This Week on A113Animation (29th July - 4th August, 2013)

While no life altering developments happened this week, we still had some pretty exciting news, Blu-ray announcements, teaser trailers and more. And of course we got the latest features, one guest review and the latest podcast episode. Check out the full breakdown of this mildly busy week.

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #29: The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #28: The Little Mermaid (1989)

When people remember this period of time in Disney's history, they tend to remember the group known as 'The Big Four' comprised of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. These films were all box office successes and brought acclaim to the studio. But, sandwiched between these insanely popular films, stands a little and less epic affair that always gets neglected or forgotten by the general audience, and that's The Rescuers Down Under. Released just after The Little Mermaid put the studio back on the map and before Beauty and the Beast took them to new glorious heights, The Rescuers Down Under suffers in comparison with the films that surround it, but nonetheless it offers plenty of charm and great character animation that keeps the family entertained. The first official sequel that came from the studio, this film is not as good or heartfelt as its 1977 predecessor, but it still manages to keep the audience interested and invested in the story, mainly because of the strength of the two lead characters. Bernard and Miss Bianca proved to be excellent heroes in The Rescuers and this time it's no different; the chemistry between the two is what makes this movie worth a watch. It also helps that Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor returned to voice the two mice so the chemistry that we found in the original film is still intact here. That, coupled with some spectacular flight scenes, some colourful new characters and the use of the new CAPS system to animate the film, make it a worthy inclusion in the Renaissance period. All in all, The Rescuers Down Under might not be as widely loved or remembered as most films from this era, but it remains an underrated film that deserves to be seen by any animation lover. Rating: 3.5/5.

Next Week -- Animated Classic #30: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- The Renaissance, Part 1 (1989-1994) Introduction

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #27: Oliver and Company (1988)

After a difficult decade, where the studio struggled for survival, the end of the 80s arrived like a breeze of fresh air to the ailing studio. With John Musker and Ron Clements at the helm, they returned to the fairy tale genre and found tremendous success, a success that would accompany almost every feature the studio released for the next five years. Adding a Broadway-esque style and ambitious animation experiments, the studio arose like a phoenix, again becoming the king of animation. The first part of the Renaissance not only brought huge amounts of revenue to the company but also tons of critical acclaim and audience love. Moreover, this period of time put the studio back on the map and made animation important and relevant again. The animated films released in this era have become undisputed and beloved classics and brought some of the most talented crews of animators into the fold, crews that have now become legends in their own right. Arguably the best era for the studio since the Golden Age, the Renaissance is fondly remembered for its heartfelt and sharp stories, memorable characters, unforgettable songs and gorgeous animation and their films continue to enchant new and old generations of people even today.

Interview: Alvy Ray Smith, Pixar Co-founder

Photo by Kathleen King.

Reading Big Screen Animation's Mike Bastoli's interview with Pixar co-founder Alvy Ray Smith reminded me of something: last year, I started writing a book on the history of Pixar, and interviewed Alvy for that, however, as I got snowed under with work, I scrapped the book, and nothing came of the interview. However, after reading Mike's interview with Alvy, I thought: why not post the interview here instead? I emailed Alvy late last night to check this was okay, he gave me the greenlight, so after the jump break you will find a series of questions from me and the answer's by a true visionary and one of the men who created the studio that I, and almost certainly you if you're visiting this site, love and revere, Pixar.

Somewhat less candid than Mike's interview, Alvy here gives us an in-depth insight into the origins of the most critically praised film studio on the planet, the challenges the team met and had to overcome, the general feel at Pixar in the early days, and, also, his thoughts on Steve Jobs.

I'd also like to take this opportunity very briefly to thank Alvy for his time and his kind help in the writing of my book and subsequent allowance of me publishing the interview here. Enjoy: