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Pixar has enjoyed whale of a success

'Finding Nemo' (2003)

Rival films such as `Shrek,' `Ice Age' and `Final Fantasy' have proved that Pixar isn't the only computer-animated game in town. Will its latest feature live up to the studio's unblemished track record? Read the American-Statesman's review in Friday's Life & Movies.

By Omar Gallaga
American-Statesman Staff

Thursday, May 29, 2003

Finding Nemo," which opens Friday, is the latest film created by Pixar Animation Studios. Spun off from a computer graphics division of Lucasfilm, Ltd. in the mid-'80s, the computer animation company has had a remarkable string of critical and commercial hits. Pixar started off creating attention-getting commercials and short films; in the mid-'90s, it ventured into feature films, with spectacular results. And no wonder: The company's pedigree is daunting. Apple guru Steve Jobs bought it from Lucasfilm for $10 million and eventually signed a distribution deal with Disney. Before that deal expires in 2006, expect a lot of interested parties to bid high. Why? Here are four good reasons.

(Find out what the critics are saying about "Finding Nemo")

'Toy Story' (1995) and
'Toy Story 2' (1999)

`Toy Story,' the first computer-animated feature film hit, featured the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen and put Pixar on the map. It made $191 million. Its sequel, planned as a straight-to-video affair, was released in theaters, where it earned $245 million and critical hosannas. Both films showed computer animation could have heart.

'A Bug's Life' (1998)

Bulbous, colorful bugs and a traveling circus highlight this tale of misfit creepy crawlers. Though it directly competed with another multilegged creature feature, `Antz!', this film held its own, earning $162 million. The end-credit outtakes still crack us up. A sequel is in the works.

'Monsters, Inc.' (2001)

Closet-dwelling fearmongers became cuddly kid heroes in this smart and funny film. A huge $255 million hit, `Monsters' lost the new Best Animated Feature Oscar to another computer-animated hit about an oversized hero, `Shrek.'

Animated Shorts

The company has a long history of award-winning commercials (for products including Listerine and Lifesavers) and shorts including Oscar winners `Tin Toy' and `Geri's Game.' The title desk lamp character from one of its earliest shorts, `Luxo, Jr.,' is part of the Pixar logo. Many of the studio's shorts can be found on DVDs of its feature films.

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