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I can't think of any original Pixar stories that were "not good at all". Brave is probably the only one I might put close to that category. Which ones would you

I can't think of any original Pixar stories that were "not good at all". Brave is probably the only one I might put close to that category. Which ones would you include? Edit: Added "original"; some of the sequels are not great

mkl 6y ago
I also think most of their originals are good. I thought The Good Dinosaur was awful though, and can't understand how it could have come out of this kind of long process of iterative refinement.
- RobertKerans 6y ago
  Maybe studio just got caught up in it, lost objectivity? Or they just hit a point of no return and hey, it's a Pixar film, it's not going to lose money even if it's very average, is just a possible hit to reputation. It's just not a great subject or story, but I bet the initial tests they did for it looked fantastic. Everyone loves dinosaurs, right? And story is dead simple to understand (too simple? There's nothing there imo), so probably an easy sell at first. Once committed, past a certain point just need to finish it because sunk cost, can iterate and refine a turd forever and it'll still be a turd.
- rocmcd 6y ago
  I don't think The Good Dinosaur was a very good "children's movie" in the typical sense, but I'd recommend taking a second look at it if you haven't recently. I watched it again after seeing it when it first came out, and I found it to be a pretty good movie - even if it doesn't fit the typical kids movie mold. It's ironic because The Good Dinosaur would be a good example of them taking a bet on a somewhat unique vision (a dinosaur spaghetti western?) with a more mature outlook, and then getting shit on by reviewers because it wasn't as funny or charming as Inside Out.
samzer 6y ago
I guess it's subjective. I found brave quite decent and there were some moving moments. Worst for me would be Cars 2 and in the context of general films, it's still okay.
- jedimastert 6y ago
  > Worst for me would be Cars 2 TBH I keep forgetting that movie exists. It was such a weird moment for them.
  - kop316 6y ago
    I may have to rewatch it, but I recall that movie being fairly entertaining, even as an adult. I also will say I went to watch it without having seen the original Cars, so perhaps I really had no expectations for the film (other than it was a Pixar film)?
    - jedimastert 6y ago
      I've not had any interest in it, so I haven't really say through it. The weird thing is that Cars has this emotional center around facades and regret and abandonment and the differences between the journey and the destination and it's this beautiful look into a town that got bypassed. And more to the point it has this emotional weight that was still really accessible to a young me that a lot of other kids studios didn't really trust kids with (except for like Miyazaki films and stuff). And then Cars 2 was a mistaken-identity spy movie a la Johnny English or Get Smart. I don't doubt it was an entertaining movie or something, but it felt so outside the Pixar brand, like something Disney or Dreamworks or any other studio would make. It was also the first sequel outside of the Toy Story series, from a studio that somewhat famously refused to do sequels if the world didn't have more story to tell. Like I said, it was just such a weird departure to do seemingly do a sequel just because the world was popular enough.
      - kop316 6y ago
        > but it felt so outside the Pixar brand, like something Disney or Dreamworks or any other studio would make. Maybe that's why they wanted to do it, to try something different? I have always found the Pixar Shorts to be some of their best story telling. They don't have a lot of time, and don't seem to be afraid of trying new ways to tell a story, or a different type of story.
ekianjo 6y ago
Toy Story has been on a very slid downhill after the second episode. 3 and 4 were both unnecessary and not very good. The same can be said for the Cars sequels, and the more recent Pixar productions in general - they had much better ideas in the very first years.
- EricE 6y ago
  Look at Pixar before and after John Lasseter.

mkl 6y ago

I also think most of their originals are good. I thought The Good Dinosaur was awful though, and can't understand how it could have come out of this kind of long process of iterative refinement.

RobertKerans 6y ago
Maybe studio just got caught up in it, lost objectivity? Or they just hit a point of no return and hey, it's a Pixar film, it's not going to lose money even if it's very average, is just a possible hit to reputation. It's just not a great subject or story, but I bet the initial tests they did for it looked fantastic. Everyone loves dinosaurs, right? And story is dead simple to understand (too simple? There's nothing there imo), so probably an easy sell at first. Once committed, past a certain point just need to finish it because sunk cost, can iterate and refine a turd forever and it'll still be a turd.
rocmcd 6y ago
I don't think The Good Dinosaur was a very good "children's movie" in the typical sense, but I'd recommend taking a second look at it if you haven't recently. I watched it again after seeing it when it first came out, and I found it to be a pretty good movie - even if it doesn't fit the typical kids movie mold. It's ironic because The Good Dinosaur would be a good example of them taking a bet on a somewhat unique vision (a dinosaur spaghetti western?) with a more mature outlook, and then getting shit on by reviewers because it wasn't as funny or charming as Inside Out.

samzer 6y ago

I guess it's subjective. I found brave quite decent and there were some moving moments. Worst for me would be Cars 2 and in the context of general films, it's still okay.

jedimastert 6y ago
> Worst for me would be Cars 2 TBH I keep forgetting that movie exists. It was such a weird moment for them.
- kop316 6y ago
  I may have to rewatch it, but I recall that movie being fairly entertaining, even as an adult. I also will say I went to watch it without having seen the original Cars, so perhaps I really had no expectations for the film (other than it was a Pixar film)?
  - jedimastert 6y ago
    I've not had any interest in it, so I haven't really say through it. The weird thing is that Cars has this emotional center around facades and regret and abandonment and the differences between the journey and the destination and it's this beautiful look into a town that got bypassed. And more to the point it has this emotional weight that was still really accessible to a young me that a lot of other kids studios didn't really trust kids with (except for like Miyazaki films and stuff). And then Cars 2 was a mistaken-identity spy movie a la Johnny English or Get Smart. I don't doubt it was an entertaining movie or something, but it felt so outside the Pixar brand, like something Disney or Dreamworks or any other studio would make. It was also the first sequel outside of the Toy Story series, from a studio that somewhat famously refused to do sequels if the world didn't have more story to tell. Like I said, it was just such a weird departure to do seemingly do a sequel just because the world was popular enough.
    - kop316 6y ago
      > but it felt so outside the Pixar brand, like something Disney or Dreamworks or any other studio would make. Maybe that's why they wanted to do it, to try something different? I have always found the Pixar Shorts to be some of their best story telling. They don't have a lot of time, and don't seem to be afraid of trying new ways to tell a story, or a different type of story.

ekianjo 6y ago

Toy Story has been on a very slid downhill after the second episode. 3 and 4 were both unnecessary and not very good. The same can be said for the Cars sequels, and the more recent Pixar productions in general - they had much better ideas in the very first years.

EricE 6y ago
Look at Pixar before and after John Lasseter.