Boundin'

Voices of: Bud Luckey
Directed by: Bud Luckey, Roger Gould
Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Short
Length: 5 minutes
2003

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A sheep leads a happy life until he's sheared, when he loses his identity.

Review:

Tim: Pixar won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Animated Short with Geri's Game and For the Birds. Boundin' broke that streak, although it was nominated for that award. This is a fairly entertaining little film with a good message. It's definitely not top-tier Pixar, but it's hard to complain too much about it.

The story is straightforward. There's a sheep who loves dancing and showing off his wool. His friends all appreciate him and his dancing. When he's sheared, he loses an essential part of himself. His friends laugh at him, he feels embarrassed, and doesn't dance anymore. It takes a traveling Jackalope to help teach him a lesson about life and to find his footing (and his confidence) again. The lesson the Jackalope shares is actually pretty good. It boils down to there's ups and downs in life and what matters most is how you feel about yourself. It's a worthwhile message for impressionable viewers (as well as everyone, regardless of age) and I appreciated it being shared. The package the message comes in is interesting, too. The movie definitely has a Western vibe to it. It's not usual for Pixar shorts to feature music (this is only the second one to do so) and it's unique to have words accompanying it. This is the first time Pixar did that. The song is okay- it's not exactly an instant classic, but it's catchy enough for a few minutes.

The animation is fine- I wouldn't say the sheep or the jackalope is especially memorable. The color scheme is fine, if a little plain. I understand this movie is very much a tribute to Bud Luckey, so it's hard to feel too negative about it. It might not totally be my cup of tea, but it's fun to watch someone's passion project. Boundin' isn't one of Pixar's best shorts, but there's nothing wrong with it, either.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Geri's Game, For the Birds