Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Absolutely Fantastic

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

And with that I am not talking about general audiences, but about awards bodies. It baffles me to see how this Pixar entry was shut out pretty much everywhere. Admittedly, it does not have the deepest story, but it succeeds in every other area in my opinion. And greatly so. Our hero, the title character, meets a red umbrella and it's love at first sight. However, in his attempts of winning her heart, he loses almost everything. It was raining already pretty strongly, but now also a heavy wind blows. And it blows the umbrella away from its owner, far far away. Still he is lucky and his owner finds him again quickly and there are more positive surprises coming. I quite liked the use of colors in this one and it was also sweet how they used his owner and the woman as human equivalents of the umbrellas. Finally another thumbs-up for the supporting characters and with that I mean the inanimate objects who keep smiling during the end. They are perfect for this one, do not take away too much attention, but add something unique to this very short movie. Really, I can only repeat myself again. I feel sorry for German director and writer Saschka Unseld here that this did not only not get in at the Oscars, but got shut out pretty much completely. He worked on several high-profile Pixar films already and I hope he gets to make his own at some point. I am positive he has the talent. In my opinion, this is one of the best short films from 2013 and people should definitely watch it. Oh yeah, finally one thing I forgot: Sarah Jaffe's singing was very nice too and perfectly fit the tone of the movie. Highly recommended.

I do think this was a great animated short. PIXAR really outdid themselves with the hyper-realistic CGI in here, and the simple story of a blue umbrella falling for a red umbrella in a sea of indifferent, monochromatic umbrellas. The subtle expressions of their surrounding environment can really captivate future animators who're looking for something to build off of.Unfortunately, it's slightly awkward to watch in a theater, as it comes before Monsters University, and it makes me feel as though some people may have walked into the wrong movie. I really want them to enjoy it, but because of its placement, it's hard to do so.I'm sure PIXAR had good intentions placing it before Monsters University started, but with a bunch of kids coming in to watch MU, I don't think it will garner much positive attention. I, for one, like it, but parents of rambunctious kids may not find it funny when their kid starts to act out from boredom. Maybe those kids will appreciate this short in the future, but not today.

Pixar continues its tradition of airing entertaining shorts prior to its main feature with "The Blue Umbrella" prior to "Monsters University." From the short film's beginning, I immediately noticed that the scene didn't feel cartoony or animated at all. From the rain to the automobiles to the sidewalk and hoards of crowded pedestrians, the art style was one of almost unnerving realism. In short, the realism was unbelievably believable! And then you notice the slow introduction of music in the very sounds of the city coming alive during a sudden rainstorm. The grates gurgle, the pipes puff, the pedestrian meters flash. Simply beautiful is its mood and execution.The plot quickly becomes unveiled as an unknown man's blue umbrella catches sight (and is smitten with) an unknown woman's red umbrella amidst the multitude of black umbrellas. As the whole city's mechanical, architectural and functional denizens observe and participate in the love affair, the blue umbrella maneuvers his way to the one that could be his perfect mate for rain and life.Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the film's warming plot, breath-holding twists, realistic graphics, well-matched musical score and heartwarming ending.

Grade: BB / 60%My screening for Monsters University began with Pixar short called 'The Blue Umbrella'. Not surprising as Pixar is known for screening a short film before its main features, but Indian theaters never played one perhaps, until today.A typically touching Pixar short on a blue colored umbrella (with little eyes) enamored with a red colored umbrella-ina (also with little eyes) one rainy night, The Blue Umbrella is a familiar tale yet Pixar livens up this film with its little magical moments. Its not just about to umbrellas here, but about two people - the owners of these umbrellas - who meet for the first time, after the blue umbrella chases after it's or rather his lady love, using the wind to move.And the entire street -the drain pipes, the traffic signal, the street lights, the building windows -  witnesses this incident with their little eyes. When a car threatens to mangle the blue umbrella that's helplessly lying in the middle of the road, the drain it's lying on blows out steam so it can avert the accident.It's not Pixar at its best; for that you'll need to catch 'Geri's Game', 'Knicks Knack', 'Lifted', 'For The Birds' and ''Presto'. But you'd surely shed a tear or two at the very end because you'd find 'The Blue Umbrella' simple yet very heartfelt.