Knick Knack (1989) User Reviews

Nice early Pixar short

[rbverhoef · 8/10 · 9 February 2005]

'Knick Knack' starts with a couple of souvenirs taken from vacation in Florida. We see some palm trees dancing and a beach bunny dancing on a nice little tune. Then we take a look at the other end of the table. A souvenir from Alaska, a snowman in a glass dome, wants to join the hot party and especially the hot girl. He tries to break the glass of the dome in any way possible.

This animated short directed John Lasseter ('Toy Story', 'A Bug's Life') is a pretty impressive early film from the Pixar studio. It looks great and is inventive. The ending gives us the biggest laugh, but before that there are quite some funny moments.

Proves Pixar was onto something

[Agent10 · 7/10 · 11 June 2003]

Even when the whole idea of computer animation was still in its infancy, Pixar displayed ingenuity which wasn't even being thought of in the current industry. It just goes to show that Pixar is here to stay, and the serene cuteness of this little film proved to be one of the building blocks for a future empire.

A funny and good Pixar short

[emasterslake · 8/10 · 16 April 2005]

This is another Pixar short made during their early years.

It's about Knick Knacks, and the characters are knick Knacks resembling Warm places. While one is a snow globe with a Snow Man in it. He wants to join with the other Knick Knacks but he's stuck in his own Snow Globe.

Through out the short he tries all he can to escape from the Snow Globe. This short contains allot of Chuck Jones like references. And has some good animation on the snow flakes in the snow globe.

You're able to see it off of Find Nemo DVD.

Rate: 8/10 Very memorable and funny wish they start making a collector's line up of these knick knacks.

Judge this by 1989's standards and you'll realize its brilliance

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 12 February 2008]

If you watch this today, you're bound to enjoy this short quite a bit because of its wonderful humor and decent computer generated animation. However, when you realize that it was made almost 20 years ago AND the state of computers and computer graphics at that time, you'll know just how creative ahead of its time it was when it debuted. Think about it--most homes didn't have computers. Those who did had 386 processors or even less powerful processors and Windows 3.0 (a mess) was just about to debut. Serious animation STILL needed to be done with enormous and ridiculously expensive computers and the software for rendering these images couldn't be bought--it had to be created by Pixar. Unlike more modern CGI,where Dreamworks, Fox and even people at home can make nice quality graphics, this was all done from scratch. Talk about a huge undertaking!!!! So in light of all this, KNICK KNACK was an absolutely incredible film. Heck, even today, it's still incredibly funny and watchable. I might even put it STILL in the top 2 or 3 of Pixar's films because the script is so hilarious and poignant. A masterful achievement in every respect. So,...then WHY wasn't this film even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film?!?! Several other Pixar films were but not KNICK KNACK--yet I loved this film and almost anyone (except the absolute worst curmudgeon) would also love this film! If anyone knows the answer to this conundrum, please drop me a line--I'm dying to know.

Short and very funny

[bob the moo · 10 July 2004]

In a room full of ornaments and toys, a group of dolls, little models and decorations all sit enjoying the warm temperature and glow of an unseen sun.

All, that is, except a single snowman, trapped inside a 'greetings from Alaska' snow dome. With a doll waving him on, he attempts to break out and enjoy the party.

Found on the DVD for Finding Nemo, I found this film to be funnier and much more enjoyable than the feature (although both were good). It stands to show that Pixar were onto something as, even if the graphics are a bit blocky compared to Nemo, the comedy is great and the characters are well enough created to be fun. The routine is basic – snowman tries to break out without much success, however it has such energy, pace and solid imagination that I was laughing consistently despite a slow start (ie the first 20 seconds – what a moaner!).

The animation is slick if not perfect and my early worries over the snowman were never realized. I thought he looked a bit too sinister to be a sympathetic character, but his mishaps helped win me round even if his features were still pretty rough and unlikely to get him the dolls in question! He is a great lead and you can't help but feel sorry for him – but not to the point where you stop laughing at him!

