#every dreamworks movies frame in order

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

I'm gonna need the current animation-twitter-blogosphere-youtube-content-mill to understand something... Or at least, listen for a bit. I'm no expert, but as someone who has watched box office - particularly animation box office - for nearly two decades now, I wanna talk about what's going on with a lot of animated features nowadays in a post-outbreak world that's still actually dealing with COVID-19.

Box office, the way Hollywood measures it, is already archaic beyond belief at this point. Success and the movie's justification for existence being determined by a thing's opening weekend and not the legs, the longevity beyond theaters, etc. etc. It's created this weird culture of deeming things "flops" and also creating this weird obsession with marketing.

And apparently more than one of the YouTube Toon Opinion Industrial Complex content mills are already calling a movie like MIGRATION, which is currently legging it up in a way that Illumination's SING movies did during the holiday frame in their respective release years, a money-loser... Like, pump the brakes, will ya?

I don't care if it's clickbait or whatever, like, c'mon... We're reducing the hard work of animators and filmmakers to how much the movie makes in its first weeks of existence.

The way I see it, we're in an era now where...

Theater trips are goddamn expensive and are kind of a gamble. Over $50-70 for a family to see a movie, with concessions added, and your experience may SUCK. (Take it from me, 8-year movie theater employee and loooong-time moviegoer here who has had plenty a shit experience.) It's a gamble each and every time.

And the same applies to maybe a friend group, or a dating couple, or even older adults looking to watch something.

So, either the movie has to be something audiences are familiar with AND know what they're going to get out of it (i.e. MARIO, certain Marvel movies, etc.), or it's lucky to hit audiences in the right place at the right time (OPPENHEIMER, etc.) and luckily tap into the zeitgeist- if not change the zeitgeist singlehandedly.

Box office alone is a gamble. When you start a movie 4 years before release, how the hell do you know what the world is going to look like by the time the thing is completed?

I'm repeating myself, like a broken mp3, I know I know.

But, that's how I see it... Thus, animated family movies and their usual family audiences are in a unique position at the moment. A pretty solid-looking, more original animated family film from Pixar or DreamWorks or Sony had more chances of opening with $40m than they do now. Say, a movie that's not based on a pre-existing IP or is based on one that was never before adapted into a movie or TV series (think something like THE BAD GUYS).

Of course, you have your MARIOs and SPIDER-VERSEs. Those were guaranteed big openers. Films like ELEMENTAL and MIGRATION weren't so clear-cut. Even TROLLS 3 opened fine-ish, significantly below what TROLLS took in some 7 years ago. PUSS IN BOOTS 2 was hampered by bad weather on the East Coast, yeah, but its opening wasn't going to be anything special either. Legs... Or wings in MIGRATION's case, cat claws in PUSS's case... Make all the difference.

They always have, actually. Animated family features usually relied on strong word-of-mouth if they had some kind of adult appeal. It's something similar to what Walt Disney had once "realized" in the late 1950s. Something to the tune of "If the film really appealed to mom... Then mom takes the whole family... And then tells all her friends, and they go, and everyone goes."

So I feel we're in an era where the success of an animated feature can NOT be determined too early. Remember how ELEMENTAL was written off as a big ol' flop, immediately? And that Pixar was toast? And that they needed to bring the Hawaiian shirt pervert control freak back in order to get a box office hit again?

Weeks later, everyone was singing a different tune. ELEMENTAL was an underdog, it had a "comeback" story. No folks, that's just classic animation legs. People liked the movie after hearing from the few people who saw it... That it was actually worth checking out.

But these films need the legs more than ever before, now. Especially in a competitive marketplace where stuff is coming out every week, and there's always something just as good at home to put on. (Some people are trying to suggest that Netflix's LEO cut into Disney's WISH... Because it's at home, right there, no overpriced snacks or disruptive strangers next to you.)

Luckily, TROLLS 3 and MIGRATION were lower with their budgets. Cost in the sub-$100m regions, weren't required to make half a billion like the $200m-costing ELEMENTAL and WISH were expected to do. Which is kinda unfair to begin with, but I digress. Pixar is sure to blow $175m+ on their future features, and WDAS too, while DreamWorks, Illumination, and Sony try to keep it below $100m. Even if it's through dubious means, like outsourcing and shitty pay.

So, nowadays with animated family movies, it's a waiting game. MIGRATION, as of now, is currently at $77m domestically. That's already 6.4x its opening weekend, a fantastic multiplier for any film. By the time it wraps up, it'll likely make over 8x its opening weekend, landing amongst the biggest multipliers for a post-90s animated feature. That Christmas-to-winter break-to-boredom season slot does wonders, doesn't it? And of course, the movie being liked by those who saw it. WISH could've been a leggy Thanksgiving/Christmas movie - like TANGLED and FROZEN and MOANA were, but audiences clearly weren't digging it much.

Of course, it's not easy to do that, either. Sometimes a thing just won't land. LIGHTYEAR, for example. That's also part of the gamble. More often than not, though, these kinds of movies usually get a good audience grade, MIGRATION's no different... So, it's leggin' it up, winging it.

Which is why we should maybe... Wait a few weeks on these kinds of things? I know these "content creators" have bills to pay and have to crank-crank-crank stuff out, but still-

[punster-2319]

Saw this in my Facebook news feed

#jack black #bowser #lenny #po #super mario bros #kung fu panda #shark tale #nintendo #dreamworks #every dreamworks movies frame in order #spiderman meme

[ahickey2000]

Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan was released on July 24, 1998 in the US by DreamWorks Distribution. It opened in 2,463 theaters and was very well received making over $30 million opening week. The movie had a $70 million budget and ended up grossing over $216 million domestically and $265 million internationally, making it a whopping $481 million release worldwide. Saving Private Ryan is a war drama that stars Tom Hanks, with a strong core supporting cast that is set in World War II and begins with the invasion of Normandy. The movie went on to win and be nominated for several awards in almost all major categories. The movie was recognized by both the Academy and the Golden Globes as nominees and in some cases winners for Best Motion Picture, Director, Cinematography, Sound, Editing and Writing. One thing that was noted as a controversial point was Spielberg’s use of graphic violence to depict the battle scenes. It was the first movie to use so much graphic violence, but many felt that including that violence was what created the realism and made the viewer feel like they were really watching a true depiction of war. The violence in Saving Private Ryan is important as a tool to allow viewers to consider that the movie is more about the war than it is about the plot of the movie. The movie’s premise is that three brothers from one family have died in the war and that in order to ensure that the fourth brother survives, so they send a group of soldiers on a specific mission to find him and send him home. While the plot is important and there are truths embedded in the story, the movie itself is about the war, and the violence and horror the soldiers faced. The initial battle scene of the invasion of Normandy is filmed in a way that makes it like a documentary and gives the feel that it was filmed during the actual battle. “In the first battle sequence, the camera is handheld which creates a jittery but not blurry picture of the fierce battle. Critics believe that Spielberg shot this sequence in double speed using every other frame, this is what made the film appear sharper, edgier and less soft”(Nora Emanuelle Boehmer). Spielberg also uses the sound in the movie to create realism. During the invasion scenes on the boats the motors are very distinctly heard and you can almost feel the chop in the water and smell the salt in the air. When the soldiers end up under water the sound goes out into a dreamy sort of quality, just like when you actually end up under water and then when the soldiers come up for air the sound is crisp again and you can hear the battle going on. These techniques, creating such realism, draw the viewer into film and make the audience feel like they are a part of the history of the scene. “The viewers are supposed to be emphatic observers who feel a personal closeness to the tragedy, the viewers are supposed to dive into that battle scene on D-Day at Omaha beach”(Nora Emanuelle Boehmer).  Spielberg’s intention seems to have been to have the audience feel the emotions that were felt during the battles and between the different characters. Without the graphic violence the audience would not have been able to fully grasp what the soldiers felt during those battles. One of the things that critics mentioned when discussing Spielberg’s use of violence in Saving Private Ryan, is that he is very careful to handle the graphic violence in a way that does not glorify senseless killing of the German soldiers. All of the battle scenes are appropriately reverent to the emotional toll the soldiers faced. Spielberg is able to show how difficult the war is with both physical and emotional wounds. “The battle scenes avoid conventional suspense and sensationalism; they disturb not by being manipulative, but by being hellishly frank” (Lisa Leigh Parney). The response of movie goers after seeing it in theaters for the first time was reflective of this. In an article by Lisa Leigh Parney they did exit interviews and overwhelmingly the audience felt that it was very authentic. One viewer noted “The violence was authentic. My brother was out there in France, missing in action for six months, but they got him back. The movie honors him and his fellow men. It was accurate all right.” And other viewer who was an unnamed veteran said “war is hell – it showed hell”. Saving Private Ryan’s remarkable success was in great part due to this realism including the use of realistic violence. “The first 30 minutes are considered the most realistic recreation of war in movie history”(Columbia University Press). It was marketed as such and included the use of veterans verifying its authenticity. In a press conference about the movie Spielberg said “It would have been irresponsible for me to undercut the truth of what that war was like… My hope is somehow to resensitise audiences to how bad it was for the men who survived, as well as for those who perished”(Columbia University Press).  The criticism of Spielberg is that Hollywood sensationalism is ever apparent in any movie. In fact, the sound and music as well as some of the visual choreographed effects are clearly technology used in a Hollywood megamovie rather than a documentary. Critics note that although it leans toward the idea of authenticity, it is still, in fact, a blockbuster movie that is made and marketed as a profitable venture. While this is true it is important to remember that it was in fact produced as a feature movie and not a documentary and so that distinction is irrelevant. “Nobody squinting through a viewfinder could have lasted thirty seconds on Omaha Beach, and synchronized sound was impossible… Reconstruction is the only mode of naturalistically portraying events where cameras could not be present” (Columbia University Press). In order to portray a realistic and authentic tribute to the horrors of D-Day, Spielberg deliberately and carefully uses his sound and camera techniques to guide the audience through the graphic scenes. In order to confirm authenticity and the truthfulness of the story it’s important to listen to veteran accounts of the invasion, and their critique of the movie and the battle scenes. In a news clip about the day, a WWII veteran talks through a shaking voice and tears about his duties on the boats that day. He frankly details the numbers of deaths, and how he prayed over a fallen comrade to ease his pain “I couldn’t help him, I couldn’t even help myself” (Inside Edition). During the interview he is emotional and reports that Saving Private Ryan accurately depicted his experiences. In the initial battle scene we see Tom Hanks with his head down and hands shaking, and his young men looking to him for strength (Jade Docs & Movies II) and you can feel the words of veteran Frank Devita and his description of the men whom he saw that morning leaving the boats. It is important to acknowledge that in addition to portraying accurate battle scenes with gruesome brutality, Spielberg also very beautifully captured the emotional side of his characters. While the movie’s focus is on the battles encountered, it is easy to see that there is a brotherhood that is formed by the men in the movie. By the time the final battle scenes on the bridge take place there is an obvious bond that has formed between the soldiers. It is different than the initial invasion and Spielberg brilliantly takes care to develop this throughout the movie. The relationships in part are built on the conflicted feelings about the mission and how they are risking their own lives for the sake of one man. In the scenes depicted after the loss of two of the men, Ed Burn’s character is very vocal about his frustration with the mission and Tom Hanks’s character continues his process of building the brotherhood. As Tom Sizemore’s character is physically and verbally fighting with Ed Burn’s trying to pull ranks and get him back in line, Tom Hanks humanizes and quiets the debate by calling out the bets on what he does for a living. He speaks calmly about home and his family and connects the characters and thereby the audience (The Paramount Vault) in a very human way. This scene shows the emotional hardships of war and reminds viewers that these were very young men; regular everyday men who were required to fight in this grueling war. Saving Private Ryan became known as the most realistic portrayal of WWII ever. It was a huge financial success that garnered praise and awards for masterfully and authentically recreating the hardships of WWII. It would have been impossible to have such a reaction from veterans and the movie industry without the graphic violence. It was difficult to watch, but more difficult to live through and that was the point. Saving Private Ryan would not have been able to connect with those who had fought the battle, as well as those who studied the battle if it had not been honest about the loss and devastation the soldiers lived through. Spielberg created a beautiful tribute for the world even with the graphic violence that was necessarily included.

By Abby Hickey 

[actionfigureinsider]

HEROES UNITE TO COMBAT MOUNTING VILLAINOUS PLANS AS WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT, DC AND NICKELODEON PRESENT

BATMAN VS. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

COMING TO 4K Ultra HD™, BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK AND DIGITAL

OWN IT EARLY ON DIGITAL ON MAY 14; 4K ULTRA HD & BLU-RAY DEBUT ON JUNE 4

  BURBANK, CA (March 14, 2019) – It’ll take the unlikely unification of the Dark Knight and the Heroes in a Half-shell to overcome combined villainous forces afoot in Gotham City in the all-new, feature-length animated thriller, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Nickelodeon and DC, the film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting May 14, 2019, and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack and Blu-ray Combo Pack on June 4, 2019.

