This was a cute little short that actually really surprised me in may ways. I had no idea whether it was going to be good or not and it was actually pretty damn good. Going into inside out i was trying to save my tears for that, i didn't expect i would be using them up in the short beforehand. This was similar to inside out in that it manages to take you from being very happy and enjoying it to the point of almost crying and welling up at the drop of a hat. The singing was also a great way of telling the story in a fun and uplifting manner. But in the end it was still a fun and cute little story that is very enjoyable. - 7.6

Lava is a charming short animation from Pixar.

The story is simple, a volcanic mountain in the middle of the ocean is singing for companionship. A female lava or should I say lover.

As the centuries turn into millenniums then into millions of years, the lonely volcano is sinking beneath the sea in extinction but right at the bottom for all this years was a female volcano who forever has been enchanted with his song who rises out from the bottom of the ocean just as he dips beneath it.

Can the old volcano make his lava stir one more time and find true love?

A simple, elegant original cartoon with a catchy song and wonderful animation.

Another lovely collaboration between Pixar and Disney! This short tells a love story that ends up in a happy manner. Colors are so vivid & the created song for this little piece of art is absolutely enchanting. Reserve yourself some time to watch this particular short, cause it's worth every second.

Lava (2014)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Exceptionally entertaining Pixar short has a volcano singing about "lava" and how he wishes he had someone to spend time with. Over millions of years we learn that there's a volcano under the water who has heard him the entire time. This Pixar short is another classic from the studio who seem to be just as good at making shorts as they are the features and that's saying a lot. As you'd expect, the actual animation is really wonderful and I'd argue that some of the studio's best work can be found here including a brilliant sequence where we see the volcano over thousands of years. The time elapse was just something beautiful to see. Then there's the song itself, which is incredibly clever and packs a nice little punch at the end. This film really does a great job at showing this love story through the ages and I think parents will enjoy it just as much as children.

Lava tells the story of a lonely volcano, yep really. Anyway this volcano spends his days singing and that's the general premise of this. Generally I adore these beautiful little shorts and Piper (2016) really set the bar. Don't get me wrong Lava is good, it has your usual Pixar charm and hits you right in the feels but it just didn't have "It" whatever "It" may be.

If I saw two one man bands competing for the attention of a little girl to get a shiny gold coin (One Man Band: 2005) I'd laugh and cheer, if I saw a magician trying to keep his unruly rabbit in check (Presto:2008) I'd be in hysterics, if I saw a baby bird brave the new world I'd d'awww (Piper:2016) but I can confidently say if I saw a singing volcano I'd run screaming in soggy trousers (It'd be sweat I swear).

Sweet, heartfelt, but a lonely singing volcano really?

Lava is the short story of a volcano who wishes to find someone to love like the animals that surround him. There isn't much action, as the main character is so stationary. In fact the entire piece is very calm and serene, but without being too boring. It's all set against a song that, though it's full of heart, is somewhat stagnant and often begins to teeter on annoying. Luckily each time the short reaches this point, something happens to change the status quo and mildly peaks interest again.

Lava is definitely not Pixar's best. There's only so much that be done when watching an island as a whole from afar. The animation is eye catching, but standard fare for the company, and may actually not be fast paced enough to hold many children's attention. Still, Lava is definitely not Pixar's worst either, giving a story that really is sweet and showing us familiar objects from a different point of view as only Pixar can.

This is an Academy Award worthy short film. The music is amazing, the artistry was beautiful, and I may have even shed a tear or two. It is a must see for all. Pixar is a petri dish for animation geniuses. This is by far one of their best shorts yet. It is as good if not better than Paperman and Knick Knack . Not to mention it blows Frozen Fever out of the water despite the cute Snowgies. In fact I'd pay to see Inside Out again just for this short. My only complaints are that I have no where to download the song, and l have to wait for the next Pixar Short Films Collection. I give it a 10 star rating. But don't take my word for it go see it yourself.

