Category: Animation

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‘Lightyear’ Cast Talk Pixar’s Relentless Pursuit of a Perfect Story

Michael Lee

Buzz Lightyear has come a long way since Pixar introduced him first as a space ranger action figure in Toy Story. Voiced by Tim Allen, the character was the believable hero, but also served as comic relief throughout the films, sequels, shorts, and TV specials. However, Lightyear is different. Instead of telling another chapter of the long-running Toy Story film franchise, director Angus MacLane wanted fans to see the Buzz (Chris Evans) with a new perspective, one that shows nuances to his heroism, ambition, humor, bravery, and maturity.

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Animation, Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: Decent ‘Lightyear’ Doesn’t Quite Reach Infinity and Beyond for Pixar

Mike Manalo

At the beginning of this movie there’s a disclaimer briefly explaining that this was the movie Andy saw, loved, and became obsessed with when he got his first Buzz Lightyear action figure. Andy really needs to see more movies.

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Animation, Interview, Movies

‘Lightyear’ Creative Team Discusses its Place within the ‘Toy Story’ Universe

Michael Lee

Lightyear is not exactly what you’d call a prequel. Its opening exposition tells us it is based on the toy that Andy got as a gift for his birthday, and that it was from his favorite movie. So for the first time, audiences everywhere will get to see the title space ranger’s origins story.

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Animation, Movies

New Trailer for ‘Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank’

Mike Manalo

Paramount Pictures has been on fire this year! With hits like Scream, Jackass Forever, Sonic 2, and now the mega blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, the studio has pulled off one of the most impressive comebacks in the history of studio market shares imaginable. In the past three years, they rocketed from a #6 rank to a #1 rank this year on the strength of their slate and the quality of their movies! Will they keep the streak going with the animated comedy Paws of Fury? We’ll let you be the judge.

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Animation, Movies

Disney Journeys to a Place Beyond What’s Possible in ‘Strange World’ Trailer

Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios is no stranger to having films about characters going on thrilling adventures into the unknown. Now, we are getting a first look at what’s to come in the first trailer for Strange World, a throwback to the classic pulp magazines of the past which featured stories of explorers to lost worlds and bizarre places.

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Animation, Star Wars, Streaming1 Comment

The Cast and Crew of ‘The Bad Batch’ Reflect on Season 1 and Tease Season 2

Lauren Lola

It’s not Star Wars without its animated shows, and The Bad Batch is the latest entry to expanding the galaxy far, far away through that medium. Set immediately after Order 66, Clone Force 99 — a squad of clone troopers with genetic mutations — along with young clone, Omega, navigate the galaxy, where the need for clones in the era of the Empire is slowly but surely becoming obsolete.

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Animation, Movies, Reviews

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ is a Sweet and Savory Animated Murder Musical Comedy

Michael Lee

At some point in time of an animated TV sitcom’s life, fans wonder when their beloved show will make that leap from the small screen to the big screen. But unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily happen to all of them. Then there’s the worry about justifying the film’s existence or if it’s a sign that the sitcom is jumping the shark. And when all is said and done, it may have taken too long to figure it out.

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Animation, Streaming

‘Baymax!’ Trailer Gives a Helping Healthcare Hand in San Fransokyo

Michael Lee

It’s been nearly eight years since the cuddly and lovable Baymax (Scott Adist) arrived to save the day and heal an emotionally devastated Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) in Big Hero 6. Now the giant walking marshmallow healthcare robot is ready to leave his tiny little bubble and do want he was programed to do: help others in the new forthcoming Disney+ animated series, Baymax!

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Animation, Interview, Movies

Going Nuts with ‘Rescue Rangers’ Screenwriters Dan Gregor and Doug Mand

Mike Manalo

Today, Disney+ is getting injected with a healthy dose of nostalgia! Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers is officially hitting the streaming platform, and if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s hilarious! It is a clever, self aware send up of reboot and cameo culture inspired movies like Ready Player One or Space Jam 2, that’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face with an adorable story. And we got to speak with the masterminds behind that story, screenwriters Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.

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Animation, Movies

‘The Bob’s Burgers Movie’ Cast and Crew on Turning Their Show into a Movie

Michael Lee

After 11 years, Bob’s Burgers is finally making the leap from television series to the big screen with a cinematic animated action-comedy-mystery-musical. Yeah, that’s quite a mouth full of meaty genres to pack into one film.

