It is no secret that Pixar had it’s first hiccup with Cars 2 this past Summer. In an effort to rebound from that mild disaster — not financially, the film made over $550 million worldwide — Pixar has been marketing their newest film Brave in full force. Yesterday we got a full poster you can see after the jump, and today we get a snippet of the movie itself. Hit the jump to check it out.

I’ll let you get the inside look at Brave first.

The visuals in this piece are tremendous. The slow motion shot of her shooting the arrow is something to be marveled. The slow motion animation has all the details and nuances of a real arrow being fired. I also love how our red headed protagonist is portrayed — she has the perfect mix of beauty and brawn. You can tell a lot about her character in just this short piece, a defiant talented young teen looking to forge her own path against her parents will.

I’m excited to see how Brave turns out. Hopefully Pixar will return to form with this effort.

Brave hits theaters June 22nd, 2012.

What Did You Think Of The Short?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery 

Pixar released the first trailer for their highly anticipated film Brave. Not only are the visuals realistic looking and crisp, but the premise of the movie seems interesting enough. It almost has the Hunger Games element of competition feel to it minus the fights to the death. Pixar could use a strong rebound after their first flawed failure Cars 2 smeared their perfect resume. Hit the jump to check it out.

Pixar’s Brave:

The visuals kind of remind me of How to Train a Dragon. Not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but it has a feeling of what I can only describe as piggybacking on their recognizable brand. Eh. Whatever, I am definitely looking forward to it. Brave comes out June 22nd.

What Did You Think Of The Trailer?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

As many of you may know, I am a huge Pixar fan. Today, Cars fans get a first look at a new character in the upcoming sequel (via Slashfilm). This newest race car on the block is sure to give Lightning McQueen a run for his money in the summer film. While this isn’t the biggest of news, it gives me a chance to show my excitement for the Cars sequel. Hit the jump for a full resolution picture and a character description.

Check it out. Shu Todoroki is obviously built for racing as is shown by Grand Prix body style and the racing decals. Plus, look at his confident looking face; it pretty much spells racing doesn’t it?

[Click image to enlarge]

Official Character Description:

Shu Todoroki is a Le Motor Prototype racer representing Japan and bearing #7 in the World Grand Prix. Shu was raised at the base of the active Mount Asama volcano in Japan, and soon became a champion on the Suzuka Circuit. His sleek design sports a fiery red Ka-Riu dragon, which Shu borrowed from Japanese legend because he relates to the small, yet fierce nature of the dragon. His team legacy is filled with victories – his coach, a Mazda, was the only Japanese car to ever win at Le Mans – and Shu hopes to prove his champion-level racing on the international stage of the World Grand Prix.

Update: Two more new character profile pictures for Cars 2.

And as long as we are on the subject of Pixar, check out this alternative Disney art from artist Metin Seven. You can see more of these type of animated Pixar posters — check out the spread on Obsessed With Film.

Cars 2 hits theaters June 24th, 2011.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

GRADE: A

Well, it is safe to say that the third installment profiling the very interesting lives of toys is the best movie I have seen halfway through the year of 2010. Last week, The Karate Kid held that title. But only a week later, Toy Story 3 takes hold of that top spot with yet another successful tale about the lives of Buzz and Woody. With this huge success ($110 million opening weekend and 98% approval on RottenTomatoes), Pixar again proves that everything it touches turns to gold. Toy Story 3 marks the 11th straight hit for the computer animation company making it more and more difficult to choose a favorite amongst the gems this creative team has produced. I am stuck choosing between Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Wall-E, or any of the Toy Story movies. With those things considered, know that Toy Story 3, like all previous Pixar products, is an upper deck home run.

This time around the toys in Andy’s room are growing weary because of the neglect from their “grown up” seventeen year-old owner about to move away to college. Andy has to make the decision whether to store his toys in the attic or donate them to the Sunnyside Daycare Center. The toys end up finding a new home with the eager children at the daycare, but that does not stop Woody from trying to convince his friends to return back to Andy before he ventures off to college. Most the toys are happy to finally be played with again by children, but soon realize the play they are receiving is brutal when it comes from the hands of a toddler.

Even though many of us have grown up knowing these characters, Pixar somehow creates even more attachment to these deep and wonderful personas in Toy Story 3. The characters’ friendship grows even more as they all band together as a family trying to survive life post-Andy. By the end of this movie, when Woody, Buzz and company are backed against the wall, I was choked up with emotion as their fate unraveled (even more than usual too). Pixar movies always reach deep down and tear at my heartstrings. It is because the Pixar filmmakers can personify feelings and emotion to a toy or even a garbage collecting robot. Toy Story 3 was loaded with emotion towards the characters which is why I think it has been such a raging success.

Throughout the story was an assortment of comedy coming from all angles. Who would have thought toys could be so funny? Of course the other movies also had the comedic relief in them, but Toy Story 3 had some of the funnier moments I can remember in the series. The introduction of the character Ken, Barbie’s other half, brought some of the funniest pieces from the film. A game of toy roulette comes to mind and made me smile at the creativity of the Pixar people. And of course, who can not laugh at the one liners coming from Hamm, Mr. Potato Head, and Rex.

The best thing about this movie is the jail break scenario to escape the daycare facility. The filmmakers weaved classic story telling throughout, but this escape was the bees knees (A+). The storytelling kept the audience intrigued not knowing the details of the plan but watching the masterful escape designed by Woody unfold. Another huge plus is the many references to other movies and culture, bringing pure enjoyment to viewers who can catch them all. Woody hoovering just inches off the ground like Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible is a great example of this “culture jamming.”

