How Does Pixar Keep Doing It?

Before I go any further, I should say upfront that I have not yet seen Toy Story 3. But by looking at the 144 fresh reviews and only two rotten reviews over at Rotten Tomatoes, I think I’ll be in for another satisfying ride with Woody, Buzz, and the whole gang. The thing is, I would not have needed to look at a single review to know that Toy Story 3 was not only going to be something worth watching, but a captivating and memorable movie as well.

That’s what it has come to with Pixar; the animation giant has become the most clutch hitter in Hollywood, the studio you want up at the plate with the game on the line and you need that majestic home run to send everyone home happy. With 11 films under its belt, Pixar is easily the most reliable studio there is, making movies that do not need any further convincing beyond just mentioning the studio’s name. It is the continued effort of Pixar to create meaningful animation that is pushing the last 15 years into what has to be considered as a Golden Age of Animation.

All of this then begs the question: how does Pixar do it? How does it stand above a studio like, say, Dreamworks? How is it that Pixar’s movies continually push the envelope in animation? It’s a simple enough answer, I suppose: they take the risks. Not only in the animation, but in the storytelling, weaving intricate plots that are both family-friendly and poignant, and often heartbreaking, at the same time. Each film is handled with such delicacy, even while understanding that these characters are meant to sell toys, blankets, shirts, and anything else on which a character or logo can be slapped.

The people behind Pixar have managed to make animation something whimsical once again, creating the kinds of movies that will brew nostalgia and be remembered as true pieces of art. The idea that animated movies have some sort of expiration date for adults, that all will inevitably become laborious to attend and should only be done so with one’s children, has been flipped on its head thanks to Pixar, and we should all be thankful for that.

As remarkable a run as this has been for Pixar, I stop and wonder when it will end. I try to think of when Pixar will have to endure its first big critical bomb (a commercial blunder seems impossible) – after all, those are the hardest people to please. Will it happen with the upcoming Cars 2, a movie whose first installment could be considered Pixar’s weakest? Or will Pixar stay true to its desire to make sequels that only have great stories, a creed that has been proved by the Toy Story saga?

Either way, I’ll be there for all of it, ready to be amazed by animation once again.