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack ($39.99 SRP) and Blu-ray Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP), as well as on Digital ($19.99 HD, $14.99 SD). The 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack features an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc featuring the film; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the film in hi-definition. The 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Combo Pack include a digital version of the film.

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Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles finds Gotham City reaching new levels of danger when Shredder joins forces with Ra’s al Ghul to enact a nefarious plan – leading to the team-up of the Dark Knight and the Turtles to combat the combined might of the Foot Clan and League of Assassins!

  The Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles all-star cast is led by Troy Baker (Batman: Arkham Origins, The Last of Us) as the voice of both Batman and the Joker – making Baker the first actor to ever play both roles in the same film. Opposite Baker are the Ninja Turtles themselves – Emmy Award/Golden Globe Award/SAG Award winner Darren Criss (American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, Glee) as Raphael, Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live) as Michelangelo, Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie) as Donatello, and Eric Bauza (Looney Tunes Cartoons, The Woody Woodpecker Show) as Leonardo.

  Other key members of the voice cast include Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Batgirl, John DiMaggio (Adventure Time, Futurama) as Mr. Freeze, Tara Strong (Batman: The Animated Series, Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!) as Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy, Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Penguin, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911!) as Bane, Cas Anvar (The Expanse) as Ra’s al Ghul, Keith Ferguson (Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) as Baxter Stockman & Two-Face, Brian George (Seinfeld) as Alfred, Ben Giroux (Hart of Dixie) as Robin, Andrew Kishino (The Lion Guard) as Shredder, and Jim Meskimen (Parks and Recreation) as Commissioner Gordon & Scarecrow.

  Jake Castorena (The Death of Superman) directs Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from a script by Marly Halpern-Graser (Mad, Batman Unlimited, Be Cool, Scooby-Doo). The film is inspired by the comic book series “Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by James Tynion IV and Freddie Williams II (published by DC Comics and IDW Publishing) and is based on characters from DC and Nickelodeon. Ben Jones (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman: The Brave and the Bold) is producer. Executive producers are Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan. Sam Register and Chris Viscardi are executive producers.

  Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Enhanced Content

Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital

  Cowabunga, Batman! When Comic Worlds Collide (Featurette)– Super hero crossovers have inspired some of the most unique comics of all time. Explore the concept of the crossover, and see the creativity that ensues when the worlds of Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meet.

    Fight Night in Gotham (Featurette) – DC animated movies have continued to push the realism of hand-to-hand combat on-screen. Take an exciting look at both Batman’s and the Ninja Turtles’ fighting styles, and how the creators make it feel like you’re in the fight!

    A Sneak Peek at the next DC Universe Movie, Batman: Hush – An advance look at the next animated film in the popular DC Universe Movies collection.

    The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will feature Dolby VisionTM HDR that dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc of Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also feature a Dolby Atmos® soundtrack remixed specifically for the home theater environment to place and move audio anywhere in the room, including overhead. To experience Dolby Atmos at home, a Dolby Atmos enabled AV receiver and additional speakers are required, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks are also fully backward compatible with traditional audio configurations and legacy home entertainment equipment.

  Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will also be available on Movies Anywhere. Using the free Movies Anywhere app and website, consumers can access all their eligible movies by connecting their Movies Anywhere account with their participating digital retailer accounts.

Fans can also own Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles via purchase from digital retailers beginning May 14, 2019.

  DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS

  On May 14, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNow, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. On June 4, Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be made available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.

  ABOUT MOVIES ANYWHERE

  Movies Anywhere is a digital movie platform that enables movie fans to discover, access, and watch their favorite digital movies in one place. Movies Anywhere brings together a library of nearly 7,500 digital movies from Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film, The Walt Disney Studios (including Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm), Universal Pictures (including DreamWorks and Illumination Entertainment) and Warner Bros., and will continue to expand the consumer experience as more content providers, digital retailers and platforms are added. By connecting participating digital retailers that include Amazon Prime Video, FandangoNOW, Google Play, iTunes and Vudu, movie fans can now bring together their digital movie collections (whether purchased or redeemed) in one place and enjoy them from the comfort of their living rooms, and across multiple devices and platforms, including Amazon Fire devices; Android devices and Android TV; Apple TV; Chromecast; iPhone, iPad and iPod touch; Roku® devices and popular browsers. Movie fans can also redeem digital codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere – your movies, together at last.

  ABOUT DIGITAL

  Digital movies or TV episodes allow fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital movies or TV episodes are included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. With digital, consumers are able to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through retail services. For more information on compatible devices and services go to wb.com/digitalmoviefaq. Consult a digital retailer for details and requirements and for a list of digital-compatible devices.

    BASICS

  PRODUCT                                                                  SRP

4K UHD Combo Pack                                                $39.99

Blu-ray Combo Pack                                                  $24.98

  4K and Blu-ray Street Date: May 14, 2019

EST Street Date: June 4, 2019

Blu-ray Languages: English, French, Spanish, German

Blu-ray Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian

Running Time: 90 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for fantasy violence.

    About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.:

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees.

  About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 39th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon is one of the most globally recognized and widely distributed multimedia entertainment brands for kids and family, with 1.2 billion cumulative subscriptions in more than 500 million households across 170+ countries and territories, via more than 100+ locally programmed channels and branded blocks. Outside of the United States, Nickelodeon is part of Viacom International Media Networks, a division of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc.

  About DC

Home to iconic brands DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), DC Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, DC is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia. DC works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC is one of the largest English-language publishers of comics in the world.

  BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics.  TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.  © 2019 Viacom International Inc. and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

  About Warner Bros. Animation

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally.  Theatrically, WBA’s full-length film, Teen Titans GO! to the Movies, released on July 27, 2018.   WBA’s TV series include  Teen Titans Go!, Unikitty! and the upcoming DC Super Hero Girls and ThunderCats Roar for Cartoon Network; Be Cool Scooby-Doo!, Bunnicula, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, The Tom and Jerry Show, New Looney Tunes, Wacky Races and the upcoming Scooby-Doo! and Guess Who? and Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs for Boomerang; Mike Tyson Mysteries for Adult Swim; Green Eggs and Ham for Netflix; Harley Quinn and Young Justice: Outsiders for DC Universe; Animaniacs for Hulu; and the upcoming Looney Tunes Cartoons content initiative. As home to the iconic animated characters from the DC, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD, Blu-ray® and digital media. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

  “Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” coming to Digital (5/14) & 4K/Blu-ray (6/4) HEROES UNITE TO COMBAT MOUNTING VILLAINOUS PLANS AS WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT, DC AND NICKELODEON PRESENT…

#animation #Batman #Batman Vs Teenage Mustant Ninja Turtles #Blu-Ray #DC Entertainment #DVD #Nickelodeon #TMNT

[solemnveloci]

COCO & BOOK OF LIFE Joint Review

Alright, lemme just get this out of the way.

I know that I’m gonna get some people saying “Hey, don’t compare them! They did a good job conveying two different stories, don’t be spiteful to one over the other!” and that’s a good point. I didn’t even intend on watching them back to back at first.

However, I needed a cleanser after the three straight Open Season movies I’d watched, and it made more sense to me to rewatch TBoL and to… first-watch Coco since they were both about the same holiday. So, worry not. I’ll get it over with quick in the beginning.

Let’s start! (obvious spoilers for both movies)

The Book of Life was practically strangled to death before its time by the multiple years in production until it was finally accepted by ReelFX. The creative minds behind the project were native Mexicans Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Gutierrez, famous for such projects as El Tigre, Carmen Got Expelled, and with resident fish-kisser Guillermo Del Toro working as producer, they could finally bring their idea to fruition.

Then Lee Unkrich went to Mexico on holiday, mentioned sugar skulls to his higher-ups, and Pixar immediately grabbed him by the throat and said, “DUDE MAKE A MOVIE.” DisNepotism at its finest.

Of course, Disney proceeded to screw themselves over so hard they practically ripped their metaphorical cocks off when they tried to trademark DIA LOS MUERTOS so that no icky DreamWorks producer could get their paws on it. The blatancy of this dick movie rightfully pissed off about a million Latino people (Mexican or otherwise) and Disney realized that maybe they had the wrong priorities. In order to assuage the backlash, they threw about six Mexican creators at the script and creative departments and begged them to sew up the Austria-sized fuckup.

Coco now sits as the highest animated film of all time in Mexico. I’d say they helped a lot.

PROS

The Book of Life:

God, the voice acting is amazing. How the hell they got Channing Tatum in this, I’ll never know, but he nails his lines like he’s not even trying. Kate Del Castillo and Diego Luna are my two favorites, though, considering they dual-dubbed La Muerte and Manolo in both English and Latin American Spanish. This line in particular always gets me.

I adore the puppets as a framing device. There’s just something so cool about it, especially with how characters like Xibalba and the Candlemaker interact with them.

Joaquin shouting his own name like a Pokémon every time he does something.

The Mariachi brothers physically roll around sometimes instead of walking.

Both versions of Manolo’s love song are gorgeous and sweet. They’re a welcome addition to the jukebox musical style of the rest.

Placido Domingo as Manolo’s disabled, opera-singing, bullfighter great-grandpa.

*chuckles* “They crushed our dreams!”

Manolo’s mom is so darling, you guys.

“Being bullfighters, we often flirt with death.” “And that’s why there’s so many of you down here.”

Xibalba, the god of evil, pigging out on a giant table of food and causally telling Manolo that’s he’s been completely screwed over.

Something’s oddly funny about the fact that Chakal’s got a giant, untouched drawing of the medal in his Cave O’ Death.

“Hey! My arthritis is gone!”

“Hello… puddle.”

Manolo’s mom bitchslapping Chakal.

The scene where Manolo apologizes to all the bulls his family killed, and the way the bull just clams down and dissolves into marigolds, like its soul was just put to rest.

Luchadore Priest. Hell, just the whole fight scene.

The kiss between Manolo and Maria, not helped by the fact I though he was flipping Chakal off during it instead of raising a finger.

“Men! Typical.” I love that delivery. “WELP, SAW THIS SHIT COMIN’.”

The little goth kid passing out when La Muerte undisguises herself.

Coco:

Again, the voice acting, fucking astounding. Props goes to Gael Garcia Benal, he pulls off his character so well! Disney/Pixar movies have sort of been lackluster with their voice acting (with a few exceptions) but this one was perfect.

*flashback to Ernesto getting flattened under a bell* “I wanna be just like him!”

“Miguel, vitamins are real.” “Well, now I’m thinking they might be!”

Hector’s facial expressions are so good, you guys.

Actually, I want to talk more about this. Not just him, but all the physical comedy with the skeletons. Like, they way they detach their limbs or heads, it’s so animated and weird. Reminds me of old cartoons.

If someone told me they watched this movie for Hector, I’d support them.

“Those aren’t the words!” “There are children present.”

I don’t care if all the acts were meant to be bad on purpose, I thought they were cute.

“Bring back the singing dogs!”

Seriously, the body language is incredible. Gael must have been having the time of his life recording this.

“HAVE YOU MET MY GRANDSON?”

“I hope you die very soon!”

Ernesto’s twist villainy is better than Big Hero Six and Frozen combined, fight me.

In fact, it’s the only way the villainy would have worked. Dammit, Disney! You made it look lazy!

Holy fuck, he just fell over. That’s… jarring.

Art theft is bad, you guys.

*sobbing*

*LOUDER SOBBING*

Awww! She’s dead! Wait, that sounds bad.

CONS

You scrolled down here for the negativity, didn’t you?

Book of Life: This movie gets shorter every time I watch it. Not kidding. Maybe it’s because I’m used to all the plot beats and twists. But… why is it soooo short?! Even like, two more scenes could have helped it along. I NEED MORE.

Coco: The inclusion of Frida Kahlo. This one kinda doesn’t count, but it does annoy me that she was used as just a quirky side-character, which is a huge slap in the face for all that she’d done as an artist and an activist.  The gag at the beginning with Hector wasn’t that bad, but if I could’ve changed it, I’d put the guy who invented Alebrijes in her place, Pedro Linares. You’d only have to do a little bit of tweaking, the Rivera family would dress as a giant Alebrije puppet to get backstage instead, Hector could disguise himself as one to sneak past Ernesto’s guards, and we could have this scene.

Ernesto: Ah, excuse me, sir! The stage is that way.

Hector: *takes off mask*

Ernesto: Hector. You’ve gotten back into performing, I see.

And now, for some rapid-fire nitpicks if that wasn’t enough negativity for you.

Why does the museum have a trick wall? Is it always there, or just there when La Muerte needs it? Is this their day job, or did they shapeshift into actual museum workers? Where’s Joaquin’s Mom? If she’s alive, why is she neglecting a child to live out in the streets? If she’s dead, who the hell raised him before Maria’s dad? Where’s Maria’s mom? Is nobody going to point out that Manolo is the only living member of his family left?!

