Geri's Game (1997) User Reviews

Excellent and very funny short

[llltdesq · 9/10 · 7 January 2002]

This short won the Academy Award for Animated Short and probably deserved to win. The detail is impressive, but secondary. The plot is marvelous and the character of Geri is well developed. If you've seen Toy Story 2, Geri makes a "cameo" appearance as the toy repairman. All in all, a remarkable piece of work. Available on some copies of A Bug's Life VHS and DVD and well worth seeking out. Recommended.

This Is How Short Films Should Be Made!

[ackstasis · 9/10 · 21 July 2006]

'Geri's Game' is a short, animated film by the geniuses at Pixar Animation, and it was screened in cinemas to precede 'A Bug's Life' (which happens to be my favourite Pixar production).

This short film borders on perfection. Absolutely no dialogue is spoken in the film, but it doesn't need to be. The simple plots concerns an old man named Geri (whom you may recognise from Toy Story 2) who loves to play a high-stakes game of chess in the park. The only catch: He has nobody else to play with!

This is a highly-enjoyable short. The music is beautifully fitting, and the animation is first-rate. The character of Geri (or, at least, one of his characters) is a very likable, bumbling old man.

You can certainly see how Pixar earned themselves an Oscar with this short. Highly recommended.

Very good, but not one of my favorite Pixar shorts

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 12 February 2008]

I recently purchased the new DVD including all of Pixar's short films--among them was GERI'S GAME. Now I'd seen this film before when it was first shown in the theater and I decided to watch it again. The second time, I enjoyed it about the same. But what I really noticed was that although GERI'S GAME was lovely to look at, compared to many of the other Pixar shorts, it wasn't all that funny. Maybe I'm just an old curmudgeon, but seeing the old guy playing chess against himself was good for a snicker or two but that's about all.

GERI'S GAME did win the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 1998, so obviously it is a very good film and the Academy liked it. However, I actually enjoyed an "artsy" short that was nominated more than GERI'S GAME. The Russian film, THE MERMAID was not exactly new in style either (as several of director Petrov had been nominated in this category before), but it was just so lovely to look at--like a painting come to life. It's unlike me to prefer the more sophisticated film, but this time I was so impressed with THE MERMAID because it looked so gosh darn lovely.

In addition, THE OLD LADY AND THE PIGEONS was also nominated for the Oscar and lost to GERI'S GAME. I also liked the pigeon movie more--it was so strange and truly unique--something I love to see in an Oscar winner.

See these films for yourself and see what you think.

A well-played game of chess...

[soymilk · 10/10 · 26 May 2004]

The overwhelming success of such Pixar features as 'Monsters Inc' and 'Finding Nemo' may mean that's where all the attention's currently going, but their four-minute short 'Geri's Game' is definitely an enjoyable and highly original little film that deserves to dwell up there with the company's finest output. On the whole I've been repeatedly impressed with Pixar's animated shorts (perhaps even more so than many of their feature films!), and 'Geri's Game', in which an elderly man enjoys a game of chess with himself, may just be the best I've seen - even amongst such a tight array of gems as 'Knick Knack', 'For the Birds', and the ingeniously simple 'Luxo Jr', there's something about this one that really stands out above the rest. It's breezy and colourful, and the animation is simply excellent - I know that until relatively recently, people have always considered human character designs to have been the weak link in Pixar's digital portfolio (check 'Tin Toy' for example, and contrast the ultra-shiny, believable Tinny with his somewhat chunky human baby nemesis). Well, there's nothing in the least bit awkward or artificial about our title character Geri - he's a very polished creation indeed, with facial expressions all smoothly on target (can't go wrong when you're using Jonathon Harris as your model).

This is of course the very same Geri who showed up soon after as the cleaner in 'Toy Story 2' (I'm not sure if he was actually referred to by name, but he was there, and he even flaunts his trademark chess pieces at one point). I was always intrigued by this mysterious character, and when I discovered that he had a short film of his own I was anxious to see it (too bad it's been regulated to the 'Bug's Life' DVD, which is actually my LEAST favourite Pixar feature - there's irony for you). I finally managed to capture this little diamond on Pixar's own official website and, needless to say, it didn't disappoint.

