Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
With one coin to make a wish at the piazza fountain, a peasant girl encounters two competing street performers who'd prefer the coin find its way into their tip jars. The little girl, Tippy, is caught in the middle as a musical duel ensues between the one-man-bands.
One Man Band is a charming Pixar short with a delightfully clever escalating structure — the musical rivalry between two buskers competing for a single coin from a little girl is simple but well-executed. The ending, where Tippy turns the tables on both performers and ends up showered in coins, is genuinely satisfying and funny, earning a high mark. Acting is limited given it's a dialogue-free animated short with broad character archetypes. Cinematography is competent Pixar craft but not especially distinguished even for the era. Novelty is solid — the musical duel premise and Tippy's agency give it personality — but it doesn't quite reach the heights of Pixar's most singular shorts.