Burrow

This is quite an engaging short animation about a rabbit who dreams of living in the perfect home. He draws himself a plan and then armed with a pointy shovel, sets off to dig himself in. He doesn't quite anticipate, though, that it might be hard work; that he is going to have some mishaps along the way and perhaps, just perhaps, he might be better seeking the assistance of his fellow critters who just want a nice home too - the same as him! It has a gentle message of inter-reliance and community spirit. No rabbit is a island and all that; and some of the facial expressions as our young friend gets perilously close to being drowned out are entertaining. There's a nice, jolly, score to accompany it and is worth five minutes to remind us that endeavours are usually best entered into as a team.

"Burrow" is a fast-paced laugh-out-loud funny 2020 addition to Pixar's growing collection of stellar SparkShorts, short form animated films that showcase new directors and techniques. Rarely I have I fallen in love with a leading character so quickly - from her first moments on the screen, our leading bunny is a wonderful combination of naïve idealism and derring-do. The story is universal - an aspiring homeowner who starts with a dream and a plan (the crudely drawn plan, replete with "Bath / Disco?" notation over the tub, provides the first of many hilarious and endearing moments in this richly entertaining short), and finds that actually building a home is far more difficult than sketching the plan. As our leading bunny encounters setback upon setback, her response is to go it alone - to literally dig deeper into her own growing frustration and anxiety, so that she doesn't have to stoop to the humiliating (to her) position of simply stopping and asking for help.

In a film filled with surprises, the first is the production design and style - no traditional Pixar 3D uber-sophistication here - "BURROW" feels more like a hand animated favorite old-time storybook. That style decision creates an interesting lens through which to discuss the film. Aside from the practical considerations of cost and production time, this storybook look lends an accessibility and warmth that is well developed throughout the film. The illustration style allows for a wide variety of supporting animals, from studious frogs to a restaurant for ants to the alpha badger whose powerful roar calls the entire underground colony to action.

Every film is a social commentary - whether explicitly or implicitly. Perhaps the biggest and most wonderful fantasy in "BURROW" is the how well everyone gets along. Our bunny accidently breaks into the warm home of what look like gophers, and is she chased away or eaten? No, she is offered fresh baked cookies! Every underground twist and turn in her search for a place to dig her burrow results in a spectacular incursion into another animal family's burrow, and the responses are mostly good-natured and downright welcoming (except for the horrified restaurant of ants - some of them fainted). In the end, the entire harmonious colony of inter-connected multi-species homes is saved by a lightning-fast combined rescue effort by all the characters.

"BURROW" was written and directed by erstwhile storyboard artist Madeline Sharafian, an exuberant 28 year Pixar team member. If the goal of the SparkShorts program is to identify young artists who have directing potential, then "BURROW" was an overwhelming success. We are looking for great things from this young talent. Stay tuned!

Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez is the CEO and executive director of VIEW Conference, Italy's premiere annual digital media conference. VIEW Conference is committed to bringing women's voices to the forefront in animation, visual effects and games.

With "Toy Story" (1995) and the relentless parade of computer-animated burgers ever since, Pixar has led the way in replacing hand-drawn, traditional animation. It's rather strange then that this short from them, "Burrow," celebrates that past style. It kind of has the feel of going to McDonalds to order a salad. Hopefully, Pixar hasn't simply ran out of innovations in computer and digital drawing and so reverts to re-inventing the old. Regardless, this short that was to be paired with the CGI-animated feature "Soul" (2020) in theatres--and I assume has been in those parts of the world that now seem to exist in the past when movie-going involved me leaving my home--is a pleasant little movie.

Speaking of the construction of animation, I like how the picture is architectural, of a rabbit trying to build a home underground. On top of that, the rabbit drew a blueprint for it. The other underground critters likewise have drawings for their dwellings. And, in the wider cut-out shots, we get views of the entire community's burrowing. A clever spark of a short.

Burrow is about a small bunny who wants to make his home of dreams.

This short is very memetic, there are many instances where you want to freeze the short and giggle at the funny faces the characters make. The sound production lacked a bit on this one and it's the first truly 2D short before a Pixar theatrical release (which didn't happen unfortunately). Still, the director must be very proud of this as it is a Sparkshort, the first one of it's kind to be released before a movie!

The plot is slightly thin and doesn't invoke too much thinking, yet all the small details compensate for it. I recommend watching it if you're a fan of old-timey plot production and anthropomorfic characters!

One thing I've noticed with many of the studios doing computer generated animation is that they too often repeat themselves. So many feature-length CGI films are sequels that it can discouraging finding something decent to watch that has originality. Well, my need for originality was certainly satisfied by "Burrow", a short from Pixar.

Unlike most CGI films, "Burrow" look hand-drawn....a lot like the precious Oscar-nominated movie "Ernest and Celestine". The story is simple but the animation is so strikingly original and the character designs so cute, you can't help but smile as you watch the film.

As for the film, it's about a rabbit who finds too many neighbors and as it tries to find another place to live, again and again, it comes to naught. Well worth seeing...and adorable.