A unique take on a good message. This was cute, and I liked it.

Am a huge fan of Pixar, really liking to loving a vast majority of their feature films (the three 'Toy Story' films, 'Coco' and 'Inside Out' being my favourites, and the two 'Cars' sequels and 'The Good Dinosaur' being my least favourites). Also really like to love pretty much all their short films.'Bao', which proceeded 'Incredibles 2', is not one of their best short films for me. It is not on the same level as 'Presto', 'One Man Band', 'Geri's Game', 'Piper', 'Knick Knack', 'For the Birds' and 'Luxo Jr', which had more imagination and resonated more with me. 'Bao' is still very good and much better than its controversial critical reception here says from humble personal opinion. Can definitely understand the criticisms directed against it, while finding that some of the negavity has gotten over-the-top mainly at a part that was over quite quickly. Very like how a few of the criticisms directed at 'Incredibles 2' has been blown out of proportion by some parents.Will admit to being shocked by the aforementioned part, as was everybody in the auditorium, one woman crying out "that's awful" amidst dead silence. Didn't find it anywhere near as disturbing as has been described though, likening it to cannibalism is a bit strong.Similarly, it wasn't obvious to me straightaway what the ending meant. Thinking about it and discussing it after 'Incredibles 2' ended, it became much clearer and it no longer became perplexing but instead strange but touching. Definitely one of the top 5 endings of a Pixar short film that stayed with me.However, the animation is wonderful. Very bright and colourful with lot of striking background detail and character designs that definitely stand out comparing it with other Pixar short films. The music is whimsical and understated.There is a lot of charm and sweetness, the little dumpling is adorable, and the emotional element is very poignant, the sentimentality didn't get too much and very true to Pixar. Managing to do that without saying anything at all, something that Pixar excels at frequently better than most. The relationship between the mother and the dumpling is very cute, touching and investable, a very strong reminder of what motherhood and bonds between mother and child are like. Many are likely to find themselves relating to a lot of the scenes depicting what the dumpling goes through, the stages of life and the mother's over-protection, being very true to real life and mother and child relationships and hobbies, struggles and life stages of real people.As said, the ending lingers long in the memory, the story is slight but engaging and the mother is depicted very honestly. The setting is beautifully realised too. Overall, not one of my favourites but there is a lot to like about this (to me) impressed and over-criticised charmer. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Pixar animation shorts are known to be experimental, particular with the aesthetic style. Their newest short settles for a more common computer generated animation technique that the studio utilise for their feature titles. That's no critique, as it allows the non-dialogue narrative to be the primary focus, an element rather underdeveloped in short films due to the constricted runtime. A homely mother cooks some dumplings where one of them seemingly comes to life. Using anthropomorphism to convey the passage of time during adolescence. The rapid process of maturing from child to adult, where mothering is no longer wanted. We witness the empathic perspective of the mother and the immature view of the dumpling, consequently producing a relatable dynamic. Thematically conveying loneliness, motherhood and loss. Unfortunately certain scenes that wanted a more emotionally resonating response actually conversely created a more humorous outcome. The plethora of sensations in such a minuscule runtime made for a tonally inconsistent narrative. However, the animation is consistently gorgeous, smooth and fluid. The oriental environment is suitably encapsulated and vividly adds personality to the animation. Overall, one of the better animation shorts from Pixar that packs plenty of heart although slightly emotionally confused.

Pixart always gets what touchs people's empathy nerve. We all feel lonely and wanting for company, some finds video game, some finds pets.You know what my strongest though while watching incredible 2? Jac jac is so cute and i want to have a baby too.Think back to this short film. Emmm.