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Brandon Scott: It seems as though we discussed this last year, when KFP and WALL-E were kind of going head to head. Winning the box office battle? I guess, ever so slightly. I think the quantity vs. quality argument has some merit, but that is clearly more towards adults than kids. Kids don't give a shit whether a movie is cerebral or not, whether a film is smart or not, and really whether they look good or not in these cases, because as far as I can tell, the animation looks about the same to me. Adults love Pixar, which means that kids' parents love Pixar too, but kids could couldn't care less as long as they are entertained, usually through laughter. Both of these entities are set up for success well into the future with franchises galore in place. I think they will develop a nice rivalry, but really with animators defecting to one side or another since it is an incestuous business, in time they will run together with DWA getting some Oscar buzz years from now and Pixar raking it in at the box office like they always have. Both are winners here.

Kim Hollis: I think this remains a "to be determined". I'm not sure that two movies equals a trend, especially when DreamWorks is cranking them out so quickly. I very much like the filet mignon vs. fast food comparison from Max. If we strictly look at the "battle" in terms of box office, then DreamWorks Animation is clearly establishing itself as a money cranking machine at the box office. On the other hand, Pixar is creating films that bring in box office cash, then sell huge on DVD, then move into the mainstream consciousness as product tie-ins rake in even more cash. We all know box office doesn't tell the whole story here.

Reagen Sulewski: There's a difference though, in that Pixar films are automatic hits, where DreamWorks' are...maybes. No one's sweating about the box office of a Pixar film - it's just assumed they'll do well.

David Mumpower: I actually believe that for mainstream consumers, the perception of Pixar is that they're slipping a bit. A certain segment of would-be viewers were alienated by the idea of a rat cooking gourmet meals and a lot of people didn't like the humans in WALL-E. While I think our opinion is almost unanimous that both films are masterpieces, I strongly suspect that in our "what have you done for me lately" society, DreamWorks is in the lead at the moment. It's fun to track this as it goes along since the competition is causing both brands to up their game. I strongly suspect a lot more is riding on Up than is being discussed at the moment.

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