Bao

G

2018

8 min.

Kids & Family

Fantasy

Animation

Short

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A woman who is suffering from empty nest syndrome gets a second shot at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings springs to life.

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Premiered Dec 11

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Disney+

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Watch Bao with a subscription on Disney+, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Platty the Perrypus W

A very heartfelt story that doesn't need dialogue to be understood.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

Lou T

For a short film, Bao has quite a lot to say. Upon watching, I was instantly brought back to my childhood. Looking back, my mother would always use food as a powerful tool to keep our family connected. Unfortunately, as we grow up and become curious of the world, we often lose sight of the most important parts and fail to understand others feelings in the process. Showcasing the thankless job of motherhood, Bao is a very real and true tale of various stages in life, from a mother and son point of view. The melodious score conveys the sentiment being delivered in each scene, much better than any dialogue could have handled. The beautiful, but quirky animation helps add levity to an other wise deep and mature concept. There are so many subtle moments that happen fast, but add so much to an already massive short film. Though Bao is only 7 minutes long, it tells a story that resonates through a lifetime and conveys more emotion than many full length features. After watching this, I will be calling my mom and reminding her just how much I love her and truly appreciate everything she does.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

Full Review

Jeffrey M

Bao was an amazing short. I watched it just now and I loved it. This is the first short I have seen a critics score for, so that must mean that this short was really popular. Bao had a very good lesson, it was amazing. Bao was a very interesting short. What a good short. I give it a 99%.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

Samura J

I want to step on the dumpling.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/25/23

Full Review

stephen c

Very scary scenes where the mother eats her child! Age rating of 0+ is completely inappropriate. This should be 7+ The mother then seems to be clinically depressed afterwards. Just a horrible animation that traumatized my daughter.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/09/23

Full Review

Hjals2012 s

it was very good it is so emotinal better then incredibles 2

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/23

Full Review

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Domee Shi

Director

Sindy Lau

Mom

Daniel Kailin

TV Son

Becky Neiman-Cobb

Producer

Pete Docter

Executive Producer

John Lasseter

Executive Producer

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Peter Debruge

Variety

As a metaphor for (s)motherhood, it's a brilliant example of what Pixar does best, grounding well-timed cartoon gags - including a twist that literally caused audiences to gasp in surprise - with well-earned emotional truths.

Feb 24, 2019

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

An incredibly creative take on empty nest syndrome.

Rated: 8/10

Dec 5, 2020

Full Review

Roberto Friedman

Bay Area Reporter

This will probably win the prize, as it's from the Disney-Pixar powerhouse studio, but we found it cloying and sentimental.

May 29, 2020

Full Review

Rachel Wagner

rachelsreviews.net

Bao was sweet and lovely.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 28, 2019

Full Review

Laura Hiros

Diario La Estrella (Fort Worth, TX)

A strong possibility of taking the [Oscar]. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 5/5

Feb 19, 2019

Full Review

Glenn Heath Jr.

San Diego CityBeat

Despite its Pixar polish, the film remains a moving testament to how quickly life can pass us by.

Feb 19, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

A woman who is suffering from empty nest syndrome gets a second shot at motherhood when one of her handmade dumplings springs to life.

Director: Domee Shi
Executive Producer: Pete Docter, John Lasseter
Production Co: Pixar Animation Studios
Rating: G
Genre: Kids & Family, Fantasy, Animation, Short
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2018
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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