Pixar Short Films Collection, Vol. 1 (2007)

Pixar has been on the forefront of animated movie for over two decades and has brought us hits such as A Bug’s Life, Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Ratatoullie.

Anyone who has seen a Pixar movie has also seen some or most of the shorts in this collection at some point. Finally having them all on one disc, chronologically with commentaries is a real treat for me and for all fans of animation and of Pixar in particular.

The Adventures Of Andre & Wally B. (1984)
In this early work, Andre is hunting Wally B., a bee, with the tune the Flight of the Bumblebee in the background. These animations have been done back in 1984! (1:51)

Luxo Jr. (1986)
Also available on: Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box
Origin of the Pixar logo, 2 lamps playing with a ball and the studio’s first Oscar nomination. (2:10)

Red’s Dream (1987)
A red unicycle craves for attention. (3:30)

Tin Toy (1988)
Also available on: Toy Story: The Ultimate Toy Box
A baby chasing after a toy, eager to play with it. The company’s first Oscar win and the genesis of Toy Story films. (5:10)

Knick Knack (1989)
Also available on: Finding Nemo (2-Disc SE)
Hilarious short of a snowman stuck in a snow globe, enticed by a pretty girl. (3:35)

Geri’s Game (1998)
Also available on: A Bug’s Life (2-Disc SE)
The company’s second Oscar win took 1.5 years to make and features an old man playing chess against himself. (4:51)

For The Birds (2001)
Also available on: Monsters, Inc. (2-Disc SE)
Pixar won another Oscar with this short about a flock of small birds mocking a bigger bird. (3:23)

Mike’s New Car (2002)
Also available on: Monsters, Inc. (2-Disc SE)
This short about Mike and Sulley trying to operate the controls of Mike’s new car was specially produced for the Monster’s Inc. DVD release. (3:48)

Boundin’ (2004)
Also available on: The Incredibles (2-Disc SE)
A lesson through song and dance for a sheep who gets sheared by surprise. (4:41)

Jack-Jack Attack (2005)
Also available on: The Incredibles (2-Disc SE)
A short with the characters Jack and Kari from The Incredibles. Kari is trying to keep Jack out of trouble while Jack is experimenting with his superpowers. (4:45)

One Man Band (2006)
Also available on: Cars
Two street musicians compete over the gold coin from a passing by boy. (4:32)

Mater And The Ghostlight (2006)
Also available on: Cars
Tow truck Mater (from Cars) gets his payback for all his practical jokes on his friends as he falls victim to their spooky tale. (7:08)

Lifted (2007)
Also available on: Ratatouille
This short features an alien getting trained on how to abduct a human. (5:01)

Special Features:
Behind the Scenes – “The Pixar shorts: a short history”
4 “Sesame Street” clips
Audio commentaries

There are audio commentaries for all shorts (except for Jack-Jack Attack) giving a good insight on the creation of each short.

“The Pixar Shorts: A Short History” is running 23 minutes and gives an excellent background on Pixar, the difficulties the company had to face at a time where making an animated product was something novel and unique.

Included also are 4 “Sesame Street” clips, which feature the Luxo Jr. lamp, teaching basic lessons to kids (2,5 mins total):
– “Sesame Street: Surprise”
– “Sesame Street: Light and Heavy”
– “Sesame Street: Up and Down”
– “Sesame Street: Front and Back”

Easter Eggs: Luxo Jr. Rough version
Go to the shorts menu screen and keep pressing down on the second column. A lamp icon will be highlighted in the blank space of the filmstrip just under “Boundin'”. Select the lamp and press play to see a pre-rendered version of the Luxo Jr. short film.

The Flag Icon: Go to the Set Up / Audio Options menu and move down from “English” into the right corner. A flag icon appears. Press play to see a 13-second motion test.

I admit it, I am a Pixar fan and who wouldn’t be. “For the birds” had me laughing so hard back then and when seeing it again it still is every bit as hilarious and always will be just like the rest of the shorts. This is a timeless collection of jewels, a definite must have for all fans of animated shorts, especially with the chronological overview you get about Pixar, the progress the company (and the animation) made and the insightful commentary tracks. And it is a very nice choice for the kids, too, since it has all the shorts Pixar made up to this date (1984-2006), conveniently on one disc!

As this is subtitled “Volume 1” one can only shiver in anticipation about the prospect of more Pixar shorts in the future!

10/10

[ » read the full DVD review over at eyecravedvd.com ]

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