Pixar movies are stories with emotion, adventure, heroes, relationships, energy, and humor. Disney and Pixar collaborate on producing animated family movies. But sometimes, Pixar shorts get overlooked as family movies by moviegoers. If you have ever seen a Pixar short, you know that much talent and creative craftsmanship went into making the film.
Pixar’s first short, The Adventures of Andre and Wall B., released in 1984, is a classic for any Pixar fan. The story involves two characters: a pesky bee and a character named Andre wearing a hat. The story first aired on the Disney Channel. Pixar co-founder John Lasseter developed the animation. He wanted to create something extraordinary for his son. The film encouraged the industry to pursue computer-generated movies. Today, Hollywood supports high-quality animated films.
“Luxo Jr.”
The next Pixar short, Luxo Jr., is the first film officially produced by Pixar, marking the studio’s official establishment.
The two-and-a-half-minute short film introduces Pixar’s icon, the hopping desk lamp. Luxo Jr. chases a small ball while Luxo, a large lamp, reacts to Luxo Jr.’s escapade of chasing and balancing on the ball.
Future Computer Animators
As the story goes, Ed Catmull and John Lasseter departed from Industrial. Light and Magic computer division to finish a short film for SIGGRAPH, an annual computer technology exhibition attended by thousands of industry professionals.
The future computer animators worked day and night. Their dedication proved fruitful despite the impossibility that Luxo Jr. failed as a finished film for SIGGRAPH.
As the audience watched the movie at the computer technology exhibition, they rose and applauded before the short ended. Animated films became a whole new fabric of the movie industry.
“Red’s Dream”
Red’s Dream is the following short film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter. It was released in 1987 and is the only brief that is not attached to one of the studio’s family feature films.
In the audio commentary, Lasseter talks about how Ed Catmull thought the Pixar staff could make a film using the Pixar Image Computer and the rendering software Chapreyes. Lasseter and the other team began developing a tale about a circus clown outshining his very own unicycle.
Animators Eben Ostby and William Reeves worked on their unique ideas. Ostby’s idea was to animate the bicycle, and Reeves developed a rainy night in a city. Finally, Lasseter and the two artists pooled their creative ideas, resulting in Red’s Dream.
“Pixar Shorts Volume One, Two, and Three”
The animation studio offers a DVD called Pixar Shorts Volume One. Each short is a work of art in its own right, and it’s definitely fun to watch with the whole family. Some of the movies mentioned in this article are available on DVD. Pixar released two more Volumes that are just as delightful.
“Toy Story”
Toy Story is Pixar’s signature movie. Woody and Buzz Lightyear go on adventures with Andy’s motley crew of toys.
Andy gave his toys away because he had grown up, and they belonged to Bonnie. She is as delightful and cute as a button.
Pixar proves that a studio can produce quality sequels without dulling our imagination or running out of quality material with four Toy Story movies.
“Incredibles”
Follow the career of Brad Bird, and you will see a brilliant filmmaker at work. He wrote and directed the Incredibles and Incredibles 2: Raising Son. His association with Pixar is longstanding and proves that Lasseter can hire top talent.
The storyline is innovative and unique. It is against the law for any superhero to practice their abilities. We follow a treacherous villain who devises a scheme to kill or trap superheroes from allying to protect society.
We have a family of superheroes, each with a specific superhero trait. The cleverness of Bird’s creativity lies in taking real-life situations and weaving them into the movie.
Incredibles 2 has the wife and mother going off to work while the father stays home caring for his infant son and angsty teenage daughter. With his grade-school son, he tries in vain to help him with Common Core math.
A typical family situation, plus his kids’ superpowers, makes the relationship more dynamic. Jack-Jack, his infant son, spontaneously goes invisible and turns into a ball of fire.
“Finding Nemo”
Andrew Stanton is another Pixar genius who brought us two box-office hits: Finding Nemo and Finding Dory, featuring the voices of Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres.
