Pixar Short Films Collection - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
Directed by John Lasseter et al
Studio: Disney
Year: 1984-2007
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1, 1.78:1, 2.39:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 54 minutes
Rating: NR
Audio: PCM 2.0, 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, 5.1 English, French, Spanish
Subtitles: SDH, French, Spanish
MSRP: $34.99
Release Date: November 6, 2007
Review Date: November 11, 2007
The Film
4.5/5
The thirteen films that make up this collection of Pixar animation short subjects show the evolution of an industry. From the earliest attempts at providing a three dimensional look to animation using computer programming to the latest wizardry (there really is no other word for it), this baker’s dozen of shorts should not be missed.
Truthfully, only two are appearing on home video for the first time. The others can be found on various other Pixar releases over the past decade or so. Why buy this? Well, completists won’t think twice, and even fans of the Pixar style might want to have these wonderful shorts all in one place. There are also the invaluable commentaries (about which more later.)
Here’s the list of what’s contained on this first volume of Pixar short films:
The Adventures of André and Wally B. (1984), an experimental one joke minute and a half that must have seemed revolutionary in 1984. Even today, the fluorescent colors and the expanse of it (despite being in 4:3 ratio) are appealing.
Luxo Jr. (1986), the company’s first Oscar nomination came with the creation of the company’s now-logo, the architect’s lamp in senior and junior sizes playing with a ball. It runs 2 minutes.
Red’s Dream (1987), the company’s first foray into pathos as a red unicycle craves to be noticed and appreciated. The short runs 3½ minutes.
Tin Toy (1988), the company’s first Oscar win came with this comic adventure of a toy being pursued by a baby eager to play with it. The genesis of the Toy Story films, this short runs 5 minutes.
Knick Knack (1989), the company’s first 3-D effort where souvenirs take on lives of their own. Done in the style of a Chuck Jones short, the film runs 3½ minutes. Yes, this is the edited version of the short.
Geri’s Game (1998), the company’s second Oscar-winning short involves an elderly man playing chess with himself. The 5-minute short which took 1½ years to make looks especially wonderful on this Blu-ray release.
For the Birds (2001), another Oscar win for the company is this brief 2½ minute slapstick look at some cliquish birds getting their comeuppance.
Mike‘s New Car (2002), produced for inclusion on the Monsters Inc. DVD finds the two lead characters from the film trying to manipulate the controls of a car. This 4:3 short runs 3½ minutes. Seeing this will make you long for the Blu-ray version of Monsters, Inc.
Boundin’ (2004), a country musical song and dance short featuring a sheep who gets sheared much to his surprise. It runs 4½ minutes.
Jack-Jack Attack (2005), a 4½ minute riff on the Jack-Jack character from The Incredibles.
One Man Band (2006), a 4½ minute delight as two street musicians vie for money from a passing child. Another short similar in tone to Chuck Jones’ work with a very impressive soundtrack score.
Mater and the Ghostlight (2006), a continuation of the characters from Cars as tow truck Mater falls victim to a spooky tale told by his friends in payback for his practical jokes on them. It runs 7 minutes.
Lifted (2007), a hilarious driver’s ed lesson featuring aliens on Earth comes straight from the theatrical run of Ratatouille and runs 5 minutes.
Video Quality
5/5
All of the shorts whether in 1.33:1, 1.78:1, or 2.39:1 are presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. They all feature bold colors, solid line structures, and superb animation for the period in which they were done. All of them look markedly superior to the down converted SD-DVD versions (and those look wonderful), but Blu-ray suits Geri’s Game with its burnished look and incredible detail especially well. The made-in-3-D Knick Knack also benefits from the increased resolution as the colors are smoothly and strikingly represented, and the characters really take on great dimensionality. The astounding number of feathers and the scratches in the beaks of the chirpers in For the Birds show up much more spectacularly in this release. The short films all look pristine (which some don’t do in the accompanying featurette), and while the colors may bloom just a mite in The Adventures of André and Wally B., it’s not a real problem.
Audio Quality
4/5
The PCM (48 kHz/24 bit) 2.0 and 5.1 tracks and the Dolby Surround and Dolby Digital 5.1 EX tracks all sound just fine. Sound recording has come a long way since the earliest films were made, but these audio tracks all range from good to great. True, some don’t make full use of the available channels at their command, but just experiencing the superb sound design for Lifted (by Gary Rydstrom) that rattles the room is awe-inspiring.
Special Features
2.5/5
With the exception of Jack-Jack Attack, all of the shorts contain some form of audio commentary. Almost all provide excellent information about the creation of the short under discussion except Mike’s New Car which places two very young children of the movie’s directors in the sound booth to ramble on about short subjects and DVDs.
“The Pixar Shorts: A Short History” gives wonderful background on the creation of Pixar and its struggles to make a product that was at the time completely unique to the industry. This 1080p documentary runs 23 minutes. Surprisingly, these men admirably are all about the work never crowing about the deserved accolades that have come their way.
Four very brief Sesame Street instructive lessons running only a total of 2½ minutes use the Pixar logo lamps to teach very young children about terms such as “up-down,” “surprise,” and “front-back.” They’re presented in 480i which after all the high definition which precedes these bits makes them look incredibly dated and washed out.
In Conclusion
4.5/5 (not an average)
The Pixar name has achieved a stamp of quality that other studios can only fantasize about. These thirteen shorts show us where it all started and contain some footage and commentaries that can’t be found anywhere else. Animation fans will certainly want to check out this release, and the Blu-ray disc shows these excellent films in their best light.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
