With UP! already well on its way to being a blockbuster hit, Pixar is now 10 for 10 in producing films that are successful both critically and commercially. The fact that a studio unknown to the world just 14 years ago has found such great success without relying heavily on franchises and sequels is pretty impressive. With the exception of Toy Story, Pixar has produced blockbuster after blockbuster - all featuring original characters and memorable story-lines - a rarity in today's marketplace.
Their movies are great for kids, yet smart enough to be entertaining and even inspiring for many adults. From the documentary I saw about them it seemed like the leaders of the company have spent a lot of energy towards creating an environment for their employees that respects their intelligence and professionalism while also encouraging fun and youthful imagination.
I think they've found a perfect middle-ground between innocent kid-friendly fun and quality storytelling and entertainment.
Pixar started in 1979 as the Graphics Group, a part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm before it was bought by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1986. The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006.
I've got 99 problems and I'm not dealing with any of them - Lay-Z
However there was a partnership with Disney that kinda turned sour as time went on. Read the wikipedia article further down if actually interested in that.