The movie follows an overprotective father, Marlin, a clownfish, whose son, Nemo, is captured from the Great Barrier Reef. He befriends another fish, Dory, a regal blue tang fish with short-term memory loss. Together, they search for his son and encounter all sorts of marine life when they arrive at Sydney Harbour. They save Nemo from an aquarium in a dentist’s office. The journey teaches Marlin to let his son take care of himself and live a little by taking risks. Just like many of Pixar’s movies, Finding Nemo won an Oscar for the best-animated feature film.
I remember Stanton talking about capturing the look and feel of the ocean water as a CGI image. Not yet mastered it until this movie came out.
A sequel followed, called Finding Dory, with an all-star cast of voices. Ellen DeGeneres returned to voice Dory, who is searching for her mother and father and contends with her short-term memory loss.
“Cars”
Based on a screenplay by Dan Fogelman and co-written and directed by John Lasseter, Cars is Pixar’s final independent movie before Disney purchased the studio in the Spring of 2006.
Taking the audience by surprise with a world of talking cars and anthropomorphic vehicles, the movie voice stars included Owen Wilson and Paul Newman. Lighting McQueen learns humility while falling in love with someone other than himself. Two more Car movies followed with spin-offs about talking airplanes.
The soundtrack for the first movie is the favorite Pixar soundtrack.
The 22 songs feature musical artists and Randy Newman. “Route 66” is the catchy tune you hear throughout the movie.
Are Pixar Movies Disney?
With all these successful Pixar movies, we mustn’t forget their connection to Disney. Disney distributed their movies before buying the studio in 2006. Press releases announcing the next Pixar movie are not uncommon, and film enthusiasts speculate on each announcement’s storyline. The movies are innocuous and family-friendly. Their success will continue as long as they don’t change their storytelling formula.
References
Pixar Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios (Pixar) is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. Pixar is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
Your family wants to watch a good movie, and you need help picking a good family movie. Without spending too much time searching, I found the following movies streaming on either Netflix or Amazon.
Early Man
Incredibles 2
Five Fingers of Marseilles
Christopher Robin
A Quiet Place
Disney’s Earth
Alvin and the Chipmunks
VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life
Dolphin Tale
The Sandlot
Lady Bird
Logan
Kull: Skull Island
Boss Baby
Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul
Little Italy
If you liked “Chicken Run” and “Wallace & Gromit,” you’ll like “Early Man.”
1. “Early Man”
Early Man brings laughter to the household because the movie is cute and filled with fun and likable characters. Dug, voiced by Eddie Redmayne, is a prehistoric caveman with goofy friends. The situation is hilarious, where the invaders are challenged to a game of soccer because Dug and his tribe need to win back their home.
The movie will capture your family’s attention because the kids relate to the innocence of the idiots, and adults will find the story funny. The undertone of humor in the situations makes parents chuckle. The claymation takes the story to a whole new level of brilliance.
“Incredibles 2” is just as good as “Incredibles” because Brad Bird directed both.
2. “Incredibles 2”
Incredibles 2 is an ideal family movie because it is about a family of superheroes. Other superheroes are also enthralling to see how the family adjusts to being superheroes when mom, Elastic Girl, leaves the family at home with dad in charge. Jack-Jack’s superhero powers are totally out of this world. Brad Bird wrote and directed the movie. His screenplay flies along with tight dialogue and plenty of funny moments. I strongly recommend this movie for family movie night because it is pure entertainment and will satisfy all ages.
If you want to watch back-to-back movies, I strongly recommend the prequel, Incredibles. Again, Brad Bird directs a funny and action-packed film for the whole family.
My library includes both movies because, on family movie night, we all agree to watch Incredibles. I loaned the Blu-ray to friends who haven’t seen it yet. When they return it, they profusely thank me as we discuss our favorite scenes.
Any scene with Edna is my favorite. She is such a funny and quirky character. In Incredibles 2, she goes way out and befriends Jack-Jack.
All the voice actors’ return in Incredibles 2 shows how capable Bird is as a director. Pixar will not fail you because the voice actors create delightful characters.
Finding a well-made Western is pure joy.
3. “Five Fingers of Marseilles”
Five Fingers of Marseilles is a western set before and after Apartheid in South Africa. The inhabitants of Marseilles are under the oppression of a corrupt police force, and Five Fingers is a group of rebels that stands up to it.
