Category: Pixar

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Symbolic Artwork and More Details From Pixar Movies That Made Us Tear Up

I’m fully prepared to cry when I sit down for a Pixar movie at this point. It’s just part of the experience. We all know it’s true.

Pixar promises three things: 1) real, humanized characters dealing with 2) real, relatable issues in a 3) fully fleshed out, detailed world.

That said, I hope you’re ready to cry over symbolic artwork and 10 other details from Pixar movies that you may not have noticed before.

1. A play on words:

Pixar’s 2018 short, Bao, written and directed by Domee Shi, tells the story of a lonely Chinese-Canadian mother experiencing empty nest syndrome. She receives an unexpected gift when her steamed bun (baozi) comes to life, a la the Gingerbread man.

“Bao” is a play on words. 包, pronounced “bao”, is Mandarin Chinese for “dumpling.” However, this pronunciation is shared by 宝, meaning “treasure” or “baby”, and 保, meaning “protect” or “defend”. See what they did there?

Image Credit: Pixar

2. Boo’s lines were off the cuff:

Have you ever wondered why all of Boo’s lines from Monster’s Inc (2001) sound so real and natural?

Mary Gibbs, the actress who voiced Boo, had a difficult time staying put in the recording booth to perform her lines, so the crew decided to follow her around with a microphone and record her as she played. They were able to cut and piece her lines together for the final draft using random things she said and noises she made while playing.

Image Credit: Pixar

3. Carl and Ellie’s items match their personalities:

In Pixar’s Up (2009), the animators were very intentional with how they designed Carl and Ellie, and their home. All of Ellie’s items are rounded, to reflect her round head and (I’m assuming) soft, inviting personality.

All of Carl’s objects are square to match his square jaw, and more stubborn, stoic, rigid personality.

Image Credit: Pixar

4. Foreshadowing what is to come:

Once again, in Pixar’s Up the animators utilize every detail on screen to help tell the story. In the top shot we see Carl and Ellie as a young, newly married couple. Ellie stands atop a hill, beckoning to Carl, as she did when they were kids. The sky is bright and hopeful. In the background we see what looks to be a clock tower and their quaint town.

In the second image the roles are reversed.  Now Carl stands atop the hill, beckoning to Ellie (who will soon be leaving us). The sun is now setting, the day will soon end. In the background we see their quiet town has become a large, metropolitan city.

This displays the passing of time while also foreshadowing the fact that Carl will soon find himself alone, in a house surrounded by newly built skyscrapers and continuous construction. Crying yet?

Image Credit: Pixar

5. Miguel knows how to play:

In Coco (2017), as audience members, we initially don’t know the extent of Miguel’s skill with the guitar. He even admits to Héctor, he’s never performed for people before.

However, once Miguel gets past his initial stage fright, he shows everyone just how talented he truly. In fact, if you watch his hands as he plays in this movie, you will notice he playing the actual chords to the songs he’s performing. Talk about detail!

Image Credit: Pixar

6. Riley’s clothes reflect her emotions:

In Inside Out (2015) Riley’s clothes become less joyful and more muted as she becomes more and more distraught. And it makes sense, because that’s what we do as real people! We use clothes to express how we’re feeling.

Just one more example of how Pixar animators use every inch of the screen to help tell the story.

Image Credit: Pixar

7. Toy Story 3:

In Toy Story 3 (2010), when Woody peers past the door, we can height measurements of Andy’s toys on the doorframe.

Just this little detail hits us right in the feels, because it’s such a small detail but so real. Just like Andy’s mom has measured Andy over the years, she’s also measured his most treasured toy friends.

Image Credit: Pixar

 

8. “That’s Mr. Potato Head to You!”

In Toy Story 4, Mr. Potato Head is voiced posthumously by his original voice actor, Don Rickles (who passed away in 2017.)

The Pixar team sorted through decades of Rickles’ voice over sessions, outtakes for other films, theme parts, toys, etc. to create a performance for the fourth movie.

Some might find this creepy, but I think it’s really meaningful that they spent the time to make Mr. Rickles a part of the film, rather than just hire a new actor.

