9. Boundin'
Plays Before: The Incredibles
Cuteness Level: One of the aliens that worships The Claw in Toy Story (aka surprisingly cute for a naked lamb) Boundin' breaks from Pixar short tradition by having dialogue (although it is sung in a catchy folk tune) in a movie about a lamb who is frustrated about losing his coat. He is made fun of by the other animals (the impact of ostracizing people is a recurring theme for Pixar) for looking particularly thread-bare without his coat of wool (please forgive me). While PETA probably wasn't too thrilled with the idea that having a lamb's coat being taken from it as just a part of the life of the animal, Boundin' is probably the most directly kid-friendly short Pixar has produced. The song and narration comes from writer-director Bud Luckey, which gives the typically mass-produced animated film genre a fun DIY-seeming contradiction. But although the story is fairly simple fun, the animation shows what makes Pixar special. Several times over the course of the movie there are multiple planes of action with characters moving while the "camera" or perspective moves as well. Not an easy feat, given that the corresponding lighting has to shift as the perspective and characters do in not-quite perfect unison. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJFmHzhFk_U A fun song, dancing, and overcoming obstacles with the help of a friendly Jackalope are the recognizable parts of the story, but the movement of the characters in space highlights Pixar's deft hand at animating complex motions.