In Contention

Tag: Finding Nemo

  • Did Pixar rip off a French short with “Up?”

    That seems to be the possibility put forth in this detailed /Film post, which concludes (somehow) that it was all a coincidence.  But truly, I wonder.  One of the commenters mentions “Finding Nemo” supposedly bearing a striking resemblance to a French children’s book.

    I have no answers.  None of consequence will likely be coming.  But it’s interesting.  And a bummer of a story to hit just a few days away from the release of “Toy Story 3.”

    Check out the French short in question, titled “Above Then Beyond,” after the jump. And cut loose with your thoughts in the comments section.  Total coincidence or something fishy?

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  • The best films of a decade

    Tom Cruise in Minority ReportThis column has been the elephant in my living room for months.

    Putting together a list of the year’s best films is easy. It’s fresh. It’s in your mind. It’s, in many ways, the expected culmination.

    Putting together a list of the decade’s best films is a different chore altogether. Yearly rankings fly out the window as a proper gauge, because tastes shift and impacts either dwindle or deepen. Revisiting films is called for, but fitting in the works you missed along the way is also imperative. It can be maddening.

    And the truth is, you can’t see everything. All you can do is try to be as honest about how you feel as you can. And even then, no list can be definitive on a personal level, let alone authoritative.

    And so the whittling begins, and in many ways, the process is the reward. The ultimate collective is a mere reminder of the journey through 10 years of film product. But some things stuck out along the way.

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  • Regrettable: ‘Ice Age 3’ becomes highest grossing animated film overseas

    Ice Age: Dawn of the DinosaursThose who follow the site know I’m a “Finding Nemo” devotee.  The film has grown on me more and more over the years, and despite landing at #3 on my 2003 top 10, I’ve been toying with the idea of including it in my top 10 films of the decade list (which will be unveiled later in the year).  I’ve always felt a certain security knowing that, not only is it Pixar’s highest grossing film to date, but it is also the second-highest grossing toon worldwide and the top box office dog internationally.

    Or at least it was.  In a Variety piece gloomily (to me) titled “Nemo slips on ‘Ice,’” Pamela McClintock gives us this:

    Over the weekend, 20th Century Fox’s three-quel “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” became the highest-grossing animated title ever overseas, posting a cume of $551.4 million through Sunday.

    It took six years for a toon to overtake Pixar and Disney’s “Finding Nemo,” which grossed $524.9 million internationally in its 2003 release.

    Depressing.  Chad’s Sunday Cents column on the film’s opening weekend here.  Of course, with Chad’s preference of adjusted figures, this doesn’t move the needle.  But still.

  • ‘Up’ becomes Pixar’s second-highest grosser ever

    UpI expect Chad may get into some of this later in today’s Sunday Cents column (unless his silly inflation observation gets in the way), but Pixar’s “Up” grossed another $6.5 million today, bringing the domestic total to $264.8 million, surpassing the $261.4 million “The Incredibles” racked up in the fall of 2004 to become the studio’s second-highest domestic grosser ever behind 2003’s “Finding Nemo.”

    I would assume the answer here is lack of demographic comeptition to an extent.  “Monsters vs. Aliens” was the only animated film within earshot of “Up”‘s May 29 release date until “Ice Age” came along this weekend.  And there hasn’t been much else for the kids beyond “Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian.”  That’s a solid month of focused box office play for the film.

    Obviously “Nemo”‘s $339.7 million is safe and will likely remain safe for a long time to come (and it’s worth noting that “Up” opened in the same frame), but Pixar’s latest has nevertheless become a personal record-breaking success for the studio?  And yet it’s not even in the top 25 for the decade, which tells you the leaps and bounds box office has made in the last 10 years.

    So, congrats to all involved.  Well-deserved.  Check out my interview with “Up” director Pete Docter here if you missed it.

  • THE LISTS: Ranking 14 years of Pixar

    UpThis weekend, Pixar Animation Studios will be releasing its 10th feature film, “Up.”  For many, with the film having successfully opened this year’s Cannes International Film Festival, the occasion has marked another milestone in the studio’s continued maturation.

    In my recent review of the film, I wrote, “Watching Pixar Animation grow and develop as a studio has become almost more fascinating than experiencing one of the company’s many creative films unfold on screen. Beginning with an industry leap in 1995’s ‘Toy Story’ and eventually moving into its daring own with 2008’s ‘WALL-E,’ the studio has, at the very least, shown a desire for creative progression.”

    So it seemed as good a time as any to look back on the last 14 years of Pixar product and dedicate an installment of The Lists to the studio’s esteemed portfolio.  Of course, unlike other editions of this feature, there are only 10 entries to fill the collective.  But the order will be different for everyone.

    “WALL-E,” for example, was a major high point for many last year.  Not as much for me.  “Monsters, Inc.,” on the other hand, isn’t considered top tier Pixar to some, but as you’ll note below, I beg to differ.

    In addition to the features, I thought it might be fun to rattle off a ranked list of the 16 shorts the studio has produced, going all the way back to 1984’s “The Adventures of Andre and Wally B.”  Some of them appeared in theaters alongside feature films, others might have popped up on home video as bonus features.  You can see nearly all of them on the recently released “Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1” on DVD and Blu-ray.  The most recent addition to this collective is “Partly Cloudy,” which plays along with “Up” in theaters.