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Animation, Movies

Pixar Releasing ‘Elemental’ in Summer 2023

Michael Lee

Pixar’s success is built on its original storytelling. From their Toy Story flagship franchise all the way to Turning Red, audiences around the globe have seen the human experience through fantastical stories of the life of toys, monsters, and emotions. But the studio’s latest reveal teases they are going Elemental.

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Animation, Movies1 Comment

Remembering the Rescue Rangers: A Brief History of ‘Chip ‘n Dale’

Mike Manalo

There’s no case too big, no case too small. When you need help just call, Ch-Ch-Ch-Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers! For those of you who may not have grown up in the ‘90s, the major TV networks, such as Fox, UPN (now The CW), or Disney Channel used to play cartoons after school in syndication to give kids a nice breather between school and homework.

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Animation, Movies

NOC Exclusive: Creating Panda Mei in BTS ‘Turning Red’ Clip

Michael Lee

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red was a smashing hit on the studio’s exclusive streaming platform. I know I’m guilty of watching it more than a couple of times since its release. But now, the animated film is ready for its home entertainment release. And to celebrate its recent digital platform launch and its 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 3, The Nerds of Color partnered up with Disney and Pixar to share an exclusive one-minute behind-the-scenes featurette about Panda Mei.

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Animation, Movies1 Comment

Subscribe on YouTube and Win a Digital Copy of ‘Turning Red’

The Nerds of Color

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red debuted this week on all major digital platforms and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 3, with never-before-seen bonus material including seven deleted scenes, three featurettes and audio commentary with Director Domee Shi. Plus, we’re giving subscribers to our YouTube channel a free digital copy of the movie!

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Animation, Movies, Streaming

Disney+’s ‘Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers’ Live-Action Film Given the SNL Treatment

Laura Sirikul

Today, Disney+ released the first trailer and new poster of their original movie Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers and it’s a lot.

After 30 years of not having any new Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers content, the hybrid live-action/CG animated action-comedy catches up with the two former Disney Afternoon television stars in modern-day Los Angeles.

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Animation, Movies

‘Lightyear’ Cinematographer Talks Collaborating to Find Film’s Visual Language

Michael Lee

In 1995, Andy, from the Toy Story films, received a Buzz Lightyear action figure for his birthday. It was from his favorite movie. And Lightyear is that movie. Directed by Angus MacLane, the spinoff is Buzz’s (Chris Evans) origins story. In the spinoff, the title character explores uncharted space for Star Command with his fellow space ranger Alicia Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba) in the name of peace. However, when the evil Emperor Zurg threatens the universe’s safety, Buzz may be its only hope to save it.

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Animation, Movies

Pixar’s Approach to Making ‘Lightyear’ a Sci-Fi Epic

Michael Lee

Pixar may be known for its originals, but the animation studio has also produced a few sequels and prequels for its unforgettable films. While the Toy Story films may have given us a glimpse at Woody’s history, Lightyear serves as the definitive origins story for the brave space ranger that we all know and love. But rather than follow the character as a toy, the spinoff is presented to us as one of Andy’s favorite Sci-Fi films. As such, director Angus MacLane assembled a group of talented artists to achieve that cinematic look and feel that one gets when watching a Sci-Fi movie like Star Wars and Aliens.

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Animation, Movies

Pixar’s NASA Research Trip Helped Influence the Look and Feel of ‘Lightyear’

Michael Lee

In 1995, Disney•Pixar would release the first of four Toy Story films, not to mention countless other shorts and TV specials, making them the premier animation studio. And throughout these films, we’ve seen Woody and Buzz in all sorts of adventures. Though we’ve seen glimpses of “Woody’s Roundup,” the show that inspired the cowboy doll Andy played with, Buzz’s story remained untold. That is until Pixar decided to make Lightyear, an all-new Sci-Fi epic adventure that would be the movie Andy watched in 1995.

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Animation, Interview, Movies

‘Lightyear’ Artisans on Film’s Themes and Achieving the IMAX Experience

Michael Lee

Time is a construct of which we are all familiar. It’s the universal truth that there is simply never enough of it. Which makes it the perfect theme for Pixar’s Lightyear. Billed as their first Sci-Fi epic, the Toy Story spinoff is an origins story — and film that Andy watched as a kid — for the title character who accidentally maroon’s his entire crew on an uninhabited planet.

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