Smash and Grab (2019 film)

Last updated
Smash and Grab
SmashandGrab2019.jpg
Official poster
Directed byBrian Larsen
Written byBrian Larsen
Produced byDavid Lally
StarringKenny Pickett
Cinematography
  • Matthew Silas (camera)
  • Farhez Rayani (lighting)
Edited byNicole Vanderneut
Music byBarney Jones
Production
company
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
Running time
8 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Smash and Grab is a 2019 American computer-animated science fiction [2] action [3] adventure [3] short film directed and written by Brian Larsen, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the second film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on two robots who try to escape from their work routine. The short premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019, before being released on YouTube on February 11, 2019. The short was also released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Contents

Plot

Smash and Grab, two laborer robots who live on a futuristic Mars-like planet, work in a giant train fueled by glowing rocks. Smash breaks the rocks apart, and tosses them to Grab, who feeds them into the train's engine. They attempt to amuse themselves by turning their work into a game, but are hindered from moving freely about the room or seeing out the window by their power cables. The cords are so short that the robots cannot touch each other, even to high five, much to Smash's frustration.

One day, Smash builds itself a stack of rocks so it can partially see out the window. It learns there is a world outside the train, and that all the free robots move about unhindered thanks to spherical batteries, which can attach to the same port the power cables do. Seeing that some of these batteries have been loaded onto the train, Smash cuts its power cable and uses what little power it has left to steal two batteries, attaching one to itself and the other to Grab so they can flee together.

Security robots pursue Smash and Grab and attempt to kill them before they reach freedom. Trapped atop the train, Smash catches and throws security robots to Grab when they come through the door. Grab flings them against obstacles the train passes, noticing their batteries explode if damaged. One security robot manages to shoot Grab's arm off. Grab deactivates, and Smash attempts to revive its friend, but is confronted by eight security robots. Smash deliberately damages its own battery and throws it at the security robots. The battery explodes, causing a chain reaction which kills the security robots and derails the train.

In the crater left by the explosion, Grab reactivates, finds a powered down but intact Smash, and connects its battery to Smash via a cable so both of them can share its power. The two high five for the first time, and set out to explore the outside world together.

Cast

Production

Smash and Grab is the second short of Pixar's "SparkShorts" program, which consists in Pixar giving employees six months and limited budgets to produce short animated films. [4] Writer/director Brian Larsen was inspired by the concept of people wanting a change in routine, particularly him wanting a change in his work as a head of story in Pixar. [2] Larsen used robots as main characters in the film because he felt it was "a nice way to express" the idea of wanting a change. [2] As the film focused on robots, Larsen developed it as a science fiction film, which departs from most of Pixar's previous projects (with the exception of WALL-E ). [2]

Larsen and the animators used Art Deco designs for the film, as Larson felt that "it felt heavy, it felt fast". [3] The animators also used "simple" character designs in the short, which Larsen described as "almost like appliance toasters". [3] The animators also used motion-capture for Smash and Grab's movements, while having screens in the same room to animate their movements as the characters, something Larsen said it was in order "to capture data and very quickly get [the character's movements] into the computer". [3] Larsen was very pleased with the film's production, stating that he "[loves] making [the] story come to life". [3]

Music

Barney Jones, who composed the music for the Pixar short film Float , composed the music for Smash and Grab. The score was released on April 19, 2019. [5]

Smash and Grab (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Barney Jones
ReleasedApril 19, 2019
Genre Film score
Label Hollywood

Track listing

All music is composed by Barney Jones

No.TitleLength
1."Train World"1:16
2."Play Time"0:51
3."Out There"2:53
4."Get Out"0:38
5."Showdown Robot Bromance"1:34
Total length:7:12

