Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
When an overconfident teen alien gets behind the controls of a spaceship, he must attempt to abduct a slumbering farmer under the watchful eye of a critical instructor. But abducting humans requires precision and a gentle touch, and within a few missteps it's painfully clear why more humans don't go missing every year.
Lifted is a charming Pixar short with a wonderfully original comedic premise — the bureaucratic, exam-room tension of an alien abduction test gone hilariously wrong. Its novelty is its strongest suit: the concept is genuinely inventive and executed with Pixar's signature wit and visual gag timing. Cinematography is competent and expressive for a short, with good use of lighting contrasts between the farmhouse interior and the eerie spaceship glow. The plot is slim by design but effective for its runtime, building comedic escalation well. Acting/voice performance is minimal since there's essentially no dialogue — characters communicate through pantomime and sound design, which limits that category's ceiling. The ending delivers a satisfying, funny payoff but doesn't transcend into something truly memorable or surprising beyond its setup.