Tau executes two police officers, and he flees the town. The Five Fingers breaks up, and Tau chooses a life of crime and gets arrested.
Two decades later, he is discharged from prison as the dreaded outlaw known as The Lion of Marseilles.
He returns home wanting comfort and reconnection with those he had disregarded. Tau is entangled in another injustice and rebuilds the Five Fingers. Together they fight for justice.
Scripted by Sean Drummond, the story is believable and moves along quickly. Directed by Michael Matthews, the movie is in English with subtitles.
It’s a unique story about growing up, but not too seriously.
4. “Christopher Robin”
Winnie the Pooh, along with his best friends of the Hundred Acre Wood, leaves home for the big city to help Christopher Robin, who is now a father and in the workforce, become the loving and playful boy he used to be.
The journey is delightful, with silly Pooh and friends trying so hard to help Christopher. The movie will capture your heart.
Directed by her husband, Emily Blunt is so believable in “A Quiet Place.”
5. “A Quiet Place”
A Quiet Place trailer is an intense and scary movie. The story follows a family who must be quiet. Directed by John Krasinski, the supernatural thriller stars Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt. The film is enthralling and made so much money that the studio is producing a sequel.
Disneynature opens the world of nature to kids of all ages.
6. Disneynature’s “Earth “
Disneynature celebrates each Earth Day with the release of a documentary celebrating Earth, the environment, and animals. The first of the series was Earth, released in 2009. The movie set a documentary opening-day record, grossing $4 million from 1,804 theaters.
The concessions person explained that the movie theater had four loaded school buses for the 10:00 am showing. He talked about the kids swamping concessions with orders of sixty kids’ treat packages. Disney conducted an all-out campaign to encourage schools and families to attend the Earth Day opening, a wise move on their part.
Three Animals Tell the Story
In the movie Earth, we are introduced to a mother polar bear and her two cubs as we first catch sight of their snouts peeking out from their winter den. The movie charts several other animals, but the documentary focuses primarily on these three animals to tell the story of Earth: the polar bears, humpback whales, and African elephants. It is by far an epic film, giving the attention this endangered planet deserves.
Any movie night can become your own special Earth Day by watching a Disneynature film or one of the older Disney films about nature called True Life Adventures. Adventure movies focus on wildlife, and an Oscar-winning series initiated by Walt Disney himself. He truly loved wildlife and saw the importance of conveying the message to keep your planet sustainable. Once your family views a Disneynature documentary, you can discuss the need to change our living habits and help preserve our planet Earth, and the importance of keeping it intact for many generations to come.
7. “Alvin and the Chipmunks”
Alvin and the Chipmunks were super popular in the late 1950s and then returned in 2007 as computer-generated images, known as CGI. The three little rascals look more real than ever now. Like the movie poster says, “Things are going to get messy.”
JETT Records executive Ian Hawke, a former college roommate, rejected his most recent song. To make the story even more interesting, Dave had, at one time, a relationship with Claire Wilson, his next-door neighbor.
Favorite Scene
Alvin and his two buddies sing “Only You And You Alone.” Dave realizes he discovered three diamonds in the rough.
The movie takes off, and the Chipmunks sing the songs he writes, and he keeps them fed and sheltered. The singing and montages in the film are brilliant. Jason Lee does a fantastic job of playing off the little CGI animals.
One of my favorite scenes is when Theodore wakes up in the middle of the night, scared from a nightmare. Dave helps him feel safe by letting him sleep in his bed. Very cute; any parent or child will relate to this scene, later revisited with Uncle Ian in a rather poignant scene.
Little Rascals
But the chipmunks, being little rascals, cause some problems for Dave. But they are so adorable you can’t help but laugh, which makes this an ideal family movie. A cute scene is when Alvin tries to create the mood for Dave’s reunion dinner with Claire. The dinner becomes odd. She bails on Dave when he confesses, “My life is being sabotaged by talking chipmunks.”
