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.

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.

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.)

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

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!

cute!

[mnguuuu · 6/10 · 13 June 2017]

There are many toys which are all enjoying the hot summer. A snow man that is the main character of this film and in a snow dome is enviously staring at them and trying to meet a girl in a bikini but it isn't easy to do.

The snow man is so cute and a little sad. Because many summer toys are getting into the music but he may not even hear the music. His efforts are not a waste even if it is not a success. I have learned this from only 3 minutes short film.

The snow man is so cute.

This is a funny film.

[ysk865540 · 5/10 · 27 December 2013]

The film Knick-Knack is a funny short film. In the film, characters are objects.Objects are personified. Especially the film has two scenes which I think are funny . I will tell you the scenes. First, I tell you the scene in which a main character, a snowman,tries to break a wall of a decorative object.The snowman is in the decorative object. However he wants to go out of the decorative object and meet outside objects such as objects of a flamingo.He used a drill and a machine to break the wall of the decorative objects. The way he breaks the wall is very funny. Second, I will tell you the last scene. The snowman tries to go out of the decorative object.In the process,the decorative object falls from a shelf. At that time, the snow man can get out of the decorative object and go into a fish tank.He finally gets freedom. However, in no time, the decorative object falls down, too. The snow man is shut up by the decorative object again. The way things are is very funny. I think that this is a funny film.

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!

It makes you giggle the whole time.

[missonigiri · 7/10 · 22 July 2014]

This Pixar short film takes place on a book shelf where travel souvenirs such as a flamingo-in- a-pool ornament from Florida and dancing palm tree from Palm Springs are put all together. They are all wearing sunglasses, dancing and enjoying themselves. However, on the very other side of the shelf, we see a snow globe from Alaska and a little, sulky looking snowman in it, all alone. When he glances at the hot bunch, he finds a beautiful blonde doll from Miami curling her index finger and calling him to join the party. The snowman wants to go to her so badly; but the problem is, he is stuck in the glass.

The film is utterly fun to watch. I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. It is so colorful, bright, playful and clever that you could actually watch it again and again without being fed up with it. The snowman has a unique attractiveness to him. He is not your normal, cute character; he is sulky, cheeky and yet he is quite adorable. His series of funny and cute actions to exit the snow globe made me giggle countless times.

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

Story of toys

[acingst · 6/10 · 15 September 2015]

This film is made by PIXAR in 1989. This film is animation. After a colorful title caption, in the first scene, a flamingo wearing black sunglasses and is written in "Sunny Florida" at flamingo's body appears along with the light music. Then, skeleton with black sunglasses that has a surfboard writing in "mom" appears. Subsequently, a Pyramid and a cactus with sunglasses appear, and, two types of palm trees which also wear sunglasses appear at the next. The stand of the Pyramid is written in "Sunny Egypt", Stand of a cactus and the stand of two kinds of palm trees also are written in characters of "Sunny" and any countries names. These seem to be souvenir figurines. Then, a girl wearing a pair of bikini and sunglasses who is sitting on the pool side joins. Figurines are running happily. At a distance of a little, there is a snow dome snowman has entered. Since the figure of the girl invites the snowman, the snowman tries to go outside from a snow dome. It is possible to enjoy a lovely story of souvenir's figurines in the film.

short animation

[ktkt-80912 · 8/10 · 14 July 2022]

'Knick Knack' is a short animation film. The snowman is alone in the snow globe. He envies his other friends. He decides to leave the snow globe after being tempted by a sexy beach-girl doll. However, the snowman does not know how to get out of the snow globe. He tries various things, including trying to scrape the wall with a hammer. Unfortunately, it does not work very well. This film depicts many attempts by the snowman trying his best to get out of the snow globe. There is no dialogue in this film. Without dialogue, you may find it difficult to comprehend. However, it is easy to understand the content. Even a young child would understand this film. I recommend this film because the pictures are cute and the story is interesting. I think this film is worth seeing. I hope as many people as possible will see it.

Cutely snowman who be honest with his feeling.

[0000k17 · 7/10 · 27 October 2021]

The movie genre of 'Knick-Knack' is comedy. It was made in 1989. A snowman finds a pretty girl who represents 'summer.' He decides to get out of the snow dome and uses a process of trial and error over and over again. Does he get out of it? The key point of the movie is that the image of summer and winter are contrasted with objects like sunglasses, cheerful music and snow. And the most attractive point is that it contains the name of the region. The summer ones have names of warm places such as Jamaica and Miami. On the other hand, the winter ones have names of cold regions such as Alaska. Without dialog, there is a lot of visual information. I think that it is worth watching the movie. No matter what season you watch the movie, you can look forward to seasonal events. When I watch the movie, I feel that I want winter to come quickly. No matter who watches it, people can enjoy watching the movie.

Toys funny moment

[draryutennis · 8/10 · 3 January 2022]

Knick Knack

Made in 1989

In the various toys, only one snow man is covered by glass dome and cannot get along with other toys. One day he wants to talk with and touch one female toy. So he decides to escape from glass dome.

I think various generations will be entertained by this movie. That is because this movie doesn't include language. We have to recognize the situation by gesture. In addition, all characters are so cute. Colors in the movie is simple. These causes makes this movie funny and cute.

I want families to watch it.

Good sound effects

[arkts31 · 7/10 · 9 February 2014]

This movie is a short 3D animation. In only three minutes, I was satisfied and enjoyed this. This story is very simple and the end of it is funny. A buoyant tune is played all through the film. I like this music very much. It makes us relaxed and happy.

The most brilliant thing in this film is sound effects. There are many kinds of sound and they are appropriate to the action of the characters, so I was feeling as if I had been looking at the toys in front of them. My favorite one is the sound of the explosion in a dome. I think it's difficult to create, but It's very nice.

While watching this, I was remembering my childhood. When I was a little kid, I liked to watch animations which is just fun and is essentially meaningless. Not only children but also adults can enjoy this film. This may take you back to your childhood.

Given that Toy Story was made six years after this film, Knick Knack might have an effect on Toy Story more or less. This film may be an important work.

knick knack

[kulalamie · 5/10 · 1 October 2013]

This is a toy's story. There are many toys on shelves. One side's toys are meant for summer. There are many toys. Other side's toy is meant for winter. There is only one toy. That is a snow globe. Theis is movie's leading man is a snow man in the snow globe. One day, snow man sees a side of summer toys. One toy which is a woman in a bikini beckons to snowman. The snow man is delighted. He tries to go, but he is covered a glass dome, so he can't. Snow man tries to get out a glass dome. He uses a drill, pliers and a bomb. However, the glass dome never breaks. Finally, snow man fall from the shelves!!.... I think this movie is not as good as expected. This movie designed for children, so it's too simple. I can't recommend it for adult.