Pixar movies have certainly come a long way since they debuted in the Box Office with Toy Story. There are some tropes in Pixar movies we would like to talk about.
Outdated: The Betrayal From A Mentor/Idol
Although it hasn’t happened in all the Pixar movies, it is still a very recurring theme in most of them. The protagonist falls prey to the wiles of the good natured mentor who turns out to be the real villain. Stinky Pete in Toy Story 2, Charles Muntz in Up, and Waternoose in Monsters Inc., come to mind.
Still Entertaining: Knowing How To Play The Emotion Card Well
All Pixar movie feature really fleshed out characters who are protagonists with a wide array of emotions. Marlin in Up is desperate and frustrated. Mister Incredible in The Incredibles is disappointed in his mundane life. Carl’s grief and ambition in Up are acknowledged by the movie. Pixar movies are known to masterfully sift through the emotional spectrum.
Outdated: Protagonists Who Hate Each Other Joining Forces
Whether it is Woody and Buzz in Toy Story or Carl, Russel and Doug in Up, we have seen a lot of times the good guys teaming up despite hating each other. While this does create moments of comedy and conflict, in the end it shows Pixar may be running out of original plot ideas.
Still Entertaining: Outcasts & Weirdos As Protagonists
This is by no means applicable only to Pixar movies. But they do it so well that we have to give them credit. Merida in Brave is royalty who does not want to get married. Luca tells the story of sea monsters trying to blend into an Italian beach town society. The idea of using misfits as lead characters is genius and will forever be.
Outdated: Unoriginal Chase Sequences
Since Pixar makes family friendly movies, they cannot rely on overly violent climactic scenes. Instead movies like Monsters Inc., Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Incredibles 2 rely on repetitive chase scenes audiences now find boring.
Still Entertaining: The Use Of Adult Humor in The Subtlest Of Tones
It’s competitor studios like DreamWorks and even Disney have been infamous for pushing it too much when it comes to putting adult humor into their movies. Pixar movies know they must appeal to a wider demographic range but still remain family friendly. Coco and Up are good examples.
Outdated: Keeping Things Way Too Optimistic
One notable example is WALL-E. It shows humanity in dire straits after completely giving in to technology, which makes them obese and extremely lazy. Pixar has had ample opportunities to bank on satire as a plot device but it refuses to do so, relying on too many positive thoughts and messages.
Still Entertaining: Broken, Flawed Parents
Marlin in Finding Nemo is overly protective while the Parrs in The Incredibles regularly confront their children on hiding their abilities. Luca’s parents want him to not do anything with the surface world. Coco’s family has forbade music. Pixar movies show parents as flawed but well-meaning beings.
Outdated: Sequels To Classics Instead Of Making Original Movies
Ever since their partnership with Disney, Pixar has been focusing on more and more sequel projects. Original and fresh ideas like WALL-E, Up, and Soul are so beloved because they do not draw from another source. Then there are movies like Cars 2 and 3, Incredibles 2, and Monsters University. We could do without the latter ones.