Alvin and the Chipmunks want to make up for the blunder, so they record a song and get a record deal with Ian Hawke. Now, Alvin and the Chipmunks are more famous than the Jonas Brothers. The little animals are working so hard to keep up with the demand. Dave worries about them and tries to get control over the situation. With missed opportunities and Hawke’s underhanded scheme to steal the chipmunks, Dave lets them go. Hawke tells the chipmunks to call him Uncle Ian. He wants to make money off them without their well-being in mind. The little guys are overworked. They miss Dave, and Dave misses them.
Family Can Watch Together
Directed by Tim Hill, the movie is fun for anyone, but it’s one the family can watch together without worrying that parents will get bored or that jokes will go over the kids’ heads. The talented cast and voice actors make the movie. Some of the cast members are Jane Lynch from Glee, Justin Long as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler as Simon, Jesse McCartney as Theodore, David Cross as Ian Hawke, and Jason Lee as Dave.
Behind-the-Scenes
The Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD has a behind-the-scenes featurette detailing how they created the chipmunks’ singing. It is well worth the look, and you will discover the real singers of the movie.
VeggieTales are pure magic for the little ones.
8. “VeggieTales Takes a Look at a Meaningful Life”
The VeggieTales, in general, are great family movies because they are light and fluffy. The jokes are clean, and the situations are hilarious. Sure, the tales bring in the Christian faith, so what? They are fun, and kids and parents have a good time watching the veggie characters interact with each other without legs or arms, yet they still move things around in the air as if they have extremities.
They carry books and a football. The veggies don’t walk with legs. They bounce to and fro because they are vegetables.
One such VeggieTales movie that went directly to DVD is It’s a Meaningful Life – A Lesson in Being Content. The story is somewhat like Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life. The classic movie follows a sad businessman as he reflects on how his life has turned out, and he wishes he had never been born. An angel guides him to the right path by showing how important his life is. The movie boasts James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, and Donna Reed.
Would Life Be Better?
The VeggieTales character Larry the Cucumber plays Stewart, who loves playing football and wants to play in the Salad Bowl. He wants to be famous for all the fortune that goes with fame. But he gets injured in a game, and his dream ends. Many years later, silly-but-sweet Stewart cares for his family and friends. He loves his job at the toy train factory.
He ponders what he would be if he weren’t injured, had become a famous football star, and had made lots of money. Would life be better? He changes the past to show Steward what it would be like if it had happened the way he wanted. A moral is learned through Christian teachings, and Stewart learns a lesson about life.
Multi-Grammy Winner – Steven Curtis Chapman
What the movie is really about is the song “Meant to Be,” produced by Steven Curtis Chapman, a multi-Grammy winner as well as a Dove Award winner. Of course, It’s a Meaningful Life has the traditional new silly song called “Goodnight Junior.”
You can even visit the VeggieTales website and download some excellent activities from the movie for kids and parents to do together. The DVD includes cool family bonus features, such as sing-along songs, interviews, audio commentary, and the Meaningful Family Life Guide.
9. “Dolphin Tale”
Dolphin Tale is a true story that follows a teenage boy, Sawyer, played by Nathan Gamble. Sawyer meets his best friend, a dolphin, washed up on Clearwater Beach in Florida. Dolphin is named Winter, who loses her tail after being snagged in a crab trap. He decides to take responsibility for Winter at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and his life changes.
The dolphin plays herself in the movie, making it realistic for families to watch. The Blu-ray/DVD offers several perspectives on the dolphin’s story. The featurettes are entertaining but educational at the same time.
Sawyer helps find a prosthetic expert to fit Winter with a prosthetic fin—a fantastic and unbelievable feat – never been done before. I encourage families to watch this movie together because it is one of the best family movies I have ever seen. The film will tug at your heartstrings, featuring a talented cast including Morgan Freeman, Ashly Judd, and Harry Connick Jr.
10. “The Sandlot”
The Sandlotis a movie everyone in the family can enjoy because its story has both tension and apprehension, making it a film kids can watch with their parents. The film is about kids growing up in the 1960s, when kids could play on the streets and have more freedom. They didn’t need permission to go places or to stay in touch with their parents. They just played and had fun all day.
