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Hayao Miyazaki Reveals The One Pixar Movie He Likes; Deets
Despite his general apathy towards modern animation, Oscar-winner Hayao Miyazaki revealed that there is one Pixar movie that he actually liked.
The director of Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki is often considered to be one of the greatest minds of the animation genre. Two of his movies have managed to nab the Academy Awards with the most recent one doing so in 2024. However, Miyazaki is also known for not enjoying modern animation.
Even though he is not completely against the usage of CGI in animated films, he does not like it when movies entirely replace traditional animations with it. Combined with the fact that he does not really watch a lot of movies, Miyazaki never had much to say about Pixar Animation Studios, home to some of the most celebrated animated movies of all time. However, there is one Pixar movie that Hayao Miyazaki really enjoyed.
Up is one of the most critically celebrated Pixar movies
The only Pixar movie Hayao Miyazaki enjoyed and praised is the 2009 film Up, directed by Pete Docter. It was Docter’s second Pixar film as he had previously directed Monsters Inc. with the same studio and later went on to direct the critically acclaimed Inside Out. However, thanks to its heartfelt nature and the fact that offers a look into a beautiful love story and the connection between a grumpy old man and a happy-go-lucky child, Up remains one of the greatest achievements of Pixar of all time.
The story of Up revolves around a grumpy older man named Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) who ties numerous balloons on his house to make it float to Paradise Falls as it was his late wife Ellie’s dream. He is accompanied on this journey by a young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (voiced by Jordan Nagai). Once at the island, the two also befriend a talking golden retriever named Dug (voiced by Bob Peterson). However, Carl also learned that the inspiration behind his and Ellie’s dreams of adventuring together, Charles Muntz has turned into a maniac driven by his goal to capture a tall tropical bird named Kevin. The themes of grief, loss, regret, and finding purpose all make Up one of the most beloved animated movies of all time that both children and adults love equally. However, Miyazaki loves up because of its famous opening sequence which is touted as one of the greatest animated film opening sequences of all time.
Miyazaki loves the storytelling of Up’s Opening Sequence
The first ten or so minutes of Up, which follows Carl and Ellie’s life together up until the latter’s death is one of the most beautifully heartbreaking movie sequences of all time. We see the two of them meeting as children, falling in love, getting married, moving in together, and decorating the house as they want to. This almost dialogue-less sequence also includes moments of grief such as when Ellie suffers from a miscarriage and the couple learns that they cannot have children. It also ends on a sad note when Ellie dies without being able to realize their dream of flying to Paradise Falls by tying thousands of balloons to their house. It also goes on to show how her death affected Carl, who was unable to let any of her memories go.
Hayao Miyazaki spoke about Up’s opening sequence in 2009 when the movie first came out in a Japanese TV interview. He spoke about how he appreciated the storytelling which turned an elderly widower’s struggle to accept his wife’s death into something entertaining everyone can enjoy. He also said that he appreciated how the production house studied the movements of old people to make sure Carl’s movements were all accurate. He also found the representation of modern America to be accurate in the film and appreciated the older protagonist.
However, Miyazaki was especially impressed by the opening sequence like many people as it is often considered a masterpiece. Not only did he find the entire narrative of the scene interesting but he also loved the transition between different ages with the quick cuts to be phenomenal and said it would be difficult for even him to execute.
Much like Hayao Miyazaki, who won Academy Awards two Best Animated Feature for his 2002 movie Spirited Away ans his 2023 movie The Boy and the Heron, Pete Docter also bagged the same award for Up in 2010. Anybody who has watched the movie understands why that is the case. Filled with emotional scenes and with the overall theme of appreciating your life even after losing someone you love, the movie resonated with millions of people worldwide.
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