Imdbidia This is an odd Pixar film in a sense, because the focus is not on the cuteness or the fun, but on the story. Although the animation is good, it is not as good as other Pixar films. However, this is an excellent film mostly because it has substance and teaches a great lesson tokids who belong to a culture that is very different from the Western World but adore the same TV shoes, heroes, and stories as any other kid in the world.The focus in this film is on the Hindu culture, as Patel is narrating a semi-autobiographic episode. Hindu culture is full of myths, legends and heroes that are thousands of years old, are amazing, fun and as enthralling as any TV super-hero. This film is a reminder that sometimes the best stories are those behind the traditions one take for granted, that those traditions are based on powerful stories with powerful heroes.What I liked the most about the film is that the story approaches both worlds, the old and new, the modern and antique, the lay and the divine as complementary, they are both cool, there is space in our lives for both. Kids can enjoy our modern myths (playful TV characters, animated heroes, superheroes) but also need to learn to respect and appreciate the value of their own culture, the meaning of their rituals, and the powerful stories they convey.Finally, this short film is also a charming ode to the power of the divine, prayer, meditation and tradition in our modern hectic lives.It is refreshing seeing animators going beyond the cute to focus on such an important message.

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) I think by now (Oscar night) I have seen 4 out of 5 nominees in the animated short film category and I find it very surprising that the Disney/Pixar entry is apparently the worst of these. Of course the ending is kinda nice, but everything before that is just all style over substance. We all know that Pixar can easily pump millions of dollars even into small 7-minute films like this one, but in this case money cannot guarantee a good film or story and I must say writer and director Sanjay Patel came short in that regard. It's a mix of superhero film and religion, a challenging quest, but this little tale on Hinduism and how the next generation may perceive it did not really work out in my opinion. Surprised to see this one is the Oscar front-runner and I truly hope one of the more deserving entries (go Don Hertzfeldt!) will take the crown in a couple hours. I do not recommend "Sanjay's Super Team". Certainly a contender for Pixar's worst to date.

TheLittleSongbird 'Sanjay's Super Team' is not one Pixar's best short films, like 'Geri's Game', 'Presto', 'One Man Band', 'For the Birds', 'Jack-Jack Attack' and 'Knick Knack'.There is however a preference to it over 'Lava' (which from personal opinion is also a little over-hated, though for reasons that are much more understandable than to this) and 'Mater and the Ghostlight', which gets my vote as Pixar's weakest short film, if it counts. And none of those two to me are bad, just that they just lack the magic of Pixar's best efforts, which just goes to show how high in standards and regard Pixar's work is. 'Sanjay's Super Team' is also an example of a short that's superior to the feature film that follows it. 'The Good Dinosaur' is lesser Pixar, was a big disappointment after 'Inside Out' and is very problematic, mainly with the story, the unappealing character designs, some of the script and issues regarding target audience, but it does not deserve anywhere near the amount of hatred it's garnered with a lot of the reviews here indicating that it has no redeeming qualities (even with finding a fair few problems, this viewer did find a lot to admire). Just as there is a lot to admire about 'Sanjay's Super Team'. Its only real fault is the story, which feels rather too slight even for the short running time and I didn't quite emotionally connect with it in the same way that was achieved with Pixar's best. The introduction to the magical world too also felt a tad random and jarring. Even then, it's a long way from disastrous in execution because there was a lot done to make it interesting. While not perfect, 'Sanjay's Super Team' is a winner on many levels. And it is such a shame to see it get the amount of hatred it's garnered, with most not even acknowledging the good qualities. Those saying that it didn't click with them this viewer does not have an issue with, at least they said why and didn't come over as over- sensitive or ignorant. Which cannot be said for those decrying it for being too disturbing, compared to some animation seen (repeat: animation is aimed for the whole family, not just kids, so enough with the stereotype already) this is actually pretty tame, and any 'disturbing' content is much better handled than in 'The Good Dinosaur', at least it doesn't feel misplaced or gratuitous here, it's not overused and there always seemed to be a reason for why a certain idea or image was included. The 'religious propaganda' criticism seen on one of the message board threads seems pretty prejudiced and close-minded too. I am very understanding of people's opinions and have been known to get hot headed to anybody with too much of a superiority complex, but felt that somebody had to be said after something that was clearly well-intended and made with a lot of heart and passion and with no malicious intent gets this much dislike.Especially great about 'Sanjay's Super Team' is the animation, which is spectacular and bursts with colour and imagination. Sanjay is very well modelled and his expressions whether excited or reluctant genuinely resonate and makes him likable and relatable. While the mix of traditional and CGI animation, providing the contrast between the real world and exciting cartoon world, is not completely unique for this short, as Pixar's 'Day and Night' did it as well, it's more imaginatively rendered here. What is unique here for Pixar is the use of low horizon lines with wider lenses and lower camera placement, which with the character designs of the Vishnu, Hanuman and Durga made for a sight to behold. The music is whimsical and understated as well as authentically scored, in no way feeling intrusive or inappropriate. There is no dialogue present, apart from in the cartoons watched by Sanjay, and this worked, seeing as it was still clear what was happening and what was meant to be conveyed. It also allowed the atmosphere evoked by the vibrant fantasy world Sanjay enters and the comparatively tedious real world with Hindu traditions being followed to resonate, which it certainly does. Execution-wise, the story in 'Sanjay's Super Team' may not be perfect, but there was still a huge amount to appreciate about it.It (the story that is) was still warm-humoured, heart-warming, touching and felt very warm in nature, for a short film as personal as this (the most personal easily of Pixar's short films, even more so than 'La Luna', seeing as it is based on the director's own life) that is remarkable. It's never preachy and doesn't forget to entertain. The Father/Son relationship, one of the things that 'Sanjay's Super Team' is really about, is beautifully depicted, Sanjay and his situation are very easy to relate to and a lot of credit is due for introducing diversity and including non-Western culture in something mainstream, in a way that is not religious propaganda and certainly not indoctrination. Overall, not Pixar's best short film or not quite among the best but still a winner and much better than it's been given credit for. 8/10 Bethany Cox

