Pixar is one of those film studios that has managed to create some of the most iconic animated films of the last twenty years. Again and again, they’ve managed to capture and express the joy that seems such an intrinsic part of animation.
While their features regularly garner the lion’s share of attention from critics and audiences, it’s important to recognize that their shorts are also fine works of Pixar shorts, ranked according to the s of the Internet Movie Database.
Lifted (2006) - 7.8
One of the things that animation can capture extremely well is the energy and power of simple movement. That is what we get with Lifted, in which a young alien attempts to a test by abducting an unsuspecting farmer. There’s something infectiously joyful about this film, in part because it just seems so strange.
More importantly, perhaps, it’s worth noting that it takes something that can often be horrifying-alien abduction-and turns it into an amusing little farce.
Geri’s Game (1997) - 7.9
There seems to be something innately playful about Pixar animation. Perhaps the fluidity of the ways in which these animated characters move, or perhaps it’s just something latent in the animation form.
Whatever the case, Pixar manages to raise this sense of play to the next level in Geri’s Game, in which an adorable old man plays chess with himself. What is especially notable about this film is the attention to detail, which still manages to amaze, even so many years after its release.
Lou (2017) - 7.9
Animation, perhaps more than any other form of film, seems to call to the child in even the most jaded and cynical adult, and short films like Lou have a little something in them for everyone.
While children will enjoy its simple story of a monster that dwells in a lost and found box, adults will find something to enjoy its moral message: that it is important to consider the feelings of others. Both children and adults will feel a little tug at their heartstrings at seeing a boy reunited with a beloved toy.
For the Birds (2000) - 8.0
One of the things that Pixar does best is to provide important lessons-for both children and adults-without being too pedantic or unusual about the fact that they are doing so. For the Birds focuses on a large, rather ungainly bird who is picked on by many other small birds for his differences.
Of course, in the end he ends up getting the last laugh, since they are undone by their own petty actions. However, he shows exactly the sort of magnanimity that they did not. The lesson: don’t be a jerk.
La Luna (2011) - 8.0
One of the common misconceptions about animated films is that they are intended almost solely for children. If adults take any pleasure from them, that’s incidental. Such a claim blatantly ignores the philosophical subtlety of a short like La Luna, which reminds the viewer of the importance of striking out on your own, no matter what others might want you to do.
In this case, that message is conveyed through the young boy Bambino, who finds himself caught up in the squabbling between his father and his grandfather.
Kitbull (2019) - 8.0
Pit bulls, unfortunately, have an undeserved reputation for being mean, brutal dogs. Fortunately, there are films like Kitbull to dispense with those pernicious myths.
Indeed, its story of the unlikely friendship that develops between a kitten and a pit bull is one of the best things that Pixar has done in recent years. The fact that it has a happy ending, in which the kitten and the puppy both find homes with a loving human family, is a much-needed bit of joy in a sometimes very dark and unpleasant world.
Day & Night (2010) - 8.1
Anyone who is familiar with Pixar knows that they are constantly pushing the envelope in of what can be achieved in animation. This particular short - in of its visuals, its theme, and its overall construction - is in many ways technically perfect.
Depicting as it does the way in which the antipathy between the personifications of Day and Night gradually softens into mutual respect and love, it’s a reminder of both the possibilities of animation and, just as importantly, of the necessity of reaching out to those who are different from us.
Partly Cloudy (2009) - 8.2
There’s a sweetness to the heart of Partly Cloudy that is somewhat reminiscent of some of the old Disney shorts but that is also a signature part of the Pixar brand. It’s a rather whimsical (yet also heartwarming) story in which clouds are responsible for the creation of babies, which are then delivered by storks.
It focuses in particular on Gus (a cloud) and Peck (a stork) who are responsible for animals that are, shall we say, a bit harmful (including, notably, a crocodile and an electric eel). Thankfully, all ends well for everyone.
Presto (2008) - 8.4
Presto manages to capture so many things that have always been the most appealing aspects of animation, and it does so in a way that is reminiscent of such animated classics as Tom and Jerry and even the Looney Tunes.
As the title suggests, it’s a story about a stage magician and his recalcitrant rabbit. Each of them torment one another during the course of the magic act, until they finally realize that they work better together rather than in conflict. It’s an important reminder to the viewer that sometimes those that we think are our enemies can be our greatest allies.
Piper (2016) - 8.4
Every so often, a Pixar film comes along that is almost too cute to be true. Anyone who has seen Piper knows that this is one of those films.
It’s a simple story about a young sandpiper who has to master her fears of water in order to get food for her flock. While, of course, there is a moral lesson here, there’s also an understated perfection to the animation, which manages to capture the realism of a nature documentary while not losing sight of the unique beauty of animation.