The quality animation aside, and with the European plaza-style music setting it off to a nifty pulse, it's the slick editing that really makes this concept come alive. Seriously, it's amazing. I'm sure this has been pointed out enough times already, but no matter how obvious Pixar make it that really this is little more than just a bored and lonely old man making the most of his chess set and his seclusion, the way in which it cuts seamlessly between the players on each side of the table will quickly have you believing otherwise. Two very distinctive characters really do appear to emerge from one (think something along the lines of Gollum's personal tête-à-têtes in 'Lord of the Rings', only a lot less sinister in this case).

Unlike other Pixar shorts, including 'Knick Knack' and 'For the Birds', 'Geri's Game' may not be a laugh-riot exactly, but then laugh-out-loud hilarity has never been the essential ingredient for class entertainment. What makes this film so engaging is its intelligent story, gentle humour and truly charming sense of character. The cool visuals are a delightful bonus.

Grade: A+ - Clearly, playing a game of chess on your own can be more enthralling than you'd think.

Pixar Does It Again

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 14 May 2001]

Old GERI'S GAME of chess is played with great flair and passion, against a most worthy opponent and for a very special prize.

Full of small surprises & great imagination, this is a wonderful little film from the folks at Pixar. Besides the basic entertainment factor - watching the old geezer play chess is a joy - the boundaries have been pushed again in computer animation's ability to depict the human body & the natural world. Fascinating on every level.

Geri would return in a cameo in Disney/Pixar's TOY STORY 2 (1999) as The Cleaner, voiced by Jonathan Harris.

Winner of the 1997 Oscar for Best Animated Short.

the best animated short ever

[fritskibbeling · 10/10 · 2 April 2004]

I discovered Geri's game on the pixar website and it is most definitely the most beautiful animated short I have ever seen.

Both the story and animations are of extraordinary quality. And also the editing is outstanding; no wonder they received the 1997 Oscar!

I you haven't seen it yet go and check it out at pixar.com, there you can also find lot's of other short films. Luxo jr. for instance is very nice too, and features the jumping creature that is in their logo.

It is a pity that films of this narrative and visual quality are very rare. but luckily we have pixar.

Yet another classic short film from Pixar.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 26 March 2002]

Pixar, especially now that Monsters, Inc. (preceded by the endlessly amusing For The Birds) has been released, is quickly becoming more and more famous for the tremendous quality of the short short animated films that precede their feature films. Geri's Game, which can be seen before A Bug's Life, is one of my favorite of all of Pizar's short animated films. It's a testament to the quality of the film that the punchline (that Geri is playing chess against himself) is not only revealed in the film's tagline, but is also clearly revealed right at the beginning of the film, and yet it still retains the surprising and amusing affect. The editing in this film is so well-done that, as the chess game switches back and forth between Geri and his alter ego, you almost forget that you already saw that he is alone in the park and is therefore playing against himself in this heated game.

I just learned from one of the other IMDb reviewers that Pixar dedicated enormous resources just for such a minor detail as to get Geri's coat to crease just right, and that is exactly the kind of thing that makes a good film, especially a short one. That is a tiny detail, but Pixar is so determined for their films to look just right that it is no surprise that they are now winning Oscars left and right for those films. Pixar spends all of the money that they put into their films in just the right places, and this can clearly be seen in the final product.

