1. The Pixar Story
Interviewees: John Lasseter, Steve Jobs, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, George Lucas
The Verdict: Pixar almost didn’t have a friend in Woody. The most revealing anecdotes in Leslie Iwerks’ terrific celebration of all things Pixar -- a film festival favorite now bundled with WALL-E/Toy Story “edgy,” per Pixar founding member and current Mouse House CCO John Lasseter. Had Pixar not reworked its inaugural full-length feature for family audiences, and made a smart-alecky Woody more affable, it’s likely computer animation wouldn’t have become the way of the future so quickly. The irony isn’t lost on Lasseter that Pixar’s rapid success practically killed hand-drawn animation at Disney. But Lasseter makes clear in this spirited documentary that he intends to revive the art form that put Disney on the map. If Lasseter can take Pixar to infinity and beyond, then surely he can also recapture Disney’s past glories.
Stars: 5 out of 5
LAST MONTH’S DIRECT-TO-DVD: Sequels, sequels, sequels!