Why didn’t Imelda just ban people seeking out musical careers and not all music? Are they not allowed to go to church? What do they do for parties? Quincenaras? Did nobody that Hector knew talk about the movie where his own death was ripped off? Did he never even overhear it? If you do something evil, do you only go to the Land of the Remembered if you never get caught?  What if you’re a serial killer who never got caught? Does that mean there’s a hell? DID CHICH GO TO HELL BECAUSE HE WAS FORGOTTEN? WHAT KIND OF FUCKED UP GHOST CAPITALISM DOES THE PIXAR-VERSE AFTERLIFE RUN ON

#review #reviews #reelfx #disney #pixar

[moomingitz]

Animation: Basically making an elaborate flip book. But instead of using a notebook and doing it in just black and white, it's fully colored, with full backgrounds and environments, and voice acting and music that the animation is synced up to. A process that is not only very expensive and time consuming, but it's also difficult to always afford the same very skilled and trained team of animators(who are usually already underpaid and underappreciated) for every single project, especially for episodes in TV series, in order to keep animation styles or quality consistent. Thousands of frames of animation are required in order to produce animated media such as TV show episodes or movies. A TV series episode takes 9-12 months on average to produce. All while having to work under a budget and meet deadlines. Even CG animation takes a long time to produce. Unless you wipe your ass with dollar bills and have brand recognition like Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks, corners will have to be cut , and quality will have to be sacrificed, if you want to meet your deadlines, especially with episodes for TV series! Most studious literally cannot afford to just go and delay something.

Viewers: Oh my god! Why isn't the style of this show/movie not like this super detailed fan made screenshot redraw, instead? Why doesn’t the animation style and quality look the same in all of the episodes of this show? That's very unprofessional! Why do these characters look weird or ugly when I go and freeze frame moments of movement or distance shots? Ewww! Why can't every frame of animation look like a work of art? Why is this movie taking so long to come out and why won't these new episodes of my favorite show air right now! Why do studios have to be such corporate shills and receive money from big corporations and networks? I thought animation was about expressing your creativity and imagination, and not being a tool of the man!

#animation #rant #awaits possible backlash #unpopular opinions

[vincent-marie]

Chicken Run Review

Back when I was a kid and we got "Prince of Egypt" on VHS for Christmas, one of the bonuses on the tape was an early trailer for "Chicken Run". At the time I was a huge fan of the Wallace and Gromit shorts, and seeing the same studio working on a feature film was enough to make me want to see it.

I saw it in the theaters, and it was a very fun experience for me. I got it on VHS, and it was my favorite movie for a while. I recall I watched it so many times to a point where it annoyed the hell out of my sibling.

It not only has a very special place in my heart as something nostalgic, but it's also pretty cool looking back on Dreamworks animated films when the studio was still trying to find its niche. Before "Shrek" became such a very literal monster hit and the studio built its identity on "subverting" Disney while at the same time stealing their thunder.

"Chicken Run" was the first major project Dreamworks had released in conjunction with Aardman, and was enough of a hit that Aardman would continue making films while under the Dreamworks umbrella.

But after almost seventeen years I'm finally able to take off the nostalgia goggles and ask: Does it hold up in the long run?

I'd say… yes and no.

At first I thought since it was Aardman's first film that they might have been a little rusty at doing a feature because they had previously only done shorts and TV shows. The transition to theatrical movies can be a hell of an adjustment.

However it turns out that "Chicken Run" has a lot of very solid elements on its own merits. It just has one major weak link, and it wasn't Aardman's fault. I'll get to that later.

The overall execution of the film is effectively cinematic. Even back when Aardman was only making the "Wallace and Gromit" shorts, a lot of us forget just how much they elevated stop-motion animation from just a cute little novelty like holiday specials to something that could be like a Hitchcock film. With "Chicken Run", the music is excellent, the character animation is fantastic, the voice acting top-notch, the models, props and sets well-crafted, and the majority of the characters are quite memorable and charming. (Everybody loves Babs, she's such a sweetie.)

A few things haven't aged so well about it, though, particularly the dynamic between Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy. Due to the current awareness of the abuse of men at the hands of female partners, the old Henpecked Husband routine really isn't funny anymore. On top of that there's Mrs. Tweedy insisting that the chickens organizing is "all in [his] head", and that just has a faint stink of gaslighting.

With that said, it could be read as just how vicious and ruthless Mrs. Tweedy is as a villain. That it adds a layer of pure evil; if that's how she regards her husband, then she's an even bigger threat to the chickens.

I've heard her compared to Cruella DeVille, and that's not an invalid comparison. Though with the way her chicken pies are advertised as being something warm and down-to-earth while she is vicious and greedy at heart, it reminds me a bit more of Mom from "Futurama", except not as humorously foul-mouthed. Interestingly, she too has a habit of casually slapping her sons, though that's more effectively framed as irreverent slapstick as opposed to being dark and menacing.

There really is something pretty crazy about how Tweedy's farm is run like a prison camp. Or the fact that Mr. Tweedy comes from a long line of egg-farmers but we can safely assume they didn't have any troubles with escaping chickens.

What's more is that Mr. Tweedy is right all along about the chickens being organized. I find it interesting that if the Missus hadn't been so focused on trying to make a quick profit and telling her husband to shut up, the mass chicken escape, and the waste of money spent on the pie machine that goes up in smoke, could have been prevented. If she had just not been a greedy, abusive spouse.

Now I'm going to move on to what I believe to be the very best part of the movie, and that is our main character Ginger. I daresay she's probably a one of the most underrated female badasses in animation. She's established from the start that she's clever, she's determined, and she doesn't let all that solitary confinement in the coal bin crush her spirit. And even during those times when she is at her lowest there's always something that gives her an idea or inspiration and she gets right back up.

It's also very clear that her fellow chickens are klutzes and they don't believe in her. Her escape plans could theoretically work if she just escaped by herself without the others tripping up all the time. But she doesn't. Instead she's determined to come up with a plan that could get all of the chickens out at once. Why? Because she really does care about them enough that she wants ALL of them to be safe. She may roll her eyes at them fouling up one of the plans again, and she has every right to be frustrated with them enough to want to just leave, especially after Bunty shoots her down at one of their meetings.

But she never does. She's staying with them and seeing to it that they get out as well. Towards the end of the movie when the crate takes flight, she's not even concerned that she's not on it. She's in awe because the plan worked. They are going to be okay.

On a certain level she's always reminded me of Lisa Simpson and her own sense of kindness, justice and integrity. Except that series often framed her as being obnoxious and self-righteous and therefore needed to be taken down a peg by the end of the episode. (I love the first eight seasons of "The Simpsons", but it has its problems.)

Ginger, however, is clearly in the right for most of movie. When Rocky is coaching the phony flying lessons she seems to be the only one who sees through his BS. And save for the unconvincing romantic subplot, she doesn't take any of his smug, condescending crap.

Again, the only thing that really gets her down is the physical impossibility of getting the chickens out. And, like I said before, there's still always that spark of determination that keeps her going, that gives her new ideas, that gets her back up. Nobody can hold her down.

I have to attribute a lot of Ginger's strength as a character to the voice performance. Julia Sawalha really helped to bring out a sense of sweetness and warmth to her, but also a lot of determination and a no-nonsense attitude with just a hint of snark in response to Rocky's self-serving BS.

Not to mention her integrity kindness makes for an excellent contrast to Miranda Richardson's selfish and sinister take on Mrs. Tweedy. (Who besides me would actually like to see Miranda Richardson play Cruella DeVille?)

But now that we've gone over the strongest link, we come to the weakest one in the entire movie, and that is the very existence of Rocky the Rhode Island Red.

Really what bothers me about this character is that he gets shoehorned into the story even though he does not fit the tone of the rest of the movie. Yet he becomes a major crux of the plot, and, for some reason, winds up a love interest for Ginger.

Even when I would say "Chicken Run" was my favorite movie, I never bought the romantic chemistry Rocky and Ginger are supposedly having. Their rom-com style bickering only made it apparent that they should only be friends, and nowadays the trope of "tough girl just needs a man to get her to loosen up" really pisses me off.

What's more is the whole Pie Machine Rescue sequence feels like an unearned opportunity for Rocky to "save the girl".

Now, I actually like the Pie Machine escape. The machine itself always reminded me of the sheep-shearing contraption in "A Close Shave".

But Ginger had already proven herself to be resourceful and quick on her feet, and yet she still apparently needs a man to save her. She probably could have rescued her own damn self out of that metal leviathan.

She still sort of does. At the very least, she saves Rocky's ass in the end before he gets roasted in the oven. She even does the Indiana Jones bit of going back for her hat before the door closes.

Yet afterwards even she gives Rocky all the credit for sabotaging the machine. Sure, he shoves the carrot in the gravy dispenser and causes pressure in there, but she also sabotaged it with a literal wrench in the works. Why is she giving him all the praise? She's well within her right to claim some credit too. Apparently the film just needs to further elevate and glorify Rocky.

I will say this, though. The whole "Strong Woman Who Needs To Be Saved By A Man" trope in this case still doesn't piss me off NEARLY as much as it did with Maid Marian in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". In that movie it felt like it was making Marian superficially strong to make the movie look more modern and forward-thinking than it really was. Ginger, on the other hand, was already strong and well-developed in her own right and isn't just validation for Rocky's existence.

If anything, Rocky's the one who needs to be constantly propped up by the more interesting characters. He's not even very fun or interesting on his own. He is, as a friend and I have dubbed, generically cocky. He's no cheerful rogue with a heart of gold like Disney's take on Robin Hood, he's no girl-crazy, ego-driven goofball like Lupin III; he is, at best, a loose idea for a character that needs a lot more work done before the final draft of the script.

I think part of the problem may have been the casting. Not that Mel Gibson's voice acting for the character is necessarily bad, but with the way the character was written one would need a real force of personality to elevate him to an entertaining level of sleazy and egotistic.

During a streaming of the movie someone suggested that the late Phil Hartman would have been a far better casting choice, and we in the chat unanimously agreed. Yet another reason it's a crime against the natural order that we lost Phil Hartman when we did.

And there is an a very real behind-the-scenes reason for why Rocky feels so half-assed as a character compared to the rest of the film.

The short version is that while "Chicken Run" was in production, Dreamworks decided to stick their hands in the pot and Americanize it.

They introduced an American breed of chicken, played by a big name movie star who could pull off an American accent, and he even flies into the movie wearing an American flag cape.

The minute he makes his entrance the whole story becomes the tired "Liar Revealed" plot line that's been used in several lame-at-worst/passable-at-best US family features. "A Bug's Life", "Oz, The Great and Powerful", "Road to El Dorado", need I go on?

Why is that? Why has that story kept popping up in hackneyed mainstream American screenplays?

Might it be because of a subconscious social anxiety that most Americans in power keep getting rewarded and showered with praise in spite of not doing a day's work in their lives? And they're secretly afraid that they're going to be exposed as the undeserved, over-privileged phonies they really are?

Nah! That can't possibly be it.

Anyway, in the grand scheme of the plot, Rocky is ultimately useless. There's a well-known criticism of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" that Indiana Jones himself makes little to no real impact on the plot, and if he hadn't intervened, the Nazis would have still found the treasure, and still gotten their faces melted off.

Rocky is kind of like that, except he's not just a useless spectator. His whole part in the movie takes a huge chomp out of the screen time with other characters expecting great things of him, all amounting to nothing in the end, save for an narratively convenient last-minute rescue. (Which could have been avoided if he hadn't just outright ditched the chickens like the jerk that he is.)

Though, I do have to give that scene some credit: Mrs. Tweedy being thwarted by "Tricycle to the Head" is kind of funny.

Also in the scene when it's revealed Rocky could only fly because of a circus cannon, the overall execution is actually very good. There has no dialogue, just suspense. The audience doesn't see what Ginger sees when she unfolds the paper, but the look on her face indicates it's something big and not good. We don't get to see it until Ginger puts up the second half of the poster, and the revelation drops like a bomb as the thunder crashes above. The music, the camera work, the use of rain all makes for a very dramatic revelation.

I find it interesting that the one good thing to come out of the plot culdesac with Rocky is when he has already left the farm.

But not long afterwards Ginger comes up with the idea to build a flying contraption. She doesn't come up with it based on anything Rocky said, did or left behind. She's inspired by Fowler's stories of the Royal Air Force, which he had been going on about since the very start of the movie. She very well might have come up with the idea even if Rocky never flew into the coop.

While watching this movie during the streaming session, my friend who hosted it, Devon Baxter, theorized that a better story would have been if there was somewhat of an underdog theme going on with Fowler. That he could have just been seen as a joke to the other chickens but Ginger sees some value to his stories and get the idea from him to build the crate.

