dark until my 5^th viewing. His glow doesn’t come in handy until the 3^rd movie. Who even knew there would be a 3^rd movie? And during the chase at the end, Woody gets pulled between Buzz and Scud the dog. The sound effects men added a tearing sound. Could that have been Woody’s arm? The same one that got torn in Toy Story 2? Mr. Potato Head cynically mentions getting sent to the attic. Toy Story 3, anyone? I could discuss a lot more of the ideas in the movie that seem like foreshadowing for the sequels. For now I’ll save the talk for the “Themes” section.

I do feel a little guilty that I could summarize the entire movie without mentioning Woody’s girlfriend, Bo Peep the porcelain doll. She was mostly a decoration for Molly, and didn’t contribute much to the story. She’s porcelain, so what could she do? She was the most rational of all the toys, but not even Woody heeded her advice. I liked her, but it seems to me that an ineffective character won’t be around forever…

Tech innovations

Pixar had designed Ariel’s staircase, a ballroom, lava, a magic carpet, a talking tiger statue, and a wildebeest stampede. This was the first time computer graphics were at the center of attention. And as I mentioned in my previous blog, it really astounded me and many others that it didn’t feel like a computer cartoon. The sets, costumes, and story did not feel cold, blocky and computer-made. Early critics complained here and there that the humans didn’t look as real as the toys, but now it seems like a wise creative choice. With current animation technology, some filmmakers try to make the characters close to photographic, but since they aren’t real, and we want them to be, the effect is confusing and the audience has difficulty immersing its imagination into the film. In short, Pixar showed us how computer graphics could look believable, even if they couldn’t accurately reflect real life. How often do traditional cartoons reflect real life, anyway?

Computers allowed for some tricky shots that would have proven very difficult, if not impossible to present in traditional animation. A few examples: The Buzz-eye-view at his first entrance features his reflection off the helmet plastic. At the Pizza Planet Buzz’s suit begins to glow when they pass through a dark corner. The high-speed chase through suburbia would have taken some effort as well. The computer added perspective in the background, with objects closer to the camera moving faster than objects further away. There are tricks with layered animation cells that a hand animator uses to create perspective, but the result is not as seamless.

As most Pixar die-hards know, there is also lots of detail in the scenery that mostly goes unnoticed on the first view. Plenty of websites devote themselves to “Easter eggs” so I won’t go into them. But the little touches in design, like grains in the wood or threads in the carpet contribute to the believability of any movie.

Music

The three songs written for Toy Story are unique between each other and serve as a kind of Greek Chorus, describing what the characters are thinking onscreen. The melodies are very natural with the lyrics. Try speaking the words and the way your voice inflects each sentence mimics the melodies.

“Straaaaange things are happening to me” reminds me of Kari the babysitter from The Incredibles: “Jack-Jack is fine but weeeiiird things are happening.” And imagine a dramatic actor reciting a monologue: “No, it can’t be true. I could fly if I wanted to. Like a bird in the sky, if I believe I could fly, why I’d flyyyyy…” There’s word painting, as well. Consider the line “Then from out of the sky like a bomb comes some little punk in a rocket.” The melody starts high then takes a nosedive, just as we see Andy fly Buzz to the ground to shoot Woody with his laser.

“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is a cute little western-flavored theme song, that Woody could have written for Andy. It’s a great opener, telling you everything’s going to be fine no matter what. The middle section is deceptively clumsy:

Now some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am,

Bigger and stronger, too. Maybe,

But none of them will ever love you the way I do.

It’s me and you, boy.

It ain’t poetry, for sure. But that makes it easier to imagine other people, smarter people, might think up better lyrics than him. When he declares his love, Woody tightens up the lyrics and we see his strength is the love he has for Andy. You can tell in real life when someone speaks from the heart because they say impressive things they couldn’t plan to say.

I had to give Toy Story a separate screening for the soundtrack alone, because it doesn’t demand your attention like many later films. Beyond the songs, Randy Newman’s music takes after Carl Stalling’s from Bugs Bunny cartoons of old. A live orchestra plays fragments of heroic music when Buzz speaks, sputters and trills when someone gets excited or scared, and little fanfares when someone has conquered a small problem. I can’t really hum many of those moments, partly because I can’t hum on a blog and partly because the little cartoony fragments of music are not that catchy. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a creative decision Newman took, and I suppose it fits with the movie’s cartoony flavor. The orchestra also helped the movie feel more accessible. I would have been tempted to use synthesizers and electronic stuff for a computer movie, but then the film would have felt too geeky and cold.