Reception

Smash and Grab received generally positive reviews from critics, with many positively comparing the short to Pixar's feature film WALL-E . Jacob Oller, of Syfy Wire, wrote that the short "is a delightful bit of art deco sci-fi outside of Wall-E's decrepit view of the future". [6] Chelsea Steiner, of The Mary Sue, said that "Smash and Grab, like its predecessor Purl, takes a simple idea and expands it with delightful and entertaining results. It makes us root for two wordless robots and care for them over the course of an 8-minute runtime. That’s animation at its finest". [7] Andy Meek, of BGR, wrote: "if you loved Wall-E, you’ll definitely want to check out these ridiculously adorable robots performing mindless, factory-like jobs and somehow managing to exude charm and likeability with their beeps and boops, human-like motion and luminescent eyes a la our protagonist from Wall-E". [8] Similarly, Michelle Jaworski, of The Daily Dot, said that "Smash and Grab will instantly invoke images and comparisons to Wall-E for its futuristic feel and the robotic focus". [9] Alex Reif, of Laughing Place, said that "[f]ans of WALL-E will feel instantly welcomed into the world of Smash and Grab", and felt that the short has "a clear message inspired by a major societal issue. However, it handles it far more delicately and with a lot more subtlety. This story about two workers who don’t get the same luxuries as those who control them also doesn’t present a sugary solution to a problem while ignoring others". [10]

Release

Smash and Grab had its world premiere, along with the shorts Purl and Kitbull , on January 18, 2019, at the El Capitan Theatre. [11] The short was released on Pixar's YouTube channel on February 11, 2019, and on Disney+ on November 12, 2019, alongside fellow "SparkShorts" entries Purl, Kitbull, and Float. [11] [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixar</span> American computer animation studio

Pixar Animation Studios is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Since 2006, Pixar has been a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Disney Entertainment division of the Walt Disney Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lasseter</span> American filmmaker (born 1957)

John Alan Lasseter is an American film director, producer, and animator. He has served as the Head of Animation at Skydance Animation since 2019. Previously, he acted as the chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios, as well as the Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Animation Studios</span> American animation studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene from its first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928). Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney, it is the oldest-running animation studio in the world. It is currently organized as a division of Walt Disney Studios and is headquartered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. Since its foundation, the studio has produced 62 feature films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Wish (2023), and hundreds of short films.

<i>WALL-E</i> 2008 film by Andrew Stanton

WALL-E is a 2008 American animated science fiction action comedy and romance film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by Andrew Stanton, produced by Jim Morris, and written by Stanton and Jim Reardon. It stars the voices of Ben Burtt, Elissa Knight, Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, Kathy Najimy, with Sigourney Weaver and Fred Willard. The film follows a solitary robot named WALL-E on a future, uninhabitable, deserted Earth in 2805, left to clean up garbage. He is visited by a robot called EVE sent from the starship Axiom, with whom he falls in love and pursues across the galaxy.

Eben Fiske Ostby is a pioneer computer graphics software developer, animator, and technical director for motion pictures.

<i>Purl</i> (film) 2019 film short by Kristen Lester

Purl is a 2018 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Kristen Lester with the story written by Michael Daley, Bradley Furnish, Lester, and James Robertson, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the first short released as part of Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a ball of yarn named Purl, who gets employed in a male-dominant company, which causes her to be ignored by her fellow employees. The short was previewed at SIGGRAPH on August 14, 2018, premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019 and released on YouTube on February 4, 2019, and on Disney+ on November 12, 2019 to universal acclaim from critics, particularly for its themes.

SparkShorts is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It consists of a program in which Pixar's employees are given six months and limited budgets to develop animated short films that were originally released on Pixar's YouTube channel, and later on Disney+.

<i>Kitbull</i> 2019 animated film short by Rosana Sullivan

Kitbull is a 2019 American traditionally animated short film and viral video directed and written by Rosana Sullivan, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the third film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a fiercely independent stray kitten and an abused pit bull, who form an unlikely friendship. The short premiered at El Capitan Theatre on January 18, 2019, before being released on YouTube on February 18, 2019, and has received over 100 million views as of August 2023. The short was also released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

Rosana Sullivan is an American filmmaker and storyboard artist. Since 2011, she has worked for Pixar Animation Studios. She wrote and directed her first animated short film, Kitbull (2019), for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

<i>Float</i> (2019 film) 2019 film short by Bobby Rubio

Float is a 2019 American computer-animated comedy short film directed and written by Bobby Rubio, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the fourth film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, and focuses on a son's ability to fly and the choice his father must make. The short was released on Disney+ on November 12, 2019.