Image Credit: Pixar

9. Toys can live forever?

This one might be sad depending on how you think about it. No, this isn’t a shot from Toy Story, it’s actually a segment from WALL-E (2008). But who do we have here? None other than our favorite dinosaur toy, Rex!

It seems that toys really can live forever, provided nothing destroys them. But if Rex is here, where are all his friends? What happened to them? Is he all alone? Why doesn’t he reveal his sentience to WALL-E? This Easter egg might actually raise more concerns that the animators intended…

Image Credit: Pixar

10. Art becomes life, life becomes art:

In Incredibles 2, we see Helen Incredible alone in her fancy hotel room, phoning her family. Behind her is a rather large painting. Things could just be fancy hotel art, but let’s be real, this is Pixar we’re talking about.

If you take another look, you’ll see this painting is a metaphor for the Incredible family in this moment. It illustrates Helen’s current distance from her family. She’s left her husband to take care of the family while she takes cares of crime.

Image Credit: Pixar

11. Violet is literally a combination of both her parents:

In Incredibles (2004), we’re given a glimpse into the past. We see that Mr. Incredible’s original suit was blue while Elstagirl’s original suit was red.

What color do you get when you mix red and blue? Violet. What’s the name of Mr. and Mrs. Incredible’s first child? “Violet.” (D’aww!)

Image Credit: Pixar

Would you like a tissue? *sniff*

As much as I hate how it messes up my mascara, it feels good to cry over something that has truly touched my heart.

When you becomes invested in these characters and their world, those little details that you hadn’t noticed before make it that much more special.

At the same time, it’s all those details coming together that draw you into the story in the first place.

What’s your favorite Pixar movie? Let us know in the comments!

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Customized Pizza Toppings and Other Small Details From Pixar Movies You May Have Missed

There are a ton of reasons to love Pixar movies. They’re always visually stimulating, with heartfelt, character-driven storylines that are sure to make you laugh and cry.

But Pixar also has a reputation for being incredibly detailed. Not just with how they design characters, but how they make the world their characters inhabit so real.

From the toppings on a pizza, to Easter eggs, I’m sure you’ll appreciate these 15 small details from Pixar movies you may have missed.

1. Elastigirl’s Devtech suit isn’t up to par

Image Credit: Pixar

In the Incredibles series, our favorite family of super heroes always sources their super suits from Edna Mode: the eccentric fashion designer with a vast knowledge of science and engineering.

However, in The Incredibles 2, Elastigirl is gifted a new super suit by Devtech. As shown in the image above, Devtech’s suit is clearly not up to par with those of Edna Mode.

In this way, Pixar reenforces the superior intellect and ability of the small but confident Edna.

2. Spencer Fox went the extra mile, literally

Image Credit: Pixar

In the original Incredibles movie, there’s a scene where the character Dash, a young boy with super speed, runs across a vast expanse of water.

To get a realistic out-of-breath voice for this moment, director Brad Bird had voice actor Spencer Fox run four laps around the Pixar Studio until he got tired!

3. Love people, cook them tasty food

Image Credit: Pixar

In Pixar’s Ratatouille, the 2007 film about a rat who dreams of becoming a Chef, the food critic Anton Ego proclaims, “I don’t like food, I love it…if I don’t love it, I don’t swallow.”

Early on in the movie, we see he is a slender man with rather hollow cheeks, but by the end of the movie it looks like his face has filled out a bit more, indicating that he is swallowing his food much more often!

Anton falls in love with the cooking of Linguini and Remy, and it has clearly made him a much happier man!

4. Good Dug!

Image Credit: Pixar

Another fun detail from Ratatouille: in the scene where Remy is sneaking around a home, we see the shadow of a dog bark at him. This shadow is none other than Dug from Pixar’s Up!

However, Up wasn’t released until 2009, two years AFTER Ratatouille! We got a sneak peak of Dug before we even knew what a good boy he was.

5. Pixar is a sink-or-swim sort of workplace

Image Credit: Pixar

Finally, there is a scene in Ratatouille in which our hero Linguini is wet from jumping in the river.

Pixar had a crew member dress up in a chef’s uniform and jump into a swimming pool so that the animators would know how to properly animate this image.

Talk about dedication!

