“Smash & Grab” is part of Pixar’s SparkShorts program, which is designed to discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques and ultimately experiment with animation.  This short is probably the most “Pixar” from the initial launch lineup, since its animation style is much more typical than “Purl” or “Kitbull”.

The main story sees two antiquated robots risking everything for freedom and one another, after they’ve spent years of toiling away inside the engine room of a towering locomotive.

It has a “Wall-E” feel to the short, not just because it’s about robots on another planet, but because they tell a story, without a single word being uttered.  With just the smallest or subtle movement, the characters are able to share their emotions. Viewers will completely understand how the two robots just want to be able to connect and feeling jealous of others that can be open with their love for one another.  Throw in escape scene with a little violence and some explosions, with an ironic ending, and you’ve got a very entertaining short.

Visually it’s a treat and could have easily been placed in front of a “theatrical” Pixar release, which shows how much love as gone into making this short.   But there is something missing and I can’t quite put my finger on it, in some ways it’s a bit too safe and not quite what I was expecting from this program, however I can see why it was one of the early shorts released to preview Disney+.

“Smash & Grab” is a great short, it delivers on the “Pixar” brand, giving viewers what they are expecting.  It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s entertaining and an easy recommendation for anyone to check out, especially if you loved Wall-E.

Rating – 3.5 Stars

And you don’t need to be a Disney+ subscriber to watch this short, you can find it below:

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

View all posts