<i>Wind</i> (2019 film) 2019 film short by Edwin Chang

Wind is a 2019 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Edwin Chang, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The fifth film in Pixar's SparkShorts program, it focuses on a grandmother and grandson longing to escape an endless chasm. The short was released on Disney+ on December 13, 2019.

<i>Loop</i> (2020 film) 2020 film short by Erica Milsom

Loop is a 2020 American computer-animated drama short film directed and written by Erica Milsom with the story being written by Adam Burke, Matthias De Clercq and Milsom, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sixth short film in Pixar's SparkShorts program and focuses on a non-verbal autistic girl and a chatty boy, learning to understand each other. The short was released on Disney+ on January 10, 2020.

<i>Short Circuit</i> (TV series) Disney animated series

Short Circuit is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Similar to the SparkShorts program launched at sister animation studio Pixar, the series is a program in which the employees pitch their ideas for a short and work with fellow employees to create the short if selected, and is meant to take risks in both visual styles and storytelling.

<i>Out</i> (2020 film) 2020 film short by Pixar

Out is a 2020 American computer-animated short film directed and written by Steven Hunter, produced by Max Sachar, and distributed by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The plot features a young gay man who has not yet come out to his parents, who unexpectedly has his mind magically swapped with his dog's. The seventh short film in the SparkShorts series, it is both Disney's and Pixar's first short to feature a gay main character and storyline, including an on-screen same-sex kiss. The short was released on Disney+ on May 22, 2020. The short was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.

<i>Burrow</i> (film) 2020 animated short film by Pixar

Burrow is a 2020 American 2D animated short film written and directed by Madeline Sharafian, produced by Michael Capbarat at Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The plot features a young rabbit as she tries to build the burrow of her dreams, becoming embarrassed each time she accidentally digs into a neighbor's home. The eighth short film in the SparkShorts series, the short was released on Disney+ on December 25, 2020, alongside Soul. The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 93rd Academy Awards.

<i>Twenty Something</i> (2021 film) 2021 American animated short film by Aphton Corbin

Twenty Something is a 2021 American 2D animated short film written and directed by Aphton Corbin, produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Starring Kaylin Price, Ariana Brown, Aliyah Taylor, Janelle Lasalle, and Napoleon Highbrou, the film focuses on Gia who deals with the insecurities of being a 21-year-old by personifying her emotions in the form of three children in a trenchcoat. The ninth short film in the SparkShorts series, the short was released on September 10, 2021, on Disney+.

References

  1. 1 2 Lally, David; Larsen, Brian (February 11, 2019). Smash and Grab. Pixar/The Walt Disney Company/YouTube . Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Meet the Filmmakers Behind Smash and Grab". Pixar/The Walt Disney Company/YouTube. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Go Behind the Scenes of Smash and Grab". Pixar/The Walt Disney Company/YouTube. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Introducing Pixar SparkShorts". Pixar/The Walt Disney Company/YouTube. January 10, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Smash and Grab Soundtrack". Soundtrack.Net . Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  6. ↑ Oller, Jacob (February 11, 2019). "Pixar Goes Art Deco Sci-Fi with New Robot Focused Short Smash and Grab". Syfy Wire . Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  7. ↑ Steiner, Chelsea (February 12, 2019). "Pixar's Smash and Grab Is a Loving, Wordless Ode to Workplace Friendship". The Mary Sue. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  8. ↑ Meek, Andy (February 12, 2019). "If you liked 'Wall-E,' you'll love Pixar's new animated short 'Smash and Grab'". BGR. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  9. ↑ Jaworski, Michelle (February 13, 2019). "Pixar's latest animated short is a gorgeous journey toward 2 robots' freedom". The Daily Dot. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ Reif, Alex (January 31, 2019). "Pixar SparkShorts Review: "Smash and Grab"". Laughing Place. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Orange, B. Alan (January 10, 2019). "Pixar Announces New Short Film Program 'Sparkshorts'". MovieWeb . Retrieved January 10, 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.