It seems Pixar Animation Studios is falling out of the glory they held for the past decade. Famous for modern classics such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Up, Pixar has been upstaging its owner, Walt Disney Animation Studios, in the film making business. They created childhood memories for the modern audience with stunning new technology and original storytelling, but that may be no more.
When the Oscar Nominations for 2014 were announced, there were some surprising cuts from the list. One of the most shocking was the absence of Pixar's Monster's University in the category for Best Animated Feature Film. Pixar has usually been the winner of this category, holding 7 wins under their belt, which is no mean feat. Ever since Ratatouille, they have been holding a continuous streak of victories, reaching 4 successes in a row, hitting an all time high with one of the finest animated films in history, Toy Story 3. However, their biggest success was also the bang they went out with. Their streak was broken with their first critical failure, Cars 2, which didn't make it to the Oscar nominations. Never before had a Pixar film received negative reviews, and this failure left a mark. Since then, Pixar had lost its momentum and its magic. They released Brave the following year, and although it was a decent film and managed to scrape an Oscar, it disappointed fans hoping for a strong comeback. Their most recent film, Monster's University was well made and stronger than the previous 2 films, but it faced tougher competition than Brave did, and ultimately, was snubbed by the Oscars. Pixar seems to be falling as the companies they outshone for years suddenly rose up this year.
While Pixar is facing a downward streak, the opposite is true for its owner, Walt Disney Animation Studios. Disney used to be the top of the animation world, but then entered the new millennium with weak entries. That is around the time Pixar flourished. Disney produced dud after dud, while Pixar rolled out instant classics. Now, as Pixar is finding itself declining, Disney is going back to its former glory. Ever since Tangled, Disney's films are the hits that Pixar's used to be. It is in fact their most recent film, Frozen, that has made the nominations, beating out its companion studio's movie. Pixar is paying for the many instances it outshone Disney, making the studios even. This sudden balance in them may be due to co-founder of Pixar, John Lasseter, lending his creative help to Disney, injecting his storytelling spark in both companies.
The Oscar nominations sure did surprise this year. It is not common for a Pixar film to be left out, but it has happened. However, Pixar shouldn't be put down so easily. They still have the potential to restore their name and as the Oscars haven't been viewed of having good taste for the past few years, Pixar can still be rest assured the audience doesn't agree with the Oscar's snub. But for this year at least, Pixar will have to sit back and root for a Disney victory.
The Oscar nominations sure did surprise this year. It is not common for a Pixar film to be left out, but it has happened. However, Pixar shouldn't be put down so easily. They still have the potential to restore their name and as the Oscars haven't been viewed of having good taste for the past few years, Pixar can still be rest assured the audience doesn't agree with the Oscar's snub. But for this year at least, Pixar will have to sit back and root for a Disney victory.
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