6. Customized pizza toppings

Image Credit: Pixar

In Pixar’s Inside Out, there’s a moment where Riley is presented with a slice of broccoli pizza, and it’s just another reason to not like her new city.

However, when Inside Out released in Japan, Pixar changed the topping on the pizza to green peppers, because in Japan kids are more likely to hate green peppers.

Pixar made the joke specific to the audience, once again going the extra mile for their storytelling.

7. Pixar knows sea life

Image Credit: Pixar

In Pixar’s 2003 film Finding Nemo, when Marlin the clown fish starts talking about his son, Nemo, Bruce the shark begins to bawl. He wails, “I never knew my father.”

Male sharks don’t stick around after mating with female sharks, so really, no baby sharks (do do do do do do) ever meet their fathers.

I see you Pixar, and I tip my hat to you.

8. It doesn’t stop with the sharks

Image Credit: Pixar

Again, in Finding Nemo we see another example of incorporating their research of marine life into the characters.

Gill the fish is a moorish idol, who has made more than one attempt to escape the fish tank.

This species of fish is known for not handling captivity well, so it makes sense that Gill would have the hardest time adapting to fish tank life!

9. Merida’s hair

Image Credit: Pixar

Pixar developed two new software programs over three years for it’s 2012 film, Brave. Why? For Merida’s hair.

Merida, our fierce and formidable heroine, has a mane of long, gorgeous red hair.

The new software allowed for 1,500 stands of curly hair to move together with Merida’s every movement.

And she is a very active girl, so there is quite a LOT of movement.

10. Dug was born to do this

Image Credit: Pixar

Back to Dug! In Up, Dug is the only dog successfully able to track down the tropical bird that Carl and Russell are after. This isn’t just by accident.

Dug is a golden retriever. He was born to track and hunt. All of the other dogs on the island are guard dog breeds. This is why they’re probably all so much better at guarding than Dug.

In a way, when Dug meets his two new favorite humans, he discovers his true talents.

11. A Quality Assurance Guarantee

Image Credit: Pixar

Let’s be real, most of us don’t really stick around to watch the whole credits when we go see a movie, unless we think there’s some sort of blooper or teaser at the end.

But at the end of Ratatouille, Pixar posted a “100% Genuine Animation” quality assurance guarantee, stating “no shortcuts were used in the production of this film.”

This might seem unnecessary, but it was a response Happy Feet winning the Oscar for Best Animated Movie instead of Pixar’s film Cars. Happy Feet utilized motion capture technology, while Pixar animates every frame manually.

I love Pixar’s version of throwing some subtle shade.

12. Making eco-conscious choices

Image Credit: Pixar

Finally, this may seem like an insignificant detail, but in Wall-E we see the Pixar logo lamp, Luxo Jr. (a character from a 1986 Pixar animated short), receive a new, eco-friendly bulb.

In upgrading Luxo Jr.’s bulb, Pixar is not only marking the passing of time. Pixar is reminding children and families all over the world that making environmentally sustainable choices matters.

Pixar is so brilliant when it comes to the details.

I personally love how thorough they are with their research and how they find ways to incorporate it into the storytelling. You don’t have to know sharks never meet their fathers to enjoy Finding Nemo, but for those in the know it makes the experience THAT much more special. And that’s the thing about Pixar movies. They always have that special element that keeps you coming back for more.

What’s your favorite Pixar movie? Let us know in the comments!

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10 Times Disney Movies Handled Serious Subjects in a Beautiful Way

Disney is known for its magical amusement parks and children’s movies. I myself am a BIG Disney movie fan. (I still have some of the originals on VHS tape!)

But Disney movies aren’t all singing candlesticks and beautiful princesses. Many Disney movies tackle real issues, with characters experiencing universal emotions like loss, grief, remorse, and heartbreak.

Some of these moments stick with us more than others. Grab your tissues, folks. You’re gonna need them as we revisit some of the best instances where Disney movies handled serious subjects beautifully.

1. Quasimodo is dehumanized and ridiculed because of his appearance, The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

Image Credit: The Hunchblog

Disney’s animated interpretation of Victor Hugo’s novel is ripe with serious subjects, but the most painful moment to sit through is the scene in which Quasimodo is attacked by a mob.

