Disney vs Pixar - the Fanfic Faceoff

[tealin]

It occurred to me while visiting California Adventure (soon to be Pixarland*) that despite Pixar's modus operandi of 'creating worlds,' my imagination is never tempted to explore them outside the confines of the film, whereas I often find myself mentally wandering the possibilities of Disney worlds. The only explanation I could come up with is that Pixar movies are more self-contained ... everything in them was created for them; nothing exists that does not relate to the plot or characters; everything is explained and there are no loose ends. It's a very tidy way to make a movie but it doesn't give much room to play – it feels like the movie is shot on a sound stage rather than on location, that if you wandered past the end of the street that is visible in the establishing shot, you'd either meet a blank concrete wall or ... nothing. I don't wonder about the rest of the characters' lives, or 'what would happen if...', or how their society works or anything, because everything I need to know is spelled out for me and nothing further is hinted at, which squashes all curiosity I might have. And for all that the world is painstakingly created I never wish I could just go there to hang out – it's a closed-off room that exists for the purpose of the movie and the movie alone; it doesn't have any doors.** So I wondered: am I the only one? Is your imagination piqued by Pixar movies as much as Disney? I did a brief and extremely unscientific survey of fanfiction.net and the fic tallies for Disney and Pixar movies seem to prove that I am speaking out of my butt, but I cannot recall one Pixar character that, for example, has a squeeing fangirl following. Have you experienced Pixar fandom online? Is it as fruitful or pervasive as the Disney fandoms I followed for a while before running away screaming? What are your thoughts/observations/comments/suggestions/snarkings? Is it better to make a beautiful, clean, perfectly-wrapped up origami of a movie, or leave some loose ends and cracks that the imagination can crawl into?

ETA: I ought to set Incredibles a little bit aside from the Pixar pantheon – it's really much more of a Brad Bird movie than a Pixar movie, and he's the only one to my knowledge who can stand up to Lasseter and get away with it. He directed Ratatouille too, but it was someone else's project that he took over.

ETA2: This seems as good a time as any to point out one of my favourite Daily Show clips ever ... Forks!

*Not officially. But basically ... yeah.
**with the exception of Monsters, Inc which has a lot of doors (literally) ... but none of them open into my head (figuratively)

Comments

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

The front of the park, yes, and they're turning the sort of carnival area into much more of an early-20th-century amusement park, which I am 100% in favour of, especially if it means whimsical contraptions and coin-operated stereoscopes like in the Musée Mechanique (I am such a stereoscope whore, it's stupid). But they've already got Bugs Land (dunno what else to call it) and the Monsters Inc ride, have just opened Toy Story Midway Mania, and are building Cars Land. There'll also be a Fantasmic-ish water and light show which will feature lots of Pixar movies. Seeing these plans (they have a display at the park) made me think ... I couldn't come up with any ideas for rides or attractions based on Pixar movies, nor were there any locations I wish they'd build so I could pretend I was in them.

Pixar movies are absolutely a pinnacle of craftsmanship, they just (ironically, perhaps) don't cater much to the imagination.

[dejablue7.livejournal.com]

Oh, undoubtably they're top notch in craftsmanship.

"Bugs Land"...lol, that sounds so silly XD

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

It's actually pretty cleverly done, but obviously aimed more at the wee ones, unless you have an interest in horticulture.

[gmonkey42.livejournal.com]

Oh! Will there still be Soarin' Over California or a similar ride? That's just about the only ride my mum likes.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

As far as I know that's staying... it's one of the most popular ones there (or at least it has the longest lines).

[uberklutz.livejournal.com]

oh that ride is TOTALLY WORTH IT.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

I must have been on it on a bad day ... I swear whenever there were supposed to be enhanching odours they all smelled uniformly of cough drops.

Which, you know, works for the eucalyptus plantations around San Diego, but not so much the pine forests or ocean spray or what have you.