Boundin'

Unlike the last reviewer, I'm actually going to review Boundin', not the movie that follows it. First of all, let's keep it in perspective here. This comes before a family animated film. Pixar know their audience and this one is as good as any short they have made, and I have seen them all many times. It has a Dr. Seuss-like rhythm & style but they throw a little cowboy poetry flavor in there, as well. (I am guessing that Mr. MIT reviewer probably hasn't heard of cowboy poetry.) I thought it was a good combination and it had a good moral that needs to be heard a little more these days, which is "take what you have and find a way to be happy with it" But finding that way isn't that the sheep in the story goes on the new "reality" TV show, "Extreme Sheep Makeovers." What lesson is learned there? Not any lesson worth learning. Enjoy this one the way it is meant to be enjoyed, with a light-heart and an open mind.

Luckey not only directed this sweet little animation, but he also wrote it, narrated the script, provided a voice for the jackalope and composed the music. Suffice to say, Boundin' was his spring into animation glory. A dancing sheep that remains popular with the other animals, one day becomes sheared. Now the laughing stock of the rock they reside on, the sheep loses all confidence. A benevolent jackalope then approaches and teaches the sheep to "bound" rather than dance, allowing him to restore his confidence and overcome his fear of shearing. A delightful message for younger viewers to adhere to, with a variety of musically tuned animals to enhance the accessible entertainment. The animation was excellent with a nice attention to detail for the environment, such as tumbleweeds blowing in the distance. The character models were well rounded and clearly differentiate each animal. The musical narration, whilst doing its best impersonation of Johnny Cash, was unfortunately forgettable and lost the buoyancy of its message. A more upbeat tune would've suited the narration, considering it's a story about "bounding". However the lyrics remain poignant and are simple enough for children to acknowledge. Still, another consistently slick short animation from Pixar that ranks among the upper echelon of their canon.

I hesitate to summarize Boundin' with the massive cliché that is Just Be Yourself, so I'll try to throw a little spin on it and say that it is more about being confident in who you are rather than your appearance. Clearly, since the short film starts with the story of a sheep that is so happy and content that it constantly bounces around singing, and thus doesn't give the impression of being insecure until suddenly it is Unceremoniously Plucked From Its World and sheared naked of its wool, it is more about self-confidence than just being yourself. On the other hand, maybe that's just two ways of saying the same thing.

At any rate, the movie received something of a lukewarm reception from viewers, who either loved it or hated it or wanted to love it but thought that the sheep wasn't cute enough or something. I appreciated the fact that Pixar was able to tell the story using such simple means. The entire film takes place on the same 10 square feet or so of setting, and there are only two characters (unless you count the little animals that laugh at or cheer the sheep, depending on his level of security).

I also liked that the movie did something original with the dialogue. Many of Pixar's charming short films are silent, and I really thought the singing worked great because it had such a good Dr. Seuss-like ring to it. The moral is simple, but the emotions created are real. We pretty much know where the plot is going, but we still sympathize with the sheep after it is originally shorn, because in truth it really does look ridiculous.

Where Pixar should be especially commended, however, is that later in the film the sheep is shorn again, plopped back down on its rock, but no longer looks ridiculous, simply because of the sheep's casual behavior. He doesn't look ridiculous because he no longer cares so much how he looks.

And if you think the sheep or the jackalope were just not cute enough, maybe you should write a whiny little song about it

Bounding (which has a cut viewable on Pixar's web page), is another clean cut example of why Pixar is what they are, successful. In a segment of ninety seconds, they showcase stunning visuals that can intrigue the eyes of young and, and churn a story out of American lore (see also: The Jackalope). It's stunning what they do and that they do it so right, don't be surprised if in the future "Pixar" is added to the line-up with mom, apple pie and baseball.

-True Sag

I wish Bud Lucky could have directed a couple of more shorts, or even a feature film. Because I an utterly charmed by this short. It's cute. It's uplifting. It has some clever writing in keeping the meter and rhythming going. The western setting, the jackalope and the optimism all add up to a slice of Americana.