His guardian/jailer Archdeacon Claude Frollo sits by as a crowd of malicious revelers tie Quasimodo to a spinning wheel and hurtle tomatoes and the like at his face.

Only when Esmerelda steps in does this horrible assault halt.

There’s a lot going on in this moment. It shows the fleeting nature of celebrity and humanity’s capacity for cruelty, but in Esmerelda we see bravery and compassion.

2. Riley’s depression, Inside Out.

Image Credit: Buzzfeed

Riley and her family have just moved to a new city, away from Riley’s school, her friends on the hockey team, and pretty much everything she’s known.

Moving is a major life stressor for anyone, but especially children, who have no real control in situations like this.

In the climax of the movie, Riley is unable to feel any emotions at all. Audience members see this as Riley being in a state of depression.

Depression is another common ailment that can be hard to talk about, even more so with kids.

Inside Out provides an example of how in moments of crisis like this, reaching out to the ones you love is the best step to take for your own health and safety.

3. Jesse’s abandonment, Toy Story 2

Image Credit: Tumblr

I told you to grab tissues. Cue the Sarah McLachlan. Who could forget Jesse’s heartbreaking song, “When Somebody Loved Me,” about the child who loved, and ultimately, left her?

Abandonment is another universal experience, regardless of age, and like every difficult experience, it can be even harder for children to process.

Luckily, we see Jesse chooses to put herself out there again, despite her fear, and learn that not everyone who loves you will leave you in a box by the side of the road.

4. When Coco remembers her family, Coco

Image Credit: New York Times

In Coco, protagonist Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead, where he uncovers lost secrets about his family’s tragic past.

In this tender, emotional ending scene, our hero Miguel bravely defy his abuelita’s wishes, and sings “Remember Me,” to his great-grandmother, who at this point is almost completely non-responsive.

Little does his family realize, this is exactly the song Coco needs to hear to remember herself and her family.

5. “Lost,” Lilo and Stitch

Image Credit: Buzzfeed

Lilo is a great example of a child dealing with grief. Having lost their parents in a car crash, Lilo and her sister Nani struggle to rebuild their family unit.

Stitch (who is very much an alien, not a dog) is also dealing with difficult emotions of his own. He has no parents, no family, and vocalizes that he feels, “Lost.”

Together these two navigate their anger, loneliness, and strong desire to find “ohana” by creating a new, found family.

6. Mufasa’s death, The Lion King

Image Credit: Buzzfeed

Few Disney deaths hit so hard as Mufasa being trampled to death in The Lion King.

Worst of all, we the audience know that his demise is not an unfortunate accident but a deliberate plot on the part of his brother, Scar.

We then see Scar convince little baby Simba that he is to blame. Not only do we see Simba processes the loss of his father, we also see him grappling with survivors guilt.

That’s a lot of one little cub to handle.

8. When Sully says goodbye to Boo, Monsters Inc.

Image Credit: Buzzfeed

There’s “good-bye” and then there’s “good-bye.”

In this tear-jerker scene, we watch Scully give a final farewell to Boo, the little girl he’s grown to love as if she were his own.

Never has the word “Kitty” wrecked me so hard.

7. Ellie’s inability to get pregnant, Up

Image Credit: Galley Roulette

The story of Carl, Ellie, and their life together within the first ten minutes of Up is one of the most beautiful executions of animation and music I’ve ever seen.

We see the couple decide to try getting pregnant, prepare for a baby to arrive, and suddenly we see them receiving devastating news from a doctor.

While we can’t hear what he’s saying, the message is clear: Ellie will not be having a baby.

It is the only time I’ve seen a woman’s reproductive health addresses in a children’s movie, and for those in the audience who can relate to that moment, I’m sure it meant the world to feel seen.

9. Marlin loses almost his entire family, Finding Nemo

Image Credit: Virality Today

Another Disney/Pixar classic with a heartbreaking beginning.

After being introduced to Marlin and his clown fish family, we very quickly have to say goodbye when a predator attacks.

From this scene we see that everything can be taken from a person, in the blink of an eye, but in the face of incredible loss, we can still find a smidgen of hope to latch onto.

