Saturday, July 13, 2013

Movie Review: Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: 13 fun shorts that capture early Pixar history
Cons: Almost all of these are available elsewhere
The Bottom Line
Pixar's fun short films
First thirteen collected here
Good bonus features




Lucky Collection of 13 Pixar Shorts

The short cartoon is not nearly as popular as it used to be, but Pixar is trying to help it make a comeback.  They've collected 13 of their shorts in the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1, and it's a must for Pixar fans.

Okay, true, you probably have most of these already.  I know I have most of them on various DVD and Blu-Rays in my collection.  But there were two I don't remember seeing before.  And all of them were fun to see again.

They start with the earlier of their computer animated shorts - "The Adventures of Andre & Wally B."  This short clocks in at just an minute and a half, and it features a man trying to out run a bee.  The computer animation is very dated, but it was the early 80's before Pixar spun off from LucasFilm.  I didn't remember seeing this one before or the more atmospheric "Red's Dream."  Both of them are fun.

Up next is "Luxo Jr.," the famous short with the lamps and the balls.  There's also "Tin Toy," about a toy trying to avoid being played with by a baby, and "Knick Knack," which finds a snowman trying to escape his snow globe home, from before the days of Toy Story.

My favorite may still be "Geri's Game," about an old man playing chess with himself.

They even have the shorts that were made specifically for DVD bonus features - "Mike's New Car," "Jack-Jack Attack," and "Mater and the Ghostlight."

All of these shorts and clever and funny.  While they might have originally been about advances in computer animation, they are still about entertainment.  You've got to laugh at the ending of "Knick Knack" and "For the Birds," for example.

One reason to buy this disc are the bonus features.  I got the Blu-Ray, which comes with both Blu-Ray and DVD.  The Blu-Ray has the most of the special features, including audio commentaries on all but one of the shorts, a history of Pixar's shorts, and some of their stuff for Sesame Street.  All told, this Pixar fan loved the bonus features.

So no, you probably don't need this for your collection.  But if you are a fan of Pixar's shorts, you'll absolutely love having Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1 in your home.

Included Shorts:
The Adventures of Andre & Wally B
Luxo Jr.
Red's Dream
Tin Toy
Knick Knack
Geri's Game
For the Birds
Mike's New Car
Boundin'
Jack-Jack Attack
One Man Band
Mater and the Ghostlight
Lifted

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