With Finding Dory already looking like another solid hit, perhaps even a mega-hit, for Pixar, it’s a good time to reflect back at how far Pixar has come in terms of its animation technique and skill.
In 30+ years, the technology has changed a lot allowing Pixar to do so much more. (The nearly photorealestic animation in The Good Dinosaur being a good example.)
The original cg animated feature “Toy Story” looks very dated now and will probably look like stick figures compared to what the technology will achieve in the next 30 years. And yet, it was incredibly groundbreaking when it was released. Hard to keep that in perspective sometimes.
The good news is that the stories Pixar are famous for telling still hold up and that makes the early movies very watchable. Which Pixar movie is your favorite?
I think you missed an opportunity here.
I agree that the animation in “Toy Story” does look somewhat dated, compared to today’s technological advances, but there’s so much more to Pixar than just the animation. You can go back and watch a Pixar movie, and be captivated by the story. Why? Because they speak to universal truths. Each and every movie — from “Toy Story” to “Finding Dory,” and yes, even “Cars” speaks to the human condition — just told through these fanciful characters. Whether they are toys, fish, automobiles, dinosaurs, or robots, the story telling is an integral part of the story which allows for the animation to continue to grow leaps and bounds.
We can look at pretty graphics, but if we don’t feel something — have that connection — all those hours spent in the theater are wasted. Pixar’s chosen medium — computer graphics — continues to push the boundaries and is absolutely 100% supported by the storytelling. There are other companies out there with great graphics departments — but the piece they always seem to be lacking is the storytelling aspect. Pixar is not only years apart in their technological advances, but because they get to the very heart, the very essence of very human emotions. They go hand in hand with each other, and I don’t think Pixar would have the level of success or people clamoring to see “Finding Dory” so many years after the first one without exceptional storytelling.
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