Overall this was a very pleasant surprise and the continuation of a very clever ploy in regards Pixar DVD's. I for one love the short films on many of their DVD's and I hope they continue doing it even if I would rather see them release a compilation DVD with all of them on one disk. Anyway, this was very well put together even if it has aged a bit and I laughed the whole way through it to the bittersweet ending – well worth seeing if you get the chance.

four minutes of the cutest Pixar animation yet

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 21 October 2006]

This is a perfectly goofy time with Knick Knack, especially before a feature. It's four minutes of a situation, with a little snowman in a snow-globe pining for a little woman in the mix of a group of boppin-souvenirs. He finally gets out, but to a disastrous finale. It's very to the point in every measure, and all the while cute without actually being only for kids. In fact, I think I laughed at this harder now than I did when I first saw this as a kid. It's got a sense of humor to it that starts with the first shot, and continues all the way to the very end. Is it laugh-out-loud funny? Not entirely; it's got me 'heh-heh' type laughs all abound, with a few of the biggest laughs coming with the obvious pratfalls and errors. But even the music used is done with a big wink and a grin, especially during the end credits as the little voices are accompanied by a 'blah-blah-blah' voice. It's an Oscar-caliber little ruby of a short that, much like the early Disney shorts, doesn't overstay its welcome, and has an appeal ranging from 2 years old to 92 (to put it like a typical critic). It's a sweetly cruel piece of fluff.

one of Pixar's early efforts

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 22 August 2008]

i thought this early animated short from Pixar was quite good.it's funny and ironic,plus it has a very catchy and infectious tune.it's also very low key,and movies at a nice sedate pace,which i liked a lot.it's from 1989,so it's a lot different than the animated films we have today.it's a very simple short with a simple story.considering it is nearly 20 years old,it's actually very well done.it's also much more clever than many animated shorts from today,and certainly back then.i'd check it out if you have the chance.you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it.or you might not be.either way,it's not like you're losing a couple of hours.for me,Knick Knack is a 7/10

Great short-film!

[m0rpher · 10/10 · 25 July 2003]

This is truly a wonderful short-film. I love it!

The animation was great, the storyline is clever, and every time I've watched it, it's made me smile.

(Oh, and thumbs up to the amazing Bobby McFerrin for the awesome background music.)

Early Pixar

[TheOtherFool · 7/10 · 16 July 2004]

Funny little short comedy by the Pixar people, which I saw as an extra on the Finding Nemo DVD.

A snowman is trapped in one of those glass snow domes, but he wants to break out as all the other toys are having a good time in the sun. So he tries to break/blow his way through but things just don't work for him. When he and the dome finally fall down, we think he can escape but again, the dome gets the better of him...

Well made and fun, we can see why Pixar became such a huge company over the years. If you have the Finding Nemo DVD, make sure you check this one out.

7/10.

A Solid Animation Short

[travisimo · 8/10 · 6 December 2003]

Before computer animation was all the rage, I bet the Pixar guys made this little gem simply as a labor of love. From this early creation, you can take a glimpse of the clever storytelling that would become a staple of Pixar's full-length features. This short gives you a chuckle as the disgruntled snowman struggles to get out of his snow globe to hang with the knick-knack ladies of Hawaii and Atlantis. It's quite a cute feature, but it can only go so far. I wouldn't consider it a classic like other animation shorts like `Mickey's Trailer' and `Duck! Rabbit, Duck!' but I think it will become a nice little treasure in the Pixar vault.

My IMDB Rating: 8/10

Not much to say...

[patrick_dunne · 7/10 · 22 January 2006]

Knick Knack is simply a short film that the theaters showed right before the movie. (I forgot which one it was- FInding Nemo or Monsters Inc?) I think it was one of Pixar's earliest short films. The story is about a snowman in a globe. He wishes to join all the other souvenirs outside of his globe, especially the hot Miami Beach souvenirs. So, he tries to break out of his snow globe.

I don't know what to say. It's a short film with no dialog. Instead, it has some psychical humor and a funny sense of irony at the end.

I suppose that I would recommend it, because Pixar is good at humor, and because it's only a couple minutes long. What else is there to say?

7/10

Feel free to send me a Private Message regarding this comment.

A wonderful, wonderful film

[rashah · 10/10 · 18 February 2003]

I first showed this to my business unit in 1996, to show that we needed to keep trying to achieve our goals, despite the setbacks along the way.

It became a kind of anthem for our team as we grew, and we ended up showing "the snowman film" at every group biannual meeting since.

I totally love the soundtrack, the animation, the story and everything about it - a real 10/10!

