One of the best children’s movies of all time. 
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Friday, May 12, 2023
Finding Dory (2016)
Like many of the Pixar sequels, I saw this movie once in the theater when it first came out and that was it. I remember thinking it was cute, but forgettable.
This time watching it, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Highlights:
- Baby Dory is the cutest thing ever. It honestly elevates the movie at least a half star all by itself.
- When talking about the undertow, Dory’s dad sort of explains how Dory is able to survive the rest of her life – instinct
- I loved the Stingray shanty in light of the shanty trend that happened a few years later on TikTok
- The origin story of Just Keep Swimming was cute
- Like Finding Nemo, there isn’t really a true villain in this story – there are just a series of obstacles that the protagonists have to overcome. There are pros and cons to this, but it made it feel a little repetitive to Nemo.
- I like how the shells popped up as a recurring plot device
- The (false) farewell to Hank where Dory tells him “I think I’m gonna remember you” tugged at those heartstrings
- Hank has probably the best arc of any character in the film – he goes from selfish and hyperfocused on his own escape to being sincerely invested in Dory’s successful search
- There is some great humor from the side characters, including Phil Dunphy (Ok, Bailey the Beluga Whale) and the whale shark Destiny. My favorite little tidbit is when Hank says, “holy carp!”
- Thomas Newman returned to do the score, which is great. He didn’t phone it in.
- The only thing I didn’t like about the movie was the “jump the shark” ending. It was just a little too much.
- If you stick around past the credits you can see all our friends from the dentist’s office aquarium in the first movie.
Overall as I said, I liked this movie better than I thought I would. It was great to see Dory’s memory progress as she found purpose and anchored the events occurring around her to long-term memories and relationships. It was a remarkably tender story of friendship, love, family, and helping others. It’s not one of the greatest Pixar films, but it stands out from most of the other sequels as really justifying its own existence.
Four stars.
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Updated rankings:
I bet if I did this again next year I would put these in a completely different order. 
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This is true.
Especially when you have kids, in a range of ages and personalities/preferences.
Kids inform your growth amazingly.
Note: not “your” meaning you specifically. It’s meant as a you in a general sense.
Another note: besides English needing a singular you separate from a plural you, I personally would love a non-specific you. A gen-pop you. I might stay out of trouble more.
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I’ve barely seen Finding Dory.
First time we watched it, it traumatised DS.
He has a real tender spot for anything relating to lost children. I’m honestly not sure why. He’s never been lost 
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Then you may want to preview GOTG3 alone first.
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Oh ok, thanks 
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Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Cars 3 (2017)
My recollection of Cars 3 before rewatching was that I liked it better than Cars 2 but that it was fairly forgettable. I remember liking the character Cruz Ramirez. Overall my opinion of it increased this time. Highlights:
- Jackson Storm was such a loathsome character. I looked it up and he was played by Armie Hammer, who I used to like but with all the allegations against him it’s probably appropriate for him to be a villain.
- There were a lot of improvements in the animation since Cars and there are some pretty cool shots, but I still felt there was more care with setting up the “camera” in Cars.
- The running gag about medicated bumper ointment tickled me. Another attempt at winking at the adults was the line, “Life’s a beach and then you drive.”
- Seeing snow in Radiator Springs was beautiful. Living in Arizona, it is something we see from time to time in the higher elevations. The contrast of white snow and the red rock can be magical.
- Sterling, while not as bad as Jackson Storm, was slimy and unlikeable (as intended).
- Seeing all the Lightning McQueen merch was a little bit of a 4th wall break
- There was a lot less Mater in this movie than in 2, but he still had a few longer scenes. The original Cars had the right amount of Mater.
- The storyline of Cars 3 is more in line with Cars: a back-to-roots road trip. (As I mentioned up thread, Cars 2 was really a spy thriller.) This made Cars 3 fit more into what I think a Cars movie should be.
- The emotional climax of the movie for me was when Smokey tells Lightning McQueen, “Racing wasn’t the best part of Hud’s life – you were.”
- McQueen says, “it never occurred to me that I could fail.” That’s the secret to success for a lot of people – their absolute brash self-conceit. It can actually take you far – but only so far.
- Randy Newman returned for the score.
It struck me on this rewatch that Cars 3 is about becoming a parent (or a coach, a mentor, or whatever you relate to), in a sense. All of us start our life focusing on ourselves and doing something: school, career, relationships, etc. Then at some point most of us turn outward and rear the next generation, whether that’s at home, at the office, at a school, or wherever we find fulfillment.
No racer will be the best forever. That’s a fact of life. No technology will always be the best. As Yoda told Luke in The Last Jedi, “We are what they grow beyond. That is the burden of all masters.”
