New Pixar Movie Features Child Labor
In an announcement last Tuesday, Pixar revealed their newest project: Quick: A Child Labor Story. It has been several years since the latest hit from the studio that produced a big hit, and this new, more diverse story is supposed to generate more attention and movie-going from the next generation of adolescents.
The last few Pixar films, the likes of Luca and Elemental, have failed to generate the mass nostalgia and need for merchandise that came with glorious previous hits like Finding Nemo and Toy Story. According to Pixar Creative Director Peter Mater, “We think our recent movies have failed because they aren’t representative of all children in the world, and that is really hurting our bottom line.”
Cars 2, objectively the best movie ever made as commented in our previous article on the subject, only got a mediocre follow up with Cars 3, described by Mater as a “lackluster attempt to revive our former glories.” Cars 3 only made 383 million on its opening weekend compared to the half billion dollars Cars 2 raked in.
Pixar President Andrew McQueen spoke at the unveiling of Quick, claiming that this Movie would usher in a new age for Pixar. “Our most recent films have not had the success of some of our prior movies so we have decided to pursue a new course, one that will yield a new golden age for Pixar.”
The movie, which focuses around the life of Sam Nong, a child laborer in Laos who works 22 hour days in a textile factory for little pay, is designed to be more representative of the children of the world at large. “We want everyone to see themselves in the movie, even if it is only during the two hours a day of free time they have,” said Mater.
Americans Against Child Labor Deputy Executive Director Alexandra Polaski has led the charge against the movie, claiming it portrays child labor as “a golden opportunity for children to learn real-world skills.” The plot, which follows Sam’s joining of a resistance movement followed by his realization that child labor is good for him, ends with a scene that Polaski heavily objects to.
“[Sam] reconciles with his former employer and agrees to work for him for free because he really enjoys the experience,” said Polaski, “It isn’t so much that…” At this point in the interview Polaski was interrupted by a team of people who were from “Ixarpai” and was taken in for “a couple questions” and has not been seen since.
Overall, the movie received good reviews from critics, whose children were given “free daycare” during the film, but has been something of a flop among the general population. “I think Sam is a really relatable figure,” said Ella Wu, a person outside the theater we assumed to be in elementary school, “but it really frustrates me as a film because I wish I had that opportunity and I know I never will.”
