As I mentioned when I published my Top 10, there have been 2 Animated features to make my Top Ten list in the 10 years (10 YEARS!) since I have been writing about the Oscars here at Awards Wiz. There was "Princess and the Frog" back in 2009 and also "The Secret of Kells" the following year. "La Maison en Petits Cubes" made my Top 10 back in 2008, although I hadn't started Awards Wiz yet.
Disney animated films made a huge impact on me in my youth. I loved "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," liked "Aladdin" and "Mulan" but was less thrilled with "The Lion King," which I have only seen once - on its release date, also my 18th birthday...so I thought I knew something.
The two Disney films that made the biggest impact on me were "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." I remember being a bit crushed with "Hunchback" received negative press and no awards love. I thought it was even better than "Beauty and the Beast" and deserved an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
"Hunchback" came out in 1996, but Pixar had already begun with "Toy Story" the year before. "Hunchback" was the turning point for me and a change in direction for animated features...it wasn't really until "Princess and the Frog" (and eventually "Frozen") that I loved another Disney movie the way I did in my youth.
The first Animated feature I saw this year was "Isle of Dogs." I absolutely loved it. My first thought was that Anderson would probably get another screenplay nomination, although that didn't happen. The animation was fantastic, the screenplay great...an overall fantastic, original film.
Even before its release date (also my birthday interestingly enough!) everyone was saying "Incredibles 2" was going to take the Oscar, without a doubt." I had my doubts...uninterested in seeing it at all.
No Pixar movie has ever made my Top 10, and now I wonder if one ever will. I think I saw "Incredibles 2" before "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse" but not absolutely sure. I know I saw it on DVD with my family around the holidays.
I already had Pixar fatigue, but even with an open mind, I was pretty disappointed with "Incredibles 2." For a studio that managed to revolutionize animation, they somehow couldn't come up with an original story. Sure...it was fine, but nothing fantastic.
Then came "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse." I've said it before, even said it with my Top 10...will say it again...this film is not only the best animated film of the year, it is one of THE BEST FILMS of the year. I had to see it twice and cannot wait to see it again. If it loses the Oscar, I will lose all faith in the Academy...until I forget, of course.
The last two nominated films are "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Mirai." "Ralph" has some pretty incredible themes...particularly the one about friends moving on with their lives to achieve their dreams and what that means for a friendship...pretty powerful stuff. It had its issues for me...the major conflict was a bit silly, but every time the Disney Princesses came on screen they saved the day.
And "Mirai?" Well, I think I sadly might have GKids fatigue as well. The film starts off in a way that made me think that this was going to be a run of the mill story about a kid adjusting to the arrival of a baby sister...but when the older brother whacks the baby with a toy and immediately envisions his Mom as a hag (devil!) I was intrigued. BUT...an hour and a half of a bratty kid having fits...I hate to say...I hated it.
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" gives me hope for the future of animation, which for me, lies in the storytelling."
In addition to watching "Mirai" last night I watched the Animated Shorts. Best overall batch in years.
Things started off wonderfully with "Animal Behavior." A sweet look at mental health through a group of animals seeing a psychiatrist. Each character was so unique and fully developed...and when Victor the ape shows up...it's just delightful. The greatest thing about this short is that it elicits emotion without manipulation.
Can't say the same thing for Pixar's "Bao." It's manipulative, but unfortunately, it's manipulation didn't work on me. I felt absolutely nothing from this film. The animation is almost too perfect and the trajectory of the story, the "Pixar story," is beyond tired.
Next is "Late Afternoon" which is the polar opposite of "Bao." Another lovely short, simply drawn with wistful animation telling a tale of a woman reminiscing on her past with her daughter while having tea and biscuits.
The passage of time as well as the parental themes continue with "One Small Step." A young woman grows up before our eyes, encouraged and loved by her father as she dreams of going to space. It's another no frills piece of animation with a lot of heart.
"Weekends" definitely has the most depth of the bunch. It follows a young boy going back and forth between the homes of his recently divorced parents, as they navigate their own lives while the boy processes much of what's going on through dreams.
Weekends (Trailer) from Trevor Jimenez on Vimeo.
For me, "Bao" is by far the weakest of the bunch, with the best being either "Animal Behavior" or "Weekends," although I wonder if the latter might be a bit too cerebral for the Academy. They don't usually go for that type of animated short.
I am leaning toward "Animal Behavior" for the win, although last year, my disdain for "Dear Basketball" kept me from seeing the obvious.
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