A new Pixar feature. But one that is going to streaming.
While any new Pixar film should be seen as an event. Knowing that it was being released via streaming had me worried as that usually means that the studio don't believe that the box office will be enough for it to be a financial success.
This is quite surprising considering the studio that this is coming from. We all know what to expect with Pixar. They have given some of the most amazing animation films of all-time and if there was a Mount Rushmore of animation studios, Pixar would be right there.
I may not have seen the trailers. But I had seen enough of the marketing that suggested that this could be aimed more at younger kids. Much like the Cars franchise.
This new release is a change of pace and tone for Pixar. For a start I was surprised at the amount of fourth-wall breaking in this. But as I got used to it, it felt like a somewhat welcome change. I liked how it flirts towards being an anime in relation to certain animation styles and techniques used in certain sequences as well as character behaviours.
There is a strong metaphor for adolescence and trying to accept change in this story. These are themes that have become more regular in Disney and Pixar's releases. It actually felt similar to Encanto. When comparing the two, I felt this felt more grounded and compelling despite it taking more risks.
The characters are likable and very realistic and less cliched. The story has a nice flow and energy and the progress of Pixar's animation continues to amaze me.
The final act does get a bit crazy, chaotic and borderline silly despite it still helping the central theme. But it held together in the end.
The voice work was tip-top as usual. It has a nice mix of youth and experience. Rosalie Chiang in the lead did a great job and shows great potential for future projects. In fact, all the young voice actors showcased their talents really well and deserve all the plaudits. Plus, having to bounce off Sandra Oh in many scenes I think helped as you could feel her experience being key to a lot of other performances.
I will say though that it does get caught up in its themes a bit too much and forgets about the story. It's not subtle in its what its saying and puts them front and centre into its story. While I feel their execution was perfectly fine to make it work for a main-stream audience, I felt it prioritised that rather the development of its story and characters.
I must mention that it is set in the early 2000's, which was very interesting. It's an odd choice as I don't think it made a big difference except for some uses of technology. The only reason I can think is that it is to mirror the childhood era of the director.
I rather enjoyed this in the end. It sends a great message with a solid story with lots of very likable characters and amazing animation with multiple styles coming into play.
While I may not tug at the heart strings and be an instant classic like say a Toy Story or a Wall.e, this is still an enjoyable watch that has solid re-watchability.
I think this will do well with audiences, both young and old. It has universal themes that is instantly relatable for everyone no matter what age you are.
It's an odd choice from the studio for a film like this to go to streaming rather than the cinema. I think it was a bit of a short-sighted choice made by them. I hope this doesn't become the norm. This felt cinematic and it is a shame that we won't see this on the big screen. Particularly as we won't get to see one of Pixar's latest short animations.
I must mention that there is a post-credit scene. It's not long. But it will get a chuckle out of you.
Rating: 7/10
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