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Upon apparently popular demand, Disney has released
a collection of short films, in various DVD packages. This
set, which is headlined by "The Three Little Pigs," also
includes an array of other nostalgic, often delightful little
films. The anthology includes, "The Three Little Pigs,"
"Three Blind Mousketeers," "Chicken Little," "Big Bad Wolf,"
"Lambert the Sheepish Lion," and "Three Little Wolves."
Now what makes these collections worth buying, beyond the=2
0surface entertainment value is the connection between these
shorts and modern Disney animations. The late, "Chicken
Little," although a mediocre, Pixar-less, 3D-attempt is
made that more tolerable after understanding its source
material. All of the short films in this specific set are
diverting enough, but do not stand on their own. This is
what sets Pixar apart. ****
The Pixar short film collection, released a few years
ago contains all of their award-winning gems, most notably
"Presto," "Geri's Game," and "One Man Band." The advantage
that these shorts have is that audiences will directly relate
each little movie to it's bigger counterpart: Presto to
Wall-E, or One Man Band to Cars. Pixar always opens with
a bang, and it's evidently very enjoyable to revisit those
fleeting moments from before the film. To watch "Three Little
Pigs," even with its rudimentary style of animation is like
a trip through the Disneyland park. The joyous whistling
and musical underscore, accompanied by high-pitched vocal
accompaniment is fun. These films certainly have a distinct
style of physical and musical storytelling, not unlike the
immortal "Pinocchio," or "Snow White and The Seven Dwarves."
And for 1932, these shorts are quite prolific and visually
exciting. In this respect, one can see how Pixar was influenced
by Disney of yesteryear, and can continue to wonder why
modern animations have lost this kind of magic. ****
All of these stories, unlike most that are concocted
nowadays have a storybook basis. So parents can rest easy
with the morals and messages, ever present in each yarn.
Every film in this volume is well-paced and if not terrific,
too short to remain a bother. ****
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