It’s clear that Pixar is one of the few studios to ensure that you get the most bang for your buck, as the company offers moviegoers a quick little treat before each of their releases. These animated shorts are often just as entertaining as their full-length counterparts, and it’s certainly not surprising to note that most of them have been nominated for Best Animated Short Film.
We should be clear, however, that we’re not counting the shorts that periodically pop up on home video releases. (If that were the case, Dug’s Special Mission, included on the Up DVD and Blu-ray, would easily top this list.)
Though it doesn’t feature a word of dialogue, Presto remains the crowning achievement of Pixar’s short-film output – as the movie tells a simple yet engrossing story that grows more and more frenetic (and entertaining) as it unfolds. The film, which follows a sophisticated magician as he’s consistently one-upped by his rabbit during a big show, features a seriously impressive visual style that marries Pixar’s technological advances with a decidedly old-school feel, with the emphasis on progressively over-the-top instances of comedy reminiscent of the Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse cartoons we all grew up with.
Memorable moment: You’ve got to love the magician’s annoyed reaction as he first realizes that his rabbit has gotten the upper hand.
Without a doubt Pixar Animation’s most unabashedly adorable effort, For the Birds details the chaos that ensues after an oversized and thoroughly awkward feathered creature attempts to make friends with an irate flock of smaller birds. For the Birds, an Oscar winner for Best Short Film, features a much more overtly cartoonish style than Pixar is generally associated with, yet the animation immediately proves to be a perfect match for the simple, downright universal story.
Memorable moment: After being tormented by the teeny tiny birds, our big blue hero enjoys a good laugh after his miniature nemeses fall to the ground stripped of their feathers.
Pixar’s first short remains one of its best, as Luxo Jr. tells the irresistibly simple story of two desk lamps – they’re parent and child, presumably – that encounter a small inflatable ball. Though it’s more than 20 years old, Luxo Jr. boasts animation that holds up surprisingly well today and it’s certainly not difficult to see why the film would have been considered groundbreaking back in 1986. The movie also established Pixar’s penchant for blending laughs with heart, as the relationship between the two lamps is surprisingly relatable (who hasn’t want to shake their head at something destructive a child has done?)
Memorable moment: The little lamp looks genuinely disappointed after it deflates the ball. Not bad considering it’s a lamp.
Pixar’s ability to create fully-rounded out characters in the space of just a few minutes has never been more evident than in Partly Cloudy, as the five-minute short boasts a pair of nameless protagonists that become as compelling and loveable as any within the studio’s feature-film body of work. The film – set high in the skies, where clouds are hard at work creating cute little animals – follows one especially unlucky cloud as it’s forced to assemble intimidating animals like crocodiles and porcupines, which is quite troublesome for the stork assigned to deliver these creations to Earth.
Memorable moment: It’s hard not to feel a little twinge of emotion at the stork’s impressive gesture of friendship towards the cloud at the film's end.
Perhaps the most mature of Pixar’s shorts, Geri’s Game follows an elderly man as he plays a game of chess by himself in a public park (which he accomplishes by changing seats with every move). Though it only features one character, Geri’s Game is consistently entertaining and surprisingly engrossing – as the filmmakers manage to turn a solo game of chess into a suspenseful battle of wills between the competitive psyches within one very quirky senior citizen.
Memorable moment: Geri finally gets the upper hand on himself by faking a heart attack and, in the ensuing confusion, turning the board around to favor himself.
We should be clear, however, that we’re not counting the shorts that periodically pop up on home video releases. (If that were the case, Dug’s Special Mission, included on the Up DVD and Blu-ray, would easily top this list.)
1. 'Presto' (2008)
Though it doesn’t feature a word of dialogue, Presto remains the crowning achievement of Pixar’s short-film output – as the movie tells a simple yet engrossing story that grows more and more frenetic (and entertaining) as it unfolds. The film, which follows a sophisticated magician as he’s consistently one-upped by his rabbit during a big show, features a seriously impressive visual style that marries Pixar’s technological advances with a decidedly old-school feel, with the emphasis on progressively over-the-top instances of comedy reminiscent of the Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse cartoons we all grew up with.
Memorable moment: You’ve got to love the magician’s annoyed reaction as he first realizes that his rabbit has gotten the upper hand.
2. 'For the Birds' (2000)
Without a doubt Pixar Animation’s most unabashedly adorable effort, For the Birds details the chaos that ensues after an oversized and thoroughly awkward feathered creature attempts to make friends with an irate flock of smaller birds. For the Birds, an Oscar winner for Best Short Film, features a much more overtly cartoonish style than Pixar is generally associated with, yet the animation immediately proves to be a perfect match for the simple, downright universal story.
Memorable moment: After being tormented by the teeny tiny birds, our big blue hero enjoys a good laugh after his miniature nemeses fall to the ground stripped of their feathers.
3. 'Luxo Jr.' (1986)
Pixar’s first short remains one of its best, as Luxo Jr. tells the irresistibly simple story of two desk lamps – they’re parent and child, presumably – that encounter a small inflatable ball. Though it’s more than 20 years old, Luxo Jr. boasts animation that holds up surprisingly well today and it’s certainly not difficult to see why the film would have been considered groundbreaking back in 1986. The movie also established Pixar’s penchant for blending laughs with heart, as the relationship between the two lamps is surprisingly relatable (who hasn’t want to shake their head at something destructive a child has done?)
Memorable moment: The little lamp looks genuinely disappointed after it deflates the ball. Not bad considering it’s a lamp.
4. 'Partly Cloudy' (2009)
Pixar’s ability to create fully-rounded out characters in the space of just a few minutes has never been more evident than in Partly Cloudy, as the five-minute short boasts a pair of nameless protagonists that become as compelling and loveable as any within the studio’s feature-film body of work. The film – set high in the skies, where clouds are hard at work creating cute little animals – follows one especially unlucky cloud as it’s forced to assemble intimidating animals like crocodiles and porcupines, which is quite troublesome for the stork assigned to deliver these creations to Earth.
Memorable moment: It’s hard not to feel a little twinge of emotion at the stork’s impressive gesture of friendship towards the cloud at the film's end.
5. 'Geri’s Game' (1997)
Perhaps the most mature of Pixar’s shorts, Geri’s Game follows an elderly man as he plays a game of chess by himself in a public park (which he accomplishes by changing seats with every move). Though it only features one character, Geri’s Game is consistently entertaining and surprisingly engrossing – as the filmmakers manage to turn a solo game of chess into a suspenseful battle of wills between the competitive psyches within one very quirky senior citizen.
Memorable moment: Geri finally gets the upper hand on himself by faking a heart attack and, in the ensuing confusion, turning the board around to favor himself.
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