Presto

Voices of: N/A
Directed by: Doug Sweetland
Rating: G
Genre: Animation, Short, Comedy
Length: 5 minutes
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: Presto the rabbit rebels against his magician owner on stage.

Review:

Tim: I watched Presto many years ago (a colleague of mine at work showed it as part of his facilitation) and the movie stuck with me. I could still remember the neglectful magician, the rebellious rabbit. This is absolutely a memorable movie. It's a short film that feels truly Pixar- it tells an emotional and unforgettable story in its short run time. I would often fondly recall the film and know that some day, I would revisit it. I was really excited in June of 2020, because I'd been going through Pixar's short films on Disney+ with my kids and I was finally able to show my son Presto.

While I enjoyed the film the second time I watched it, I probably didn't enjoy it as much as the first time through. Some of this was undoubtedly do to the reaction of my five year-old son. He thought the movie was okay, but he clearly didn't love it. When I asked him why, he talked about how mean the magician was. This isn't something I originally considered, but he makes an actual point. The whole premise of the movie is based on the fact that the magician is self-focused and neglectful to animals. Animal neglect and animal cruelty is a horrendous thing that happens too often in life. It's interesting that a topic like that (neglect more than cruelty, but the magician certainly approaches that realm) was used as the basis for this animated movie. As an adult, I could understand and accept the necessity of this, but my son wasn't a fan. I actually don't blame him at all- he brings up a great point and it makes sense why he didn't really love this film. It's an animated movie that perhaps best appeals to an older audience. To truly understand the humor here, you have to understand the idea of a "magic hat", which is kind of a magic portal. It does require a bit more understanding of the laws of space and time.

The movie itself, though, is well-animated. I enjoyed the character of Presto and I had fun seeing him rebel against his neglectful owner. The fact that this all happens on stage in front of a large audience was another humorous quirk to the film. It's a fast-paced short movie and it covers a lot of ground in its five minutes. Older kids will certainly related better to Presto and while I wasn't as blown away the second time through, this is still one of my favorite Pixar short films. It's one of the few that felt like it could almost have been extended to a feature length film. I could see the events of this film being the climax. The characters were memorable and by the time the short ended, I was left wanting more. All this to say Presto is a strong short film.

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



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Lifted, Boundin'