Sanjays Super Team

'SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

A 7 minute Pixar animated short film; which accompanied 'THE GOOD DINOSAUR' in theaters. It tells the story of an Indian boy, who imagines the Hindu gods (his father has taught him to believe in), as mighty superheroes. It was directed by veteran animator, turned director, Sanjay Patel. Patel used his own childhood, growing up as an Indian immigrant (in 1980s San Bernardino), as inspiration for the short. I found the film to be amusing, slightly emotional and full of decent animation. It's also a great, thoughtful idea for a kids' cartoon short. It doesn't quite have that magical touch though; that Pixar's greats do. 'SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM' is definitely a well made short, but it's not spectacular.

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'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

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 to

kids 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.

"Sanjay's Super Team" (United States, 7 min.) – Probably the most widely seen of these five Oscar nominees, this animated short played in American theaters as a featurette before showings of "The Good Dinosaur". It's about a young Indian boy who's watching his favorite superhero cartoon when his father turns off the TV and brings the boy over to join him in prayer to the Hindu gods. As his dad prays, Sanjay daydreams a story in which the Hindu gods are superheroes. The story is based on the childhood of the film's director, Pixar animator Sanjay Patel. The film is a creative, colorful and entertaining meditation on the generation gap between fathers and sons and how that gap might be bridged. "A-"

This delivers everything we expect from a Pixar short. It's clever, funny, has something to say, the music and sound design are on point and the animation is amazing. This one focuses on superheroics and the contrast between those and real life.

While the kid really wants to watch Saturday morning cartoons his father believes it is important for them to hold on to his own faith in Hinduism which he wants to spread to his son. This is a conflict common to modern life. Old and new. I felt like they did a really great job exploring it here. I love seeing one of these not the so focused on white people. Recommended. 7/10.