And now that I think of it, Mac, with her convoluted contraptions, could have also been an underdog with the way the other chickens fearfully cringed after her little catapult demonstration. Maybe like how they see Fowler as a crazy old coot, they could have seen Mac as a nut who "is gonna get us all killed".

Both Fowler and Mac could have been characters who weren't taken seriously by the others, while Ginger would be the one to see their value and encourage them to do this ambitious project of making a crate and flying them all to safety.

One can only speculate what the story could have been like if Dreamworks had just kept their mits off the story.

But with all that said, this is still a pretty good movie for Aardman's first feature film. And if this hadn't been a success, they wouldn't have been able to make the far superior "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit".

I'm always going to love this movie for its stronger elements. You really don't come across surprisingly well-written female characters like Ginger in mainstream movies very often. And I applaud Aardman for being one of the few studios left who haven't caved in to doing all CG animated films the way Disney has.

#chicken run #dreamworks #aardman #animation #movie review

[isaacbewleystopmotion]

Researching stop motion animation

Stop motion animation is an animation technique where physical objects are captured in frames to give the illusion of them moving on their own. This is primarily done by taking many pictures of the objects and moving them slightly for each photo and then playing the images very fast, somewhat similar to zoetrope animations.

Due to the nature of stop motion animation being for physical objects, the use of physical materials are mostly used to make the models and objects. Clay was used primarily in the early days of stop motion and is still used to an extent in the modern age of stop motion, although the discovery of new alternatives has led to materials such as foam latex and plaster to be used for covering clay bases of models and making the objects look more aesthetically pleasing. Wires are often used with clay to make the models more stable and give more potential when moving the objects around. However, even the most basic of materials used in everyday arts and crafts can be used in stop motion very effectively, with films being created out of things made of LEGO bricks, and models made of felt held together with pipe cleaners.

There are several methods to doing stop motion animation, with the most popular and prominent technique being claymation. This technique is where the models and objects are made of clay, hence the name. Most of the set from backdrop to models will be made of clay for claymation, due to the versatility of the material. Puppet animation is very similar to this, with the clay models being replaced with puppets made out of felt, latex or other similar materials. Wires are often used in both techniques to make sure the models are positioned correctly and move easier, which makes production more smooth.

Cut-out animation is a subgenre of stop motion that is used much less, but is still utilised to an extent in modern films. For this, flat characters and backgrounds are created on paper, cardboard or other materials and manipulated on a flat surface to appear to move. A notable example of this technique is on the show South Park - while the animation style is now digitally created to replicate cut-out animation, the original pilot for the show was created with physical cut-out animation.

Pixilation and object stop motion animation are very similar subgenres, with the subject matter of the animation styles being the main difference. Pixilation is a method where actual human actors are used, and the same photo frame technique is used to capture them. Due to the use of human actors, this method is commonly seen as the most difficult form of stop-motion due to how time-consuming and inaccurate it can be when moving for new frames. Object animation is essentially the same - however the use of human actors is swapped for physical objects that are premade, such as rubiks cubes, dice and tinfoil.

Silhouette animation is another subgenre, although it is much rarely used compared to other methods, even pixilation. It involves characters who are only seen as black silhouettes, with a plain white background to make the silhouettes stand out. The silhouettes tend to just be cardboard cutouts or paper with back lighting, making this technique similar to cut-out animation. The use of silhouettes and a stark colour scheme seem to be heavily referenced and inspired from shadowplay (an example of shadowplay is the ‘shadow’ segments in the children’s show ‘Big Bear in the Big Blue House’).

The Nightmare before Christmas is a extremely well-known stop motion film created in 1993 by Henry Selick. It is regarded very highly and has excellent reviews, remaining a classic horror/christmas film for decades after it was released. It took around a week to make one minute of the film, and took 3 overall years to finish. The Tim Burton style of the models and overall theming make the film very popular and stand out from other more lighthearted stop motion films, and marked a new trend in using stop motion for more horror-relating films. The film shows how stop motion can not only be used for innocent and funny plots and characters, but can also support more creepy plots and designs well.

Coraline was made much later in 2009 but is very similar in theme and popularity to Nightmare before Christmas. Directed again by Henry Selick and taking twenty months to complete, this film has achieved cult status much like Nightmare did before it after using creepy theming through the stop motion style. Unlike Nightmare, Tim Burton was not involved in this project, however the production team was extremely large and had at peak 450 people helping. People were even hired to make miniature clothing for the models, even using knitting needles as thin as hairs in order to make realistic looking clothing.

Kubo and the Two Strings was also made by the same company that directed Coraline. It was completed in 2016 after being directed by Travis Knight for 5 years, with several being dedicated to the animation aspect alone. One of very few modern stop motion films, it recounts a tale based in asian culture around the power of music and magic, and was critically acclaimed for the intricate animation - the crew even went as far as to build a 16ft animatronic of a skeleton for the film. It was the second animated film ever to be nominated for Best Visual Effects in the Academy Awards, alongside the Nightmare before Christmas.

Another notable film in stop motion was the Wallace and Gromit film, Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Released in 2005 by the duo directors Nick Park and Steve Box, it received critical acclaim and success and won numerous awards including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (the only other Dreamworks film to win besides Shrek). After the failure of Flushed Away, this classic W&G film was a critical and commercial success for the Aardman and Dreamworks partnership. It shows the classic slapstick and charm of stop motion animation alongside the rest of the animated shorts, although this is the first feature film.

Chicken Run was created in 2000 by Peter Lord and Nick Park from Aardman. It was the company’s first feature length film, and was released to critical acclaim and is the highest grossing animated film ever. It recounts the tale of chickens trying to escape from a farm before being turned into chicken pot pies, and uses classic clay models in order to achieve a charming soft style. The film took 18 months to fully shoot, and shows good examples of special effects in stopmotion that I can take into account when creating my final piece.

Lego Movie was also a groundbreaking film released in 2014, directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller from Warner Bros. While the film is not created fully by actual stopmotion, the animation style is made to replicate that method and is worthy of study for that purpose. It uses 3D computer generated animation rather than traditional stopmotion, but makes use of choppy, blocked movements to replicate the actual look of real stopmotion, Whether it achieved the look well is up for debate, but it shows that it isn’t too hard to replicate stopmotion by other methods and other alternatives can be used in my project if I cannot create a effect I want with plain stopmotion alone.

Corpse Bride is another cult classic film with Tim Burton influences. Made in 2005 under the direction of Mike Johnson and Tim Burtion, it tells the story of a man who is thrust into a love triangle between a dead corpse and an alive woman whom he does not love. The film is another excellent use of stopmotion style to be creepy and unnerving, with the puppets used having bold, outlined and sunken features to almost appear dead and sickly, like the subject matter of the film.

Fantastic Mr Fox was created in 2009 by Wes Anderson in American Emperical Pictures, based of Roald Dahl’s book of the same name. It gained commercial success, with a high score on internet critic website Rotten Tomatoes. This film is especially interesting as it used a vastly different style of stopmotion modelling to create the animal models, which makes it stand out from other films done with the same technique. This could be interesting to learn from as I want my piece to be different from every other stopmotion film, and something as simple as a model style change could be the key to achieving a unique look,

James and the Giant Peach is an older film, shot in 1996 by Henry Selick for Disney. It is once again based off a Roald Dahl book of the same name, and incorporates live action and stopmotion into one singular film. This technique created an interesting effect when the divide between live action and stopmotion is shown side by side, and this interests me as I could create something similar by using humans in my stopmotion. However to avoid outright copying of this, I could try using this method through pixilation or cut-out stopmotion instead of simply filming live action alongside the actual stopmotion.

Jason and the Argonauts is a classic film created in 1963 by Don Chaffey. The majority of the film is shot in live action, but the film gained fame for including stopmotion creatures in fight scenes - the most iconic use of stopmotion is the famous skeleton scene where they rise from the ground to attack the soldiers. Again, this film is interested to study when considering the possibility of combining humans and stopmotion, although I think that it would be easier for me to use a method like pixilation for this instead of shooting live action and then shoot actual stopmotion.

[mi5016natalielam]

Analysis

The purpose of this reflective essay is to discuss the skills and attributes I have for the animation industry and what I need to do in order to pursue my goal in the industry. I will also explain how the module helped me to explore the study of ethics and health and safety.

Firstly, I would like to talk about my skills and attributes. I have developed my own art style. I have tried to make the style to project the feeling of something childish and pure. I think that having a personal style makes me more competitive with other people. The style can help me build a reputation by being more memorable due to its uniqueness. I like using warm colours in my artworks, such as orange and coral pink. I believed that using warm colours can express a happy and energetic feeling to the audience. I created a character called Strange nose in 2014, which was used as inspiration for my logo. Strange nose is a boy who has orange hair, black eyes, and always a wide smile on his face. I have created a Facebook page for “Strange nose”, and attracted a good a number of people who showed appreciation towards my work. The vivid colours, whimsical art style and the patterns in my artwork create an interesting visual to the audiences and makes the work appear more dynamic.

Through this course, I have also found that I am a flexible person. I am willing to make changes to work in response to constructive criticism. I understood that working in the industry is completely different from studying in the university, and that I will be working with different teams and individuals. Customers ideas might change every day, I believe that I am able to take direction and have good communication with the customers. I have worked for Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department last year, and created an opening video for their opening ceremony. At the beginning of the project I introduced them to a storyboard with cute characters in it, and at the beginning, the clients seemed happy with the idea. However, midway through making the animation they have changed their minds, And I had to restart the animation. The final work was a lot simpler than what I originally planned, but the clients were satisfied. This was a precious opportunity for me to prove that I am able to respond to customers based on their opinions.

I always had passion for drawing since I was little. The very first animated movie I watched was One Hundred and One Dalmatians. I really loved the plot and the characters. I had always wondered how animation was created, and as I was getting older I got to research a bit on the process and was very amazed. I was impressed by how traditional hand-drawn animation was made frame by frame. 2D animation was what attracted me to study animation at Northumbria University. In my 1st year, I have created a 2D animation called Papillon for the module 'Introduction for motion graphic'. I was not interested in 3D animation until the second semester, I needed to create a 3D animation for the module 'Introduction for 3D animation'. I realised that creating 3D animation can be very enjoyable too. It felt really magical to be able to model a character or an object from scratch. I also found creating materials and textures interesting. I can adjust the brightness or roughness of the object, and make it look realistic. Which was very useful in another module, ‘Compositing for animation’. I gained knowledge on how to composite 2D and 3D objects with real-life footage. I was also given an opportunity to further develop my personal art style in this module. My career goal in the animation industry is to work on character design, concept art, advertising, and illustration. In order to become a concept artist, I would be required to create designs of characters, environment, and different assets in order to visualise the idea, which is very interesting to me. Darek Zabrocki is one of my favorite concept artist. He works for different companies like DreamWorks, FOX, and Sega. I admire how his works are able to capture the essence of the past, and also build a believable futuristic scene.

In addition, I have a passion for drawing illustrations. My continuous interest in illustrating helped me to develop my drawing skills, design skills and taught me about various things, including colour theory and how to project well my ideas into drawings. I think it is crucial for an illustrator to have an ability to tell a story with their artwork. In order to improve myself in illustrating, I thought of starting to draw comics. I love reading comic books, and I have a preference for physical copies of comics over the online versions. However, the usage of online comic books has been increasing in this decades due to environmental issues and the improvement of technology. Webtoon is a global digital comics service platform. It provides a space for artists all over the world to share their work, and has attracted a lot of readers as well as creators. I think I could start writing comics throughout my summer holiday, as it would help me improve my skills in scriptwriting, storytelling, and narrative writing. One of the advantages of online comics book is that it allows us to put sound effects and animation in it. As I have gotten more knowledgeable and experienced in creating animations and sound effects, I am excited to add some animation into the comics I create. I believe it would allow me to attract more followers and readers that will gain an appreciation for my work.

This module taught me that having followers and links within the industry will help me in finding a job after graduating. We were also encouraged to create an online presence, which is why I have created accounts on Linked in, Instagram, Vimeo, and Facebook. The pages should help me to create connections with people in our field and attract potential clients or employers. These create a great opportunity for me to promote myself for employment in the animation industry. This course also allowed us to meet people from the industry. I got a chance to listen and interact to different speakers every week sharing their experiences and the difficulties they faced in their journey. This allowed me to know better how the animation industry works. James Taylor was one of the guests who came. He is the co-founder of the Arcus studio and when he shared about how their studio works and I grew interested in working for them. Their studio focuses on 2D and motion design. Their works are mainly, really cute and I think that my art style would suit their studio. It would be easier for me to adjust and blend in. It would be great to have an opportunity at working in this company.

