Pixar Review 4: Tin Toy

Now, I will be reviewing Tin Toy, from 1988.

A marching band toy named Tinny was bought by the unseen parents of a baby named Billy, at a store that for some reason uses the then-current Pixar logo as its logo. Tinny sees the baby destroy some teething beads, and thinks that Billy is a monster. Tinny tries to run away from Billy, who's chasing him through the living room, and hides under the couch. Billy trips and cries, leading Tinny to come to the realization that Billy wants to play with him. Billy does play with Tinny for a bit, but his mind wanders off to the box that Tinny came in, and later the toy store bag. Billy and Tinny just play along and go downstairs with each other while the credits roll.

The animation is pretty good for 1988, but Billy's animation when he's crawling is kinda stiff. I also like the background music. It kinda reminds me of the intro to the title theme of Super Mario World. I guess Koji Kondo might have been inspired by that. I also like the use of audio from "The Price is Right" playing in the background. It really fits within the living room setting.

Overall rating:

8.5/10

Pixar Review 3: Red's Dream

Up now is the 1987 short Red's Dream. This short involves an anthropomorphic unicycle that's on sale for 50% off at a bike shop called Eben's Bikes. It's a dark, rainy night, and the unicycle, named Red, after the color of his frame, dreams about being in the circus, being rode on by a juggling clown who looks like he's made of Play-Doh and copper wires. The clown goes off the Red, who starts juggling a ball. The clown realizes he's not on the unicycle anymore, and falls, dropping the other 2 balls. Red picks 'em up and continues juggling them. He bows afterward, and it fades back into the bike store, continuing to bow. Red realizes that he's awake and slowly and sadly goes back into the clearance corner.

I feel bad for Red, he just wants an owner who will give him the rides he wants.

But on the bright side, the animation is awesome, and the saxophone music alongside the rain sets in stone the tone of the short.

There are some hidden Easter eggs in this short. The floor of the circus is the same texture as Luxo Jr.'s ball, the balls that the Clown and Red were juggling were colored Red, Green, and Blue (RGB), and Eben's Bikes is a reference to a Pixar staffmember involved in the production of the short.

I'd want to see Red in a variant of the Pixar logo, Maybe with Luxo Jr. riding on Red in order to jump on the I quicker.