Anyway, just because the music isn’t hummable doesn’t mean the music has nothing to add. I’m a composer, so stop me if I get too boring about this stuff. When we first see the toys come alive, the music feels almost friendly, robotic and mysterious at the same time. It lets us know, yes, we see something unusual, but we shouldn’t be worried. The music also helps define Sid’s personality. It grumbles and paces as Sid operates on his sister’s doll, until she tattles to her mom. Then Sid gets defensive as the orchestra plays “neener neener.” When Andy walks to the car holding Woody because he can’t find Buzz, the music is comical. Andy might be worried about losing Buzz, but he’s on his way to Pizza Planet, so life isn’t too bad.

Probably the most subtle game Randy Newman plays involves Buzz’s identity crisis. He has a “flying theme” that relates to “I Will Go Sailing No More.”

How so? The first three notes are similar to both songs. “Flying” is in what’s called Lydian mode, giving it an exotic, gravity-defying feel.

“Sailing” is written in more common and grounded Tonic mode. So “I Will Go Sailing No More” Is the musical representation of Buzz getting his wings cut. (Note the lack of a # symbol:

Now check out what happens underneath Woody’s speech to Buzz:

Buzz: For the first time I am thinking clearly. You were right all along. I'm not a Space Ranger. I'm just a toy...

...a stupid, little, insignificant toy.

Woody: Whoa, hey -- wait a minute. Being a toy is a lot better than being a Space Ranger.

Buzz: Yeah, right.

Woody: No, it is.

...Look, over in that house is a kid who thinks you are the greatest, and it's not because you're a Space Ranger, pal, it's because you're a toy! You are his toy.

Buzz: But why would Andy want me?

Woody: Why would Andy want you? Look at you! You're a Buzz Lightyear! Any toy would give up its moving parts just to be you!

See that? The music transitions from the grounded “Sailing” melody to the “Flying” melody. Newman shows us at this moment that Buzz is finding his reason to live again. Pixar combined Woody’s speech with the music and with the sunrise through the window to lift the mood of the scene and further the story along.

Themes
As the opening song suggests, friendship is a common current throughout the film. Woody shows a lot of concern that some toys may get left behind, so he orders everyone to get a moving buddy. The army soldiers set an example as they perform birthday present recon. When Andy's mom steps on one of them, the soldier tells his sergeant to go on without him. The sarge carries him anyway, because "A good soldier never leaves a man behind." I find it fitting that Sarge berates Woody for pushing Buzz out the window to leave Buzz behind. Towards the end, as they race for the moving van, Buzz gets caught in Sid’s fence, and shouts "Just go on! I'll catch up later!" Woody doesn't need to repeat Sarge's words when he goes back for Buzz. We know he's learned his lesson.

I imagine Woody learned a thing or two from Sid's "surgically" altered toys. He feared them for their disfigured appearance, but they lived in constant fear of Sid’s experiments, with no one to trust but each other. They knew they had to help out any toy that gets torn apart, and they always worked as a team. They tried warning Woody of the dangers outside Sid’s room, though Woody assumed they were trapping him to break him down into spare parts. Woody’s attempts to escape went awry when he tried things by himself—He ignored Sid’s toys and woke up Scud, Sid’s ferocious dog. When he talks to Andy’s toys through the window, he accidentally reveals Buzz’s amputated arm and the other toys feel justified in leaving him stranded in Sid’s house. He finally admits to Buzz that he needs his help. Then he pleads with Sid’s toys to help him scare Sid away. Not only do they end up using Buzz’s rocket, but they also use Buzz’s helmet as a magnifying glass to light the fuse. Woody had a match, but it blew out as soon as he lit it. He got Buzz into the mess, and Buzz got them out.

In light of the second and third movies, I rediscovered a theme much more subtle as I watched this time around. Andy is already growing up. It should have been obvious because the film opens on the day of Andy’s birthday party. He’s another year older. Molly is growing, too. Andy picks her up and says “Oof, you’re getting heavy.” Then there’s the scene where Buzz shows off Andy’s name on his shoe. Woody looks at his signature foot, engraved before Andy could write properly. It’s further evidence that Andy is growing. From now on, I get a chill during the staff meeting when Woody says what matters most as a toy “is that we’re here for Andy when he needs us.” That sounds like a noble duty, but what will happen when he no longer needs them? A question for another day…

The Old and the New

…But a partial answer for now. Andy doesn’t seem to need Woody so much now that he has Buzz. This was a fitting theme for the first full-length computer-animated film. A cowboy replaced by an astronaut as a child’s favorite toy. Old West meets the Final Frontier. The posters, drawings, and bed sheets give up Woody’s smile for Buzz’s. But Buzz overcomes his personal crisis because of Woody’s words of support. He’s been a toy much longer than Buzz and knows what makes a quality toy. When Woody figures out how to light the rocket with Buzz’s helmet, Buzz acknowledges Woody’s cleverness. In their “flight” together Woody shouts “To infinity and beyond” while Buzz admits to Woody “This isn’t flying; this is falling—with style,” just as Woody had said earlier. Buzz may be taking them home, but Woody helped Buzz feel at home with himself. In other words, Woody might not be the most popular right now, but he is still worth something.