Unfortunately, I have found that it is hard for an international student like me to work in the United Kingdom due to the visa problems. A tier 4 visa, would only allow me to work for 20 hours maximum per week. I would need to earn at least thirty thousand pounds per year in order to work in the United Kingdom. There is a very small chance for new graduates to get that high of a salary. That is the reason why I would prefer working in Asian countries rather than European countries. I would not need to face the visa problems and any language barriers.

This module also has made me more aware of the health, ethics and safety in the workplace. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common illness among animators and illustrators. I got serious neck and back pain recently because I always sitting in front of the computer. I learnt that it is important to have time to exercise and avoid overtime work to prevent myself from getting ill. Mental health is really important too, artists usually express themselves only by art, and they get limited social interactions with people, and this is very unhealthy. To prevent from getting depressed, it is nice to have time to communicate with friends and family.

Furthermore, It is very important to understand ethics such as equality of gender, race, and sexuality. I have seen animations with bad character design which have made me feel uncomfortable. For example, ‘Scrub Me Mama With A Boogie Beat’, the black people in the animation got big thick lips and were

made to look like monkeys, which is wrongful stereotyping of African-American people . I think that as an animation producer, we have got responsibilities to respect every person’s culture, beliefs, skin colour, and sexuality. ‘Class of 3000’ is a good example of how culture and race and current society could healthily intermingle together. There are different races and genders involved, characters are each talented in their own way and play an important role within their school band.

In conclusion, this module has taught me how to prepare my portfolio, showreel, and Cvs in order to get into a company in the future. It also made me realise and think about what I want to become in the animation industry. This let me focus on the content of my future work, so that I could better prepare more for the job. My awareness on health and ethics and safety also improved because of this module. I now definitely think more about ethical problems before making the animation and designing the character. Lastly, I learned to prevent myself from overworking, and allow some time to communicate more with friends in order to have a healthy lifestyle.

[punster-2319]

The Every Pixar Movies Frame in Order page on Facebook makes me want to do chronological revist of their movies. There’s a few of them I haven’t watched in over a decade (same also applies to DreamWorks movies because of the Every DreamWorks Movies Frame in Order page lol).

#as of this post the Pixar frames page is currently finishing up Toy Story 2 #Haven’t watched TS2 in its entirety in nearly 20 years #so yeah I might do a chronological rewatch of all the Pixar movies from Toy Story to Soul #wow that’s 23 movies #but that sounds much easier than revisiting the 39 movies that DreamWorks has made #but I’ll probably have to do that one eventually so that I could do a proper ranking #I only have Tuesdays and Saturdays off so this will be fun :p #every pixar movies frame in order #every dreamworks movies frame in order #facebook pages #for the record the incredibles has been my favorite pixar movie since it first came out #same applies to prince of egypt being my favorite dreamworks movie #least favorite pixar movie at the moment is Brave but that might change upon a future rewatch #for the longest time my least favorite dreamworks movie was shark tale #but after seeing the memes made when the dreamworks frames page went through it may have made me change my mind #along with schaffrillas’ video essay on the movie

[geekysweetie]

62 Disney Animated Feature Length Films Ranked From Best to Worst - An Otaku's Take On the Best and Worst Animated Disney Films - Disney Films Ranked From Best to Worst. Top 10 Disney Films

I’ve seen a lot of lists like this out there on the internet which try to rank from Best to Worst, or Worst to Best, the Best (and worst) Walt Disney Animated Films of all time. So here’s my take on the old classic “Top 10” (way more than 10 lol) Disney Films.

*For brevity’s sake, sequels and prequels are not included individually in this listing. When ranking for example “Cars”, I refer to the franchise as a whole, giving most focus to the first film but perhaps giving reference or mention to some of the sequels as well.*

Also for this review I have chosen to not include any of the Studio Ghibli films. I will create a similar list ranking those films in the near future. As well as seperate lists for Dreamworks, Don Bluth, and Warner Bros animated film.

Lastly, I have not seen every single Disney film (though I’ve seen probably over 80% of them). Any films I have not seen, will not be ranked, but instead included in an unranked list at the end of this article.

Collections of short films such as The Three Caballeros and Make Mine Music were not included in either of these lists. I’ve also omitted Disney films which combined animation with live action such as Bed Knobs and Broom Sticks, Mary Poppins, Pete’s Dragon, James and the Giant Peach, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, So Dear to My Heart, and Song of the South.

What are some of your favorite Disney Films? Leave a comment below.

Here’s how I would rank every Disney Film – I’ll start with the Best so you don’t have to scroll too much. <3

62 Disney Animated Feature Length Films Ranked From Best to Worst:

1.) The Lion King

It is true (though Disney denies it) that this film completely ripped off an anime called Kimba the White Lion. Yes, they took everything from this film, the Lions, Zazu, the hyenas, even Simba and Kimba’s father speaking to them in the clouds, and even Scar! Complete with the scar over his eye and everything. — Yup, totally infringed on someone’s intellectual property rights… but still… The Lion King is my favorite Disney film… They took Kimba and made it about a million times better (that doesn’t make what they did “right” or “ok” Clearly, Kimba’s creators should have been paid some royalty fees). But Disney was able to take an already great family story and make it even better. Better animation, better acting, better music, and a better story, because they condensed down a TV series into a movie format, cutting out a lot of filler episodes, while hitting the emotional highlights.

If you want to learn more about what Disney did to Kimba, check out the videos below (not my videos, just sharing them with you):

2.) Beauty and the Beast

A tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast is my 2nd favorite Disney film. It features a smart, bookworm heroine, who risks her life and freedom to save her father. It also is a great romance story, in which both the leading lady and leading male must learn to look past the surface to find true love. Don’t judge a book by the cover. If someone can love a beast, and the beast can finally learn to love someone for their mind/heart and not what’s on the outside, that love can do anything. It’s very romantic, and also parts of it are dark and frightening. Like all Disney films, it has great music, and the recent Live Action Musical adaptation is also fantastic! One of my favorite things about Beauty and the Beast is the imagery, all of the characters, and the beautiful setting. I just ordered a dress which has a beautiful stained glass print featuring the beauty and the beast.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A0G0S14/

  3.) The Little Mermaid

I will always prefer the 1975 anime version of Hans Christian Andersen’s the Little Mermaid, because at the end she turns to sea foam. There is no happy ending. But sometimes with a love story, that’s OK and it makes it more dramatic. Almost any film can make me laugh, but it takes a very special film to make me cry. The 1975 anime version is also a more faithful adaptation of the original story.  In the original fairy-tale, the mermaid is given one last chance for a happy ending. Her prince has already wed another woman, but the mermaid is told by her sisters that if she uses a magic poisoned dagger to kill the prince and his new wife, she can return back home to her father and sisters and live as a mermaid once again. Unable to bear the thought of hurting her true love, she chooses instead to wish him and his new wife a happy life together, and as the sun rises, she turns to sea foam, sacrificing her life and happiness in exchange for his.

Disney takes this sad tragic love story, and puts a cutesy Disney spin on it. Although the two films are very different, they are both great in their own rights. I love the side characters, music, and animation of the Disney version of the Little Mermaid. It’s also nice to imagine a happy ending once in awhile :).

If you have yet to see the anime version, Amazon is selling it for about $10. Click the image below to check it out. https://www.amazon.com/…

4.) The Good Dinosaur

Speaking of films that can make me cry… I balled like a baby (at several different scenes) in the theater when I went to see The Good Dinosaur. It’s a touching story about a dinosaur trying to get back home to his family. Similar in some ways to my childhood favorite, The Land before Time. Disney’s The Good Dinosaur is a heart touching film with beautiful and cute 3D animation. The scene with the fireflies is my favorite. The goofy looking characters, with their innocent designs, totally deceive you into thinking this is a funny or cute film. I was not prepared for how heart stirring it was going to be. It’s also very dramatic and full of suspense and twists and turns and surprises. That’s why it’s in my top 5 Disney films of all time.

5.) Monster’s Inc.

Finishing out my top 5 favorite Disney Films is Monster’s Inc. This movie is full of charming and cute characters. It is equally funny and touching. A very heart warming movie. Boo, Mike, and Sully are some of the best original characters Disney has ever designed. Monsters Inc is quite possibly the cutest disney movie of all time. The sequels were also cute, though of course, not as good as the original.

6.) Finding Nemo / Finding Dory

I actually saw Finding Dory first, before Finding Nemo, somehow I missed out on Nemo, even though it was very popular with millennials. According to this chart being born in 1981, I could consider myself a Millennial, or a Gen Y, or Gen Next (never even heard of that one). So Nemo seems to be THE Disney movie of my generation… but I actually didn’t see it when it premiered in 2003. I wouldn’t see it for over 12 years after that, but yet, this film proves to have held up to the tests of time. It was just as enjoyable, new, fresh, charming, and heart warming to me as it was to the millions of fans it earned at release. I loved Dory, especially baby Dory. She might be my favorite Disney character ever. So for that reason, I actually enjoyed Finding Dory more than Finding Nemo. Both films are funny and beautifully animated, and tell a heart warming story about the meaning of family.

7.) Up

Disney’s Up is such a sad, touching, beautiful film about true love and loss, and growing up, and growing old together, and a story of adventure and excitement, and to never ever give up on your dreams. It’s a remarkable story. Storywise alone, it’s probably my favorite story from any Disney film. There’s no way to watch this movie and not cry. Out of all of the Disney films in our list, this one feels the most mature and grown up. Its tone is darker and sadder and more thought provoking than most Disney films. And then there’s that Disney charm and humor, with Doug the talking dog and other minor characters. The message behind Disney’s Up is so “Up”lifting. This is a movie full of heart and emotion.

8.) Aladdin

Aladdin is one of the first Disney films I can remember seeing in theaters. Don’t get me wrong, I’d seen others, I know I saw 101 Dalmatians and Rescuers and other older films before this one. In fact one of the first movies I ever saw in a theater is Disney’s Snow White, and I am told it scared me until I cried lol. But my memories of seeing this one as opposed to the rest are crystal clear. And it may be that nostalgia that plays a part in how highly I rank Disney’s Aladdin on my list. I recall who I was with (my mom and best friend and her mom and brother), I can recall all of the characters, music, animation… Robin Williams as the genie, such a classic film. One of the great masterpieces of my childhood.

9.) The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is not just one of my favorite Disney films, but one of my favorite films from any studio, animated, or otherwise, of all time. I love the music, the characters, and I love Halloween. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. I also love other Tim burton films, such as beetle juice, the corpse bride, and Edward scissor hands to name a few. His stories are always so unique and I’m surprised and intrigued in how he can take a macabre subject and put a comic spin on it, and make it even a family film, such as the Nightmare Before Christmas.

10.) Frozen

This is another one of those Disney “fan favorites” that I missed at its initial release. I actually just watched Frozen for the first time a few months ago and even though I’m older than the majority of the Frozen fans, I totally agree that it is one of the best Disney films of all time. It finishes out in the final Top 10 spot on my list. I loved the story and the characters. My favorite thing was seeing how the characters changed and grew through the film. Initially Elsa is the more friendly outgoing bubbly type, but events occur which change her to isolated and aloof. Anna had been more shy, but as she grew with freedoms that Elsa lacked, she developed a natural curiosity for the world and a strong sense of adventure. Elsa struggles with the responsibilities placed on her young shoulders. Finally she can be free, and this is even highlighted in the lyrics to the very popular well known song, in which Elsa climbs the stairs of her ice castle barricading herself off from the outside world so that she can finally be her TRUE self. It’s a story about accepting and loving yourself, accepting and loving others, and having courage to be different or come to terms with those differences and individualizes. The film is often championed by the LGBT community and there are rumors that the sequel will feature a lesbian love interest for Elsa, marking the first time a Disney feature length animated film will have a gay or lesbian main character. This is controversial and a departure from the family values Disney has always tried to champion. However, in modern times, what makes a family is changing, and Disney too is changing to reflect more modern values. In this story, Elsa and Anna must rely on themselves and each other. The “prince” even betrays them and acts as the central villain in pushing the plot forward. This is a strong film featuring themes of independence and courage. It’s also charming and full of excitement as most Disney films are. The side characters such as sven and olaf are hilarious and cute. There are many people who love to hate on this film. But hating on something just because it’s popular is dumb. Sometimes that popularity is well deserved. While it’s not the best Disney film of all time, it still cinches the final spot on the “Top 10” list.

Disney’s frozen was supposedly loosely based on Han’s Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, though a number of liberties were taken.

If you’re interested in reading the original tale, you can read it for free here: http://hca.gilead.org.il/snow_que.html 

You can also find over 170 variations of this tale on Amazon.

This one has the best ratings and reviews because of its illustrations by an award winning Ukranian artist: http://amzn.to/2Fgq4kw

This one has the original illustrations from hundreds of years ago: http://amzn.to/2CvQHPA

There’s also an anime based on the Snow Queen from 2005 https://www.anime-planet.com/anime/snow-queen-the

In the original tale it was a boy and girl, who were friends, not siblings. The main plot centered around a magic mirror that broke and a shard went into one of their eyes distorting their view of the world and changing their outlook/personality. The other character sets off on a journey to try to remove the shard from her friend’s eye and restore his kind heart. At the end of her journey, about to give up, the gods tell her that she already has everything she needs to save the young boy, and that her true power has always already existed within herself.

