The early years of Pixar animation are home to some of the most acclaimed and fondly
remembered films the studio has ever put out. The first two Toy Story films, Monsters Inc.,
and A Bugs Life all came out in just a six-year span of time, which seems insane when you think
about how quickly these films became a part of pop culture. These movies created unforgettable
stories, moments, heroes, and of course, villains. From scary monsters to devious toys,
just like the films themselves, their villains have become some of the most memorable in the
studios' long and treasured history. But when you look at these foes through the
lens of the judicial system, one has to wonder: which of these villains would be
getting off easy for their crimes, and which ones are definitely regretting their actions?
I’m Brad with WickedBinge, and this is Sentencing Pixar Villains For Their Crimes
Kicking things off, let us discuss the villains of Pixar’s very first film, Toy Story!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: TOYSLAUGHTER AND TORTURE
Up first on the stand is none other than the film’s main antagonist, Sid Phillips! With Sid,
we run into a bit of a problem right off the bat. While he certainly does some bad things
throughout the film, everything he does is only done to toys. Of course, as far as the
humans in this series and any other Pixar film are concerned, toys are little more than hunks
of plastic. This then begs the question: should we look at Sid’s crimes as though the toys are alive,
or as inanimate objects? We thought about this quite a bit, but since the toys are portrayed
to be just as alive as humans are throughout the films, we have ultimately decided to try Sid as
though his victims were human. In this context, Sid becomes a much more dangerous villain.
Now, there are still two angles to explore… His crimes;
and his motives… Which sort of balance him out when it comes down to our sentencing.
His creation of the mutant toys, and later burning of a hole in Woody’s head, would be enough grounds
to earn him a torture charge. Don’t forget that he quite literally blew up a Combat Carl figure,
which makes this demented child the only villain on the docket today who has killed a character
onscreen. His act of taping Buzz Lightyear to a rocket also makes him guilty of attempted murder.
But, let’s not forget… Sid had no idea these toys were alive. So his motives
were about as innocent as you can get… Just a kid with a “creative”
mind destroying toys… And, he is a child… So, this was a hard one.
With all of these crimes in mind, we think it’s best if Sid receives 10 years probation,
with the requirement that he regularly sees a psychiatrist.
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: ASSAULT
Up next is another character from the film! That’s right, we’re talking about…Woody? Yes,
we know what a lot of you are thinking. “How could Woody be on this list, he’s the main hero of the
movie”! We don’t disagree with your assessment, but when you remember what Woody was like in this
first film and what his actions led to, it becomes a little harder to argue that he shouldn’t be
here. Remember, it was Woody who knocked Buzz out of the window, which we’ll classify as assault.
This is what caused him to end up in Sid’s hands, leading to nearly both of them becoming fodder for
Sid’s strange experiments. Woody’s frequent clashes with Buzz could also be added to the
charge of assault, but it’s not all bad when it comes to this cowboy. We also have to look at
what good Woody has done. While he nearly doomed both himself and Buzz, he was able to overcome his
issues with him and become his best friend, saving them both from Sid in the process. In the sequels,
Woody has helped friends both new and old, and it’s clear that he is a toy with a huge heart.
Thus, the only sentence we can reasonably argue Woody should endure is that of a pardoning. We
think that, between his reconciliation with Buzz and future adventures, Woody has more
than proven that he has grown to be a better person than the jealous and mean-spirited toy
of the first film. Needless to say, this sheriff won’t be seeing the inside of a cell anytime soon!
It’s now time to move on to our second film of the day, 1998’s A Bugs Life!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: DICTATORSHIP, TORTURE, TERRORISM
First to the stand is the film’s main villain and the leader of the grasshoppers,
Hopper! Hopper is a truly maniacal ruler. He believes himself to be ruler supreme,
and sees ants as little more than nuisances that can easily be eradicated.
