'Inside Out' brings joy back to Pixar
LOS ANGELES — Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter joyously made a bold prediction from the vibrant purple carpet of Inside Out's Hollywood premiere.
"2015 is going to be the year of Pixar," he pronounced. "I believe two of our finest films will be released this year."
Lasseter, who also serves as chief creative officer of Pixar's parent company, Walt Disney Animation Studios, has reason to be bullish beyond corporate cheerleading. With Inside Out hitting theaters Friday and The Good Dinosaur expected Nov. 25, the company is releasing two films in the same year for the first time in its storied history.
But that move was forced when Pixar decided to delay the release of The Good Dinosaur after firing director Bob Peterson over story problems (eventually replacing him with co-director Peter Sohn).
It meant 2014 was the first time in a decade there was no Pixar film for the studio's die-hard supporters.
Adding to that setback: a batch of uneven releases, including sequels such as 2011's Cars 2,which received an un-Pixar-like 39% critical approval rating on RottenTomatoes.com (despite earning $191.5 million), and 2013'sMonsters University, which didn't live up to the luster of 2001 original Monsters, Inc. Even 2012's Oscar-winning best animated film Brave earned mixed reviews.
"The last four years have been a marked slump for Pixar," says Dave Karger, chief correspondent for Fandango.com. "Usually, Pixar movies are universally adored by critics, but the last three were considered underwhelming. It has not been a great time for Pixar. But that slump is over now."
Inside Out is buoyed by rave reviews (a stunning 100% positive critical rating at Rotten Tomatoes), a splashy unveiling at Cannes Film Festival and awards speculation. Though Rentrak analyst Paul Dergarabedian believes the film will face serious competition from Jurassic World, the film "could be one of the biggest Pixar films ever at the box office."
It has revitalized the Pixar glory with its unique trip inside the mind of an 11-year-old girl that focuses on her personified emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
"Inside Out is doing what we all remember Pixar did, raising the bar and pushing the envelope with every release. They did that for quite a while before going into the sequels," says animation historian Jerry Beck. "This is the Pixar we know. They are back."
Director Pete Docter spent five years developing the challenging project. He dealt with his own story obstacles, calling it "the most difficult thing I have ever done." Yet he disagrees with the concept that Pixar is "back."
"It doesn't feel like we went anywhere. We have been slogging away," says Docter. "I'm constantly reminded, it's rough out there. It's hard to make movies.
"We had a bit of a rough year last year. You could feel it internally," Docter adds. "Moving a film release affects morale, schedule and budget. But I am glad to work at a studio that makes decisions for quality's sake."
Last week, The Good Dinosaur reared up again with a voice cast overhaul for the film that imagines a world where dinosaurs and humans co-exist. The changes centered around 13-year-old Raymond Ochoa replacing Lucas Neff, 29, to voice a younger main character, an Apatosaurus named Arlo.
A new supporting voice cast of Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott, Jeffrey Wright and Steve Zahn replaced Neil Patrick Harris, John Lithgow, Bill Hader and Judy Greer. Only Frances McDormand, who voices Arlo's mother, remains from the original group.
Changes in animated films are not uncommon. And Pixar already has started talking up The Good Dinosaur, which Lasseter calls "beautiful and special." The big question, following the release of Inside Out, will be whether The Good Dinosaur can keep the Pixar momentum going.
"There's no reason to feel Pixar hasn't solved The Good Dinosaur," says Bill Desowitz, contributing editor to the Animation Scoop blog. "They've been given extra time, they've made changes."