The Snowman

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 9 December 2016]

This is an early example of computer animation from Pixar and some years before their full length feature, Toy Story.

John Lasseter directs Knick Knack where we see souvenirs or toys enjoying the sun. Palm trees, deck chairs, there really is a beach party going on.

The one person not enjoying the fun is a souvenir from Alaska, a snowman inside a glass dome who is being beckoned by a girl in a bikini. He cannot stand it anymore and tries to break out of the dome but the glass will not break. Can he find an emergency exit door?

This is an inventive and energetic short, nowadays the CGI does look a little bit crude, some of the lighting might be too brash but it paved the way for what Lasseter and Pixar were aiming to do a few years later.

Dreadful humor and image about women.

[Wheepuppy · 2/10 · 2 July 2018]

In an alternative universe where toys are alive, a snowman dreams about joining the summer party taking place next to him, while it is trapped inside a snowball. The main and almost only motivation after this snowman to get out the snowball and approach the other toys partying is the presence of a skin and wavy blonde doll, with a huge and impressive sunglasses and a brilliant smile which helps her to fit in the perfect and standardized canon of a woman nowadays everyone should desire to be or to date. The short film deals with this subject in a humoristic way, showing the snowman going through different situations in order to finally meet this doll and be with her. But for what concerns me, the jokes are far from being funny or original, the story is simple and quite predictable, what in addition to the motivation under the plot made me unable to enjoy the film. The good part of the short film might be the good animation Pixar Studios never fails to show, the colors and the sound which make the piece audio visually attractive, thus even when there is no dialogue we are able to follow everything that is going on and read the expressions and feelings of the toys on screen when they are not even human nor real.

An early Pixar gem

[skad13 · 10/10 · 4 June 2003]

I first saw this Pixar short when it appeared in theaters in 1989 as part of a short-film project sponsored by American Express. It was like a great delight that popped up on the screen and then anonymously disappeared. I just saw the theatrical Pixar release Finding Nemo, and Pixar has had the great good sense to preface their new feature with this charming short. It's a 4-minute gem, with hilarious gags and great music by Bobby McFerrin. I hope Pixar puts this out on the Finding Nemo DVD. In the meantime, if you're seeing Finding Nemo, don't be late--Nemo is very good on its own, but this short is worth the price of admission in itself!

Excellent computer animated short

[James L. · 26 August 2000]

The animation is truly excellent, using dynamic structures and design. Very amusing script about a snowman in a snowglobe,as well as other " Knickknacks". Interesting concept and very good computer animation make this a gem. By Pixar, who later , after a series of milestone shorts, worked with Disney on several computer animated features.

Stone wall may not make a prison, but a snowglobe works fairly well here!

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 19 March 2002]

This has got to be one of the most delightful animated shorts I have ever seen in my life! It was once said that a man's reach should exceed his grasp. Watching this, I wondered if that includes snowmen! The ending of this was magnificent! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry! Pixar did a grand job here. While I know features are their bread-and-butter, I fervently hope they continue producing these little darts that score bullseyes most of the time. Pixar, please put your shorts back in circulation! Pardon me, but I need to get a certain snowman something that will cut through plastic! Most joyously recommended. A grand slam!

Knick-Knack

[shojijason · 7/10 · 5 September 2017]

This film's art was great and very easy to understand. The snow globe snowman wants to come out and he tries several things to come out. This film is so short, though it has many points to laugh. Therefore, I thought the importance of creating a story is not the time, the content of the story is very important. The picture of the film looks like an old game and little bit weird, though I liked it because it's like watching an amateur film that is super. I felt bad for the snowman that he couldn't get out and have fun, but it was a short and good comic story.

very early Pixar

[Siloty · 10/10 · 18 June 2008]

this is a very early Pixar animation which i saw when i watched Finding Nemo at the cinemas and i found it an enjoyment.

a little snowman in a snow-globe sees a mermaid toy he is attracted to and tries all these different ways to get out of the snow-globe to get to the mermaid toy. you somewhat feel sorry for the snowman as none of his efforts actually succeed, and then the one that does, which is very simple, turns out against him in the end.

this is quite a simple yet entertaining little flick and i find every minute of this short counted. enjoyed by young people and older alike. Pixar have a thing for making good shorts.

poor little snowman

A brilliant animation short with a philosophical view to the universe

[1qatreh · 7/10 · 24 April 2020]

