Presto is the one on the left, Alec is the rabbit's name.
Presto is a 2008 short from Pixar Animation Studios, and was the opening part to their 2008 feature WALL•E. It was directed by Doug Sweetland, who would go on to co-direct Storks for Warner Animation Group.
Presto Digiotagione is a stage magician whose act utilizes two hats that are magically connected, Portal-style. As part of his act, he pulls his rabbit assistant, Alec Azam, out of one hat (Alec wears the other offstage). However, one night Presto forgets to feed Alec before the show, resulting in Alec being... less than cooperative.
This film was nominated for an Academy Award and Annie Award, and is included in WALL-E's home media releases (except for the digital copies and The Criterion Collection's UHD and Blu-ray).
This short provides examples of:
- All Part of the Show: The audience believes Presto's Amusing Injuries are all part of his stage act. Apparently so do the musicians, as they put a tune under Presto's suffering.
- Alliterative Name: Alec Azam.
- Amusing Injuries: Presto suffers a lot of them due to Alec's tricks. Interestingly enough, they're this In-Universe, as the audience likes his act, despite (or perhaps because of) him being injured a lot in it.
- Anti-Villain: At worst, Presto is somewhat thoughtless and a bit mean.
- Apologetic Attacker: Alec the bunny isn't malevolent, just really-really wants his carrot. This way, he can remain likable by the audience.
- Being Good Sucks: Alec's facepalm before he saves Presto's life makes it clear he feels his master doesn't deserve to be saved in his eyes, but he's going to do it anyway.
- The Cameo: Keep your eyes peeled for Statler and Waldorf in their usual box.
- Comedic Underwear Exposure: Alec tricks Presto into ripping his own pants off, revealing a pair of striped boxers.
- Denser and Wackier: This short is meant to emulate the classic cartoon shorts of the 1940s. The opening logos use the "Burlap" backgrounds for classic Disney shorts, and significant Mickey Mousing is used in the score, and the gags are very reminiscent of those of Tex Avery and Bob Clampett.
- Everyone Has Standards: Alec is perfectly willing to humiliate Presto and give him Amusing Injuries, but when it seems like Presto might actually die or be seriously hurt, Alec is horrified and saves him.
- Expressive Ears: Alec, as he is a rabbit.
- Face Palm: Alec does one before saving Presto from a big fall and getting crushed by falling debris.
- Fingore: Presto gets his fingers caught in a mousetrap early on, thanks to Alec holding the hat low towards the floor where they're located. It happens again with Presto getting his fingers stuck in a drawer and Alec using the opportunity to rifle through his sleeves.
- Goofy Print Underwear: Presto has red-and-white striped boxers.
- Groin Attack: Presto is on the receiving end of two of these in a row, the first one ripping his pants off (with a spotlight focusing on it), and then again when a ladder is sent through the magic hat.
- Growling Gut: The very first scene of the short is Alec silently bemoaning his growling stomach as he tries desperately to reach for his carrot.
- Harmless Electrocution: The only result of Presto jamming his fingers into an electrical socket, in addition to uncontrollable dancing.
- Iron Butt Monkey: Presto goes through a lot of injuries that would be deadly in Real Life and yet ends up with only a couple of bruises and a bad hair day.
- Jaw Drop: Alec's reaction to Presto falling with a bunch of objects in tow.
- Karmic Jackpot: When Alec finally stops being a Karmic Trickster and saves Presto from certain death, Presto finally gives him the carrot.
- Karmic Trickster: Alec the rabbit. He only messes with Presto because the magician acted like a Mean Boss, refusing to feed the bunny and even taunting him.
- Magicians Are Wizards: Presto's main act is based on Functional Magic. The pointy wizard hat and the top hat are magically connected: whatever goes into one comes out of the other.
- Mean Boss: Presto is first simply ignorant and forgets to feed Alec, but when the rabbit acts uncooperative and demands his carrot, Presto starts taunting him, such as turning a carrot into a flower.
- Meaningful Name: The magician is named Presto DiGiotatione (prestidigitation), and his rabbit is named Alec Azam (alakazam).
- Mundane Utility: Presto has a pair of magical hats that serve as portals... which he uses to pull off the old "Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat" trick.
- Piano Drop: A grand piano is among the many objects falling towards Presto before Alec saves him.
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: Presto is a good case study in why one shouldn't do this with an unwilling rabbit. Eventually inverted when the rabbit pulls the magician out of a hat.
- Punny Name: Alec's full name, Alec Azam, is a play on the stock magic word "Alakazam", and Presto's full name, Presto Digiotagione, is a play on 'prestidigitation'.
- Rabbit Magician: Alec is shown to be just as capable of using the magic hat as Presto is, which helps him get top billing after he uses it to save Presto's life.
- Rascally Rabbit: Alec plays various pranks on Presto because the magician refused to give him his dinner.
- Reality Warper: Presto, to a mild extent; his hats are linked to each other like portals, which can lead to some crazy magic tricks.
- Recycled Animation: Some assets were reused from other Pixar films. Presto's body, but not his head, is that of Skinner's lawyer from Ratatouille, and several of the audience members are also reused from Ratatouille.
- Reed Richards Is Useless: Presto the magician has two magic hats linked Portal-style, but he only uses them for magic shows. The creators express the same opinion in the commentary.
- Retraux: The intro is done in the style of Silly Symphonies.
- Ridiculously Cute Critter: Alec, the fluffy white bunny.
- Rummage Fail: Alec manages to trap Presto's arm and searches through his sleeve for the carrot, but succeeds only in finding playing cards, flowers, and a long string of scarves.
- Shock and Awe: Alec manages to stick Presto's fingers into an electrical socket, and gets him dancing with a banjo set.
- Shout-Out: Presto is pretty much a CGI Tex Avery short done by someone who isn't Tex Avery.
- The Show Must Go On: No matter what Presto goes through, he continues his stage magic performance. Of course the audience believes it's All Part of the Show.
- Stop Hitting Yourself: More than a few of Presto's injuries are those he inflicts on himself by means of Alec maneuvering the portal hats, such as jabbing himself in the eyes with his own fingers or yanking off his own trousers.
- Stock Animal Diet: Alec's dinner is a carrot.
- Sure, Let's Go with That: When Presto starts stamping his feet due to him being electrocuted, the band's only reaction is to shrug, pull out a banjo and washboard, and start playing a bluegrass set.
- The Voiceless: There's no dialogue in this short, although Alec vocalizes rabbity squeaks and Presto vocalizes pained noises.
