As I have mentioned, many a time, I am an absolute Disney fanatic. I believe the many movies that have warmed so many hearts are a near essential part of the development of a child. One of my favorite memories is going to the movie theater with my mother to see the latest Disney/Pixar flick. Even as I've aged into the "adult" that I am, this is still a tradition we try to continue whenever we can. Having just seen "Finding Dory" together, I was once again reminded why we get to the theater early: the shorts that accompany the films are fantastic! Some of them I definitely wish were full-length features! Here are just a few of my favorites that I wish were more than just shorts.
1. Geri's Game
One of Pixar's earliest shorts, "Geri's Game" premiered in front of 1998 film "A Bug's Life." Bob Peterson voices the titular elderly fellow, and the audience watches his intense chess match in the park. The game is fast-paced, and ultimately ends with the black king in checkmate, and its player handing over a pair of dentures. However, as the five-minute short comes to a close, we see that Geri was playing both sides the whole time. I, for one, was really curious about Geri. Why does he play chess alone? Is this a daily event? What inspired his love and skill for the game? None of these questions could possibly be answered in just five minutes!
2. La Luna
"La Luna" shows the first excursion of young Bambino with his father and grandfather on what seems to be a midnight fishing trip. However, this short that premiered before "Brave" in 2012 shows that their job is much more important than that. Giving the young boy a cap of his own, just like his father and grandfather, he is now a groomer of the night sky. He is given the job of anchoring the full moon, while the older men sweep away the stars. The idea is so clever, I just have to see more! What kind of universe does the sky pattern differ because of sky sweepers? Seven minutes is far too short.
3. Tangled Ever After
"Tangled Ever After" premiered before the re-release of "Beauty and the Beast" in 2012, and features all of the characters you know and love from the original film. It picks up right where the movie left off, with a royal wedding between the recovered lost princess and Eugene "Flynn Rider" Fitzherbert. With all the commotion and chaos that a celebration of this caliber would cause, Pascal and Maximus have lost the wedding bands. Audiences everywhere delighted in watching the unlikely duo retrieve them before the ceremony. Although Disney has confirmed that a TV spin-off will be released, I couldn't in good conscience leave this gem off the list, knowing how much I obsessed over the glitz and glamour of the wedding!
4. Paperman
"Paperman" is one of Disney/Pixar's most popular shorts. It was first seen in theaters before "Wreck-It Ralph" in 2012 and quickly picked up a cult following. The short features George and Meg, who have met by chance at the train station. George, realizing that the girl of his dreams, whom he thought he'd never see again, works in the office complex across the street from him, devises a plan to get her attention, as he is confined to his desk. He begins crafting paper airplanes and flying them out his window, hoping to land one on her desk. Though he is unsuccessful, a bit of Disney magic sends all of the failed attempts soaring into the skies at once, proving that true love is meant to be. Perhaps we couldn't get a full length movie out of the continuation of this love story, but we at least deserve a sequel!
5. The Blue Umbrella
"The Blue Umbrella" is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite Pixar short, and it inspired my love for the bits of animated genius. Shown before "Monsters University" in 2013, "The Blue Umbrella" shows a busy city coming to life in an unexpected manner; the drainpipes and other seemingly inanimate objects are given sentience! On a rainy, dreary day in the city, we see a sea of black umbrellas until we are introduced to the titular character. He spots a beautiful red umbrella, and he is instantly smitten. The blue umbrella, in his attempts to meet the red umbrella, faces the perils of a city that only an umbrella could face. With help from the "inanimate" city dwellers, he and the red umbrella are united, as the umbrella bearers meet at a cafe. Again, maybe this isn't enough of a story to warrant a full-length feature, but I'd like to see a short featuring the umbrella bearers!
6. Lava
"I have a dream, I hope will come true: that you're here with me, and I'm here with you."
I definitely blame "Lava" for the ukulele uprise in pop culture today. This catchy tune outlines the story of a lonely volcano in the middle of the sea, who watches over the couples who inhabit his island. He sings a song each day, hoping that a miracle will bring him "someone to lava." A female volcano rising from the sea hears his song, and knows it is for her. Though geologically improbable, the two volcanoes are united, forming a heart-shaped island and a melodious harmony. This short premiered in 2014 before "Inside Out," and is absolutely the reason I cried through the whole film. He almost didn't have "someone to lava!" I'd love to see a movie, perhaps an animated romantic comedy, where a pair lands on this island made up of lovers. Come on, Disney/Pixar, we would all "lava" it!
7. Frozen Fever
With the "Frozen" hype still going strong, the premiere of the live-action "Cinderella" in 2015 brought us "Frozen Fever." In this short, it is Anna's birthday, and Elsa and Kristoff are planning the most fitting of royal birthdays. However, Elsa develops a cold, and the creatures she creates when she sneezes are bent on dismantling the party! The release of "Frozen Fever" brought families a brand-new song to add to the original "Frozen" soundtrack; much to the glee of children and dismay of parents. The true "Frozen" fever continues on, as we await the sequel!
8. Piper
"Piper" is Disney/Pixar's newest animated short, and aired before "Finding Dory" in 2016. We are introduced to a young sandpiper who is being encouraged to leave the nest for food for the very first time. Inexperienced and a bit slow, the baby bird is taken by the sea, and develops a fear of the water. However, as we all know, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again." Taking heed from some hermit crabs, who burrow under the sand when the tide comes, the young bird becomes the most crafty at procuring food, and forgets her fear of the water. "Piper" airing before "Finding Dory" is quite fitting, because the only thing that could possibly match the cuteness of the itty-bitty birdie is a baby Dory! I'd love to see some more of this crafty little piper!
These shorts are just some of Disney's finest! There's a compilation of most of the Disney/Pixar shorts available to watch on Netflix, if you'd like to find some favorites of your own! All this talk of true love and craftiness makes me need to revisit the compilation myself!