The only similarity at all in the tales is that they are set in a snowy place, and at the end, the characters are glad to see that it is finally summer again.

Alternatively there have been 2 legal allegations raised that Disney has once again stolen this story from another creator.

The first of which is some incredibly obscure Peruvian author that almost no one has ever heard of, who says that Frozen is based on memoirs she had published about her own life. The memoirs,  “Living My Truth” and “Yearnings of the Heart”, by Isabella Tanikumi. The guardian reports that “Both the memoirs and Frozen feature loving sisters, one of whom causes the other to be injured and then hides herself away from public life through shame.” They go on to report that “One of the sisters has suitors named Hans and Cristoff in the memoirs; in Frozen Anna develops romantic attachments to men named Hans and Kristoff.”  That seems like more than just a coincidence to me… The judge however ruled that these claims were too “generic” – I don’t agree with that ruling because it even lists specific names and characters – that’s pretty “specific” right there – which is the very opposite of something being “generic”, but hey this is Disney, they can get out of almost anything – but then again who’s to say that this author isn’t just looking to make a grab at Disney’s money since this is the best selling Disney film of all time.

The other lawsuit alleges that Disney once again turned to Japan for inspiration and cites numerous similarities between Frozen and the 1980s anime Saint Seiya. The similarities here include similarities between Elsa and Anna and the 2 Saint Characters (who are also sisters), Hilda and Freya. In both cases, the younger sibling has no magical powers and wishes to save her older sister and her kingdom. The older sister wields magic powers that controls snow and ice. Both of the older sisters used to be kind, until their personalities suddenly change.

But you know what they say, every idea you will ever have, someone else has had that exact same idea already. It’s all about who can execute their ideas. And there are no original ideas left in the world, and so on… So meh, at the end of the day, we may never know if Disney blatantly copied anything from either of these 2 sources…

11.) Cars

Walt Disney’s Cars just barely misses a spot on our “list of the top 10 Disney movies”. I remember an old commercial (not related to CARS, I believe it was for Exxon Edit: It was actually for Chevron) where the cars all had happy faces and could talk, etc. It was something about how their fuel made your cars happy. I believe this came out well before the first CARS movie… But the concept was charming and cute. I don’t know if Pixar made these commercials, or has ever seen these commercials, or perhaps felt inspired by the commercials… but the similarities to the characters in Cars is quite apparent.

The story in CARS is as unique as its characters. It’s also one of the first Disney films to be marketed to young boys – no princesses here! *although there’s still love interests*. The charming and unique characters make this one of the most memorable Disney films of all time.

12.) Fluppy Dogs

Although never released in theaters, Disney’s Fluppy Dogs is a feature length animated film, and was a favorite of mine as a child. It was originally intended to be a pilot for a new TV series; however, the pilot was poorly received leading to the TV show’s cancellation before it ever began production. I’m unsure why it was so poorly received and had such low ratings. I friggin love this film. It is utterly adorable. The film is about a gang of alien dogs with sentient and super hero powers. The dogs travel between worlds with a magical key, until one day they arrive on Earth and are captured by animal control. One of the Fluppy Dogs is adopted by a young boy and they begin a journey together to rescue the others.

13.) Toy Story

This is another childhood favorite of mine. As a child, we’ve all day dreamed about our toys coming to life. And with the powers of every young child’s imagination, their toys come to life in their minds. But what happens when no one’s watching. These films depict the love children have for their toys, and suggests that that same love is returned to them in the hearts and minds of their toys. Such a classic movie with a sweet and innocent theme and memorable characters. Who did you like best? I preferred Buzz over Woody. I also loved Rex and Slinky and the potato heads. The claw machine scene and characters are also super cute. The bad toys are creepy AF though.

14.) Moana

One of the better “newer” Disney films, I loved the imagery of the tropical islands. I love the use of mythology and the strong female lead. Watching this fills me with a sense of excitement, wanderlust, and adventure, the same as Moana herself is so full of. The imagery inspires the viewer to want to go on a journey too with the stars, and ocean waves, the big boats, the volcanic monsters, and mother earth goddess, cute animal sidekicks and the prideful gods. At the heart of the story, for Moana it is a coming of age tale, finding and exerting her independence, sometimes when that means going against her overprotective parents and guardians. They have plans for Moana to take over her father’s position, but Moana longs to leave the island like her ancestors millions of years ago. From Maui’s perspective, the lesson is a warning against being prideful, and a lesson to not avoid your responsibilities, that you must face your challenges head on, and accept responsibility for the consequences. Although, Moana herself is very strong and independent, the film is criticized by the natives as lacking depiction of any of the strong female goddessess that Polynesian lore and culture are surrounded by. For example, there is a goddess named Hina who is companion to Maui, but Disney decided to not depict her in this film, or any of the other gods, except for the “mother earth” type figure at the very end. Disney claims they wanted Moana to be a film all about “girl power” but yet, Moana is the only girl we see much of. And the film almost had a very different ending, putting Maui as the main hero in the final act saving Moana and her village. Ouch. Glad they went with the ending they did, as it is one of the most memorable and touching endings of any Disney film to date. I also love the music. The song Moana sings about her destiny calling her is one of my fave Disney songs ever.

15.) Zootopia

I am not a furrie, though I sometimes play as one in various chat games. In fact, I met my first ever boyfriend in such a game when I was a teenager playing Furcadia back in the 90s. This is really only the 2nd feature length Disney Film that really targets furries; with the first film being Robin Hood. I know a little bit about Furrie culture and I think the artwork and fursuits are awesome. This Disney film was unique not only for the use of anthropomorphic animals, but also for how it dealt with very adult topics such as racial and social-political issues of our times. I agreed 100% with the political message it was sending, but I still felt it was too heavy handed and trying to cram those political beliefs down the audience’s throats, which I didn’t really enjoy. It was clear that the stereotypes and fear the other animals felt for the fox people was an allegory to the fear and stereotypes that the majority of the United States feels towards Muslims. Politics aside though, this is a super cute film. My favorite characters were the sloths! They were so cute/funny. It’s also a good movie for young girls, showing that if you work hard enough you can achieve your dreams, just like the bunny who finally became a real police officer, even though no one thought a small young girl from the country could handle being a tough city cop. She was an excellent role model for young girls. And it was far less predictable than most Disney films. I was surprised who the true villain ended up being in the end. This too goes to show you the importance of not judging others on outward appearances.

16.) Lady and the Tramp

This was one of my favorite Disney films from my early childhood. It’s such a classic. The cute doggies, the scene with the spaghetti, the naughty siamese cats, the whole thing is just adorable. That’s really all there is to say. A love story and an adventure story where cute dogs do cute things.

17.) Wreck it Ralph

As my readers know by now, I am a gamer girl — and one who has probably played more games than most boys you know even. From atarrii, NES, SNES, Genesis, Sega CD, 32X, N64, Saturn, Dreamcast, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, Gamecube, Wii, Wii U, Xbox, 360, Gamegear, Gameboy (various iterations), Virtual Boy, NDS, 3DS, PSP, Vita, PC and more… so a Disney film about gaming? Of course I loved it!! The gaming references, “level designs” that Ralph traveled to, and the cute interactions between the two main characters, this film really stood out to me. I recommend it to all gamers, especially retro gamers who will pick up most of the nostalgic references throughout the film.

18.) Brother Bear

This is another one of those movies that I missed when it was first released, but later watched on Netflix. I had not even heard of this film prior to then. I think it may be one of the most under-rated Disney films of all time. It’s about a native american tribe, especially focusing on 3 brothers. When one brother is killed by a bear, another brother seeks revenge by killing the bear who killed his brother. Ultimately, when it is time to discover their totem animals, this brother is transformed into a bear and flees from his village. He then encounters a young cub, who has no mother. The bears are migrating and meeting together. He helps the young cub make the difficult journey and learns about himself, as well as learns to respect nature and understand the balance between humans and animals.

19.) Brave

If you’re looking for a strong female lead, Brave should be the first Disney film that comes to mind. This little lady lives up to the title of this film. Her kingdom is cursed which causes her mother and brothers to turn into bears. The end of the film is definitely an emotional and suspenseful tear jerker.

20.) Mars Needs Moms

I saw this in theaters. I think not many people are familiar with this film. I loved it. I was very touched by how much the boy loved his mother. It’s so emotional and sweet. It got terrible reviews from fans and critics alike, but I really enjoyed it and found it both engaging and uplifting. A very heartwarming story. Financially, it is the worst performing Disney film of all time. The film cost $150 million to make, and only earned $39 million at the box office. I agree with the critic and audience movie goers who commented on the ugly / poor animation techniques – but I disagree 100% when they say this film lacks heart or that it neglected story telling. I completely connected with the characters and felt their love and fear and hope and strength as the story unfolded. It is based on a best-selling book by Berkely Breathed. You can get the book on amazon at http://amzn.to/2EQL1Vy

21.) Inside Out

This is a cute and emotionally powerful film. The story revolves around a happy “good girl” who is having trouble adjusting to her emotions as she grows up and moves to a new home. She has to leave her friends and old life behind and is struggling to make new friends and adjust to her new life in her new home. She is so overwhelmed that she completely shuts down. In her mind, her emotions go haywire. Her long term memories begin to fade away, and all that is left is an empty emotionless shell. Her emotions must work together inside her mind to recover her longterm memories. Some memories are lost forever, but new memories are also made. In this way, she grows up and finds new happiness and new balance in her life and emotions.

22.) Tangled

Tangled is a very unique twist on the classic story of Rapunzel. It is full of romance, adventure, charm, and humor. It also has some of the best Disney music ever. Check out this Acapella cover of I see the light by Peter and Evynne Hollens on youtube.

They also have another version with piano accompaniment here:

23.) Bolt

Bolt is a very cute adventure film about a dog that is in show business. He is confused and thinks that everything that happens on the TV show is actually really happening which has made him a bit narcissistic and has led him to believe he has real super powers. In the end, Bolt learns that you don’t need real super powers to be a hero.

24.) Lilo and Stitch

I had also missed this one in theaters and discovered it later. It is widely popular with 20-30 year old Disney fans, and even the creators of the film admit that Lilo and Stitch appeals to older audiences more effectively than previous attempts to do so, such as the Emperor’s New Groove, Treasure Planet, and Atlantis. Stitch was actually thought up in 1985, when its creator was trying to pitch an unsuccessful children’s story book. Originally Stitch was going to be set in Kansas, but the decision was made to move the setting to Hawaii. It was the first Disney film to be set in Hawaii, and it also features a strong ethnically diverse female lead who doesn’t need a Prince to save her. Stitch is cute and mischievous and sometimes even violent. The original film was much more violent, but due to both audience testing and also the terrorist attacks of 9/11, several changes were made to make the movie more comical and less edgy. Lilo and Stitch was nominated for several awards but lost out to Studio Ghibli’s Sprited Away. Speaking of anime, Lilo and Stitch is very popular in Japan and even had an anime called Stitch! that ran for multiple seasons.

25.) 101 Dalmatians

I only just recently learned that 101 Dalmatians is based on a book. I kinda want to read it now actually lol. The original book is from the 1950s by author Dodie Smith – http://amzn.to/2BDIEn9 – He also wrote a sequel called Starlight Barking http://amzn.to/2Cv9F9c (which may be the basis for 102 Dalmatians? I’m not sure.) Smith’s other works are also adapted to Disney films including The Midnight Kittens which would become the Aristocats. http://amzn.to/2C8Apkb

Did you know that Walt Disney hated Disney’s version of 101 Dalmatians? He hated how it looked because it was the first Disney film to use Xeroxography instead of hand-inking each cel. It was also Disney’s first film to be set in a contemporary instead of fantasy setting. Despite Walt’s dislike of the film, it became one of the most beloved classic Disney films of all time.

26.) The Aristocats

As I mentioned above, this too is based on a book by Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmatians. The book is The Midnight Kittens http://amzn.to/2C8Apkb I am a huge cat lover and enthusiast, so it’s somewhat surprising that I don’t rank this film higher on my list. However, the writing at times drags and at other times skips around. The script originally was going to be a 2 part mini cartoon, and a more emotional story, about a woman looking to find the right adopters for her unique cats before her death. The decision was made to change it to a feature length film, and to follow on the success of 101 Dalmatians by creating a similar European setting and adventure. From there, the film was to be mostly about the mother cat, hiding her kittens in various places to keep them safe; however, further cuts were made leaving us with what we have now.

