I'm not sure how I would classify Toy Story 3 under any recycled "kids movie" plots. The ending (the real ending, not the climax, as described in the article) is one of the most poignant moments in film I can recall. Similarly, Wall-E does a good job illustrating the human need for companionship. And the need for purpose within our lives. And at the very shallowest and most obvious level, over-consumption. Pixar often makes very "smart" animated movies, and they generally work at quite a few levels, in my opinion.
> Especially considering as kids movies they cannot explore adult topics and will always be fairly limited in scope.
I disagree. I've seen many masterful "childrens" movies that have done masterful jobs at exploring adult concepts, as long as by "adult" you don't just mean sexuality. While childrens' movies may be constrained on some axis, they are often freer on others. Additionally, there is the chance to speak to people that wouldn't normally go to a movie about some of these adult messages, or to reach them when they aren't expecting it and are less cynical. Who goes to see an animated film about a family of super heroes to see a touching rendition of mid-life crisis?
Yeah, one of my favorite reasons why I like Pixar films is that their central conflicts are inspired by some deep-seated adult fear: fear of being replaced or forgotten (TS1-TS3), of children growing up and leaving (Nemo), midlife crisis (Incredibles), the fragility of newborn children (Monsters Inc), of change (Inside Out).
That said, I do think there are a lot of creative frontiers to be explored with material suitable for older audiences only. If they wanted, Pixar could make the most terrifying psychological horror known to Man, or a tragedy so heart-wrenching that everyone heads to the bars afterward.
Maybe, but I suspect that the subtlety required in childrens' movies may actually help the delivery. I don't doubt Pixar could make good movies centered around more adult stories, but I think what takes from from "eh" to "good" or even "great" is when there are multiple layers to them, and the layers are subtle but powerful. I think these subtler themes resonate with people as they have experiences that they can relate to them (which is why we can put them in kids movies with a more overt story, the kids usually don't notice them because they don't have an experience that resonates), but when they are overtly part of the plot, it comes across as heavy handed.
> Especially considering as kids movies they cannot explore adult topics and will always be fairly limited in scope.
I disagree. I've seen many masterful "childrens" movies that have done masterful jobs at exploring adult concepts, as long as by "adult" you don't just mean sexuality. While childrens' movies may be constrained on some axis, they are often freer on others. Additionally, there is the chance to speak to people that wouldn't normally go to a movie about some of these adult messages, or to reach them when they aren't expecting it and are less cynical. Who goes to see an animated film about a family of super heroes to see a touching rendition of mid-life crisis?