Scotty, a new kid in the neighborhood, tries to make friends with the kids who play baseball on the sandlot. It’s hard at first, but the boys come around, and the adventure begins. Scotty learns to play baseball as the story follows him and his buddies on an adventurous summer quest to retrieve a baseball with a Babe Ruth autograph. The movie entertains audiences of all ages, featuring some of the wildest moments, scary situations, and a first kiss. All nine boys grew up that summer and became best friends. The film is enchanting and a fun comedy.
Director Greta Gerwig is from my hometown.
11. “Lady Bird”
The movie is not only filmed in my hometown but also about it. I marvel at the phenomenon of connection. That’s the feeling I have toward Lady Bird because it’s set in my hometown.
Greta Gerwig’s movie follows a teenage girl, played by Saoirse Ronan, who calls herself “Lady Bird” and goes to a Catholic school similar to Gerwig’s High School.
The story is charming, no matter where you live, because it is about being a teenager with a prominent dream to go to college and be away from home.
She tries to be who she really is while contending with the crazy life of high school and her relationship with her mother.
And, Lady Bird received esteem at festivals, from the public, and the industry.
12. “Logan”
Hugh Jackman stars under the direction of James Mangold. Mangold’s notable credits include Walk the Line, which he co-wrote; The Wolverine;Girl, Interrupted;Cop Land;Knight and Day;Ford v. Ferrari; and 3:10 to Yuma.
An operation run by the government turns mutant kids into killers. Logan begins mentoring a mutant girl with two claws rather than his three. The movie is dark and gets more serious, but laughs and merriment appear toward the end.
A Harry Potter alumnus, Tom Felton, looks mighty mean, suntanned, and ready to be the wicked, bad guy.
13. “Kong: Skull Island”
Being promoted as a reimagining of the beginning of the mythic Kong, an exciting, creative venture, I acknowledge that remakes are not original. Yet, the movie is supposedly original, so don’t name it Kong.
The movie follows a diverse group brought together to research an uncharted island in the Pacific. The island is stunning, but dangerous. The group adventures into a strange and unfamiliar island, and they are unaware of exploring the realm of the mythic Kong.
14. “The Boss Baby”
The Boss Baby is a hilarious movie that the family is sure to like. The impact of a new baby’s arrival is told from a delightfully unpredictable narrator, a heatedly creative 7-year-old named Tim.
The voice of Alec Baldwin dons a suit and speaks in a sly, animated way. The movie’s heart-filled message about the meaning of family should appeal to the whole family.
15. “Diary of a Wimpy Kid – The Long Haul”
The last Wimpy Kid movie has a new cast, and it looks entertaining, although a road trip? I could be amusing. Watch the trailer, and you might see some familiar faces from the earlier movies.
Hayden Christensen played young Darth Vader.
16. “Little Italy”
Little Italy focuses on two childhood friends, Leo (Hayden Christensen) and Nikki (Emma Roberts). The movie is directed by Donald Petrie, who brought us Miss Congeniality, starring Sandra Bullock.
As in a classic story, Leo and Nikki become attracted to each other when they are adults. Their parents’ own contentious pizzerias put a bite on their passionate romance. If you are familiar with the story, this particular one is not a tragedy. Some classic stories end unhappily, but this romantic comedy is safe for a blossoming romance.
Streaming Movies are Rewarding
Watching a good movie with the family can be rewarding on many levels. They are upbeat, funny, and honorable. Whether you rent them on Netflix, Amazon, or cable, the stories share a message that the whole audience can relate to, refreshingly.
Growing up in a family with a single mom and two siblings allowed me to be glued to the television every Saturday morning and watch cartoons.
The cartoons helped me forget all the troubles and hardships we endured. It allowed me to escape and think about how I could make the world a better place for my family if only I, too, could be a superhero.
The superhero cartoons were the best at inspiring me because they encapsulated the idea of confronting and solving your problems. To this day, I follow that concept. I get a kick out of tackling issues and throwing them in jail as I head back to my office. In this day and age, I sometimes have to be a superhero.
“In the midst of the vagaries of life, they provide us a trip to the land of goodness and fairies, of imaginations and possibilities.