27.) Bambi

Bambi is a Disney classic. The young buck grows up before your eyes and learns to protect his friends in the forest. He goes from innocent, sweet, shy, clumsy, and babyish, to a young adult. We witness him falling in love, taking his first steps, and even meeting the great stag who is his father. The other animals such as Flower and Thumper are equally adorable, and we watch them too evolve and grow up throughout the film.

28.) The Fox and the Hound

This is also based on a book – and the story is much sadder than the Disney version. Disney has taken a lot of liberties with this book, and taken something soul crushingly depressing and made it into a cutesy Disney film about 2 unlikely friends. Similar to Bambi, we watch the characters grow up in a forest setting. If you like sad stories, check out the original book here http://amzn.to/2sLB6fp

29.) Dumbo

Dumbo is a classic Disney film that depicts what it is like to be bullied. Dumbo has no friends, and when his mother gets locked up for trying to protect Dumbo, Dumbo has an even harder time with his peers. This story is very relateable for anyone who has been a victim of bullying. One of the most memorable scenes is when Dumbo’s mother reaches her trunk down to cradle Dumbo as she sings to a lullaby to him. Sending a similar message to the audience as Rudolph, Dumbo teaches us that sometimes are weaknesses are actually our greatest strengths, and to take pride in our individuality, as Dumbo learns that he can fly by using his large ears as wings.

30.) WALL-E

Despite being a mostly silent film, WALL-E is able to connect with the audience through use of imaginative robots with very human-like personalities. WALL-E is full of charm, and also full of morals and warnings of what may one day befall our own humanity. WALL-E reminded me a lot of Johnny Five from Short Circuit, and I loved this film because of WALL-E’s ability to make me care about him. You feel sympathy for WALL-E, you feel his loneliness, you feel his fear, you feel his excitement, curiosity, innocence, and inquisitiveness as the story unfolds.

31.) Pocahontas

I had the opportunity to watch the animators working on this film on my one and only trip to Walt Disney World back in the 90s. Most Disney fans agree that Pocahontas is the weakest of all of the 90s animated Disney films. While it had beautiful music and lavish artwork, the story suffered and the bland, forgettable characters soon faded from memory. Pocahontas is also often criticized for white washing. While it is true that it was the first ever Disney film to feature a princess of color, much of the history and story of Pocahontas was sanitized to make it more family friendly (and to appeal to white kids (and their parents) as well). This in turn rightfully angered the native american people at the time of Pocahontas’ release. They are quick to point out that Pocahontas had no choice, and there was no romance between her and John Smith, and that the film seemed to show forgiveness/acceptance of both sides (natives and the settlers, with both being deemed “savages”) while seeming to neglect to explicitly spell out the tragedies that would soon befall the native american people. Despite these criticisms, the movie did quite well in the box office and received a number of awards. It was this success that helped set the trend and tone for a flush of future Disney films to have a strong independent female protagonist such as Mulan, Tangled, Brave, and Frozen. Prior to Pocahontas there had only been 6 Disney films to have a female protagonist, and most (though not all) of those were the classic princess types who needed saving by a Prince such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella, all of whom also happened to be white. Aladdin had Princess Jasmine 3 years prior to Pocahontas, who was also of ethnic decent and fiercely independent, but she was not the titular lead role, but instead a sidekick to the Prince.  So ultimately, while Pocahontas has its flaws and offends a lot of people, it still also has its merits as well.

32.) Hercules

Hercules and Hunchback are both often attributed with the downfall of the “Great 90s Disney Movies” or the Disney Renaissance era. Interestingly enough, Pocahontas is also attributed to the eventual downfall as well. I have ranked these three films all pretty closely to each other on my list here, that was before researching and learning others’ views on these films. I typed a numbered list, and later worked down through researching some of the films on my list to flesh out my commentary or refresh my memory of certain details.

I honestly really liked Hercules. I have always loved mythology and have studied it in both highschool and university. I know that they changed nearly everything about the mythology, to make it more Disneyish but that’s to be expected with Disney handling any source material. The most common complaint is that Hercules is not a god in mythology but a demigod instead, while Disney portrays him as a full fledged god in their movie. I liked the unusual art style and I also loved the music in Hercules. The only reason it finishes in sorta a middle of the list position, is that ultimately the story and characters are not as memorable as other 90s and 2000 Disney films. I think personally for me, it was too humorous and cutesy at times, and lacked the sort of mystique that mythology so often holds. Though I do enjoy the humorous blubbering villains in Hades and his henchmen, I feel the constant focus on this trio (plus Devito as Phil) really detract from the epic adventure / love story that takes place. While still a good movie, it falls short of greatness. It has some great parts, but far more mediocre parts that just weigh the whole thing down.

There are some who criticize the film as being overtly sexual, and also criticize Hercules for giving up his dream of living among the gods in order to stay with Meg… but honestly, the love between Herc and Meg is one of the best parts of this film. Learning to trust each other, and learning to love each other, and to rely on each other, that is an important message that kids should learn at an early age. However, they may miss this message lost within the other 80% of mediocrity of the film.

33.) A Goofy Movie

My favorite thing about A Goofy Movie is how heart warming and heart felt the story and characters are. Ultimately it’s a great family movie. It’s super relatable and charming. We’ve all been embarrassed by our family members at least once or twice. We’ve all hurt each others’ feelings once or twice, but always at the end of the day… We are family. No matter how old you get, where you go, or what you do in life. That’s the message of a Goofy Movie. It’s a classic tale of a father’s love for his son, a dad who is doing his best, and has good intentions, but ultimately still makes mistakes. That’s what makes the movie so likeable and the characters so human like in their interactions.

34.) The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, even after being sanitized and Disneyified to death, is still an incredibly dark film with deep religious overtones. It directly calls out the corruption in the catholic church, and deals with themes such as lust, temptation, and seduction. Even the dancing and singing gargoyles can’t really keep this story from crossing quickly over into adult themes. This is perhaps one of the first Disney films to really tackle a more adult story. And that may also be part of its undoing as well. It loses some of the innocence and charm we’ve come to expect and appreciate in other Disney films.

35.) The Jungle Book

As we approach the second half of our top Disney animated films, my opinions of the films become much less firm, and more fluid, perhaps it is my ability, or lack there of, to recall the details of the films, or just the fact that a majority of the films that fall in the second half of the list were not that memorable in the first place. The Jungle Book’s only saving grace were the cute animals and catchy music with themes like Bear Necessities. The animation style was dark and drab, despite being set in a lush jungle. I liked, but never really loved, the Jungle Book. I did grow up loving the numerous spin offs, especially Tale Spin which I watched faithfully after school and on weekends. Here the animals took even more of a center stage. I also enjoyed the live action retelling of the story, which I appreciated a lot more as an adult. Perhaps if I were to rewatch the animated version I may enjoy it more now. I distinctly recall having to memorize the Tyger by William Blake in highschool, and I initially thought after watching the new Jungle Book live action film that both it and the older animated version were based on this poem, but actually, they are both based on a book titled The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling which is a collection of short stories staring anthropomorphic animals to teach lessons to young children about finding and accepting their place in society and respecting the laws of the jungle. This is often criticized as being racist, but of course the Disney movie sanitizes all of this for a more mainstream audience.  Still, the books are worth checking out. Did you know one of the characters is a seal in the Jungle Book? Neither did I!.. You can get it fairly cheap now (under $5 on amazon) thanks to the modest hype and success of the 2016 live action adaptation. http://amzn.to/2Cwcy9E

36.) Oliver and Company

Disney had a lot of success by this point with other talking dog films such as 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp. They also had a lot of success with musicals. So it’s no surprise that Disney’s Oliver and Company combines both of these things. While the cast of dogs (and Oliver the stray kitten) are indeed super cute, they ultimately aren’t as memorable as previous and similar Disney films. Billy Joel plays the voice of Dodger and he and Bette Midler sing a number of songs in the film, but even that isn’t enough to make the film, or its music, very memorable. And personally, I like Midler in movies like Hocus Pocus, but I felt her voice was a poor fit for Georgette who should have sounded more charming / sexy. The most memorable part of the film for me was a “pepe le pew type” of character named Tito, a chihuahua who was crushing hard on a poodle (or was it afghan?) throughout the film (and constantly getting rejected). The other characters were far less funny. In fact, the movie’s namesake, was perhaps the most bland and boring of all of the characters, making me not care very much if he ever got adopted or not. The story of Oliver and Company is based on Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. The only reason it ranks higher than the next few films on my list is that dogs and kittens are cuter than mice, people, or llamas, and the next few films are also pretty forgettable.

37.) The Rescuers

I never realized that The Rescuers was based on a series of books by Margery Sharp. It’s also curious to note that Miss Bianca is the main character with a ton of backstory and character development in these books and Bernard is merely her sidekick. Check out all the books on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00CKDIDRM/ref=dp_st_1590174607# I remember watching The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under as a kid. One of the most memorable scenes I can recall off hand is when Bianca and Bernard are preparing to take off on the back of the albatross and she tells him to button up, that it’s cold outside, and he gets nervous as she starts helping him dress warmer. The other slightly annoying scene I remember is Penny in the pit whining and complaining and crying about how she can’t reach the eye as the tide is coming in. The other thing Rescuers is well known for is a hidden porn clip in one of the windows on one of the buildings when they are flying by, which includes a shower scene.  (which yes it is messed up to include such things in a children’s cartoon. eww). But when I heard that, that little trivia factoid stuck with me more than most of the rest of the movie. The thing is, it just wasn’t that engaging or compelling. If I’m going to watch a cartoon about Mice I much rather watch “The Secret of Nymh” about a million times over the Rescuers or the Rescuers Down Under. On the live action side of things, I also enjoy Ralph the Motorcycle Mouse or The Witches way more than The Rescuers or The Rescuers Down Under. The Rescuers aren’t bad films, but just not great, either. I do want to read the Rescuer books though 🙂

38.) Tarzan

Tarzan has great music and a lush vibrant setting that lends itself well to Disney’s animation style, but beyond that, it’s one of the least memorable Disney films to me. I don’t care about any of the characters, the story feels flat, and the pacing feels off too. Disney’s Tarzan just falls into the realms of mediocracy for me.

39.) Mulan

While I love that this film is set in Asia and based on a real historical figure and that it features a very strong female lead and role model, I ultimately don’t love it as much as a lot of other Disney films. I think the problem again is that it’s just not memorable. The characters are not interesting and the whole thing just feels very bland. If I want to watch a film about China, I rather watch Chinese Ghost Story, which was actually animated in China, or more recently, Big Fish and Begonia.

40.) The Emperor’s New Groove

This cartoon is very funny, and definitely an enjoyable and playful romp. It even aims to pass down a lesson in its storytelling. I loved “The Emperor’s New Clothes” which I’m pretty sure this film is based on. The moral is to not be vain, and to remain humble, even when you are in a position of power or prestige. I’d even say this film is far more “memorable” than the previous few films on our list here. – I’d say that from about item 32 through 42, the movies on this list are pretty interchangeable in terms of my likelihood to re-watch or recommend them. If I’m in a mood for a comedy and nothing more, The Emperor’s New Groove would probably be further up the list by a handful of places. But if I want a more fantasy and romantic type setting, which is typical Disney, ultimately the Emperor’s New Groove doesn’t quite deliver.

41.) The Incredibles

A fun superhero movie, a new adventure for Disney who has never really tackled the super hero / comic / geek type fare before. I loved the themes of family and the geeky superhero antics, but I still don’t find this as charming or memorable as other Disney/Pixar films such as UP, Toy Story, Monster’s Inc, or Finding Nemo/Dory. The Incredibles just falls short when compared to almost every other Pixar Film. In its own right, without comparing it to the rest, it’s probably not a bad film. It just lacks the heart and charm of the rest of the Pixar pictures.

42.) The Sword in the Stone

When I was younger, this was one of my most favorite Disney Films (because it was before most of the great 90-2ks Disney films that now take up most of the higher spots on the list.) I was always interested in the Legend of King Arthur. I read the book, watched various movies/mini series (my favorite of which is probably “Merlin”.) I’m still enamored with Renaissance faires, clothing, food, jousting, crafts, and everything medieval. I’d like to see Disney remake this, maybe a live action version since they seem to be doing a lot of those lately.