Overall, Toy Story 3 is a perfect compliment to the other two chapters in this series. Is it possible to pick a favorite amongst the three? I dare you to try. This film is not only great for kids, but one that anyone and everyone needs to see. Of course seeing the first two is necessary, but who hasn’t seen the first two? Toy Story 3 is not only one of the best movies of the summer so far, but will go on to be one of the best of the year. I will put money on it competing for a golden statue come Oscar time. If you have been holding off on seeing this movie, take my official guarantee that it will bring you nothing but enjoyment. If my approval isn’t enough, how about the other 172 critics calling this movie top notch? If you don’t like this movie, I wonder if  you own a soul?

What Should You Do? Find the next showtime, and GO see Toy Story 3 now!

As the June 18th Toy Story 3 release date nears, fans of all ages are getting doses of more and more Pixar content. For months now, Slashfilm has been writing pieces that introduce the new characters from the third installment, so viewers will know the new toys in the story, even before seeing the movie. Many big name films are releasing specific online content paired with viral campaigns (i.e. Inception) to further promote their movies. Ah, the beauty of the internet.

Enter Disney into the ring. The media giant has just released a short one-minute internet-only video breaking down the plot of the movie; showing the toys involved, as well as some sweet new footage. While this short clip does not give the breadth for what was featured in the longer released trailers, it definitely shows the fun nature of the Toy Story series.

I personally found this clip hilarious, especially how it played out like a classic heist-type action movie with the main characters (Woody & Buzz) being profiled in a video game-like reference, coupled with the old school voice over narration. The clip also features a lot of culture jamming (notice the Mission: Impossible reference as well), which is a huge reason why Pixar films appeal to more than just children. Without further delay, check out the clip. Is it June yet?

What Do You Think? Discuss.

As has been the case with every Pixar movie I have ever seen, I walked out of the theater more than satisfied. The animation giant strikes again with its newest adventure called UP. Movie goers have the option of viewing a 2-D or 3-D version of the latest installment in the Pixar franchise. I went for the 2-D because I just wanted to see the film; and I think 3-D is highly overrated and overpriced.

UP begins with two young children aspiring to be explorers named Carl and Ellie. They are looking to follow the footsteps of their hero Charles Muntz by exploring the uncharted territory in South America. Carl promises Ellie he will bring her on this grand adventure someday, and they quickly become best friends. They fit together like Scarlett Johansson and tight clothes, (which is amazing!) and as they grow up, get married. A brief montage-like summary of their life gives the audience a real sense of their strong relationship and love for one another. Pixar keeps it creative like always with an interesting time lapse to age Carl and Ellie from young to old.

Ellie passes away as an elderly woman, and Carl is left on his own. With his house to be demolished to make way for new buildings Carl is forced to move to a retirement home. The evening before his departure to elderly care, Carl attaches an obscene amount of balloons to float his house to South America on the adventure he once promised he would take Ellie on.

Once in the air, Carl realizes that a Junior Wilderness Explorer named Russell was on the house porch upon liftoff. Together they navigate to a mysterious part of the South American wilderness where they discover new creatures, talking dogs, and they are not the only explorers to discover this territory.

As always Pixar chooses its most important characters, in this instance Carl and Russell, and develops them thoroughly. Carl being the a cynical and lonesome old man is not very fond of Russell’s can-do and curious attitude initially. As they adventure together Carl and Russell grow to like each other, and that makes this developing story as good as it is.

The script by Bob Peterson (also wrote Finding Nemo) was very well written, and featured some heavy adult themes not common in Pixar stories like: a mother miscarrying, a young boy minus parents, and even dealing with the death of a loved one. While viewing UP I heard a lot of kids asking their parents questions about the darker elements of the story they didn’t understand. (those little bastards talk the whole movie!) Not what you come to expect out of Disney or Pixar.

Some of these darker elements provide good foundation for the two main characters Carl and Russel. Their wild adventure and bizarre experiences draw them closer like a father and son. The script also features recurring themes or lines that tie the story together nicely. The film used great dialogue, hilarious supporting characters (the talking dogs), and a great story line to tell this marvelous adventure.

The film was directed by Pete Docter who also directed another Pixar success Monsters Inc. Even though UP is completely animated; Pete used his skills and animation experience to create great looking shots for each scene.

The cast features many recognizable Hollywood faces, but obviously all we hear are their voices. The main character Carl is voiced by legendary Ed Asner. Other big names in UP feature: Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, and Delroy Lindo.

Overall, Pixar has not missed yet. This is their most bold project yet, but not their best. The only reason this film doesn’t score higher for me is because it’s hard to say UP is better than other Pixar gold mines like personal favorites such as: Finding Nemo, Wall-E, Monsters Inc., and Toy Story. UP is a fun adventure with strong characters that will keep you entertained for its duration. You definitely do not need to be a kid to appreciate this film, especially if you are a Pixar fan. UP was rightfully number 1 at the box office this weekend, and Disney and Pixar deserve your money. Now the only decision left is whether you want 2-D, or 3-D.

Make sure you don’t miss the traditional Pixar animated short before the feature presentation, it is so darn cute… yep, cute.

What Should You Do? Check it out in theaters asap.

3.5 out of 4 STARZ