Dreamwork Vs. Pixar: Computer Animation Smack Down (PART I)

Having recently watched Pixar's latest film UP, and being moved to tears by it (honestly that first opening sequence showing Carl Fredricksen's life was one of the greatest cinematic sequences I have seen in years) I've started to wonder what exactly puts Disney's CGI animation studio light years ahead of Dreamworks. One of the most obvious reasons might be that Pixar is not afraid to tell stories first and then add a little bit of humor to them, but mainly focusing on character development, and the creation of worlds we can only imagine in our wildest dreams. While Dreamworks has shown to be inventive in the past (Kung Fu Panda, Antz), I still believe that the fact that they churn out projects like a car assembly line makes their films not cinematic landmarks, but films that settle on pop cultural references instead of leading us on a dream-like adventure.

This is the very reason why, I will try to compare both film companies history against each other, not only to compare and contrast their level of quality but to also as to why Pixar seems to always come out on top.

Beginnings
Everyone remembers Pixar's first feature film debut, it was a film that changed how I perceived my bedroom. In 1995, when I was five years old, Pixar released Toy Story. It was a magnificent film, that showed me the hidden world of not alien creatures, nor knights and dragons but toys. A simple concept, yet such a great one to begin with all because someone dare to ask the question "what would happen if toys came to life when we left the room?". The story was quite simple, longtime favorite Woody's fame is put in jeopardy after his owner Andy receives what appears to be the hottest toy in existence, Buzz Lightyear. After a jealous Woody accidentally manages to lose Buzz he must set out not only to bring him back home to Andy before they move, but also survive crazy toy torturing kid Sid.

The film featured a great cast of characters which shall forever live on in my generation. Woody was funny and I actually wanted to have him be my adventure buddy. Buzz was extremely cool, and was an action figure that not only showed attitude but taught me something great "dare to fly" (or dream you can). It was a great adventure that re-played on my VCR over and over.

I'll quote Denver Post's movie critic Micheal Booth in order to show how great this film was received not only by kids but parents and grown up all over the world. "As Lion King did before it, Toy Story revived the art of American children's animation, and ushered in a set of smart movies that entertained children and their parents. It's a landmark movie, and doesn't get old with frequent repetition."

Holding a 100% in RT this film is a landmark in computer generated storytelling.

In 1998 Dreamworks stepped into the picture, having already released hit traditional animated film Prince of Egypt they decided to step into making computer animated films. Their film showcased a small pair of individuals whose world laid beneath our feet, Antz. Pixar however was not far behind because in 1998 they released another hit with A Bug's Life. Both films were critically praised (Antz winning over Bug's Life on RT with a 95% fresh rating against Bug's 91% rating). Still Antz received critical praised due to its voice talent, and its technical advancement however there was one thing the film lacked that A Bug's Life had in spades, an engaging story line and a cast of memorable characters. Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle is quoted as saying that Bug's Life is, "One of the great movies -- a triumph of storytelling and character development, and a whole new ballgame for computer animation". I liked both films greatly as a kid, and that war scene against the termites was great in Antz, but I really didn't seem very fond of the films protagonist Z, at all. Sure he had a mission, to find insectopia and hook up with the princess but as a kid I really wasn't that interested in seeing.

However I have to give credit to Antz for having Gene Hackman play general mandible, who is a great villain, but was completely overshadowed by THE greatest Pixar villian ever Hopper. Hopper was ruthless, he was smart, and he really wasn't someone you wanted to piss off.


Hopper however was just a member of a character list that is just as unforgettable as Toy Story's. Flick the inventor ant, was funny and I really wanted to see how he would stand up to Hopper in order to protect his colony. The circus bugs are possibly the second best ensemble cast in Pixar history with Francis and Slim stealing every scene they were in. I won't ever forget Heimlich the caterpillar for the laughs he gave me, and that sequence in the end with Flick's manufactured Bird was great.

Pixar hard started out with Toy Story, and followed up with A Bug's Life, a film equally as great (by my childhood memories standards) it seemed the Pixar Animation train was off, and their engines seemed like they would burn on forever. Dreamworks, had achieve technical achievement and had managed to weave in adult story plots into their film Antz (which looking at it now is serves as a metaphor for Communism versus Democracy). However I really have to say that Pixar had the advantage simply because they dared to tell a story sparked with imagination (Toy Story) that surpassed anything and everything that Antz tried to achieve.

Stay tuned next week for Part II of the Smack Down.