A childhood that wasn’t spent watching cartoons or reading comic strips, no wonder, seems too dull to imagine.”— Sanhita Baruah
Cartoons to Watch
I don’t know when cartoons became popular. They appeared on the television each Saturday morning. They were my favorite because I was mesmerized by Bugs Bunny, The Road Runner, Batman, Daffy the Duck, and Superman.
Watching cartoons on Saturday mornings gave my mother time to herself. They entertained all three of us — me, my brother, and my sister — while my mother cherished her Saturday ritual of pampering herself and preparing for the week ahead. She worked hard and deserved all the luxury she could muster in those invigorating morning rituals.
Not that my home was dysfunctional. I wanted my mother to be happy because she worked extremely hard, raising three kids on her own. I think most of the time, she was smiling, but she had so much to do for us. She was my superhero.
Batman for Kids
The history of cartoons teaches kids that they can watch comic book characters come to life on television or on a device. Stories like the Dark Knight ally with Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Plastic Man, Blue Beetle, Wildcat, Deadman, Bronze Tiger, and Atom, and have them take on many evildoers, showing them how to solve problems.
Kids watch the annoying hoodlums running as mad and crazy scientists. They see the no good, off the wall, intergalactic crooks, from world power, crazed dictators to skidding teenagers. They learn that taking responsibility for others means helping them confront their problems.
“Grown-ups’ could learn a lesson from watching cartoons.”— James Jean-Pierre
Treasures
I was satisfied watching cartoons every Saturday. If I felt unsatisfied, I kept watching until Bugs Bunny or the Road Runner saved me. Based on my childhood memories of watching morning cartoons, I checked out these “old” treasures through Warner Bros. archives, such as Looney Tunes. I can still get my hands on another set of Saturday morning cartoons at Amazon Prime.
A cartoon hero is the only way to capture the good old days of cartoons. The darker ones are more of escapism with a lesson in how not to behave than the silly Bugs Bunny and goofy Road Runner.
Mel Blanc is a hero because of what he could do with his voice for all the Looney Tunes, “the Warner Brothers cartoons, to be the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig.”— Nicolas Cage
Cartoons Versus Comics
Perhaps, you were one of the millions of kids watching cartoons of the 60s and remember the Saturday mornings with Batman, superheroes, or Looney Tunes.
You need to share them with your kids. Not only are they pure entertainment, but they are also much safer to watch than some of today’s television programs.
You set an example of telling your friends that your kids watch old cartoons. Hooking up with the superheroes on Saturday mornings, watching the popular and well-liked comics, is not just a pastime — it is a passion and escapism.
Cartoons YouTube
Watching episode after episode of each series, I know you will laugh yourself silly, but make sure you share them with your kids. You might even discover some cartoons you haven’t seen before, like Batman: The Animated Series, Volume One.
YouTube offers tons of these cartoons, so grab your device, put on your headphones, and start the entertainment.
Batman in Action
Amazon Prime
What makes it easy for parents and kids is that Amazon Prime offers endless chances to view good, old cartoons. If you are a Prime member, they are available at no charge, except for your Prime membership. They are not very long, so your kids are not wasting their whole Saturday morning, like I did, watching the classics.
Be warned. The cartoons are addictive because there are so many stories available, and they’re so much fun to watch. They are not as cheesy nor as suspenseful as the movies with the same characters. The characters are dark with a foreboding soundtrack. The hilarious cartoons are more entertaining than the film because they feature slapstick humor suitable for kids.
Movies that have scenes with sushi. Look at my list, and you’ll find some films you recognize.
Sushi in Film
Before we look at sushi movie scenes, I want to share the first time I ate sushi with you. I thought eating raw fish was not a delicacy. I thought I’d develop a super long worm in my stomach if I ate any of it.
A Japanese friend invited me to eat at a sushi restaurant near me. I told her of my fear of eating sushi. She told me the place she had in mind served her favorite sushi rolls, saying, “I will make sure you eat the good sushi.”
