I love a good short cartoon.
But there are only so many times you can watch SpongeBob and Patrick give each other naughty nautical wedgies before you long for something different to watch with the kids on a lazy Saturday morning.
My rescue came in the form of a Netflix recommendation. “You might also like” Pixar’s collection of its own short films.
Might like? Are they insane? Everybody loves Pixar, and the short films they’ve developed over the years are almost as iconic as their feature films “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E.” Do you remember one of the first Pixar efforts that ran as a prelude to movies in the late 1980s, the one about the articulated desk lamp and a junior desk lamp playing with a ball? Brilliant. It was the first hint to the public that Pixar would revolutionize animation and bring intelligence and wit to everything it did.
That one’s in this DVD collection, as are Academy Award- winning shorts like “Geri’s Game” and “For the Birds.” Just a couple of minutes long, the cartoons capture a whole world in a matter of seconds. You’ll love them for their depth and creativity, and your youngest children will love them for their rich color and unfailing good humor.
A standout for me that I’d never seen before was “One-Man Band,” a timeless fable of ego and desperation. In the empty square of a medieval town, two showmen compete for the gold coin of a stubborn little girl. The vignette unfolds with surprise and suspense, to a backdrop of wonderful music.
The Pixar collection, “Pixar Short Films Vol. 1,” is available from most Internet DVD services, including Netflix and Blockbuster. Enjoy the brief bits of perfection.
“Pixar Short Films”
Rated: Not rated; nothing to fear for any child over 4
Best suited for: Pixar fans of all ages and sizes
