User Reviews

I don't think this is Pixar at their very best, like with Presto or Geri's Game, but it is a Pixar short film that I like very much. The narrative is very cute and engaging if not as snappily paced as One Man Band or Presto. However this doesn't matter so much because the animation as you'd always expect from Pixar is wonderful especially in the backgrounds, and musically it is one of Pixar's most satisfying, very melodic and memorable. I also loved the message, on which Boundin' is reliant, and felt it was presented in an uplifting way, and the characters have a certain likability to them. In conclusion, a very good short film, it is cute, short and sweet with wonderful animation and music and one of the better messages in any of their short films. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Luckey not only directed this sweet little animation, but he also wrote it, narrated the script, provided a voice for the jackalope and composed the music. Suffice to say, Boundin' was his spring into animation glory. A dancing sheep that remains popular with the other animals, one day becomes sheared. Now the laughing stock of the rock they reside on, the sheep loses all confidence. A benevolent jackalope then approaches and teaches the sheep to "bound" rather than dance, allowing him to restore his confidence and overcome his fear of shearing. A delightful message for younger viewers to adhere to, with a variety of musically tuned animals to enhance the accessible entertainment. The animation was excellent with a nice attention to detail for the environment, such as tumbleweeds blowing in the distance. The character models were well rounded and clearly differentiate each animal. The musical narration, whilst doing its best impersonation of Johnny Cash, was unfortunately forgettable and lost the buoyancy of its message. A more upbeat tune would've suited the narration, considering it's a story about "bounding". However the lyrics remain poignant and are simple enough for children to acknowledge. Still, another consistently slick short animation from Pixar that ranks among the upper echelon of their canon.

First of all, I am entirely new to this section; Pixar Animation Films. This one will be the very first in ma list and much pleasure to say that I am impressed and will keep on watching Pixar Films. Well, more regarding the film:

I am in fact realizing now that "Small is beautiful" and its well presented in limited words & of course in limited time. Life is a well wrapped gift & a beautifully great one despite all its sorrows and blues. More Importantly, our vision is not so clear being in tears regarding our lose, disregarding all the blessings around. Open up our mind and start experiencing all the bits around and put it together for a complete life. For, all these are the very cream of life, you can't just avoid it.

Definitely, its not the best of all the Pixar films, instead i will tag it as an inspirational one which will keep your spirit up. Recommend all of u to watch it whenever u feel marooned amidst of your blues.

didn't realize why i liked it so much until the second time i saw it. it feels like the classic Disney movies i grew up with. the music, the bright primary colors, the characters, all would do Uncle Walt proud, which is more than we can say about anything Eisner and co. have come up with recently.

i also don't understand why everyone is so down on this short. my friends, who went with me to see the Incredibles, hated it. it's a nice little 5-minute short, and a great way to show up Disney.

please stop knocking this one and just enjoy it for the beautiful little gem it is.

'Boundin'' is not as good or funny as Pixar's 'For the Birds' or 'Mike's New Car', but it is charming in its own little way. It tells about a proud sheep who becomes shy when he is shaved, suddenly naked, one day. A jackalope hops along and explains to the sheep he can still be proud, all he has to do is bounce and not care about other opinions. The sheep takes the advice.

This nice short shows events, but we also hear them. The story is narrated (by Bud Luckey) in a fun way, making it sound like poetry. The animation, as expected from Pixar, is beautiful and although it does not make you laugh that much you will have a big smile on your face the entire time. See it for for entertaining minutes.

This is about as a nice a message as I have ever seen presented in a cartoon, and it's presented in a beautiful manner. This is just plain fun to watch but even better to hear. The message is sung and the rhyming in the lyrics is just tremendous, really enjoyable.

In less than a handful minutes, we are shown and given a wonderful mini-sermon, if you will, on how to handle bad situations and life in general. There also is a plug for skin color making no difference in your attitude, either.

This might be the only cartoon I ever watched, and then replayed it a few minutes later. It was so good, I wanted to hear/see it again. There are some profound words of wisdom in this, sung in a catchy ditty.

The animated short is offered as one of the features in the DVD of "The Incredibles."

This is a very cute little tale like something you'd see on a PBS children's show or in a kindergarten classroom, only animated brilliantly. The story is humorous and inspiring.

There's not much to it really, but look at the animation! That water is perfect... the characters are dynamic and interesting (and do not look like they are off of a static computer model like some more recent animations have been)... even the environmental effects and rain are good. For such a small, rarely focused-on animation, it's a really beautiful project.

If you get a chance, listen to the commentary on the Incredibles disc. You'd be surprised how much love and care went into this thing.

--PolarisDiB

I wish Bud Lucky could have directed a couple of more shorts, or even a feature film. Because I an utterly charmed by this short. It's cute. It's uplifting. It has some clever writing in keeping the meter and rhythming going. The western setting, the jackalope and the optimism all add up to a slice of Americana.

