For decades the Disney animated short films, starring the classic gang of Mickey and friends, dominated the screens with innocence and cheer. But that era is not one forgotten. Merely it exists in the past tense, just like the blockbuster musicals that made Disney, Disney. Nevertheless, Walt Disney Animation Studios is experiencing a period of re-growth, what some would argue could be the “third renaissance.” Tangled and the forthcoming Wreck-It Ralph are believed to represent that new beginning. In any case, the art of the short film within the studio is also undergoing a fantastic period of re-interest and ingenuity.

For much of the last decade, when Disney animation was arguably struggling in producing quality features, both in their theatrical and direct-to-video releases, developing short films was placed on the back-burner. Perhaps not intentionally, but they were relegated to little-seen pictures, film festivals, and bonus features on DVDs. The Annie Award-winning short Lorenzo, a charming little tale about a cat’s tail that takes over its life, is utterly creative. But where was this long-delayed piece played to audiences? Try the 2004 Kate Hudson romantic comedy Raising Helen, which underwhelmed at the box office. How was it decided that a short like this be paired with a PG-13 comedy starring Goldie Hawn’s daughter? Though each of these films is adorable in its own right, one must wonder why these were paired together.

Toy Story 2
Blu-Ray 3D Combo
Directed by John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, and Lee Unkrich
Starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Don Rickles
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: November 1, 2011

I am a sucker for animation. From Saturday morning cartoons to epic feature films, I have always been drawn to the medium. Disney movies were staples in my household, and we owned a ton of them. In fact, my current DVD/Blu-Ray collection probably has its roots in how I felt when bringing home a new Disney movie on video. Not only did the package contain the film that I loved, but the glossy, white-rimmed boxes were different from all the other VHS cassettes we had. They were a sight to behold, and though the format has changed over the years, Disney has never disappointed in their home video releases. Always at the forefront of trends, Disney/Pixar’s release of Toy Story 2‘s 3D Combo Pack is a beautiful one.

Cars 2
5-Disc Blu-ray 3D | 2-Disc Blu-ray | DVD
DIRECTED BY: John Lasseter, Brad Lewis
WRITTEN BY: Ben Queen
STARRING: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturo, Bonnie Hunt, Jason Isaacs, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard
Disney*Pixar
RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2011

I love Pixar movies. And I don’t just mean that loosely; I mean I truly and honestly LOVE Pixar movies. From that first wide-eyed viewing of Toy Story back in 1995 to today, they’ve released some of the best (and some of my own personal favorite) movies of all time.

Even my least favorite Pixar movie—2006’s Cars—is a movie I still very much enjoy, despite the fact that I went in thinking I wouldn’t be a fan (shame on me for thinking such things about a Pixar flick). That’s just how good they are. And so you can imagine my and many, many others’ surprise when a veritable landslide of negative feedback started flowing in upon the release of their latest feature, Cars 2.

Could it be so? Could there really be a…bad *gulps* Pixar movie? Or was this just a case of constant perfection leading people to go out of their way to seek out imperfections and declare failure no matter how good or bad the actual film was?

Toy Story
4-Disc Blu-ray 3D
DIRECTED BY: John Lasseter
WRITTEN BY: Andrew Stanton, Joss Whedon, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow
STARRING: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Morris, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Annie Potts, R. Lee Ermey, Laurie Metcalf
Disney*Pixar
RELEASE DATE: November 1, 2011

It feels like only yesterday that Toy Story first came out and changed the world of movies as we know them. A fully-animated feature film? Absolutely unheard of! And it almost never happened, with numerous issues putting to the test the young Pixar Animation team trying to make it. But it did happen, eventually, and computer animated movies have become a staple of modern day cinema.

The movie, for those who have somehow never seen it, follows a young boy’s collection of toys led by the once-favorite, a cowboy named Woody (Tom Hanks), who’s trying to come to terms with the boy’s impressive new favorite toy, the highly sought after Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) action figure.

Cars 2
Directed by John Lasseter
Starring (voices): Larry the Cable Guy, Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard
Release Date: June 24, 2011

Any human aspect or human presence cannot be located in the original Cars or in Pixar’s latest film Cars 2. This is the films’ biggest set back. We who have become transfixed by the genius behind the films of Pixar (which is celebrating 25 years of studio existence this year) remember all too vividly the ruthless food critic, Anton Ego, of Ratatouille swallowing a bit of ratatouille and immediately becoming reacquainted with a childhood he had seemingly forgotten. And who can forget Andy’s feeling of anguish and the sad grimace that takes over his face in Toy Story 3 when he finally figures out that he needs to give away his toys. Almost all of the successful Pixar films have an unbreakable relationship with all things human. Cars 2 veers from that ostensibly perfect trajectory to embrace a world where no existence of human life has ever been documented. This all sounds a tad bleak, but that is the world we are thrust into with the Cars‘ films.