So it is at Pixar. Like the death of the silent movie, it didn’t take long after Toy Story came out that animation studios felt their old drawings were obsolete. John Lasseter, president of Pixar Animation, developed software based on hand-drawn techniques. His earliest projects were for enhancing scenes in The Little Mermaid and every other hand-drawn Disney movie since. It was Lasseter’s idea to produce The Princess and the Frog, because he believes in hand-drawn animation’s longevity. They may have showed us the future, but they try to preserve the past all the same.

Pixar's Got a Friend in Me

Jack Black presented the 2009 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film with Jennifer Aniston. Black revealed why animated films were such a good source of income for him: Whenever he made a cartoon of his own, he would bet all his earnings on Pixar winning the Oscar. Sure enough, WALL-E won that year. Ratatouille won the year before, and Up won the year after.

Why all the praise for Pixar? Didn't we all have a good time watching Shrek and Madagascar? Doesn't Pixar take forever making just one movie a year? Wasn't WALL-E boring, and wasn't Up sad? What is Pixar trying to accomplish?

I was relieved in 1995 when Toy Story premiered. The first computer-centric movie most of us remember was Tron, and funnier jokes than I could ever think up have already been told about that movie. Most other computer animated shorts were bizarre, produced only to show off the technology used to make them. I never knew that Pixar had been making cartoons with actual stories and characters for years already. Pixar didn't just want "oohs" and "ahs." They wanted "awwws." They wanted to capture hearts and inspire creativity. Toy Story merely reflected Pixar's creative vision on a larger scale.

CGI cartoons came from other companies, and I enjoyed them, too. Then came Finding Nemo. The trailer didn't impress me, but a friend told me the movie was "way good." I was not prepared to invest emotionally in the movie as much as I did. I started to notice Pixar films described as Amazing and Awesome, where other cartoon movies were Funny or A Good Show. Then came Ratatouille. Critics love it, while many of my friends barely remember that it was released. It was no blockbuster, and it didn't try to be. Like Remy, the main character, the movie itself strove to be it's own unique self, not imitating any corporate formula for success. I realized that Pixar was doing all it could to avoid making the same movie twice. Even Toy Story 2 expanded the mythology and characters of the first movie without retreading old ground. Each movie has unique themes and personalities, from plots as grand as a planet-wide renaissance to conflicts as simple as losing popularity.

Since my realization in the movie theater I have wanted to share my thoughts about Pixar movies, or at least sort them out for myself. When I meet someone who didn't quite "get" why one movie or another was worth seeing I tend to become Pixar's defender. I'm a college-trained composer who loves to see what techniques or strategies other artists use to succeed. The movies aren't perfect, and I have a bone or two to pick about Cars. But by and large (hee hee), Pixar for me is ultimately what happens when everything goes right on a project. Every department seems to share a common desire to serve the story, not just to be clever or zany. Thanks to them and their work I know better what to expect or insist of other movies. I feel connected to the artists as I watch their movies, because they know how to communicate clearly what's in their hearts. That is what they set out to accomplish. That's why critics and friends of mine think their movies are Amazing and Awesome.

Before I distance anyone from reading with threats of boring, English Class debates (Not that there's anything wrong with that. Some of my best friends are English majors), let me promise to work on my written sense of humor. I want it to be a good time, so anyone who reads is welcome to post comments or send me suggestions on what to point out in upcoming movies. (surgebro@yahoo.com please no spam or chain letters.) I should also warn you that for me to do what I want to do with this blog, I will spoil endings and plot twists. I won't take on Toy Story 3 for a while, so you're safe on that one for now. But as for the others, I figure that if you really wanted to see that one, you would have by now. I mean, seriously. Where were you that night?

We'll start with Toy Story and consider each movie chronologically. We'll talk about each movie's message, characters, technical innovations, and music. And I hope to tie each one to what I believe to be the underlining theme to Pixar's movies: The Old giving way to the New, and the New receiving inspiration from the Old.