One day, I started thinking about sushi scenes in movies. I am excited about the idea and perused movies with sushi themes or scenes worth mentioning. I even asked some sushi masters if they knew of any sushi scenes in film. I went further and asked some sushi experts if they recalled seeing any sushi scenes in movies.
I discovered that there are nine movies with sushi scenes while writing this article. Two I left out because they are not my favorite.
The result of my search is fruitful, and the list is below. Most people will recognize these movies. They are well-known and made tons of money at the box office.
Seven Favorite Sushi Scenes
Isle of Dogs (2018)
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Sex and the City 2 (2010)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Defending Your Life (1991)
John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)
Johnny English (2003)
The sushi scene in Wes Anderson’s 2018 stop-motion animation classic, “Isle of Dogs,” took nearly six months to complete.
1. Isle of Dogs (2018)
Stop-motion animation movies by Wes Anderson take a whole new level of the filmmaking process. Anderson’s stories keep the audience interested in the sparky dialogue and visual touches of humor. For some, the movie may seem a bit quirky. The sushi scene in Isle of Dogs is a masterpiece of stop-motion animation.
The whole premise of the scene is to poison the despotic leader of the Asian nation that sends dogs to the remote island. If you haven’t seen this movie, I recommend it. All of the Anderson movies entertain.
2. The Breakfast Club (1985)
John Hughes wrote and directed The Breakfast Club. A few years later, he wrote and produced Home Alone. The movie is about five high school students sharing detention, who eventually talk about their problems and discover they have a lot in common. Each student is different, but all are exaggerated stereotypes.
The poignant movie stars Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall. Even today, I can safely say this is a movie that cuts deeply into the overall problems of public education in America.
My daughter relates to this movie because each student is very different from the others. They become friends while serving detention. Each student copes with the social pressures of high school, adapting to the high school scene as best they can.
The sushi scene is so funny because Ringwald opens up her bento box, and the others look at her like she opened up a can of sardines.
Sex and the City 2 takes a silly look at sushi to entice a romantic interlude. Samantha covers sexy areas of her naked body. She is waiting for her lover when the phone rings. She obviously can’t answer the phone.
Honestly, I have never seen the cable show or the movies. I did watch the clip, which is age-restricted. Unfortunately, the clip with sound is no longer available. I posted one without sound. Hopefully, you’ve seen the movie and or gotten the idea. The visual of this scene is what is funny, not the dialogue.
The above video is restricted because the content has suggestive characteristics.
4. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
One of my favorite Pixar movies is Monsters, Inc, where we watch Mike Wazowski, the green, one-eyed friend of Sulley, take Celia out for a special sushi dinner. We see the exaggerated greetings of sushi chefs upon the monsters entering the restaurant, and Mike’s girlfriend, Celia, is very impressed.
The scene is hilarious because Mike tries to keep it romantic despite the slapstick humor from Sulley, who’s trying to keep the monsters from finding out about Boo, a child forbidden in the monster world.
5. Defending Your Life (1991)
Defending Your Life follows Albert Brooks’ character, Daniel, who dies after getting hit by a bus while driving his brand-new BMW.
He ends up in Judgment City defending his life. Going through the rigors of Judgment, he decides to dine at the sushi bar. I have a clip of the scene below poking fun at the over-the-top hospitality of sushi chefs.
The movie is fun to watch and also stars Meryl Streep. Her character goes through Judgment better than Brooks’ character, the prevailing theme of this deadpan funny film.
6. John Wick 3: Parabellum (2019)
A sushi scene in a John Wick movie fits the production design with vibrant reds and metallic undertones. Of course, Chad Stahelski directs a dark and rainy scene. Though Keanu Reeves is not in this scene, Asia Kate Dillon, playing The Adjudicator, approaches the sushi bar. Here we see how skilled the assassin is at being a sushi chef.
If you know anything about Blowfish, it’s one of the most difficult to prep. True, you only need to cut it. Incorrectly preparing Blowfish releases toxins and could have killed Dillion’s character.
7. Johnny English (2003)
The hilarious Johnny English film series stars Rowan Atkinson in the title role, with Ben Miller and John Malkovich in supporting roles. It is a parody and tribute to the James Bond franchise and Atkinson’s Mr. Bean character.