The purpose of these short film is clearly just to add to the huge amount of entertainment that is almost invariably involved in watching a Pixar film, because they can obviously not serve any other purpose, being so short. It's obvious that they are not put in to increase the viewing time of the sometimes rather short films that Pixar puts out, but rather just to increase the enjoyment derived from their films. When you go to see a Pixar film, you get more than your money's worth, and not because the films take up more of your time, but because the quality is so high. If anything, people should be grateful that the people at Pixar are able to create such huge amounts of entertainment in relatively short periods of time, unless you have nothing better to do than spend your days in a movie theater. While that is definitely how I would personally LIKE to spend my days, I just don't have the time, and I am grateful that Pixar is so good at what they do that they are able to provide entertainment of such high quality and not take up two and a half hours of my time. Bravo!

Not only for chess players.

[cmyklefty · 5 January 2002]

Geri's Game is the best life like animated short so far in Pixar collection of short films. I saw this before the main feature (A Bug's Life). A light hearted look at an old man who plays chess. The pieces look real that they seem to be better than the chess set I own.

Geri's Game, Pixar's 6th short film

[emasterslake · 7/10 · 8 October 2005]

This short film was made in 1997 then later shown with A Bug's Life back in 1998.

It's a simple story for a Pixar short. It involves Geri an old man playing chess by himself. It keeps cutting from left to the right that it actually makes you believe he's playing with another guy who's actually just him.

The animation is well done. Geri does look like an old man with the detail of the skin and the way he walks and acts.

All Pixar fans will like this short as well as many other ones like Luxo Jr., Tin Toy, etc.

a kind of lesson maybe for film-students- a LOT of fun

[Quinoa1984 · 10/10 · 31 May 2006]

I remember getting a kick of this short repeatedly when I saw Bug's Life in the theater repeatedly eight years back. Mostly because it sticks to the best rules of a little animated short like this. Less is more with the dialog, and editing and position of the camera are crucial. The filmmaker behind this, who hasn't done much aside from this short, is like a very wise film-student. In most film-student shorts, a good chunk of the goal in making 4 or 5 minute films is to put in as much information as possible while keeping it to the point and still having a story. The story here is a guy playing chess, Er, with himself, and getting into a competition to the death (well, almost) in having a check-mate. Geri's laughs and little facial gestures on either side are really genius in their own way, and the ending is one of those that puts a smile on your face. The music is also, in its own way, funny by way of being just a lowly accordion applying the backup to this wacky little scenario. Probably ranks up there with my very favorite Pixar shorts, worth another look on the Bug's Life DVD for sure.

Pretty funny...

[highkite · 6/10 · 3 August 2006]

There's not much to say about this animated short since it runs at about 3 minutes. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short (and although it's very memorable, I would agree that there were better ones that year). The animation is superb and the attention to detail is obviously prevalent.

This is a story about an old man who sits down at a table to play chess. He takes out his pieces, sets both sides up and begins to play... by himself! He switches back and forth slowly and moves each piece. After a while though, the man stops moving and he's playing with an imaginary friend who looks exactly like him.

There isn't much to this story, and it was probably written in about 5 minutes, but the fact of the matter is that for its time, the animation is perfect. The movement of the character is utterly realistic and the setting around him is amazing. The old man's face is also very real, and as he sways from hysterically laughing to frowning, we not only find it hilarious but also very creative.

"Geri's Game" is one of those animated shorts you just love to see before a movie. As I remember watching movies like "George of the Jungle" and "Men in Black", I remember this little film was always on before, and I always loved it. This is an animated short that children would love to watch over and over and over.

Fantastic graphics

[oliviac · 10/10 · 26 November 1998]

I saw "Geri's Game" when it was shown before "A Bug's Life" at the theatre. I hope this is being shown everywhere. I thought the best part was the facial expressions on the old man. I believe within five years, we will see computer generated human skin that is indistinguishable from the real thing - the mind boggles!!

