Our Review of Jon Negroni's Book, The Pixar Theory

Last year, we interviewed Pixar detective Jon Negroni and posted his answers here on this blog. Several months later, he sent us a copy of his new book, The Pixar Theory. Check out my review below.

If there was such a thing as a hall of fame for fan-theories, Jon Negroni's "Pixar Theory" would be the premier inductee. His popular web post, now a book, is worth celebrating and admiring for years to come. In it he claims that each Pixar character lives in the same universe.

Nergroni admits his theory is "bonkers" considering each of these characters and stories were developed by different animation teams at different points in time, but it's that very admission that validates this body of work. In his book, he invites readers to use their imaginations and simply open their minds to the possibility.

As Negroni carefully presents the evidence for his case, readers are taken on a journey to see what is hidden in plain sight. A master detective, he let's no detail escape him, managing to connect the dotes between the Omnidriod in the The Incredibles to the product manufacturing giant BnL in WALL-E to the gasoline brand Allinol in Cars 2. He also connects the dates seen on calendars, documents, and posters found in the backgrounds of movies like Up, Toy Story, Ratatouille, and others, in a brilliantly convincing way.

For pop culture enthusiasts and Pixar lovers, the book offers new details to wrestle with, more answers to play with, and a bounty of evidence in favor of a theoretical Pixar shared universe. If you were skeptical about reading the theory when it first hit the web in 2013, you'll definitely want to read it now in its extended form. Fans will be delightfully amused and wonderfully entertained by his new and evolved findings. It is important to note that much of the first half sets up the back half of the book. Readers will need to be patient as the second half reveals an arsenal of insights that support Negroni's theory.

The "Pixar Theory" will inspire fans to rewatch each of the Pixar films a dozen more times and conduct investigations of their own. As I finished reading the book myself, I was reminded why this essay went viral in the first place.