Bored with his father's meditation, a young Indian boy daydreams of Hindu gods as superheroes. Sanjay, a young boy, is watching his favourite cartoon show, the Super Team, while his father is preparing for the daily meditation. Undoubtedly, this is the day's most important activity, nevertheless, the boy has no interest in joining his father. But does Sanjay know that, sometimes, cunning and skilled adversaries can be hiding in the most unusual of places? 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. Starting off with a most tired gimmick, "Sanjay's Super Team" claims that it's based on a true story mostly. But this isn't one of those stories that is too wild to believe; it's merely a children's comedy about daydreaming. It barely qualifies as humor to use that increasingly intolerable statement, especially when no one would question the realism of such fantasy asides.<br/><br/>The plot follows little Sanjay as he watches his favorite television show "Super Team," which is interrupted by his father's prayer time. After a brief battle of raising and lowering the volume, the father wins out and forces Sanjay to join him as he worships three statues of Hindu gods by candlelight. Not to be outdone by the uninteresting tradition, Sanjay retrieves his action figure and imagines the two of them transported into a foreboding temple, where a six-armed, four-headed, sword-wielding golem wages war against three spell-casting, fireball-hurling, magical warriors.<br/><br/>The use of specific Buddhist items and Hinduism beliefs are somewhat unfriendly to anyone unfamiliar with the religions; it's not the most universal or understandable ethos. But more controversial than the un-politically-correct integration of religion into a Disney production is the enormously stereotypical designs of the two main characters, sporting football-sized noses that nearly prevent their faces from containing other features. At least the core message of father/son bonding is a family-friendly theme, highlighting a potential for compromise in education and entertainment.<br/><br/><ul><li>The Massie Twins</li></ul>
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347 weeks ago