This tragic cartoon deals with the Heartbreak of . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 6 September 2018]

. . . Alzheimer's. The title character of GERI'S GAME cannot remember WHO he is exactly, or even HOW MANY of him there are. (It's as if "Eve" can no longer recall how many faces she has, or "Sybil" doesn't know the correct number of table settings to lay out when she's dining alone.) "Walt Brennan" frequently had to contend with others for control of his dentures during his live action features, but he seldom (if ever) needed to wrestle HIMSELF for possession of the false teeth. Now that the original STAR TREK cast have at least a foot (if not both) in the grave, it would be understandable if one of THEM became confused over the issue of whether they were singular or plural, since they all suffered so much as the infinite hands of The Borg. However, GERI'S GAME offers no clue as to if and when its titular geezer had a Borg Encounter of the Myriad Kind. Most viewers will conclude that "Geri" is simply in the final stages of dementia (about as far gone as "The Gipper" was in Year Three of his Administration). Geri's saving grace is that he is NOT depicted with his skeletal finger hovering over America's Nuclear Button!

Undercurrent

[injury-65447 · 5/10 · 24 May 2020]

At face value I guess this is just meant to be a charming little skit about an old man playing chess. But just underneath the surface there is a troubling sensation of unease that builds. By the end of the short I felt very uncomfortable. Loneliness, dementia, senility, the happy descent into madness, our neglect of the elderly. A Very disturbing film.

I feel geri's pain

[Sweet_Honey_Iced_tea · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

This short tells much of us, our condition, our drive, our goals, and most importantly; the indomitable human spirit.

Geri is playing with himself, and surprise surprise, he's losing. Losing pawn after rook after knight, with only his king remaining, but he pulls a fat new strategy out of no where: the Geri gambit. The Geri gambit is simple, fake a heart attack, flip around the board, and defeat your now helpless opponent. He pulls off an incredible display of manipulation, though his opponent (himself) is rather unimpressed. Though the gambit does fool his opponent, and Geri is able to figuratively and literally flip the game around, making his opponent lose. Shocked to see he had lost, Geri begrudgingly gives his dentures to himself, laughing hysterically.

This short has some great showings of character, expression, and the problems that come with age. Though despite the short's age, it's an all time classic for almost anyone of any age.

Truly Delightful/Joyful

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 3 April 2019]

Geri is an old guy who plays chess in the park, but there doesn't seem to be anyone else around. The cool thing is that the game gets intense, even though there is only one player. Each move is met with delight and confusion, but there is always an answer. The Pixar animation is as good as it gets.

How can computers be so touching?

[thom-16 · 9/10 · 24 December 2000]

This is a true work of genius computer art. Geri himself is a touching figure and is a symbol of the true spirit of old age. At the same time the whole cartoon is ridiculous, the way all good cartoons should be. If only all cartoons were this good and had this level of attention to detail.

My favourite Pixar short film

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 2 February 2012]

I have always loved the Pixar short films, and they are generally consistent with their feature films as well. Geri's Game is my favourite of their short films and I am a big fan of Knick Knack, One Man Band and Presto too. The visuals are astounding, full of bright colours and sophisticated backgrounds and character designs, advantaged by the single best editing of any of their short films. The music fits the mood and story beautifully, the story alone makes it one of Pixar's most charming overall efforts and while not laugh out loud hilarious like Knick Knack or Presto the humour has an endearing gentle quality to it. Geri is one of Pixar's sweetest and most likable title characters, it is very easy to warm to him. All in all, brilliant and my favourite of the many great Pixar short films. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Good animation but lacking a really good punch line

[bob the moo · 11 February 2014]

It is probably because Pixar have done little else but set a very high bar for themselves, but for this short film I was a little disappointed by how straightforward it was. The plot sees an old man called Geri set up a chess board in the park and proceed to play against himself by swapping chairs each move; as the game becomes more intense, Original Geri (OG) finds himself under threat of losing.

The idea is a nice one here and the animation impresses as it always seems to do with Pixar, albeit that compared to later advances you can see the lack of texturing and detail back then, but this is a limit of the period not the film. The films builds nicely as we see the game unfold but to me the ending was not strong enough or funny enough to really make an impact. The closing joke is a simple one that doesn't really make sense in the context since he is only really cheating himself (although more is not made of this) and although I was amused by the short, I didn't find it gave me the sort of impact (comedy or emotion) that many of the Pixar shorts can do.

