Welcome back to My Disney Top 5. After writing my last Disney Stuff article about that wonderful Pixar Collectible Postcard set, I began to think about this column and what I should write about next. Being in a Pixar mood, I thought I’d stay in that vein and focus on their incredible body of work for my next Top 5.
There are so many avenues I could head down. Where to start? Top 5 Pixar films is too difficult. I can’t really pick a favorite. There are some that I’m fonder of than others, but too many would be tied for the number one slot. So I started to focus on individual elements from the films and what makes them so special. Characters, plots, and storylines were all options, but when I boiled it down, I realized that there’s always a killer sequence in each Pixar film that just stays with me after I leave the theater and that I anticipate each time I re-watch them. Something I like to call the “Holy Crap” factor; when everything falls together and I’m riveted to the screen for a few minutes.
Pixar's main gate. Photo by Alex Stroup.
So, with that said, here are my Top 5 Sequences from the Pixar Film Library:
5 – Elastigirl Infiltrates Syndrome’s Hideout
The Incredibles. Film image. © Disney Enterprises Inc./Pixar Animation Studios.
I love The Incredibles. Any director or writer looking to make a top-notch superhero movie should follow this film’s blueprint. The characters are wonderful, the storytelling is fully fleshed, out and Syndrome's Island is one of the most fully realized locations in any animated or non-animated film. There are so many great sequences in this film. (Dash running on water, Bob getting pelted with those weird, sticky blobs, either scene with Edna Mode in her amazing home and workshop.) Yet, there’s something about Helen’s trip deep into Syndrome’s lair that I’ve always loved. It’s great seeing her on the edge of getting caught, or almost hit by a speeding monorail, or trapped all stretched out between several doors and still watching her prevail. Plus, I love how they humanize her when she checks out her hips in the mirror as she passes by.
4 – The Monster’s Inc. Door Chase
Where is this ride? Can’t you imagine a Monster’s Inc. Door Ride at one of the parks? Is that even on the drawing board? It definitely should be. Chases are a movie staple and everyone seems to love a good chase scene. The great thing about animation is that you could elevate the average movie cliché scene to any level you’d like. Pete Docter and his team managed to strike a perfect balance with this part of the movie. This sequence is exhilarating and hysterical at the same time. The peak for me is when they end up going through all the doors into various countries. Great stuff.
3 – Jesse’s Story
Toy Story 2. Film image. © Disney Enterprises Inc./Pixar Animation Studios.
When I first saw Toy Story 2, I found Jesse the Yodeling Cowgirl a little grating on my nerves, and then she told her story. There I was, a grown man sobbing like a little boy. Randy Newman’s heart wrenching “When She Loved Me” sung by Sarah McLachlan drives home the message. You immediately sympathize with the character. You also think back and feel bad about that favorite animal or toy that you had as a kid and wonder where they are now. Are they being loved, or in the trash, or in a closet? This sequence is profoundly sad, but it’s remarkable storytelling. Definitely up there with Bambi’s mom, “Old Yeller,” “The Champ,” and “Brian’s Song” as far as Hollywood’s saddest moments.
2 – WALL-E and Eve’s Dance in the Stars
Can romance really exist between two robots? Just watch this amazing sequence from WALL-E and you’ll believe. Barely any dialogue is ever spoken between the two main characters, but the masterful animation and direction totally puts you in this couples corner. It’s to Pixar what Lady and the Tramp’s spaghetti and meatballs scene was to Disney. It’s pure movie magic and was breathtaking on a huge screen.
1 – Carl and Ellie
Number 3 was sad and number 2 was romantic and this one puts them both together. Is there anything more bittersweet than the story of Up’s Carl and Ellie? This is filmmaking at it’s finest. Carl and Ellie’s life together is told through this masterful montage of scenes set to melodramatic music. You root for the couple the whole time. You experience their joy fixing up their house together and finding shapes in the clouds. You feel for Ellie when she finds out that they can’t have children. You grow old with them. You’re as heartbroken as Carl when he loses his one true love. All of this with not a drop of dialogue spoken. It’s quite simply a masterpiece of storytelling on film. The audience becomes completely invested in Carl’s quest to live out his and Ellie’s dreams. It’s a crucial sequence to the film. In 1937 people were blown away by the way that Disney legend Frank Thomas was able to convey such sadness when the Seven Dwarfs were surrounding Snow White on her deathbed. The same effect happened over 70 years later in the opening sequence of Pixar’s Up. The medium may have changed a bit, but taking animation to a higher level through compelling stories is still a premium goal at Pixar. Frank would have been proud.
So, there are my Top 5 Pixar sequences. Believe me, it was tough to narrow them down. What's yours? Click on the “Discuss this article on MousePad” link below and share your list!
