Passages nuageux

Once again, Pixar has accompanied one of its wonderful features (in this case, UP), with a short subject. And the short subject, PARTLY CLOUDY, plays like a variation on Bob Clampett's classic cartoon, BABY BOTTLENECK, although without Porky or Daffy.

Like all of Pixar's shorts, this is a virtual silent picture, with just enough sound effects to keep it going. It concerns where babies come from before the storks deliver them: from clouds, it turns out, who shape them from their own material. For this one we get to follow the cloud and stork who produce not fluffy kittens, but other, more dangerous critters, like crocodiles and porcupines.

I do have some slight issues with how clouds are rendered -- a bit more solid and cotton-batting-like than I would think, but this is a lovely little pleasure for the viewer.

This delivers everything we expect from a Pixar short. It's clever, funny, charming, sad but not overwhelmingly so, has something to say, the music and sound work are great and it is incredibly well animated. This one focuses on making it look just right when the clouds make babies. We all know the thing about small children being taught that storks bring newborns(and in case an actual kid is reading this review, I want to assure you, that is absolutely true). This one takes it to its logical extreme. It asks, what about the one that has to bring the dangerous ones?

I really loved how this so clearly communicates that even uncommon situations deserve to be addressed, and that all problems no matter what have solutions. The porcupine being thrown back and forth was hilarious, very well done slapstick. Recommended. 8/10.

As we all know, babies of all types are delivered by storks, which collect them from their point of creation (in the clouds) and carry them in bundles to the ground. Of course you have you r cute creatures like puppies and kittens, but one stork works with a slightly less fun cloud where the creatures tend to be of a more "jagged" nature. Over time the working conditions that the stork has to endure appears to put a strain of the working relationship.

This short preceded Up in the cinemas and continues Pixar's tradition of having a supporting short film for their releases (a tradition that I'm all in favour of and still maintain that more "live action" releases should do it too). This slot has seen some very good animated short films and it must be said that Partly Cloudy is not really one of the better ones that they have done. Of course, as with nearly all things Pixar, one of their outputs being slightly below their normal standard still means that it is very good by normal standards, and so it is with Partly Cloudy.

In terms of content it is a relatively straightforward short with physical comedy providing all of the four or five laughs it has. This is not a complaint though because it is only a short film and as such it does do the job of being amusing by delivering these solid laughs in a short time. Of greater note that the specific laughs is the concept itself. The stork aspect is an old one but the whole idea is well brought to life by the design and the animation and it was this spirit of invention and creativity behind the laughs that I enjoyed.

Not Pixar's strongest moment in terms of their feature-supporting short films and a bit simple in terms of substance but the design and concept is imaginative and generally it is still funny and enjoyable with physical comedy sight gags.

This animated short film is about a very unlucky stork, who has to deliver scary babies of various vicious animals made by a miserable dark cloud.

"Partly Cloudy" is fun to watch. Due to the length of the short animation, the pacing is quick. There is no need for a long build up, it only delivers funny moments every 10 seconds. There are no words in the animation, but it successfully delivers humour, warmth and love. I am impressed by the filmmakers' limitless imagination, especially the interaction between the unlucky stork and the various vicious animals. I enjoyed watching "Partly Cloudy".

I would watch a series about these characters. This was adorable and so sweet!