To Pixar... and beyond

Wow. This a BIG DAY for me. One with capital letters, it's so important. I've been on the Internet at Toonhound.com, writing about our animation heritage and reviewing new films, shorts and series for eleven whole years, but until today, all those articles, all those words were completely focused upon our little island and the amazing animated productions we have spawned, here in the UK. Now the team at Art You Grew Up With, Inc. have snuck into my attic, and they've dropped a big yellow closet door behind The Hound's desk, so I can finally take my first faltering steps into Hollywood... and beyond...

Well, we can substitute Emeryville there because, as the title says, our first stop is going to be with Pixar, who are currently celebrating the amazing critical and box-office success of "Toy Story 3". And what do you know, Pixar are also the talk of Art You Grew Up With, now that Russell and the gang have taken delivery of a brand-new selection of limited-edition "Toy Story 3" giclee's and canvases.

The two Toy Story sequels are that rarest of things; namely, films which equal or surpass their predecessors in terms of emotional engagement and development. We rejoiced at the toys safe return to Andy's bedroom in the first film. Then we sniffled with the sequel, as Jessie sung about the loss all toys must eventually endure. Now we're positively blubbing as... well... it's not for me to spoil things, but if you're as invested in the Toy Story themes as this viewer was, you'll be a mess by the time the credits roll on part three. It's funny to think that a whole slice of the film's audience were just kids themselves when the first of them came out. They have, in essence, grown up with Woody and Buzz, just like Andy, which explains why the twists and turns of this third film seems to have hit so many, so hard.

 

Alas, this viewer was already an adult when the original film landed so spectacularly in our cinemas, although my wife will tell you that he has still to grow up in any way, shape or form. I must also take you aside now and whisper a dirty little secret in your ear. You see, no matter how hard I wish, I'm no Andy. I'm not Buzz or Woody or Rex or even Jessie (hey, there's a cowgirl in all of us boys, somewhere!) because, honestly, I'm nothing more that a low-down, no-good Al McWhiggin, the toy collector from "Toy Story 2". You see, in an ironic twist of twists, my current main collection of choice is, in fact, Pixar-related. I collect Mattel's 1:43 scale Cars, straight out of the movie. And yes, I keep them mint, unopened in their original boxes. I even sport a goatee and glasses, just like Al. So you might say, the Toy Story films aren't fiction at all for me, but a documentary.

And that rather clumsy segue now enables me to talk a bit about "Cars" too. Or should that be "two", because this Pixar franchise has a sequel driving into cinemas next year. "Cars" continues to be a huge money-spinner for the studio. Mater's Tall Tales are currently racing across the Disney Channel, and Cars Land is on its way, as well. Right here right now, though, I want to make a specific connection between the world of Radiator Springs and Andy's Bedroom, because these two franchises really are connected at the hip... or sump.. or drawstring.. or something...

Despite all that success, "Cars" still seems to get a poor rap from some quarters. It's dismissed as a lesser title in Pixar's cannon, and folks often struggle to get their head around the whole mechanical conceit of Radiator Springs. They want to know who built the cars, and their road world, and how on earth they populate it and reproduce. But you know, they really should just ease up and clear their minds of all that nonsense, because the answer is simple. This is a place that just... exists... in your head. Radiator Springs is a big imaginery sand box. It's the make-believe world we go to when we play with our toys.

Here's a deleted scene from "Cars" 
 

Except we have to remind ourselves that The Hound doesn't play with his toys at all. They're just boxed and beautiful on his shelves. Er-hum.

Seriously though, if you're really going to tear up this main street, then goodness knows, you have to demolish the little worlds of Bob the Builder, Roary the Racing Car, and Thomas the Tank Engine too. Go on. Stomp all over them. All these whimsical automotive worlds fall apart under such scrutiny, because they weren't intended to be scrutinised in such a way. When we're young, we anthropomorphise our toy cars and trucks without call for rhyme or reason. It's instinctive. We're just playing. Vroom, vroom.

So there's our connection. "Toy Story" explores the physical bond between us and our toys, whilst "Cars" takes us into the realms we create for them when we play. And it even goes one step further, by having Mater make up his own Tall Tales within our make-believe world.

Goodness, now my head hurts.

As for the film's story, and that notion of slowing down and taking time to live your life, well, that dwells on another level entirely. That's the beauty of all of Pixar's films. Each has so many themes to explore, and I'm hoping we can do just that, over time, here at Art You Grew Up With...

The Art of PIXAR