10. Andy says goodbye, Toy Story 3

Image Credit: Buzzfeed

There are plenty of moments in the Toy Story saga that have left us in tears, but Andy saying goodbye to his childhood toys is the most heart wrenching of all.

Saying goodbye and moving on to new phases in life is an essential part of growing up, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Thankfully, Pixar gave us the most satisfying goodbye imaginable.

Image Credit: Vox

I don’t know if these emotional moments hit me as hard when I was a kid, but as an adult they slay me. I think Disney’s ability to tackle real human emotions is one of their greatest strengths. Instead of talking down to their audience, they create relatable characters who—although they might be toys, monsters, or animals—deal with very human problems.

Which of these serious Disney moments pulls at your heart strings the most?

Let us know in the comments!

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Pixar Has a Movie Coming out About Death, and the First Promo Alone Is Way Too Much

If you enjoy Pixar, then you, like the rest of us, have begun to realize that their writers and creators sustain themselves on the tears of their viewers.

Between the beginning of Up, pretty much every moment of Toy Story (all of them), the short film Lava, and BingBong’s death in Inside Out, I’m a blubbering mess of tears just thinking about subjecting myself to another one.

So when I heard they were making a movie called Soul – which is about death – well, I…I’m honestly just not sure I’ll be able to handle it.

Image Credit: Pixar

The film stars Jamie Foxx and will follow Joe, a middle school band teacher who dreams of playing jazz music in a NYC club before he dies.

He gets a gig…and then dies falling in a manhole cover.

Image Credit: Pixar

That’s just the beginning of the movie, you guys.

After that, he finds himself at the You Seminar – the pace where we all get our souls – and meets Tina Fey (who is likely to be iconic, because duh), but honestly we don’t know too much about where the plot will go from there.

Yet.

The animation looks amazing, of course, and the writing will be stellar. If, you know, I’m able to hear and appreciate all of that over the sound of our collective sobs.

May the odds be ever in our favor.

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10+ Pixar Movies That Were Way Smarter Than We First Realized

Ever since Pixar stepped on the scene, kids movies have really stepped up their game. Not only are they putting in jokes and references to keep the parents entertained, they’re going above and beyond – even if you’re expecting the cleverness.

These 12 examples will have you re-analyzing every scene you ever watched while trying to make sure your kid didn’t dump the popcorn all over the floor.

#12. Toy Story 2 

Image Credit: Pixar

In the opening credits, one of the constellations is the Pixar lamp logo.

#11. Monsters, Inc.

Image Credit: Pixar

There are different sized cups in the break room to accommodate different sized monster hands.

#10. Toy Story

Image Credit: Pixar

One of the toys is a tool box emblazoned with the word “Binford.” Binford Tools is a fictional company from Home Improvement, the sitcom that launched the career of Buzz Lightyear (or, Tim Allen).

#9. Coco

Image Credit: Pixar

There’s a picture of the twins from The Shining on the wall – someone is a King fan!

#8. Finding Dory

Image Credit: Pixar

Did you notice the receding hairline given to the dad angelfish? That’s some imagination.

#7. Toy Story

Image Credit: Pixar

Another fan reference – there’s a nod to the original Alien in the arcade scene.

#6. Toy Story Franchise

Image Credit: Pixar

The writing on the bottom of Andy’s toys shows how his handwriting has improved over the years.

#5. Toy Story 2

Image Credit: Pixar

When Rex appears in the rearview mirror of a car, it brings to mind another famous T-rex giving chase – Jurassic Park, anyone?

#4. Up

Image Credit: Pixar

All of the possessions on Ellie’s side of the bed are round, whereas everything on Carl’s side is square, matching their character design.

#3. Monsters, Inc.

Image Credit: Pixar

Sully’s chair has a hole in it so there’s a spot for his tail to go comfortably.

#2. Wall-E

Image Credit: Pixar

WALL-E’s battery light recharges after he’s hit by lightning.

#1. The Incredibles

Image Credit: Pixar

The phone number on Mirage’s business cards spells out “SPRHRO” if you use the keypad.

Crazy, right? I can’t wait to re-watch!

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