43.) The Black Cauldron

This is probably the most underrated Disney film of all time. It’s also the darkest and best suited for young adults, as opposed to children. Despite my deep love for this movie, it is one of the worst performing Disney films of all time. It was the first Disney film to use computer animation, and the first Disney film to receive a PG rating. It came out in 1985, and at the time it was the most expensive animated film, costing almost 45 million dollars to create. It did terrible in the box offices, recouping less than half of those costs. None of this affects my rating of this movie. It just doesn’t stack up to other Disney films in terms of animation, music, and etc. The story and characters are actually pretty good, especially if you’re looking for something a little darker and scarier than most other light and fluffy Disney films. Ultimately though, the film suffered numerous cuts and edits and struggled to decide if it wanted to commit to the dark and emotionally moving books on which it was based. There’s also a sierra game similar to king’s quest. based on Disney’s version of The Black Cauldron. The game has primitive graphics but actually a lot of interesting gameplay concepts, including a branching plot and multiple endings based on choices you make within the game. This game is now freeware and can be downloaded here: http://allowe.com/downloads/games.html but you’ll probably need an emulator like Scummvm to run the games on newer PCs. According to wikipedia “On March 17, 2016, Variety confirmed that Walt Disney Pictures had re-acquired the film rights to The Chronicles of Prydain, with the intention to adapt the book series into an epic motion picture series, more attuned to Lloyd Alexander’s high fantasy world. The project is currently in early development at the Walt Disney Studios with no director, producer, or screenwriter attached yet” – I can’t wait for this!! It could be as epic as Lord of the Rings, Narnia, or Harry Potter. You can also read all 5 of the original books in omnibus format https://www.amazon.com/Prydain-Chronicles-Lloyd-Alexander/dp/B0006DBJOC However, it may be cheaper to just buy the boxset or kindle editions: https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Prydain-Lloyd-Alexander/dp/1250000939 

  43.) Gnomeo and Juliet

When World of Warcraft first came out, I was really really into Gnomes for awhile, because my main character was a gnome. So I loved this cute little 3d animation remake of Romeo and Juliet. It is funny and adorable, and holds its own, but ultimately its very different from the more fantastical and charming traditional Disney films.

44.) The Princess and the Frog

This film will forever be remembered as having the first black Disney princess, but beyond that, I’m afraid the story and characters are anything but memorable. The story just feels flat, and the characters lacked the charm of previous Disney films. Music also didn’t live up to the classic 90s Disney films. The problem was they brought back all the studio and staff from greats like The Lion King, Little Mermaid, etc, and still somehow, turned out a film that really lacked the heart and soul of their earlier works. All that said though, I do really like the twist on the classic fairy tale. In this version, the princess turns into a frog, instead of the frog turning into a prince, when kissed.

45.) Treasure Planet

Disney’s attempt to capture a more mature audience failed and resulted in over $100 million in losses. This film looks beautiful, but that’s about it. It has no heart or soul. The whole thing feels lifeless and dull. I can’t bring myself to care about the characters or what’s happening around them. I do really like the animation techniques of using 2D characters atop 3D backgrounds though and wish they’d try that technique again sometime.

47.) Duck Tales the Movie

Another average, not great, Disney film. I enjoyed Duck Tales as a kid, but it works better as a series I think. It lacks a compelling storyline or overarching plot and continuity that makes most theatrical movies so engaging. – That said, there is much excitement about the new Duck Tales reboot that came out last year. I would have been more excited for a Dark Wing Duck movie myself.

48.) Atlantis: The Lost Empire

I feel like the subject matter of this film has a lot of potential – but that sadly, ultimately Disney wasted that potential and created a rather forgettable tale about the lost city. I love the “legend” behind Atlantis, and I like that Disney took a different approach than we typically think of by basing the city around Mayan culture instead of Greek culture that is so typically attributed to the legend of the sunken city. It’s also a timely tale and warning in an age when the internet and technology were beginning to advance and rapidly change our own cultures and interactions. The warning in both the original, and in Disney’s Atlantis, is that if we become too reliant on Technology, our civilization will deteriorate. It’s also a tale of greed, others want what we have, we want what others have, and sometimes if technology falls into the wrong hands, there can be deadly consequences. This is all very interesting stuff for an epic fantasy adventure — but an adventure is only as interesting as the characters experiencing it, and these characters are so flat and dull that this movie will put you to sleep before it even gets off the ground. It’s very action packed, but without a reason to care about what’s really happening to the characters at the heart of the conflict, that action ultimately goes to waste.

49.) Chicken Little

I thought this film was cute and funny, but overall a bit too juvenile and simplistic for my tastes. I have nothing bad to say about the film and have even watched it more than twice now.

50.) Frankenweenie

Growing up, I had watched, and even enjoyed the black and white live action version of Frakenweenie, a story about a boy who loves his dog so much he brings him back to life after a tragic accident. I still prefer the live action short film over this version. I feel like the story didn’t change much or gain anything meaningful, despite adding almost another hour of footage to the remake. It’s not necessarily bad, if I had never seen the short film, I’d probably be more inclined to rate this higher.

51.) Dinosaur

I like this film, but ultimately, The Land Before Time did it better. This film lacked originality and also suffered from some pacing issues with the story. It was heart warming and emotionally impactful, but then again, so was the Land Before Time. This film felt like a poor 3D knock off of The Land Before Time in almost every way, and its characters, while cute and likeable, were not nearly as memorable as the ones from Land Before Time.

52.) The Great Mouse Detective

These last ten movies on our list are some of the oldest Disney films, and therefore some of the most simplistic in character development and storytelling. Much like the Rescuers, this is a cute detective film feature hero mice as the stars. It’s even less memorable than the Rescuers however. I hear that the books are much better. You can check out Basil of Bakerstreet here: https://www.amazon.com/Eve-Titus/e/B001HCX2AU/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1  As well as another story series with mice by the same author, Anatolle.

53.) Robin Hood

Robin Hood’s only redeeming/memorable quality is the use of anthropomorphic animal characters or “furries” to tell this legend of well known bandit turned hero who “robbed from the rich and gave to the poor” along with his band of merry men and their story. Otherwise, there’s little to nothing of interest in this film for those already familiar with the original tale. The furrie thing alone though is enough to make it iconic and immensely popular among furrie culture. You can see a lot of resemblance between Nick in Zootopia and Robin. I also see Robin’s character design as a major source of influence for Rif the fox from Inherit the Earth, one of my favorite PC video games.

54.) Sleeping Beauty

There’s nothing wrong with Sleeping Beauty, or any of the other early “princess movies” unless you’re a feminist, in which case there’s everything wrong with these movies. But I’m no feminist… So I’m fine with these early Disney princess films, but I find them less engaging, memorable, or exciting than the 90s fare of films such as Lion King, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and so on…

My favorite version of Sleeping Beauty is a book called “Spindle’s End” – a retelling of Sleeping Beauty told from the animals of the forest. I feel like this book would have made a better Disney film than the Disney Sleeping Beauty. Of course, the Disney Sleeping Beauty is much older than Spindle’s End.  The author also has unique retellings of Beauty and the Beast and many other great fairy tales. https://www.amazon.com/Robin-McKinley/e/B000AQ1OUY/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

55.) Alice in Wonderland

Alice is not a typical Disney princess. She is perhaps the first example of a strong female lead in a Disney film. She doesn’t need to rely on a prince to save her. She uses her logic and wits to outsmart the queen of hearts and her henchmen. The fantasy setting, although a bit too trippy / drug inspired for my tastes, is in fact memorable and exciting. The cheshire cat is my favorite character in this tale. In the live action remake, I also really liked the hatter’s character and a bit of suggested hints of romance between Alice and Hatter.

56.) Cinderella

Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it’s Cinderelly. The mice sidekicks and Fairy Godmother and their songs are about the most memorable thing I can recall from this film. Did you know there’s also an anime series, and movie (which I believe is piece meal of the series edited into a much abridged movie version?) Check it on MAL: https://myanimelist.net/anime/2817/Cinderella_Monogatari 

57.) Snow White

I think this was the first film I saw in theaters – and from what I was told it scared me to death. Looking back now, really all I can remember is “hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go”. I much prefer more original / creative takes on classic fairy tales. Disney’s own series, Once Upon a Time, does a better job at this than their classic cartoons. In Once Upon a Time, we sympathize more with the villains – at least I did – while watching the stories unfold. We learn the back story and motivation for why Snow White’s stepmother hated her so much. And Snow White herself is much less of a mary jane and much less passive and more spunky and fun and quick witted, and a thief like character. – I mean you would have to be resourceful to take care of yourself in the forests, you can’t just be a kept princess. I also have not read, but hear good things about Neil Gaimman’s Snow, Glass, Apples – I mean, it must be good, because it’s almost $2,000 for the hard copy on Amazon lol… https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Glass-Apples-Neil-Gaiman/dp/B000P1OWWQ – Luckily it’s also included in this collection of short stories which you can pick up for about $4. https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Mirrors-Short-Fictions-Illusions/dp/0380789027/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519680106&sr=1-1&keywords=snow+glass+apples 

58.) A Bug’s Life

Better than Dreamworks’ Antz, but still this is by far Pixar’s weakest film. Not much else to say about this one.

59.) Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh was a big part of my childhood (I liked Tigger), but now as an adult, I have little desire to ever watch it again.

60.) Peter Pan

I never really liked Peter Pan that much. There’s nothing really “wrong” with it, it just didn’t appeal to me much when I was little.

61.) Pinocchio

I hated Pinocchio, I dunno why. I have heard the book it is based on is dark and creepy AF. The stuff of nightmares.

62.) Fantasia

You either love it or you hate it. I hated it. I have nothing against classical music, or musicals even – Moulin Rouge is one of my all time favorite films which I’ve seen probably over a dozen times – but Disney’s Fantasia is just a bore, since it really has no overarching plot and feels too pieced together for my tastes.

Disney feature length animated films I have not watched – In no particular order:

Victory Through Air Power

Doug’s 1st Movie

Recess: School’s Out

Teacher’s Pet

Home on the Range

Valiant

The Wild

Meet the Robinsons

Ratatouille

Roadside Romeo

Arjun: The Warrior Prince

Planes

Big Hero 6

Strange Magic

Coco

  62 Disney Animated Feature Length Films Ranked From Best to Worst – An Otaku’s Take On the Best and Worst Animated Disney Films – Disney Films Ranked From Best to Worst. Top 10 Disney Films was originally published on GeekySweetie.com - Geeky & Kawaii Anime, Tech, Toys, & Game Reviews & News

#101 Dalmations #Aladdin #Alice in Wonderland #Animated Films #Anthropomorphic #Aristocats #Atlantis #Bambi #Beauty and the Beast #Best Disney Animated Films #Bolt #Brother Bear #Bug's Life #Cars #Chicken Little #Children Films #Cinderella #Disney #Disney Princess #Disney Princesses #Ducktales Movie #Family Films #Fantasia #Film and Television #Finding Dory #Finding Nemo #Frankenweenie #Frozen #Furries #Goofy Movie

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Project #3: MUSIC VIDEO = Story + Image + Sound

Inspiration for the Music Video

          For most of my life I knew I wanted to do something in the animation industry. The big movies I wanted to work on were a Wreck it Ralph sequel, an Incredibles sequel, and a Peanuts movie since I missed out on all of those I figured animating this as an homage to Charles Schultz would be the next best thing.

The Creative Process

         When it came to the song choice for the music video I knew immediately what song I wanted to use. The mash up between Gorillaz’ Feel Good Inc. and Daft Punk’s Technologic provided the perfect feel good beat and theme for what I wanted to do. After I got the song approved, I went ahead and story boarded exactly how I wanted the Music Video to play out. Next I sat down and watched Literally every single Peanuts special to get a sense of the creators animation style, the characters personality, and character designs. During this I also made Character Designs for all my classmates to get an idea how they would look. After this I got to work on the animation.

The Animation Process

          For this animation process I went about doing a rough sketch first and then going through again in a clean up process to make it look good, meaning that everything was technically drawn twice. In order to give the video that real old school animation vibe I also decided to animate in 30 FPS. If you are not familiar with the term all it means is that every viewer second equates to about 30 drawings that had to be drawn. What was also important to the animation process was to get the characters movements and mannerisms as closely to Mr. Schultz’s as can be.

Technology vs. Traditional

         Even though 90 percent of this project was done digitally, the method used was completely traditional. I felt it was really important to make sure that the style was as close to traditional animation as can be so I made sure of it. The techniques used were the same used by Disney, DreamWorks, and most importantly Mr. Schultz.

It all comes tumbling down

      Unfortunately animations I had for this project were denied to me when my car was towed with my external hard drive in it so I had to quickly come up with a plan B. I quickly edited my song and animations I had to try and make it more cohesive but that’s when I discovered another unfortunate problem. The program I animated with, Adobe Animate, has an issue with integrating with other programs the larger the file is. I discovered that after It was imported in Premiere, there were audio desyncs and frame drops in my animations. After looking online it seems to be a common problem and unfortunately I just can’t fix with purchasing a new animation program.

In the End

         In the end, despite all the stress and misfortunes I ending up having to deal with, I’m glad I chose to animate this. It made me appreciate my hero’s work and helped me learn a lot more about the digital medium than I originally did. Even though it was rough it ha discourage me from wanting to be a great Art Director.

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Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014) dir. Rob Minkoff

#mr peabody and sherman #2014 #rob minkoff #dreamworks #adult humor in kids movies #thank you Every Dreamworks Movies Frame in Order facebook page for these hd frames with subtitles