Finding the love of your life is never easy, even if you’re able to travel the world searching for “the one.” But finding love would be even harder if you were stuck in one spot all your life… and if you were a volcano. That is the premise of Pixar’s newest short Lava, which is attached to Inside Out in theaters.
Lava is a beautifully sweet short story told through a Hawaiian song. Our hero is a volcano who bears a striking resemblance to famous Hawaiian singer Israel “Iz” Kamakawiwoʻole. He watches all of the animals around him falling in love and longs for the same joys out of life, singing a heartfelt song to his nonexistent lover. In other words, he just wants someone to “Lava.”
In terms of Pixar shorts, Lava is instantly in my top 5. It’s so touching and sweet. But perhaps the edgiest thing about Lava is the song, an uncommon storytelling device in Pixar shorts (Boudin’ being the only exception that comes to mind). It harkens back to the days of shorts like Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet while still feeling modern. And as for the song, it’s sure to get stuck in your head. Thankfully it’s available to download on iTunes and Amazon. Inside Out is great, but Lava is almost worth the admission price alone.
I give Lava 5 out of 5 love-struck dolphins