Lifted (2006)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Gary Rydstrom

Writer:

Gary Rydstrom (written by)

Release Date:

29 June 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Short | Family | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Failure is an option.

Plot:

A teenage alien tries to abduct a sleeping human, but with so many switches to do so, it's nearly impossible. |

Plot Keywords:

Alien | UFO | Flying Saucer | Incompetence | Farmhouse

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Runtime:

5 min

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:G | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Germany:o.Al. | UK:U

Company:

Pixar Animation Studios

Trivia:

WILHELM SCREAM: During the end credits when the sleeping character wakes up and gets out of bed.

Movie Connections:

References Tin Toy (1988)

Darker in tone but still a very good short film for the masters, Pixar

Remember the days when cartoons were king? When each and every movie was preceded by the latest "Tom & Jerry" or "Looney Tunes" adventure? No, me neither - I'm only 27, for God's sake - but at least Pixar remember and they are fighting almost single-handedly to resurrect the practise. Following on from "Boundin'" and the brilliant "One Man Band", their latest big screen outing gives them the perfect opportunity to showcase their talents on "Lifted", a much darker effort than their earlier shorts but still having that strong sense of slapstick running throughout.

"Lifted" opens in typically "X-Files" style - an isolated house is suddenly lit up by a flying saucer as the sleeping occupant dreams on, blissfully unaware that he is about to be abducted. Fortunately for him, the alien manning the controls has no idea which one of the thousands of switches in front of him will actually get the man into the craft. As his frustration mounts, a larger and more senior alien looks on and makes occasional notes on his clipboard like a disapproving driving instructor. No need for Mulder and Sculley on this occasion.

Given that the opening moments are genuinely dark and tense, it's something of a surprise that Pixar chose this to show before something as decidedly kiddie-friendly as "Ratatouille". However, it isn't long before the humour takes over and makes for a very amusing five minutes. Naturally, it is over-shadowed by its bigger budgeted stable-mate but "Lifted" is still an accomplished piece of work in its own right. I'm hoping that Pixar don't neglect this dying art-form as things like "Lifted" and "One Man Band" show that there is still some life left in the animated short.