pyrocitor Pixar is so synonymous with quality that they've nearly hopped their way into the dictionary definition of the word. Regardless, their preceding short films are ultimately even more reliable (and certainly more daring) than their features - the perfect palate cleanser before the sumptuous main course. In this way, Sanjay's Super Team is an intriguing exception. While its headliner, The Good Dinosaur, supplies glimpses of stunning imagery and the occasional cute bit disappointingly mired in a tiresomely overfamiliar plot and some dubious creative choices, Sanjay is no mere palate cleanser. In only seven minutes, the short vastly outstrips its feature companion (and most of the rest of the year's films to boot) in terms of fun, rampant creativity, inspired thematic depth, and stupendously realized visual flair, all bottled with all the trademark Pixar heart anyone could hope for. Refreshing as it is to see a culture and religion seldom represented in American cinema headlining a Pixar product, the film's premise is even more courageous. Unafraid to tackle and depict religion (already a tenuous prospect - remember when Frozen rewrites trimmed every mention of the word 'God'? Hurm), Sanjay goes one step further, and toes the line of courting (unwarranted) complaints of appropriation or misuse of religious iconography for cashing in to the super hero craze. Such criticism would utterly miss the point. Instead, director Sanjay Patel has his childhood self reimagine Hindu gods as superheroes for the sake of brilliantly, peerlessly exploring methods of connecting with tradition and making sense of spirituality. It's a remarkably mature and unjudgmental conceit, and equally resonant and conducive to important discussions for children and adults alike. And there's not a note of preachiness - I dare you to find any film unpacking the relationship with religion as energetic or bursting with fun. The gorgeous, shimmering incarnations of Vishnu, Hanuman, and Durga (breathtakingly blending traditional 2D animation with contemporary 3D work) meld the quirky reworking of tradition of Nina Paley's excellent Sita Sings the Blues with the slick crash-bangery of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and the result is gleefully choreographed, visually stupendous mayhem. But fun as this divine smash-up is, the tender, subtle scenes between young Sanjay and his father are what really hit home. Rather than dismissing Sanjay's passion for TV superheroes as a "false gods" binary with his father's spiritual worship, Patel is sensitive to the enrapturing appeals of each for different individuals at different stages of life. There's no clichéd climax of Sanjay's father wrathfully banishing his son's 'blasphemous' passion; instead, the image of the father wistfully sighing, defeated, as he returns Sanjay's remote control conveys volumes of nuanced emotional depth feature directors ache to convey. And that's all without mentioning the inevitable denouement which aces the Pixar balance of raw sentiment without an ounce of the saccharine. No, you're crying - shut up. All this in a seven minute animated prelude brimming with more progressive ideas and heart than arguably any of the year's features - not too shabby indeed. This might seem second nature for the company who made their name tapping into the emotional potential of a lamp, but to see such a uniquely personal and human story brought to life with such bombastic tenderness is arguably more impressive. If Pixar is strapped for sequel bait after the upcoming Cars 3, Toy Story 4, Finding Dory, and The Incredibles 2 (yeesh), I'll certainly be the first in line to watch the full-length rendition of Sanjay's Super Team. -10/10