The first notable crime that Hopper commits is assault. He not only mercilessly attacks Flik in
the film, but he’ll also beat his followers if he believes they are acting out of line. At the
climax of the movie, he very nearly kills Flik as well, which means we can add attempted murder to
his list of offenses. Torture is another crime we see Hopper engage with throughout the film. When
Axel and Loco suggest that there isn’t a point in going back to the ants, Hopper is quick to bury
them underneath grain, which he then uses to make a point to the rest of the grasshoppers. However,
Hopper’s biggest offense in the film is that he conspires to overthrow a government. His main
goal is to get rid of the ant’s queen, which he believes will give him complete and total
control over the ant population. While the plan never comes to fruition, Hopper is a cunning
and merciless villain. If it weren’t for Flik’s intervention, this plan would likely have become
a reality. When looking at all of these crimes in tandem, we think it is best if Hopper receives the
death penalty, our first (and only) of the video. Being a dictator, we’re going to make sure his
execution befits a dictator. Hopper will be killed by public hanging.
As one of the more ruthless villains of this era of Pixar movies,
it’s not too surprising that he gets the harshest punishment of them all, too.
Hopper isn’t the only villain in A Bugs Life, however. He also has plenty of lackeys,
the most notable being his brother, Molt!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: AIDING AND ABETTING
His younger brother to be more exact, Molt is the complete opposite of what his brother is.
While Hopper is a master strategist and manipulator, Molt is easy to deceive and
a bit of a fool. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise to hear that this is also
true of the characters' crimes. While Hopper had a bevy of different charges tied to his name,
the only one we can truly hand out to Molt is aiding and abetting. He’s involved in Hopper’s
plans to dominate the ants from the beginning to the very end. However, even then Molt is a
lot less involved in the plan than a lot of his grasshopper brethren. He’s often a bit hesitant
about Hopper’s plans, and at the very end of the film, he actually reforms and becomes a member of
the circus. With that kind of growth, we believe the only punishment Molt needs is some community
service! Since he still spends most of the film on the side of evil, we think a bit of
punishment is necessary, but we also don’t think the crimes he commits in the film are worthy of
an actual prison sentence. In the end, Molt gets off a lot easier than most villains on
the list today, and he’s proof that it can be okay to be a bit different from your siblings!
The last villain of A Bugs Life we’ll be covering is the speechless Thumper!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: ATTEMPTED MURDER, TERRORISM
While Hopper’s danger might come from his mind, Thumper is dangerous in a more physical sense.
He only communicates through animal noises, and is quick to attack anyone who dares cross
him. Like Molt, he is guilty of aiding in Hopper’s plans, but unlike Molt, he nearly murders several
characters in the movie. He attacks Flik, but he seems primarily focused on taking out Dot,
a young girl who is part of the ant’s royal line of succession. This also means he is guilty of
child endangerment in addition to attempted murder. Overall, we believe it’s best for
the insect community if Thumper here receives a 20-year prison sentence. Thumper isn’t as evil as
Hopper is, but he still presents a noticeable danger to society. When you look at all of
his crimes, you can’t help but agree that this grasshopper needs some lengthy time behind bars!
We’re going back to Andy’s room for the villains of the next movie, Toy Story 2!
The first villain of this film we’ll be discussing is the old prospector, Stinky Pete!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: ASSAULT, KIDNAPPING
At first, Pete seems to be a polite and wise toy who is always willing to make new friends. By the
end of the film, however, that’s revealed to be no more than a facade. Stinky Pete is actually
a cruel and jealous man who wants nothing more than to control everyone around him. Compared to
someone like Sid in the first film, his crimes are surprisingly short, although they are still
rather notable. He attempts to kidnap Woody at the very end of the film, coming close to ripping him
into pieces. He’s also guilty of assault when he attacks both him and Buzz mere seconds earlier.
While these are only two crimes, the severity of them, as well as his manipulative nature, are
enough to get him a prison sentence of 15 years in our eyes. Stinky Pete wanted nothing more than to
be preserved and looked at for years to come. When you remember that aspect of his character,
one can only hope that this achieves that wish for him, at least for a time!
