5 Reasons Everyone Loves Pixar
3. Characters With Depth
For a long time, animated movies and TV shows could get a pass for featuring surface-level deep characters. After all, they are cartoons, where characters are expected to be cartoony and one-note. Kids just want to be entertained so why go beyond zany antics and physical humor? It makes the job easier for the writers and if the kids are happy, why do anything more?
Thankfully, Pixar sees beyond the surface level and views their films are much more than cartoons. Many of the characters in their films are complex and have many layers to them which are peeled back over the running time. Take the movie Up for example: right away, were introduced to Carl and the harsh circumstances he has faced in his life. We see him struggle with his past throughout the film. In Brave, we have a main character who goes against what is expected of her, disagrees with her mother and yet, has to make amends with her. She is at times mature and at other times, very immature. Its a much more realistic depiction of the contradictions that we humans share.
By imbuing these characters with different sides and traits, they feel more realistic and we identify with them more, which makes us more interested in what were seeing. Instead of going the cheap and easy route, Pixar takes the time to breathe more life into their characters.