Understanding this context made the ending of the movie jive with me more on this watchthrough. The first time I watched it, I was completely caught off guard with McQueen quitting the race. But now knowing the ending, I was able to see how the storytelling led to that moment, and why it makes sense.
That sentiment was driven home when my kids all cheered louder than they have for any movie so far when Cruz won the race. Afterward, my DD4 said she “really” (x12) “liked it … especially when she started racing.” 
It’s a tough call, but I think I have to give this one 4 stars.
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Thursday, May 18, 2023
Coco (2017)
If you had asked me before I started this rewatch what my favorite Pixar movie was, I would have said Coco. Did it live up to my previously set expectations? Let’s find out. Highlights:
- The score for this film is by Michael Giacchino.
- The song Remember Me was written by Frozen’s Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez. They also wrote other songs that were ultimately not used (it originally was going to be a full-fledged musical the way Encanto ended up being.
- The additional Latin folk-type songs were written by Germaine Franco and co-director Adrian Molina.
- All four of these composers / songwriters are essential to the feel of this movie and it comes out of the oven perfectly baked!
- Mama Coco reminds me of my paternal grandmother. She spent most of her time sitting in the corner of the living room, waiting to die. She was convinced she was on her death bead as long as I can remember, but she only died when I was in my 20s. I assume most people associate Coco with one of their elderly / deceased relatives.
- What sold this movie for me was the scene with the score track called “Much Needed Advice,” where Miguel retreats to the attic to play his guitar with help from Ernesto de La Cruz. (See this video around the 1:00-1:20 mark.) The animators did an incredible job capturing Miguel’s love and passion for music in his face.
- It’s interesting that, like Miguel, we are introduced with a deified Ernesto de La Cruz. Then slowly throughout the film, the real de La Cruz is revealed, so we get to live through it the way the protagonist does.
- The Mexican / Hispanic culture is inextricable from the movie. I don’t have direct Hispanic links but having lived in the Southwest most of my life, it’s a familiar tone that I enjoyed getting to know more of.
- There are some great humor beats, like when Abuelita says, “Now go get my shoe!”
Also Dante is a hilarious sidekick. - The Land of the Dead is a beautiful design, including the petal bridge, the colorful buildings, the Alebrije, etc.
- The song Juanita, while funny, is also a tender moment where the film delves into the very serious topic of what happens when we die. The film comes up with a very clever way to treat the subject matter seriously enough without getting macabre.
- The story of de La Cruz teaches that celebrity, though enticing, is fleeting, and that family / friend relationships are much stronger.
- One of my favorite songs from the movie is The World Es Mi Familia," which doesn’t get a full rendition unfortunately. But it was used to great effect in Harmonious (the Coco section was one of my favorite parts.)
- Another theme is following your passion vs. fulfilling family obligations. Clearly the film honors Miguel’s interest in music and scolds his family for holding him back. It seems to draw the line at allowing your ambitions to get the best of you, as the extreme case of de La Cruz demonstrates.
- I like how they make it clear that forgiveness is not automatic for Mama Imelda, though it does seem to come with time.
- The scene where Miguel sings Remember Me to Mama Coco has me bawling every time. This is not just weepiness but free flowing tears. Few movies move me the way this one does.
- At the end of the credits, there is a dedication, “To the people across time who supported us,” with photos submitted by the cast and crew of their inspirations.
So where does this leave us? Perfect music, beautiful story, relatable character, profound life principles, and an important message delivered with a punch?
Five stars.
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Updated:
I feel pretty good about my top 3. Whether I got the order right is up for further reflection.
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The Land Before Time deeply traumatized me as a child of the late 80s/early 90s.
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You definitely got this one right. It’s by far my favourite Pixar film, I love it!
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Coco is up there for me too! The animation and story are just beautiful.
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Cars 3 is huge with my grand nephews and nieces. My littles nephew watches it on repeat whenever he can.
Coco is amazing. I approve of this one at 5 stars. It belongs at the top. I love it when a Coco song comes on during fireworks at DLR and the whole crowd starts singing!
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Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Incredibles 2 (2018)
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really looking forward to rewatching this one. I liked it just fine the first time, but it didn’t strike me as one I’d want to rewatch again and again. It was a little better than I expected. Highlights:
- The film picks up immediately after Incredibles, even replaying a couple of key moments with the Underminer (played by John Ratzenberger)
- Craig T. Nelson’s voice has lost a lot of its luster. Not sure if there is a story behind that besides him just getting old, but it is noticeably raspy / breathy.
