Thread One
I just want to note that what Ive been writing about is not what I think should happen, or even what I think is in the best interest of Pixar; I think the separation is the most likely outcome given all the circumstances.
Pixar by itself would be a very risky proposition. It would essentially be a one product company and likely forced back into doing commercials and special effects work (which I think they dislike doing). And because of the nature of animation, theyd live from film to film again another risky situation to be in. Of course, thats exactly how Walt Disney Productions lived until Walt was forced to make live action features after WWII, so there is a precedent that they could follow if theyre serious about it.
Even partnering with Lucasfilm er I mean someone else would be tricky. None of the other studios are entrenched enough in animation at this point to weather a flop or two without taking on water (by the way Captain, I hope to winds were kind to you and yours). Disney had the luxury of being able to take an Oliver and Company and Pocahontas, but even they stumbled greatly in the 70s-80s and recently. If Pixar cranks out a couple of flops in a row they could be wiped out entirely.
And most of Pixars strengths really come from John Lassiter and his team. While I really enjoyed Monsters, Inc. (Pixars first non-Lassiter film), there are enough story and script problems in it to give me real concern. Fortunately, all movies are about their last thirty minutes and they were able to pull it out. In lesser hands, Monsters could have really been a major disappointment.
Thread Two
As for Tarzan, that was really Disneys most non-formula movie in terms of story structure and approach. Its also my favorite of the post-Lion era because I think the writers tried to go back to honest storytelling (they just needed more time to work it all out). The songs in that film were a part of the score rather than trying to be part of the story basically you had Phil Collins replacing instrumental music and it worked very well. In contrast, watch the opening musical number in Beauty and The Beast. In the course of just that one song, you are introduced to all of the human characters, learn what they want, and learn all about their relationship to each other. Thats a lot of plot to get through in so short of a time. About the only way you could do that is with music. Its also EXTREMELY difficult to do well and Disney hasnt found anyone how can really pull it off since Menken and Ashman.
In The Lion King, the score really isnt integrated into the story. Essentially, the movie comes to a stop and the characters put on an entertaining show. Once theyre finished, the movie starts up again. It works because the script is so strong that it can support the occasional diversion. This kind of score is easier to write (you only need to express an emotion rather than work in a plot) and its also much more likely to generate a Top 40 hit (again, theres none of that plot stuff to get in the way people who dont know whats going on in the movie can still follow the song). With the recent films, Disneys been much more interested in soundtrack sales and Top 40 tunes. So people who can crank out the hits are hired over people who can write Broadway musicals.