'LAVA': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Another Pixar computer-animated short; which preceded 'INSIDE OUT' in theaters. It tells the story of a volcano, on a tropical island in the Pacific, that's lonely and dreams of love. So he sings a song to the ocean, about his longing, for thousands of years. Little does he know that there's a sunken female volcano, near by, that hears his song, and is inspired by it. The male volcano continues to vent lava, in sadness, and sink as well; while the female volcano grows stronger, from hearing his song. The short is 7-minutes long and was directed by James Ford Murphy (a veteran Pixar animator). It stars the voice talents of Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig. The song, sung by the volcano, is also titled 'Lava' and was written by Murphy as well (it's also featured as a bonus track on the 'INSIDE OUT' soundtrack). Once again the animation is beautiful to watch (like all Pixar shorts) and the story is moving. I like the music, and the touching song, as well. It's not quite as emotional, and memorable, as other Pixar classics though. It also is lacking any humor (which makes some Pixar shorts more entertaining). It's a beautiful little short, but it's probably not Oscar worthy; like a lot of Pixar is.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://youtu.be/3LSix0bykDQ

It is never a great sign when the also ran short is more emotional, compelling and memorable than the feature film. Yet here we are. Lava is a musical love-story that stays with you because of its simplicity and grace. There is a purity to the story and animation that make this one of the best Pixar shorts.

For those of you who are going to see Inside Out, this is the short that will accompany the actual movie. I was expecting a devastating eruption because lava is normally associated with that, but it is instead a musical about finding love. In that sense, it is a really cute short. It did feel underwhelming compared to other Pixar shorts like For The Birds, Burn-E, and Day & Night, so it almost feels like having a satisfying appetizer you probably wouldn't have ordered before getting to the gourmet main course you came for. But as its own thing, it works. It wants to be a cute musical and it is one. It also doesn't lack in a plot despite there being very little to work with, so it definitely is a worthy short, even if there are quite a few better ones out there.

It's the life of a volcano named Uku in the south Pacific. He is slowly collapsing back into the sea when a new volcano named Lele rises.

I like the south Pacific music in this Pixar short. The concept is cool. Only the life cycle of a volcano isn't right. One may not expect correct nature in a cartoon but a Pixar animation should be better. I wanted coral and more of the marine life. As a volcano erode, a ring of coral spreads around it. The coral could have been a halo for the volcano as it sinks back into the sea. I still like the song and the concept.

A short that encompasses the beauty of Hawaii. I really enjoyed the music and the emotions that expressed through. The integrity and the cultural aspects of Hawaiian people carefully portrayed in this little short film.

Beautiful...... they say the review is too short but like the film is 6-ish minutes long just watch it.

I had seen this little short film before seeing "inside out" in the cinema so in 2015 and I saw it again today in 2021, it's a marvel! An excellent romantic poetry! Very emotional and the song is amazing. One of the best short films ever made!

We saw this short before "In & Out" just a day after returning from a vacation in Hawaii, where my 11 year-old daughter learned to play the Ukulele. When the music started and the story unfolded, we looked at each other and gave the "Thumbs Up" sign, really enjoying this short. The Pixar artists did a great job in capturing the serenity and calmness of the Hawaiian island spirit of nature. Having been listening to IZ before and during our vacation, the music and voices did justice to his spirit of music and the cute play on words with "Lava".

My daughter is now desperate to locate the written score for this music to learn to play on her ukulele. I hope this will become available for sale soon!

Pixar - thank you for something different that has a valuable message: in the vastness of the natural world, what we have here on Earth is special, and finding someone to share our hopes and dreams is an amazing event worthy of our best hopes, dreams, and inspired creativity.

Lava is a great short film with a well developed story and a terrific voice cast. The film manages to tell a very sweet story in the space of less than ten minutes, and also within this small amount of time it takes place over hundreds of years, it's very impressive how a short film can do that and we feel a genuine connection for this talking volcano and want him to succeed in his dream. As far as Pixar's short films go, this isn't one of the greats, I would normally find myself given these shorts a rating of nine, but Lava is missing that magic that is evident in shorts such as Day & Night and For the Birds, and it simply isn't as memorable. The voice acting is outstanding, there are only two voices heard in this movie, which is quite rare for a Pixar short, their singing is beautiful and perfectly conveys the overall ton and message of the film, to never give up on your dreams. It's not Pixar's finest short, but Lava is a fun and a very sweet seven minutes that will warm you up for Inside Out, definitely worth the watch.

A volcano struggles for millions of years to find love.