This has certainly been an exciting week for Disney Animation and Pixar! It's like we're getting an early peek of what's to come out of this summer's D23 Expo! I'm going to start at the beginning of the week, with the Cannes screening of Inside Out.
Over the weekend, Inside Out was screened among many people who went to the Cannes Film Festival. Of course, this means that reviews have surfaced online, and the response is overwhelmingly positive, with a current score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was also very well received by audiences, receiving a large applause after the screening.
Critics, just as I predicted, are claiming that this is a "return to form" for Pixar after Cars 2, Brave and Monsters University weren't that well received. I, for one, feel that Brave and Monsters University were just as good as any other Pixar film. Cars 2? Well, that's a different story. However, the point is that this is not really a comeback for Pixar, unless, of course, you're referring to Pixar's two year hiatus they took after The Good Dinosaur was delayed.
Despite that one gripe I've been having with these reviews, I am really happy, though not at all surprised, to be seeing critics loving Inside Out and calling it a masterpiece. Some even went as far as to call it one of Pixar's best films! One critic even called it one of the best animated films he has ever seen! Wow!
But that's not all Disney and Pixar had to show at Cannes! We also now have a lot of new details for many of their upcoming films, including Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Finding Dory and Toy Story 4 and Disney's Zootopia and Moana!
Surprisingly, some details that were given for The Good Dinosaur could be considered as spoilers. I personally wouldn't consider them to be spoilers, but I still choose not to reveal these plot points to keep the secret for those who might think otherwise. But, if you're just dying to know these details, here is an article for those of you who want to see them. I will say, though, that a horrible event occurs within the dinosaur community, leading an Apatosaurus named Arlo to accidentally get lost from his family and home. While trying to find his way home, Arlo encounters and befriends a boy named Spot, who acts like a dog. John Lasseter said, "This is a boy and a dog story, but the roles are reversed. Arlo, the dinosaur, is the boy in the story and Spot is the dog." This is a very interesting twist on what we're used to. It even kind of makes sense, given the events of the film.
Anyways, I can barely describe in words how amazing this film is shaping up to be! Pete Sohn, the director of the film, even said to Collider that he is "striving for a very unique tone, unlike any animated film made." That sounds amazing! Pixar is so good at making their films very different and much more unique from any other films we see.
Finding Dory will take place 6 months after the events of Finding Nemo and will follow Dory whose memories of her childhood are triggered while she's in school with Nemo for a day, convinving her to find her family. Nemo and Marlin also join her on the journey, taking them through a kelp forest on California's northern coastline and through an are of the Pacific Ocean where shipping containers have fallen off of boats. Dory also meets an octopus named Hank at an institute which takes care of marine creatures and a whale-shark named Destiny who thinks she is a whale even though she is a shark. There's also a group of Loons, who John Lasseter referred to as this film's Seagulls. Of course, he is referring to the Seagulls that were in Finding Nemo. They also showed footage of the loons and Dory's parents.
This is another Pixar film that I am really looking forward to. It's looking better and better with every announcement!
They didn't show any footage of Toy Story 4, though John Lasseter did reiterate that it is not a continuation of the first 3 films, but it is its own thing.
Zootopia is set in a world inhabited entirely by animals who are completely humanized, meaning the walk on 2 feet, wear clothes, use technology and basically do what humans do. But, there is another really clever twist here. Animals are divided into classes and there are biases among all of them, meaning animals who are naturally enemies, such as foxes and rabbits, are enemies in this world as well.
One of the main characters here is a bunny named Judy Hopps, who is a cop for the Zootopia Police Force, but is given the boring job of being a meter maid since she is the first rabbit to ever join the police force. She then has to join forces with a con artist fox named Nick Wilde to find a missing mammal in under 48 hours.
Some hilarious, though unfinished footage from this film was shown as well! One scene showed Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde at the DMV, but find out that it is staffed by sloths! Another one showed Judy and Nick going into a club where animals have rejected clothes and have returned to what they claim to be a natural way of life. John Lasseter, assumingly jokingly, said "This is Disney Animation's first nude scene. It's been a long time coming."
Zootopia is another film that is only looking better and better! It looks like it will be very clever and I'm really excited to hear more details as they come along!
Finally there's Moana, a musical which is, as John Lasseter puts it, "inspired by the people and music and stories of the South Pacific." The film is about a Polynesian princess who goes against her father's wishes by going on a boat to try and find a new island for her tribe. She then ends up stranded on another island and meets a demi-god named Maui.
Also, the film will begin with an epic musical number similar to The Lion King's Circle of Life, showing Moana as a baby. There is also a clip which showcases an example of how the ocean itself will be a character. A Pig named Pua and a rooster named Hei Hei will also accompany her on her adventure as she takes on a wicked island spirit. Those two animal characters will likely be there as comic relief characters, just like Maximus and Pascal in Tangled or Sven in Frozen.
Moana looks like it will be a beautiful film with an epic story and meaningful themes. This is another that I am, of course, really looking forward to.
All of this news is very, very exciting! Each and every one of these films look truly spectacular! I'm sure we will be getting a ton more details and about these films, along with some other upcoming films, and announcements of new films from both Disney and Pixar at this summer's D23 Expo, so you should definitely look forward to that! I know I'm looking forward to it!
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