Next is the man who added Pete to his collection, Al McWhiggin!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: TOYNAPPING, GRAND LARCENY
The owner of Al’s Toy Barn and a large collection of Woody’s Roundup memorabilia,
Al is the character who kicks the plot into high gear after taking Woody from a yard sale. This is
an interesting crime because it once again feeds into the question of whether or not you look at
the toys as humans. If you do, then this would be straight-up kidnapping. But if you do not,
then that makes this a case of stealing. However, for the fun of the video, we’ll decide to count
both as crimes that Al commits. Don’t forget that Woody is essentially stuck underneath
his watchful eye after he takes him, so, from a point of view, he does kidnap and steal! However,
Al doesn’t have too many crimes beyond that in the film. For that reason, we think Al
should serve a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison. Some may say it’s a tad too lenient,
others will say it’s far too harsh, but we think it fits Al just right. And he could always look
on the bright side. Perhaps a certain stash of memorabilia could be just enough to bail him out!
Last on the stage from Toy Story 2 is none other than the evil Emperor Zurg!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: ATTEMPTED MURDER
Zurg plays a small role in the film, but it is easily one of the more memorable moments in the
sequel. He is utterly obsessed with destroying Buzz Lightyear, and he tracks him from Al’s Toy
Barn to his apartment, which we think is grounds enough to classify as stalking. We’ll also add
attempted murder to his crimes as he does come very close to achieving his goal of destroying
his nemesis. Luckily for Zurg, he seems to reform at the end of the movie, which we think lessens
his crimes a bit. Regardless, Zurg’s insatiable thirst for power is enough to get him 5 years in
prison, just like Al before him. Zurg might’ve turned a new leaf by the end of the film, but
his crimes very nearly derailed Buzz and his friends’ quest to save Woody, so we believe
some type of punishment is in order. Hopefully ol’ Buzzy will visit him a few times, though!
Moving on to the last villains of the day,
let’s take a look at the creepy creatures of Monsters. Inc!
Up first, let’s talk about Randall Boggs!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, ATTEMPTED MURDER
A monster who can give even James P. Sullivan a run for his money, Randall plays a vital role
in the movie as Sully and Mike’s main nemesis. Of course, he is only really acting on behalf
of his boss, Mr. Waternoose, which leads us to his first crime, aiding and abetting. Throughout their
collaboration, however, he becomes guilty of a whole host of different crimes. He both kidnaps
and endangers the young girl Boo, on whom he plans on testing a dangerous device known as the Scream
Extractor on. This device, which he attempts to use on Mike before he swaps places with Fungus,
is so devastating that we think torture should be added to his offenses. Finally,
he attempts to murder Sully and Mike during the film’s climactic showdown.
Randall really couldn’t be any more different from Sully, and nowhere is that more evident
than in his criminal doings. You definitely couldn’t see Sully torture or kidnapping anyone,
could you? So with that out of the way, we’re going to go ahead and give Randall a life
sentence! Randall’s obsession with being the best and scariest monster ends up creating nothing but
trouble, and it’s unlikely that he’ll adapt to Monsters. Inc’s new business model anytime soon.
This sentencing just makes the most amount of sense. At the very least,
we think he’ll prefer this over being stuck in that trailer, that’s for sure!
Last but certainly not least,
let’s look at the real puppet master of this whole crisis, Henry J. Waternoose III!
CRIMES LISTED IN GRAPHIC: KIDNAPPING, TORTURE, ATTEMPTED MURDER, CONSPIRACY
As we said before, Randall’s actions were all done on the orders of Waternoose, which already gives
this villain a harsher sentence than a lot of other characters we have looked at today. However,
Waternoose’s offenses go deeper than just that. He was directly involved in Boo’s kidnapping,
and by his admission, he was willing to kidnap a thousand children if it meant the
company was healthy. This attitude towards the children would also make him guilty of
child endangerment. Lastly, it is important to note that only Waternoose himself, Randall,
and a few others were even in on this evil plot. It’s likely that Henry even kept it a secret from
other key figures in the company, which makes him guilty of conspiring. Given the type of crimes he
commits, as well as how willing he seems to do them again, it seems most appropriate for
Waternoose to also receive life imprisonment. The only thing that saves him from getting a
sentence as harsh as Randall’s is that he isn’t quite as active in the plot coming to fruition,
opting more to handle things from behind the scenes. But whatever his role in this plan was,
this is one monster that won’t be scaring anyone for a long time!
But let us know in the comment section if you agree with our
choices. And tell us what we should cover next. Remember to hit that notification
bell and binge more of our videos. But most importantly, stay wicked.