Animation is a laborious and lengthy process. So animators often need to find ways to amuse themselves during the several years they spend on a single project. In the old-school Disney days this generally meant trying to slip something by the viewer (and even the bosses). But in our brave new world of DVDs, the motivation has changed. Now we have ‘easter eggs,’ and the animators can amuse themselves with the knowledge that some audience members will actually spot the subtle gags. Pixar has always particularly loved making references to their other films. The Luxo Jr. ball has appeared in several Pixar films. The Bug’s Life characters can be seen crawling along branch in Toy Story 2. A Buzz Lightyear lunchbox can be seen in WALL-E. Every Pixar movie is loaded with easter eggs, and their newest, Brave, is no different. The Witch’s shop contains at least two nods to other films:
The Pizza Planet delivery truck, a common sight in Pixar films; first seen in Toy Story.
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The Witch is apparently a fan of Monsters Inc too, as she’s carved a pic of Sully.
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