Since the release of Toy Story in 1995, it appears the public and the press have fallen in love with Pixar. True, like any relationship between friends and lovers, there's been the odd quarrel (some of the critical reception of Cars was not as overwhelming as expected) but quickly followed by a "kiss and make up". It's not correct to say Pixar can do no wrong, but it seems any wrong doings are quickly forgiven.
Meanwhile, Walt Disney Feature Animation in the same years has taken a significant fall in the eyes of the public – with films such as Hunchback of Notre Dame receiving criticism for being "too adult", Atlantis: The Lost Empire for being "too experimental" (and is generally considered a failure), Brother Bear for being "too Disney" (?!?) and Treasure Planet being… actually I don't know what the criticism of Treasure Planet was, its reviews were generally favourable, but the public rejected it.
However, such criticisms of Pixar's output have been muted at the best. Most of Pixar's films have been "buddy movies", yet complaints that they are similar or "too Pixar" are few and far between. Meanwhile the media and public happily complain about Brother Bear being too similar to the Lion King when the two films are totally different narratively. If anything, Pixar's Finding Nemo has more such similarities (think about it).
If Hunchback of Notre Dame was too adult, wasn't The Incredibles too? After all that had a plot skirting around a form of genocide and also featured torture. If the public rejected the adventure/no songs nature of Disney's Atlantis and Treasure Planet, why did they not reject The Incredibles? Do you think if The Incredibles was exactly the same, but traditionally animated and fully credited to Walt Disney reception would be the same? Or do you think some pompus busy bodies would complain about the violence?
People also seem to have double standards when it comes to other matters. I've seen Home on the Range repeatedly bashed here for the "they're real" line, as has Chicken Little for a fart joke (which I can't even remember personally it made so much impact on me), but fart jokes in Pixar films Finding Nemo (the two birds on the sea observing the rising bubbles) and Toy Story 2 (Stinky Pete) are always ignored.
As many people will know, I'm of the opinion that Pixar (or more accurately Lasseter) have got lazy with their storytelling. This is apparent in Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and Cars to differing extents.
Example: Toy Story 2
Event wise, Toy Story 2 brought nothing to the table above and beyond the first Toy Story specifically –
"Buzz accidentally leaves the safety of the house" becomes "Woody accidentally leaves the safety of the house"
"Woody goes to rescue Buzz" becomes "Buzz goes to rescue Woody"
"Buzz finds about his fictional toy (TV advert)" becomes "Woody finds his fictional toy (Woody's Roundup)"
"There's a countdown until Sid sets off the rocket" becomes "There's a countdown until the Collector sells Woody "
"Buzz doesn't want to be rescued" becomes "Woody doesn't want to be rescued" (Both have to be talked into their true value as a toy plaything giving pleasure to children.)
"The Race to get on the removal truck" becomes "The race to get Woody off the plane"
Admittedly, Pixar do a better than average job on some of the emotion behind the thread-bare plotting, but if this was a Disney direct-to-video sequel, it would be easily dismissed by people as being nothing more than a "retread of the original" with the "traditional Disney sequel plot flip-flop elements".
Pixar also benefited from being granted a huge production budget, much more than any Disney-Toon production, direct-to-video or for theatrical release ever had.
Not that that matters… I predict if Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff got together with WDFA and produced a top of the range Lion King theatrical sequel with no expenses spared, showcase animation and catchy Rice/John songs, but with a plot that mirrored their original so closely, the press and public would quickly turn on them and the film itself.
Disney's direct-to-video division improves it's product tremendously – be it Bambi II or Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch has a Glitch which do try to be more than just "flip flops" of the originals, and people still complain. Kronk's New Groove which absolutely took anything but easy option of more animal transformation "hilarity" and delivered something totally original – and people still complain.
It seems no matter what Disney does, it can't get any breaks. Even now, its almost as if the press and public can't accept Disney has actually made "a half decent" film in Meet the Robinsons with both Disney PR and the media in general keen to play up John Lasseter's involvement. I'm not saying Lasseter did or didn't have a major influence on how the final film turned out – but it seems wrong to credit everything to one man – which is basically what has happened.
Other Disney Debates
Disney Debates: #1 Snow White should be redubbed for blu-ray started by Ichabod
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