- There are a lot of similarities with Cars 2 and 3, particularly:
- Fast-paced thriller plot like Cars 2
- The slick salesman comes in to rework their image like in Cars 3
- Michael Giacchino returned to do the score, and it is very good, but I haven’t analyzed what was new vs. rehash
- The basic structure of Elastigirl going out to be the breadwinner while Mr. Incredible stayed home as Mr. Mom was an interesting turn from the original, although it left Mr. Incredible less to do than Elastigirl had in the first one.
- Jack Jack’s powers were the main comedy relief, and there were some very guffaw-worth moments, especially the interactions with Edna Mode
- Poor Violet couldn’t catch a break. I felt vicariously awkward for her the whole movie. But it did have a satisfying resolution.
- I loved Dash’s line, “Is she having adolescence?”
- The plot and villain were quite complex for a kids’ movie, which on the one hand made it interesting for the adults. But I wasn’t completely sold on it.
I liked the movie. It was well made, exciting, attention-grabbing, and there was a role for everyone. It explored a couple of interesting themes, like the difficulty of being a working parent (or even a stay-at-home parent), and whether it’s better to have influence or visibility.
But there wasn’t really an emotional core. There wasn’t a lot of growth from the main characters – just obstacles to overcome. That causes a serious deduction of points in my book. I consider it in the same vein as Cars 2, but with a better, more engaging plot. A fun movie that doesn’t move me can’t get a top score.
3.5 stars.
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Thursday, May 25, 2023
Toy Story 4 (2019)
This movie came out in 2019, the last one in the golden era before the pandemic (the next film was released the weekend before the shutdowns began – I’ll discuss that next time. 
) That seems like a lifetime ago in some ways, but also perpetually feels like last year.
Highlights:
- The beginning scene with the flashback to Bo leaving was a good way to get a glimpse at the redesigned young Andy in the glory days, and then slowly fast forward through the years to the tune of You’ve Got a Friend in Me.
- I was impressed that they were able to get a voice that matched the original Andy so well.
- I assume Forky is pretty divisive. I think he’s the highlight of the film, and if you hate him, you probably hate the film. I have mixed feelings.
- The Forky shtick in the first 1/3rd of the film where he keeps trying to throw himself away goes on sooooo long and it really got on my nerves. That’s probably intentional, but it’s a questionable choice.
- In smaller doses, I find Forky very funny. He has some great lines. He is even endearing at times.
- OMFG the creepy ventriloquist dolls. I can’t even.
- Gabby Gabby was quite a shrewd villain. Unlike Lotso from TS3, it was clear she was bad pretty much from the start. But unlike him, she gets a bit of redemption (and accepts it) at the end. And I appreciate a happy ending. But she did some pretty awful things along the way that are hard to forgive.
- Ducky and Bunny were hilarious. They got some belly laughs from my family.
- Keanu Reeves as Duke Kaboom was a nice addition.
- The love story between Woody and Bo was lovely. I think they did a pretty good job demonstrating the characteristics of each and why it was difficult for them to decide whether to stay together or move on.
Ultimately, I have a hard time with this movie because it ends rather abruptly with Woody being left behind from all his friends, staying just with Bo and his new friends. That’s a little sad. As much as they talk up loyalty to a child in this series, it seems that they have really been prioritizing loyalty to each other (which I actually think is more appropriate and less unsettling).
On the other hand, in real life we sometimes have to choose between two mutually exclusive options. In particular, choosing a life partner can mean giving up friends, particularly if the union requires moving far away from current friends. So it’s a true-to-life theme.
I finished Toy Story 4 feeling a lot like I did after Incredibles 2. I like the Toy Story characters and this was decently fun and funny adventure for them. But not a great one.
3.5 stars.
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Jack Jack and the racoons!! That’s really all I remember. The Jack Jack parts.
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Updated:
I’m debating changing some of the 3.5 stars to 3 since I’m getting a traffic jam in that area.
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My kids loved that part! Very funny.
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I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to watch Incredibles 2 all the way from start to finish because I made the mistake of taking my real-life (at the time) Jack-Jack to the theater (DS6 was just over a year).
Because it was Pixar I figured it would hold his attention. He just wanted to climb the stairs endlessly so halfway through the movie I took him out & missed almost all the Jack-Jack moments.
And then we’ve never done a family movie of Incredibles 2 on Disney+ even though the kids will turn it on every now & then. One of them went through a phase watching it over & over so I’m sure I’ve seen all parts of the movie, just not all at once in one sitting. As you know, movies are usually intended to be viewed. And I generally agree with you on it, I’m not too bothered I’ve not watched it all the way through but do enjoy bits & pieces of it that I catch when the kids put it on.
The part we all quote from this one all the time is:
“Did you wash your hands?”
“With soap?”
“Did you dry them?”
Every time one of the younger kids tries to wash their hands on their own without an adult or older sibling to supervise the process.
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