Pixar's 4 minute short presents an optimistic message of self-confidence in highs and lows. Its a very simple and catholic message, as everyone can understand it in the first go. Some may find the message to be too simplistic and say "Oh, not another morale-boosting schmutz" but Pixar aims at sending across simple and positive messages as its main audience is young kids. And the song and dance sequence would surely stay in a kid's mind.

I can relate to the film because for three years I was without my front tooth and was hesitant to talk because I looked funny and I was a bit afraid of going to the dentist. And in such times, friends may or may not help since most of them are concerned about their own appearances, especially in this materialistic modern world.

Another example, a recent one is when I had acute hepatitis A and was in the hospital. I had some project related work and was given assurance by two of my friends not to worry and to take care. Another group called me up and asked me why I was not going to come and when I told them about my health, their first question was: "Hey, since you are not coming, why don't you send us your laptop right now because we need one?" And they didn't even bother to ask how I was feeling then.

So there are friends and then there are guardian angels. The sheep over here loses his fleece, which was his only vanity and becomes demoralized and stops dancing. Its guardian angel is a practical jackalope.

Now some may interpret the message wrongly as one where the sheep shouldn't lose hope even when it isn't 'exploited', but I feel that's not a particularly right interpretation. To me, it refers to situations beyond one's control, though to avoid a wrong interpretation, I feel that the film could've added an additional scene where the sheep is no longer shaved, once the people notice how happy it is boundin.

My rating: 7/10

Beautiful visuals and top-notch animation as usual, but that's about it. Isn't Pixar above these lame "feel-good" type message films? I'm really surprised they would have a) created such a sappy film and then b) release it in front of The Incredibles, which was aimed at an older audience than this "Boundin'" pap.

The message of the film? Ooh, be proud of whoever you are, whatever you look like.

That's an excellent sentiment, and one that would be right at home in a cartoon from, I don't know, about 1970. In 2003, it's over thirty years late.

Most of the Dr. Seuss-like rhymes seemed a little forced as well.

Pixar needs to stick with what it knows, and that's making intelligent, witty films. Leave the cutesy message films aimed at five-year-olds for some lesser studio to create.

I hesitate to summarize Boundin' with the massive cliché that is Just Be Yourself, so I'll try to throw a little spin on it and say that it is more about being confident in who you are rather than your appearance. Clearly, since the short film starts with the story of a sheep that is so happy and content that it constantly bounces around singing, and thus doesn't give the impression of being insecure until suddenly it is Unceremoniously Plucked From Its World and sheared naked of its wool, it is more about self-confidence than just being yourself. On the other hand, maybe that's just two ways of saying the same thing.

At any rate, the movie received something of a lukewarm reception from viewers, who either loved it or hated it or wanted to love it but thought that the sheep wasn't cute enough or something. I appreciated the fact that Pixar was able to tell the story using such simple means. The entire film takes place on the same 10 square feet or so of setting, and there are only two characters (unless you count the little animals that laugh at or cheer the sheep, depending on his level of security).

I also liked that the movie did something original with the dialogue. Many of Pixar's charming short films are silent, and I really thought the singing worked great because it had such a good Dr. Seuss-like ring to it. The moral is simple, but the emotions created are real. We pretty much know where the plot is going, but we still sympathize with the sheep after it is originally shorn, because in truth it really does look ridiculous.

Where Pixar should be especially commended, however, is that later in the film the sheep is shorn again, plopped back down on its rock, but no longer looks ridiculous, simply because of the sheep's casual behavior. He doesn't look ridiculous because he no longer cares so much how he looks.

And if you think the sheep or the jackalope were just not cute enough, maybe you should write a whiny little song about it

This short was released with The Incredibles, it has nice animation and a even better message.

A sheep loves jumping up and down, he is happy as Larry the Lamb. until one day he is shorn the sheep.

Now naked his confidence is at an all time low, he is judged by his looks and embarrassed.

A passing jackalope tells the sheep that life has its ups and down so not to let his colour keep him down. The wool grows back and the sheep keeps on bouncing.

I saw this when my parents and I went to go see "The Incredibles". I was expecting that Pixar had made a clever short, but I was disappointed. The short was dumb, boring, and downright corny. Unlike Pixar's other short films, which were original and clever, this seems to be copied out of some children's book found in a junk store. The cutesy rhyming narration and dialogue only add to the fire of this monstrosity. None of us were laughing but all the people behind us in the theater whom had an IQ of 10 or lower were all laughing, even at parts that weren't really supposed to be funny. A true disappointment.

1/10

Unlike the last reviewer, I'm actually going to review Boundin', not the movie that follows it. First of all, let's keep it in perspective here. This comes before a family animated film. Pixar know their audience and this one is as good as any short they have made, and I have seen them all many times. It has a Dr. Seuss-like rhythm & style but they throw a little cowboy poetry flavor in there, as well. (I am guessing that Mr. MIT reviewer probably hasn't heard of cowboy poetry.) I thought it was a good combination and it had a good moral that needs to be heard a little more these days, which is "take what you have and find a way to be happy with it" But finding that way isn't that the sheep in the story goes on the new "reality" TV show, "Extreme Sheep Makeovers." What lesson is learned there? Not any lesson worth learning. Enjoy this one the way it is meant to be enjoyed, with a light-heart and an open mind.

