By John Schindele
The podcast currently has 12 episodes available.
This week we're reviewing Up, Pixar's tenth movie. It is a movie about a grumpy old man who wants to give one last gift to his wife but instead finds a grandson, a talking dog, and more adventure than he signed up for. While this movie is a love story, it's also a crazy adventure story, and somehow Pixar manages to blend those themes so seamlessly that it works really well, aside from sometimes feeling two separate movies, Even so, this move does have some really good ideas that it puts out there, and I think it would be a great one to share with children of any age, but especially the older ones who will be able to grapple with ideas like grief and regret a bit better than the youngest of viewers.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
After watching this movie I think would be appropriate for most ages, though it still is a bit too much for my youngest. With that being said though, it really does seem to be geared to the older kids, and for them it would be a great one to share as it has so many jumping off points for great conversations. I realize I said that WALL•E might be the most timeless Pixar movie, but Up gives it a run for its money. If you haven't watched it yet, check it out.
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This week we're reviewing WALL•E, Pixar's ninth movie. It is a movie about a janitor robot who just wants to find some love. He's cleaning up earth after the humans left on a giant spaceship, and he's been at it for the last 700 years or so. Then a ship lands and launches another robot, EVE, who has been sent to find signs of life, which she ends up doing. Well, WALL-E falls desparately in love with her, but she doesn't reciprocate, and the rest of the movie is him chasing her and doing what needs to be done. Hilarity ensues, many robot noises are made, and the humans find out what living is all about. While there aren't many speaking parts in this movie, there are great ideas that it portrays, and it is as visually stunning and enjoyable as any other movie I think I've ever watched.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
After sharing this movie with my own children (after we recorded the episode though), I think it is quite appropriate for all ages, within reason and parental supervision of course, as its visual style makes it appealing and accessible for even the youngest viewers. Truly this might be Pixar's most timeless movie so far, and I think the story it tells and the ideas it imparts are as valuable as any other children's movie I've ever watched.
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This week we're reviewing Ratatouille, Pixar's eighth movie. It is a movie about a rat who wants to cook and learns that he can control a young man by pulling on his hair just so. They create some great food, make some enemies, a restaurant, scare some patrons and generally have a good time. This movie is riddled with good ideas and does an amazing job at portraying them in ways that are quite organic and easy to pick up.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
While not directed towards younger kids like some of the other Pixar movies, Ratatouille is a great movie in it's own rights and will entertain the whole family while helping instill good ideas to those who think about it a bit.
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This week we're reviewing Cars, Pixar's seventh movie. This movie is another of their straightforward movies, and like a lot of the rest, this one does not disappoint, It has some great ideas that it presents clearly for all to see, even the youngest in the family. It tells the story of how a race car discovers that there's more to life than just winning.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
Overall we decided that this movie is an outstanding movie for kids. I mean c'mon...it's about cars!
This week we're reviewing The Incredibles, Pixar's sixth movie, and one of our clear favorites. This movie seems to be a straightforward superhero movie, and for the most part it is. But it also has some strong themes and great ideas that it presents in an amazing set of packaging. It follows a family of super people just trying to make it through life as they deal with kids, job troubles, and a mid-life crisis or two.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
Overall we decided that this movie is an outstanding movie for kids, and it really provides a space to talk about some serious relationship issues in a safe and fun environment.
This week we're reviewing Soul, Pixar's twenty-third movie. It is hard to say what Soul is, a plunge into a mid-life crisis, a study in nihilism, or simply a story about a guy who figures out a bit of what is missing in his life. It follows Joe, a jazz musician who gets his dream gig and then goes on some remarkable spiritual adventures where he meets an ancient child, angers a cranky angelic accountant, and eventually answers all the questions of the universe...sort of. While surprisingly deep for a Pixar movie, and in spite of the amazing music and artistic flair, this one ended up disappointing as Joe seems to learn all the wrong lessons on his journey, and ends up at basically the same place he started the movie at, completely engrossed in his own story.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
After we dug into this move we decided that it isn't really a children's movie, it's more geared towards those of us who were kids when the original Pixar movies were released, as a lot of us are going through the same mid-life crisis that Joe is going through. The problem with this is that there are so many other movies that explore this idea better than Soul does, and in the end, I really just want to go watch those movies instead.
If you do share this movie with your kids, be prepared to discuss questions such as these:
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This week we're reviewing Finding Nemo, Pixar's fifth movie. Finding Nemo is a simple story about a fish who loses his son and needs to go find him. During his adventures he meets a forgetful fish, an old turtle, and a vegitarian shark. Not surprisingly for a Pixar movie, this one ends up delighting the senses, telling a comprehensive story, and ends up diving into some rather deep topics.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
After we dug into this move, and of course found Nemo, decided that this movie is an outstanding movie for kids, as it provides some very worthwile ideas, has memorable characters, and a truly approachable story.
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This week we're reviewing Monsters, Inc., Pixar's fourth movie. While at first glance this has a simple good guy / bad guy vibe, it ends up being rather deep with some fun corporate espionage (who would have thought those words would end up together?) Like most other Pixar movies the characters are very well written and the voice actors give them so much emotion that it is easy to fall in love with them and enjoy your time in their lives.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
Overall we decided that this movie is an outstanding movie for kids (so long as they can handle some monsters and jump scares), as it provides some very worthwile ideas, has true character growth, and strong bonds of friendship.
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This week we're reviewing A Bug's Life, Pixar's second movie. Unlike Pixar's first movie Toy Story, A Bug's Life is a very simple and straightforward story with very few twists and turns. The characters are all very relatable and well written, and even the big bad guy, Hopper, ends up being very well fleshed out with story appropriate justifications for their actions.
Some of the ideas that this move puts forward are these:
Overall we decided that this movie is an outstanding kids movie that puts forward great ideas, gives us wonderful protagonists to root for, and is just a fun movie to watch.
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This week we’re reviewing the movie Onward, so buckle up, make sure there are no unicorns around, and put it in O for Onward!
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The podcast currently has 12 episodes available.