For sure this is worth seeing because the films from Pixar mostly are worth seeing, but it is a solid short, not a great one and as such it is below the very high bar that they have established for themselves.

Great Pixar short

[rbverhoef · 9/10 · 9 February 2005]

Geri, an old man, is sitting in the park playing a game of chess. With himself. When he has to move with white he is this really old man that needs to ware glasses. When he has to move with black he turns into this mean old man who does not need any glasses, laughs at his opponent and plays too fanatic.

'Geri's Game' proves once again that Pixar Animation Studios does not miss. They have not made a failure yet, whether you talk about their animated short or feature films. May be this one is a little less funny than other examples such as 'For the Birds', the animation is flawless. The way the old man changes when he moves back and forth between seats, just that little bit, is wonderfully done. Another great Pixar animated short.

Geri's Game plays its move and delivers a "Checkmate!" worthy short film.

[TheMovieDiorama · 7/10 · 3 June 2019]

The greatest opponent we could ever face is ourselves, and Geri certainly faced a formidable alter ego. This elderly innocent man essentially becomes both players in a role playing game of chess that almost borderlines on schizophrenia. Equipped with dirty tricks like pretending to have a heart attack to distract his "opponent". You sly devil! What really impresses, still to this day, is the innovation in human simulation. Specific programming to mimic natural movements and translate them into an animated environment ("subdivision surfacing" it's called). 'Toy Story', Pixar's first feature film, may have beat Geri to the milestone pole. But Geri perfected it. The fluidity in his movement as he aggressively moves pawns, rooks and the almighty king, is nothing short of impeccable.

It's visual charm only adds to Geri's impenetrable personality. One frame has hands of both "opponents" present, and it's this self-awareness that makes it enjoyable fun. I want to be him when I grow older. Playing chess in an empty park in Paris, leaves static on the ground. It's pure bliss. Speaking of empty parks, obviously the focus is on Geri as a character. As a result, the backdrop and environmental aesthetics are almost painted on the screen. Nothing moves. No cars whizzing past or leaves blowing in the gentle breeze. It makes the world around Geri seem desolate and lifeless. Still, a minor critique in what is an enjoyable short from Pixar. No meaningful message or pulling of the heart strings. Just pure charm that has stood the test of time. Your move...

Brilliant!

[SanderStrijbos · 10/10 · 6 March 2001]

This is just the best short animated movie ever! It's perfect and the people at Pixar really deserved the Oscar they got for this one.

I just wonder: When does the movie with Geri come out?

10 out of 10!

another Pixar animated short

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 25 May 2008]

this is another of animated short by Pixar.i thought it was alright.it's kinda cute,but maybe a bit redundant.the story is really simple,about an old man and a chess game.i didn't find it all that funny,but it was mildly amusing.of course,i had just previously watched Lifted(another Pixar short)which i thought was excellent,so maybe that raised my expectation for this one.still,it's a good little film,(just under 5 minutes)with excellent animation,as always.i did really like the ending.it thought that was kinda neat.Pixar has a collection of animated shorts(13,i believe)on DVD,if you wanna see more of them.anyway,for me,Geri's Game is a solid 7/10

The beginning of a new tradition...

[ashfordofficial · 5/10 · 12 December 2021]

Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 70th Academy Awards.

Geri's Game started the Pixar tradition of pairing shorts with feature films.

A feat of computer animation

[delson · 29 October 1998]

Academy Award winner for best animated short film, "Geri's Game" tells the story of an elderly man who passes the time by playing chess against himself in a large park. While the direction is clever and the editing great, the real point is in seeing the progress of cutting-edge 3D graphics. For example, Pixar devoted enormous resources toward creating the complicated algorithms needed to get Geri's suit to crease the right way when he moves to a new position. Although Pixar has yet to make human flesh tones convincing, the photorealism of the rest of "Geri's Game" is nothing short of extraordinary.