Watch this sushi scene and enjoy the bumbling character Atkinson, who is so brilliant at portraying.
I visited the Schulz museum in Santa Rosa, California for my daughter’s sake, thinking I would be bored out of my head. Boy, was I wrong, I discovered Charles Schulz, the genius who created a series of Peanuts comic strips that voiced the current social conflicts of the time and still today. Women rights, pray in schools, draft, and war. Growing up, I did read the comic strip without realizing he was bringing up social issues. As a young girl, I marveled at the expressions and characters of each personality. I watched the television specials with my family falling in love with Snoopy.
Watching Snoopy, Come Home brought memories back during the nights I’d watch the Peanuts specials with my family. I am still in love with Snoopy because he is so innocent yet creative. In this Peanuts movie, the story is quite good. It begins with him running off to visit Lila, his original owner, who is in the hospital. Woodstock goes with him, but they are captured by a rather overbearing girl who demands Snoopy and Woodstock be her pets.
Being clever the two escape, which includes some very funny and misplaced steps of amusement. Back at Charlie Brown’s home, he is concerned with finding out about Lila. Who is she? I will not share the ending of the movie, but I will tell you that it is so much fun to watch Snoopy get into many mishaps as he tries to sneak into places where dogs are not allowed.
The movie is tried and true, and now released on Blu-ray. The new format adds more of a sparkle with a widescreen format. Keep in mind parents, that the going away party for Snoopy might be a tearjerker for the kids or trouble understanding why people are so sad at a party. Still, the humor is fun to watch and offers great laughs.
I was going to post this review in the Kids section of Movie Roar since it really is safe for kids to watch and is really silly. I changed my mind when I realized it really is funnier from an adult’s point of view.
Shaun the Sheep: Season 2 is hilarious. The short episodes are not too long nor too short – about 7 minutes. They are just right for any rainy afternoon or boring evening with nothing to do. My favorite one is about the bagpipe. The sheep and dog think it is a goose. I have never laughed so hard in such a short amount of time.
The package comes with two DVDs. If you have a free moment or two, just pop in the DVD and peruse the menu for an episode that catches your eye. The set has a total of 40 episodes. There are plenty of choices.
Let’s face it. These cute little sheep and the dog are hilarious. Each episode has no dialogue, just music and some grunts here and there. It is produced so well that I didn’t even think about the fact there was no dialogue.
Another funny aspect about the storyline is the dog and sheep try to steer clear of the farmer, who is as blind as anyone with a pair of opaque eyeglasses. I just laugh thinking about it.
I recommend the DVD set for the whole family. Any age will enjoy these short stories. Just thinking about the sheep, the dog, and the farmer puts a smile on my face.
Un Gallo con Muchos Huevos, directed by Gabriel Riva Palaico Alatriste, comes in Spanish and English, A Rooster With many Eggs. The animated movie is not a compelling story, yet it’s not really bad either. The characters are lovable with lots of slapstick humor. The story takes a unique approach by being lively, entertaining, and mildly titillating, without due seriousness, and a lot fun with innuendos and double-entendres.
The movie follows an apprehensive little rooster named Toto, voiced by Bruno Bichir. His is challenged with confronting and handling an evil rancher. He threatens to purchase and tear down Toto’s family farm. The farm has been in the family for generations. Toto’s challenge is to fight Bankivoide, voiced by Sergio Sendel, a mammoth rooster. The cockfight will end with the winner-take-all stakes. Feeling the pressure of such an unconquerable task, Toto cannot face the ordeal alone, so he asks his pals for help. Strangely, his pals are a frog, mucho huvevos and a strip of bacon. Can they conquer Banki and keep his family’s farm.
As mentioned earlier, the movie is filled with innuendos and to some extent racy humor compared to customary animated feature. Easily, the Spanish jokes are lost in the English translation since it is primarily written for the Mexican audience. As an English speaking viewer, I still found a genuine amount of jokes that hit my funny bone. The characters are over the top on the ludicrous side, but the charm is their saving grace. Such as the favorable-intended frog, he earns a lot of laughs.