This animation short is brilliant, considering its determinist philosophical view to the universe mixed with a very fitting narrative structure (specially due to its eastern style of philosophical symbolism which considers human beings as determined beings as toys; and reminds me of the great persian poet and philosopher, Khayam), along with a very good technical frame which was really avant-garde for its time. To construct a successful story with such qualities, is not an easy job to do, at all. So, one could comprehend how more difficult has been Mr. Lasseter's job to make it via an animation short film. No matter do we believe in determinism or not, believe me, there are not so many philosophical movies which do have a really good narrative and technical quality; and this short title is certainly one of them!

cute and funny

[mvrv33 · 8/10 · 5 December 2021]

In 1989 Pixar creates this cute short comedy. In "Knick-Knack" we see toys as protagonists on screen for the first time, a few years before the first "Toy Story" movie was released and gained great popularity. A collection of souvenir toys from sunny places are having a good time together enjoying the view from the top of a book shelf. They invite a little snowman who is trapped in a snow globe to join their party. Without giving the toys voices to communicate, the movie shows the point of view of the lonely and desperate little snowman, who is longing for a connection to others - especially a pretty lady from Miami. Fueled by his longing, he seems to forget all reasoning, maneuvering himself into a dangerous situation. Considering that the film was made in 1989, the style and quality of animation are excellent. The soundtrack adds nicely to the overall humorous setting. The ending is hilarious and the movie is definitely worth 4 minutes of your time.

"knick-knack" world

[nekogasuki · 7/10 · 26 July 2013]

What image do you have about the title of "Knick-Knack"? This short film is held between knick-knacks, so the main characters are small objects in the ordinary room. There are objects which symbolize summer, but one of them is a snowman who is living in the snow dome. He wants to join summer and tries to get out of his dome. It is interesting that the knick-knacks having their feeling and they are living. It's funny that imagined my knick-knacks are also moving when I get out. I would like to recommend not only children but also adults watching this film. We are apt to waste everything compared with old days. So, I want you to think about that problem. On the other hand, I became to dislike the snow dome. I often bought the snow dome for souvenirs, but I thought it is like a transparent prison for snowman. I cannot buy it anymore.

My favourite of the 'Tiny Toy Stories'

[tr91 · 8/10 · 9 October 2013]

'Knick Knack' is my favourite of the 5 'Tiny Toy Stories' from Pixar.

It is about a snow globe snowman who wants to join the other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but he is trapped in a glass dome. We see what he goes through to try and escape from his dome and join the others.

I found this to be beautifully animated, a nice soundtrack throughout the short film, and in general just a joy to watch. It is something that will put a smile on your face.

The snowman tries everything possible, I thought the ending was so imaginative as well. At 4 minutes you can't go wrong, give it a try. Take into consideration that this is over 20 years old as well.

8/10.

Great CG technology

[risa_gu · 7/10 · 19 December 2021]

This is a short film released in 1989. It was made six years before TOY STORY was released. A snowman in a snow globe tries to escape somehow. He succeeds in escaping when he falls from a shelf, but... This film uses CG technology which was still rare at that time. This film is a pioneer to the CG technology used in later Pixar films, so I think that it is an important short film in film history. The subsequently released film (TOY STORY) is the first full-length animated feature film in full CG. The characters move smoothly, and the work can be viewed without stress. The story is very simple and even young children can enjoy watching it. I think that the ending may divide opinions on whether it is a happy or a sad ending. I like happy endings, and I feel that this film is a happy ending. I like it.

Evolution of 3D Animation

[aci_J · 4/10 · 27 June 2018]

It's always incredible to see how fast technology moves in the modern age, and nothing shows that more than the evolution of 3D computer animation. Back when Pixar was owned by Apple founder Steve Jobs and merely six years before their first feature Toy Story, the animation studio produced several shorts that showed off the potential of their in-house software that would later go on to become Renderman. One of those shorts was Knick Knack, which follows a snowman in a snow globe as he tries to break out of his glass dome to join the other 'knick knacks' at a summer pool party. Although the animation is now considerably dated, particularly in the areas of texture detail and character motion, the humor still shines through to make it entertaining. Even so, the lack of a proper resolution to the story except for a cheap laugh means that it's unlikely you'll remember the short in the long term. The studio has certainly come a long way.