Pixar are known for the biggest and most successful animation movies with many of them now household names such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. Pixar Animation Studios were initially founded by Lucafilms before being acquired by Apple in 1986 and then in Disney in 2006. Below is an infographic looking closer at their history and performance of their best movies.
Enjoy this great Infographic from our friends at Infographiclabs
Neil Patrick Harris in Smurfs movie
Neil Patrick Harris is taking advantage of his growing star appeal. The versatile actor just recently finished a successful stint as host of the Emmys and the Tonys and now he’s just accepted a new movie.
Harris is going to star in the Smurfs movie. This Smurfs movie is reportedly going to be a mix of both live action and animation. This means Harris is not just going to be voicing one of the Smurfs. He is reported to be playing the lead live action character.
Filming for the movie will commence this coming April, which will coincide with the end of the filming for Harris’ hit CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.” The movie is expected to be released on July 29, 2011. Raja Gosnell will be directing the movie.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
No, no, no, no, no.
That’s all we can say about “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.” The first movie was cute, given that it was for kids. And in a way, as annoying as that already was, it had kind of train-wreck charm about it. You had to watch it, and the hollywood numbers did show that it was successful at the box office.
But they should have quit while they were ahead.
The sequel starts after the chipmunks’ manager/guardian, Dave Seville (Jason Lee), gets into some weird accident and ends up in the hospital — where he stays for the whole movie. His assistant Toby (Zachary Levi) takes over. Or tries to. He’s just not ready to handle the rigors of raising Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they go through high school. (Most parents aren’t.)
To complicate things are the all-female singing chipmunk trio, the Chipettes. So it’s the battle of the rock rats — oh, excuse us, rock bands.
So what don’t we like about this movie? Bad acting, lame plot, no lovable character to root for (the Chipmunks have lost their novelty by now). Plus, considering the possibilities of having two chipmunk groups who can dance and sing, the movie fails at delivering catchy songs or interesting choreography. We’ve seen better sequences on Barney videos.
Of course, the kids will want to see this, and parents will dutifully take them. The movie producers are lucky that their prime audience (namely five-year-olds) are ridiculously easy to please. But to the adults who are condemned to take them, we send our condolences. Well, at least it’s fun to Munk Yourself.
The Princess and the Frog
It’s a holiday tradition. Come Christmas time, Hollywood rolls out the feel-good family movie to take advantage of the “mommy crowd” eager to spend big money on a movie date and the corresponding merchandising. This year, it’s Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
But this is no dainty princess: Tiana has dreams of her own — she’s not waiting for anyone to sweep her off her feet. Girls will like the spunky heroine, and possibly the songs. Because, oh, there are many songs. Disney went overboard with the soundtrack, which kind of slows down the story, though the variety is applaudable. Influences run from gospel to Broadway, though it’s not of the same caliber (in terms of catchiness) as Little Mermaid or Aladdin. The plot pacing is also a bit off: too much happens, too soon. Pity, because the characters are interesting. It’s cool how Disney has modernized the traditional princess, in response to a new generation of young girls who need more than a handsome prince to find a “happily ever after.”
Dr. Facilier is a cool villain and the voodoo world taps from the rich New Orleans culture. We only wish there were more of the Evil Doc. Unlike other Disney bad guys like Jafar or Mufasa, who hold their own against the hero, he doesn’t quite get the adequate air time.
The animation won’t win any awards for special effects: it’s classic 90’s Disney, and marks the studio’s nostalgic return to 2D animation — and the foolproof formula of a lovable heroine + a catchy song.
Alice in Wonderland Trailer Truly “Awe-full”
A land full of wonder, mystery, and danger…
It’s Alice in Wonderland and the trailer is here! The trailer captures the “Alice in Wonderland” we all read as a youngster so perfectly that it leave me with the very same feelings I felt then – awe with a tinge of fear. Ok so I felt more than just a tinge of fear when I was little (Read my post Alice in Wonderland’s Wondrous Pictures) but the good thing about the trailer is that at least it inspires more wonderment than fear. No need for me to keep on going because you can watch the video below.
If you haven’t seen “Alice in Wonderland’s” trailer yet I wonder what your waiting for?
Excited? Then better start preparing for that all important date because we’ve got plenty of waiting time. Alice in Wonderland won’t be out till March next year.