Yeah, I never really believed the whole "Pixar is in decline" thing. Sure, they haven't made a movie as raw emotionally as Up, but it's like it's a bad thing. I remember some snobby little story on CBS This Morning that was whining about why they don't make films about real people with real emotions... even though they totally still do and they're just as cliche ridden as the very same blockbuster films they whine about... and they pointed out that you could only find that sort of thing in Up. And, frankly, Up did it a LOT better in 10 minutes than any Dame Judy Dench in India movie does in it's entire 2 hour run time.
But seriously... look back at how the Disney Pixar films started... Toy Story was followed by Bug's Life. It was good, but not the huge indie film quality emotional ride they'd be famous for. And Dreamworks kinda screwed them on that one with Antz, which used the concept better and less Three Amigos-y. Followed by a sequel to their first film only a 4 short years later. To be fair, that was a mandate by Disney and Pixar made the film better than it needed to be. Then a long escalation of indie film themes and emotional plotlines... and I swear that this point, the Oscar Awards they were accruing, some jerks were just hoping for them to fail because they felt they were "overrated." Then Cars 2 came out and everyone got all snotty about it because HOW DARE THEY make a sequel of something that sold toys. Something they don't bat an eye at with any other animation studio. Seriously. If Cars was developed by Dreamworks or Blue Sky, they'd be well into their 4th movie by now, with a fifth to come (especially if it's Blue Sky). Then everyone was all ticked off at Brave for some reason, because, you know... it won a pity Oscar for the behind the scenes crap, and here we are.
Meanwhile, 4 friggin' Ice Ages with a fifth on the way, and Rio 2 as a kiddyfied Meet the Parents knockoff.
But seriously... look back at how the Disney Pixar films started... Toy Story was followed by Bug's Life. It was good, but not the huge indie film quality emotional ride they'd be famous for. And Dreamworks kinda screwed them on that one with Antz, which used the concept better and less Three Amigos-y. Followed by a sequel to their first film only a 4 short years later. To be fair, that was a mandate by Disney and Pixar made the film better than it needed to be. Then a long escalation of indie film themes and emotional plotlines... and I swear that this point, the Oscar Awards they were accruing, some jerks were just hoping for them to fail because they felt they were "overrated." Then Cars 2 came out and everyone got all snotty about it because HOW DARE THEY make a sequel of something that sold toys. Something they don't bat an eye at with any other animation studio. Seriously. If Cars was developed by Dreamworks or Blue Sky, they'd be well into their 4th movie by now, with a fifth to come (especially if it's Blue Sky). Then everyone was all ticked off at Brave for some reason, because, you know... it won a pity Oscar for the behind the scenes crap, and here we are.
Meanwhile, 4 friggin' Ice Ages with a fifth on the way, and Rio 2 as a kiddyfied Meet the Parents knockoff.