Horst in Translation ([email protected]) And with that I am not talking about general audiences, but about awards bodies. It baffles me to see how this Pixar entry was shut out pretty much everywhere. Admittedly, it does not have the deepest story, but it succeeds in every other area in my opinion. And greatly so. Our hero, the title character, meets a red umbrella and it's love at first sight. However, in his attempts of winning her heart, he loses almost everything. It was raining already pretty strongly, but now also a heavy wind blows. And it blows the umbrella away from its owner, far far away. Still he is lucky and his owner finds him again quickly and there are more positive surprises coming. I quite liked the use of colors in this one and it was also sweet how they used his owner and the woman as human equivalents of the umbrellas. Finally another thumbs-up for the supporting characters and with that I mean the inanimate objects who keep smiling during the end. They are perfect for this one, do not take away too much attention, but add something unique to this very short movie. Really, I can only repeat myself again. I feel sorry for German director and writer Saschka Unseld here that this did not only not get in at the Oscars, but got shut out pretty much completely. He worked on several high-profile Pixar films already and I hope he gets to make his own at some point. I am positive he has the talent. In my opinion, this is one of the best short films from 2013 and people should definitely watch it. Oh yeah, finally one thing I forgot: Sarah Jaffe's singing was very nice too and perfectly fit the tone of the movie. Highly recommended.

TheLittleSongbird Maybe not one of Pixar's absolute best short films in the same way Geri's Game, One Man Band, Presto and Knick-Knack are, but that can be ignored because The Blue Umbrella doesn't disappoint at all. It accompanies Monsters University wonderfully, one of those cases where the short film and the feature are about equal in rating and quality and not a case of the short film being better or the feature being so. The visuals are stunning to watch, with everything looking so real and there are a lot of lavish colours. The music matches the quality of the visuals, it is understated and gentle but immensely charming also. The story, effective in its simplicity, keeps ones attention even with the brief(perhaps too brief?) running time and never feels too obvious, it has a lot of whimsy and heart, as well being very touching. And of course it is very charming too, from the very start right through the ending. The ending was especially well done in this being heartfelt and touching respect. That is not to say though that The Blue Umbrella isn't without funny moments, there are some but done subtly and gently without being in-your-face. The characters are simple but really sweet, carrying the story beautifully. Overall, beautiful and heartfelt, not one of the best Pixar short films but it didn't need to be to be good. All it needed really was to be of at least good quality, and it ended up to be great quality. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Michael_Elliott The Blue Umbrella (2013) *** (out of 4) Fun short from Pixar, which was shown before their feature MONSTERS UNIVERSITY. This film here deals with a blue umbrella who sees a red umbrella and quickly falls in love. The rest of the film pretty much as the blue umbrella going through a wide range of events trying to make its way over to the red one. This idea might seem quite simple but director Saschka Unseld does a very good job at making it move at a very good pace and also keeping the viewer interested in what's going on. The most amazing thing about this short is how real all the animation looks. There were times when we see a large number of umbrellas from the top that you'll actually think you're looking at something real and not just a piece of animation. There's also some funny moments where various items "come to life" to try and prevent the blue umbrella from being hurt. I'm not sure how much kids are going to enjoy this one but parents should be fascinated by the animation and the style, which really looks like some avant garde stuff from the 1920s.

Jessica White Pixar continues its tradition of airing entertaining shorts prior to its main feature with "The Blue Umbrella" prior to "Monsters University." From the short film's beginning, I immediately noticed that the scene didn't feel cartoony or animated at all. From the rain to the automobiles to the sidewalk and hoards of crowded pedestrians, the art style was one of almost unnerving realism. In short, the realism was unbelievably believable! And then you notice the slow introduction of music in the very sounds of the city coming alive during a sudden rainstorm. The grates gurgle, the pipes puff, the pedestrian meters flash. Simply beautiful is its mood and execution.The plot quickly becomes unveiled as an unknown man's blue umbrella catches sight (and is smitten with) an unknown woman's red umbrella amidst the multitude of black umbrellas. As the whole city's mechanical, architectural and functional denizens observe and participate in the love affair, the blue umbrella maneuvers his way to the one that could be his perfect mate for rain and life.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film's warming plot, breath-holding twists, realistic graphics, well-matched musical score and heartwarming ending.