    On to the list.  Be sure to give us yours in the comments section below.

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  • Pixar on Blu-ray…whither ‘Nemo?’

    Probably the most beautiful films to watch on high definition are animated films, and at the very top of that tier, Pixar’s lot looks astounding.  I own each of the available titles (yes, even “WALL-E,” much to the shock of those who still think I hated the film).  But so far it’s just “Cars,” “Ratatouille” and the Pixar shorts collection joining last year’s lovable robot in the Blu-ray bin.

    The studio recently announced the May releases of “A Bug’s Life” and “Monsters, Inc.,” but where the heck is Pixar’s crowning jewel so far: “Finding Nemo?”  Ditto “The Incredibles,” which is still, mind you, the only animated feature film to win more than one Oscar outside the formerly easy-to-score music categories.  I popped “Nemo” in the ole’ PS3 the day I got the machine and even on regular DVD, those blues and greens of the ocean environment look amazing.  But I’m ready for the real HD deal, dang it!

  • Revisiting ‘Nemo’

    Pixar\'s Finding NemoI still haven’t made it out to see “WALL-E” since returning to the States, but today I thought I’d pop “Finding Nemo” into the player and soak up some of that old Andrew Stanton goodness in the meantime.  And it really does stand-up as the most sensational entry in Pixar’s steadily increasing portfolio.

    Back in 2003 the film landed in my top three for the year, and I’ve only given it two or three looks since.  But every time I do, the reward is considerable.  This is a sincerely affecting study, one packed with vivid and dynamic characters, the most gorgeous animation of the genre and applicable, resilient themes that work on various levels.  It fires on all cylinders.

    Not to mention, the film contains the only vocal performance I’ve personally ever deemed worthy of major awards consideration.  “When I look at you I remember.  When I look at you I’m home.  I don’t want to lose that.  I don’t want to forget.”  Absolutely beautiful.

    It also looks damn spectacular on an HDTV.  I don’t have a Blu-ray copy of the flick, but on a simple upconvert the image is crystal clear, sparkling.  Especially with the new 120Hz technology (which is dodgy with live action films).

    So with that, I’ll probably stumble into the El Capitan over the weekend and finally take in Stanton’s latest.  His is a creative mind and I’m truly happy he’s out there generating content such as this.  Few compare.

  • What is the most watched film of all time?

    It's a Wonderful LifeIt’s a question that just came to me this evening when talking with some friends.  What would you say is the most watched film of all time?  How many films would even be on that list of contenders?

    Off the top of my head I would have to consider “The Wizard of Oz” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  Maybe “Titanic,” given the givens.

    We could maybe be so bold as to propose “The Shawshank Redemption” or “The Lord of the Rings” films.  And isn’t “Finding Nemo” the best-selling DVD of all time?  I guess that means it has to be on the list.

    “The Lion King?”  “Fantasia?”  “Gone with the Wind?”  What do we think?

  • Counting down the best of Pixar

    In honor of today’s release of Walt Disney/Pixar’s “WALL-E” (it seems we’re sticking with the hyphen), the gang at New York Magazine’s Vulture blog have offered up a countdown of the best films in Pixar’s consistently impressive portfolio.

    I have to say, I share their opinion that “The Incredibles” simply…isn’t all that.  I was on the bandwagon for “The Polar Express” back in 2004, but comparisons aside, the film never hooked me the way it did the rest of the film-going community.  And that says a lot, given my comic geek roots.  It’s a nice film, but a little flat.

    Their pick for the studio’s greatest work is a slightly unconventional choice: “Monsters, Inc.”  I confess I actually haven’t given it a second look since 2001 (what became the year of “Shrek”), but I’ve been meaning to pick up a copy for a number of years now.

    My choice is far and away “Finding Nemo,” the only animated film ever to land in my top five for a given year (#3 in 2003).  But I do love the “Toy Story” films.

    Here’s their list:

    1. “Monsters, Inc.”
    2. “Finding Nemo”
    3. “Toy Story 2”
    4. “Ratatouille”
    5. “Toy Story”
    6. “A Bug’s Life”
    7. “The Incredibles”
    8. “Cars”

    I obviously haven’t seen it yet, but it’s looking more and more like “WALL-E” will top everyone’s list in due time.

    Speaking of “WALL-E,” Sasha Stone at Awards Daily has put up her first State of the Race column this week, focusing on the film, its awards potential and the political message supposedly within.  Take a look:

    Wall-E begins its run at midnight.  Some peripheral chatter is focused on it being not kiddie fare or it being a target for conservatives for having a “message.”  If the message ends up being that we as a culture have a disease of consumerism and that it will end us in pathetic ruin, that is not a great leap in logic.  Look around.

    But if the conservatives do start whining about it that only means its Oscar chances shoot through the roof, as if they haven’t already.  We have here a “too big to ignore” film, a Schindler’s List of the animated feature category and if anything is to take it down it’s only going to be a shocker at the box office, an extremely unlikely scenario.

    Read the rest here.