Let it go, Cowboy. Let it go.

All good things come to an end, and we might be seeing the beginning of the end for one of the most beloved movie studios of all time.  Pixar has had an illustrious career, boasting an unbreakable series of #1 box office hits and garnering an impressive profit stream that has continued flowing without ever challenging their artistic integrity.

That’s all changed.

When news came out that Pixar was going to make a sequel to what many agree was their worst film,Cars, a lot of people grimaced.  The original was a decent movie, but it didn’t rise to the level that most Pixar films achieve.  However, it became well known that Pixar’s founding father, John Lasseter, was an enormous fan of cars in real life, and this was as much a passion project for him as anything.  For that reason, most fans were more then willing to let Cars slide.  Then came Cars 2, and it became impossible to ignore what was happening: Pixar’s cashing in.

Ka-CHING!

Unbelievably, the original Cars was one of the most profitable films Disney has ever released.  Not because people fell in love with the characters, but because it is really, really easy to sell Cars toys (Hot Wheels anyone?)  The story of Pixar has suddenly become synonymous with George Lucas and his decision to turn the Wookies in Return of the Jedi into teddy bears (Ewoks) that would sell billions.  It’s a sad turn of events that I was hoping I could forget and move past, then came more news that just dug the knife deeper.

Pixar is making Toy Story 4.

Why?!  WHY?!  Why do this to us?  Toy Story 3 was a perfect ending to a great series.  Andy moved on, and so did we.  There’s no reason to drag these characters back to the dance floor for another turn in the spotlight.  Oh wait, yes there is: money. Toy Story 4 is a guaranteed smash hit that will bring in bucket loads of cash.  That’s the reason it’s going to be made, and that makes me sad.  Add the new Monster’s University (effectively Monster’s Inc. 2) and you’ll start to see that ingenuity is taking a back seat at Pixar to the one, undying force that crushes cinematic integrity over and over: the all-mighty dollar.  Perhaps next we can expect to see more sequels, like WALL-E’s, Up 2 Heaven, Found Nemo, and The More Incredibles!

All that being said, I love Pixar.  They have put out a series of movies that are unrivaled, not just in animation, but in any genre.  I will continue to see their films because they are undoubtedly masterpieces that are light years beyond what the other animation studios are producing (although How To Train Your Dragon was superb.)  I also believe that the future for Pixar is not as dim as this article might suggest. They are already working on a film called Brave that looks to harken back to the ingenuity of their past, and I am sure that won’t be the last one.  However, I can’t ignore the fact that is staring me in the face: Pixar has placed profitability above artistic integrity.  Perhaps I was fooling myself to ever think the opposite was true, but it still hurts.