This is basically an ad for wool masked as a Pixar short.

The late great Bud Luckey, writes, directs, and appears in this Pixar short that originally aired before "The Incredibles". I've found going through the short films section of Disney Plus to be quite variable, in terms of if they are a good time or not, but I very much enjoyed this one.

A prideful sheep famed for his white coat dances around the prairie to the enjoyment of the other animals. One day, he's sheered and, mocked by the same animals for his skinny look, loses his confidence. A Jackalope comes by and shows the Sheep the simple pleasures of "boundin" a new dance that involves picking oneself up and jumping around. Armed with the new confidence, the sheep endures his yearly sheering without complaint.

Even if visually it's perhaps starting to show its age a bit, "Boundin'" is still a lot of fun. Its' a charming story, told in the form of a sing song performance, mixed in with occasionally lines from the Sheep, or the Jackalope - all performed by Luckey himself.

Not perhaps Pixar's greatest ever moment, but a fun short that's not perhaps got the appreciation that it deserves.

This is a sweet tale with a good message about how to deal when Bad Things

Happen. Beautiful animation (as expected by Pixar). Amazing how much

emotion is packed in a slim 5 minutes. Sentimental without being cynical or

cloying. A mini-triumph. This is getting wide exposure as it is playing in front of The Incredibles (another Pixar triumph). I am not usually a huge fan of

computer animation, and if you aren't either, you really ought to give this a shot. This is Oscar worthy, hopefully in the short animated subject realm. Since it is a short, here's hoping this appears on The Incredibles DVD. It would be a shame if this gem were to somehow get lost underfoot someplace at the studio. I

hesitate to mention much of the story, as I knew absolutely nothing going in, and was floored by how moved I was by it. A must see.

...I have to give a less than glowing review to a Pixar short.

Of course, it's nowhere near as bad as the short subjects used on Mystery Science Theater, but neither is it up to the standards that Pixar themselves have set for CG shorts.

What "Boundin'" lacked was either a memorable character--the snowman in "Knick Knack" remains my personal favorite--or even a simple gag with a solid punchline, as in "For The Birds". Hurting the film even more is that the CG world created for it genuinely looks like a set.

Now, "Boundin'" isn't awful, as such ... but neither is it particularly entertaining. It's harmless, and the message is positive enough, but it just isn't delivered with Pixar's usual flair.

Pixar has been responsible for shorts that will stay with you forever and you want to see again and again. This, sadly, is not one of them. 4/10, sorry.

Weirdly watchable.

It doesn't mean to be anything but cute. It succeeds completely. Water's lovely.

And I keep listening to that peculiar little song. I think the line that gets me is "I must say they found his dancin' enhancin'." Dunno. Just like it.

As for folks who are comparing it to Disney or Eisner or whoever -- there's little dribbles of Warner Brothers in here, and a splash of Anime and just a SMIDGEN of Hannah Barbara.

Oh, let's just call it Animation Chow Mein and be happy with it.

"Boundin'" is the cloying pap we had to endure to get to "The Incredibles." With its saccharine palette, its homespun voice-over and its fawning, bug-eyed and buck-toothed desert critters, this short lesson on the virtues of "jus' being yourself" seems calculated to endear or to infuriate, depending on your cute-factor tolerance. While part of me tried to appreciate it as a spoof of Disney sensibilities past, it didn't go quite far enough to function as parody, but plenty far enough to make me wish I was still back in the popcorn line in the lobby. When it was over, my young son leaned over and whispered "Well, that was annoying." So much for innocence.

Bounding (which has a cut viewable on Pixar's web page), is another clean cut example of why Pixar is what they are, successful. In a segment of ninety seconds, they showcase stunning visuals that can intrigue the eyes of young and, and churn a story out of American lore (see also: The Jackalope). It's stunning what they do and that they do it so right, don't be surprised if in the future "Pixar" is added to the line-up with mom, apple pie and baseball.

-True Sag

Boundin' tells a four minute tale of a young, puffy white lamb who wanders freely, is happy and dances through life until one day, he is shorn and shattered. Left out in the rain with nothing but his pink skin he mopes around until a Jackalope (whatever that is) bounces by to convince him that everything is OK.

As narrated by the director Bud Luckey in a sort of 6/8 time country and western poem, this short is light, lilting, funny as can be and packs a wonderful message. It is not so much about tolerance as it is about being proud and comfortable about who you are. It is also likely the only animated short ever to use the word Heliotrope.

If you have the Incredibles DVD then you have this short. We watch it every time we run through The Incredibles. ***1/2 out of ****.