The Pixar Story

Wow...what a great and thorough film. This is the story of Pixar Studio--from its earliest days to the present (which was 2007 at the time). It offers so much more than you might expect from such a film--wonderful access to the folks who built the studio who you might think were too busy or too important to participate--but they did. So, in addition to seeing lots of great films being made, you get to meet folks like John Lasseter and Steve Jobs and see them as people--very excited and creative people, but still people. Amazing access, however, isn't all. You also get a great sense of excitement and fun--and it's practically impossible to watch this film without feeling this and feeling inspired--and the music sure helps with this as well. For fans of CGI...heck, for ANYONE, this is a must-see film and you learn a lot and have a great time learning. See this film.

Like almost every child of my generation, I grew up on Pixar and in particular Toy Story. Some of my fondest and most memorable cinematic memories were going to see Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles (where afterwards I thought "I can't wait for the sequel"). I remember that one of my first dream jobs in film was to write stories for Pixar and explore all the imaginative possibilities. Now that I've gotten more into film, I've gained a deeper respect for their storytelling and their technology and how hard it is. The Pixar Story tracks the origin of Pixar from when John Lasseter was first inspired to pursue animation to around 2007, before Ratatouille hit the screens. It's an informative look into how the company came to be and of all the struggles. It's very interesting as I would like to get into the industry as well. The biggest chunk is the struggle to create Toy Story - not just to get it commissioned but also to find the story. This is also a trouble with Monsters Inc. where they had the concept but almost too many possibilities to explore. Narrowing down those possibilities is a incredibly difficult job and is something I'm aspiring to achieve at this very moment so it was especially fascinating to watch.

It's always great fun to have a look into their offices with their scooters and arcades. However, perhaps this documentary has come too soon, they talk about fears of being too factory-line, setting a standard they can no longer top and as this comes before one of their most successful strands of films with Wall-E, Up (a film that I didn't like at first but it's grown on me) and Toy Story 3 and then perhaps the beginning of a very boring strand with Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University, I want to know whether they think they're topping themselves or have sunken into a comfort zone. A short reflection on their fears would be very interesting. The doc focuses on the followup chaos after the Toy Story section, with second project syndrome lingering over the Pixar team. A Bug's Life was considered a success at the time and although in hindsight, many disagree, the documentary put me in the mood to rewatch and while the first act is perhaps a bit too childish, it grows and grows and is exceptional storytelling in the end. I hope Pixar haven't peaked with the closure of Toy Story 3 and they can continue making films that get to me. The documentary also makes great use of graphics and animation which is pretty appropriate for this topic. Very entertaining and informative.

8/10

As a huge animation fan, I like the Pixar films very much. They are funny, poignant and are beautifully animated with lovable characters. In fact, while I prefer some of their films over others there is no Pixar film I hate. I saw this documentary by chance knowing little about it, and I loved it. The Pixar Story was so interesting and even moving. The interviews are well delivered and written, and I found them and how certain scenes were animated and done really intriguing. I also loved the music and the animated sequences featured especially for the door climax from Monsters Inc and the incredibly moving When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2(Tom Hanks summed it up brilliantly). The Pixar Story goes along at a good pace and is a perfect length too. If anything though, I would have liked to have seen more of the Pixar shorts, as some of those are gems. But this is just nitpicking and doesn't take away from the fact that this documentary is wonderful. 9/10 Bethany Cox

An informative, inspiring, and important film, spanning Pixar's story, and the story of technological advancement through 3-D animation. The documentary walks us through the pre-Pixar era, covering the rudimentary computer graphics in development through the 1970s and 1980s, when Star Wars and Star Trek's special effects ignited a new era in filmmaking . Then, the film describes the early day of Pixar's early founders (e.g., John Lasseter) in venturing through Disney's territory of 2-D animations in general, and his happenstance with Steve Jobs. Some immersive footage and reports are featured in the film all along, transporting the viewer back to the days covered. Further, the viewer will also become familiar with both the early technological challenges and later psychological roadblocks that appeared from a small company that became, in essence, an overnight success (thanks to films like Toy Story). The company's challenges with Disney were also described, and the recreation of the Pixar's leadership and offerings, featuring films from a number of talented and creative director, are also covered. The Pixar Story, therefore, brings inthe contextual and personal factors that have made Pixar the company it then was in 2007, and the company it has now become. This is a must-see for the curious mind on Pixar and for those interested in the computer graphics and animation revolution that Pixar helped launch.

Jasper102011 here to review The pixar story.

Pixar is the company with a luxo lamp as a mascot and a cabinet full of academy rewards.

This film shows that great movies and great story's can go through pain and hard work and even one of the best film company's can go through that.

The man himself john lasseter has the idea for computer-animation or CGI but Disney dumps it with john stuck at lucasfilms and make very famous short films.

A hard-core pixarfan would stare at the screen watching every step of the way because I am one and one word would move the story onwards.

The pixar story is a overall brilliant documentary, the movie tells that its not the technology that makes the movies great, but its the people who make it.

I really like the film with its interviews with famous Disney animators and tells you when pixar had a problem, it tells you how they solved it.

i wish pixar make a sequel for the more modern movies.

If your a really big fan or you just heard of pixar i highly recommend it so grab some popcorn and enjoy!