Animation Week (Day 5): 5 Best Claymation Animated Films

1. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
This pair are possibly my favourite duo in films, and it's shocking to think that there are only 4 shorts and one feature film and yet these are such recognisable and well loved characters. Going from 20-something shorts to a nearly 90 minute picture must have been difficult but this film maintains the charm and nuances that make the Wallace and Gromit films so enjoyable. The film is hilarious, with a vegetable eating bunny on the loose, and the secondary characters, voiced by fantastic actors, add to the film and support W & G well. Also, how they make hairless, clay bunnies cute is beyond me but they manage it. Watch this film and then go and check out A Grand Day Out because the difference between the quality is phenomenal.



2. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This is one of the greatest animations ever but my love of Wallace and Gromit triumphed, although I'm sure this film would have topped a, lot of other people's lists. This is such a wonderfully dark animation and the oddity of everything makes it extra beautiful to watch. It's so interesting to think that it follows most of the basic Disney principles, a love story, songs, discovery of magic, and yet it is much a step away from the familiar formula as well. A lot of people have mentioned that they can't decide when toy watch this film, Christmas or Halloween? Personally, I would recommend watching it any time, any day, but if you want to watch it as a holiday film, pick both Christmas and Halloween.



3. Mary and Max (2009)
Similar style to Nightmare Before Christmas because of the use of monochrome colour a and a dark diversion from traditional animation methods, but this film is a lot darker. Mary and Max follows two troubled characters who find each other, however they can't help each other to their fullest extent because Mary is in Australia and Max is in America. It's an odd mixture of cute, endearing but then also sad, heart-breaking. If you're less of a fan of children films but still want to watch an animation (for whatever reason) this is the one for you. The director/writer hasn't done much else, which is a bit sad, but hopefully more will be coming from him.



4. Chicken Run (2004)
Such a weird film, but so good because it is very aware and accepting of its own oddness. It's also similar to Lion King where they take a familiar classic idea (Hamlet/The Great Escape) and apply it to animals....the natural progression where I hope all films will get to in the end. It's another weird one where there are featherless chickens (like the hairless bunnies) but they are still believable and kind of cute. It's genuinely funny but unfortunately there are some moments that are meant to be dramatic and they fall a little flat due to the general tone of the film (I'm thinking especially of a bit where there is dramatic rain but it looks so odd on the smooth chickens). I never thought that I would be rooting so intensely for a chicken, but you do when watching Chicken Run.



5. James and the Giant Peach (1996)
A hybrid of live action and animation which blew my mind when I first saw this. It's my least favourite style of animation, because it's reminiscent of Nightmare but has a more creepy/spikey feel to it. The plot also wanders around, the scene in the sea with pirate skeletons is particularly useless although enjoyable. Joanna Lumley and Miriam Margolyes as the aunts are wonderful and satisfyingly horrible and terrifying. There are a lot of flaws in this film, but it is still incredibly good and worth watching (but if you don't want to then just read the book).

Animation Week (Day 4): 5 Best Studio Ghibli Films

1. Castle in the Sky (1986)
This is a slightly odd film and reminds me somewhat of The Goonies, possibly because it's about children running from fairly bumbling baddies that are a mother/sons partnership. I have to say, like The Goonies, I found the villains quite benign and therefore dull, you don't expect people in children films to die, but I would like there to be more of an effort made to make me think that they are in some type of danger. Like most Ghilbi films, it's mystical and wonderful but also a lot of fun because of the almost steampunk vibe. However, the reason this is my favourite film isn't necessarily the plot, but instead the main character Pazu who is just the loveliest character, throughout the whole films I was just admiring how polite and kind he was. Because it's Ghilbi it's beautiful and worth watching even if it hadn't made this list.


2. Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
I grew up reading Howl's Moving Castle so once I found out about this film I needed to watch it, and although it is quite different from the book, it's an amazing interpretation and the changes made don't detract from the story. The castle is so amazing, detailed and marvellous (if you haven't seen the film just google 'Howl's room' and imagine people drawing that. Sophie and Howl, as the leads, are wonderful and you can definitely fall a little in love with Howl, but the secondary characters (particularly Markl and Calcifer) are so much fun and memorable. Oddly, the cast is huge, with Christian Bale, Billy Crystal and child actors who are now famous like
Josh Hutcherson, animations often have very impressive casts but this one is particularly surprisingly wonderful. I'm going to probably mention it in every review, but this is a beautiful film and enjoyable, there's very little negative to say.

3. My Neighbour Totoro (1988)
This is probably the most famous and recognisable Ghibli film and rightly so, so many of the sequences feel iconic when you are watching them and everything is so happy. It really captures the magic of childhood, or at least how childhood feels (because I've never met a giant cat/bear/thing). The problem that I have with this film is that the mother is ill, apparently, but we don't really know anything else about it so I don't know how to feel about that situation and therefore it seems as though it isn't important, even though an ill mother is very very important. All the little creature creations, from Totoro to the dust balls(?) are delightful so you can see why there is a big market for stuffed Totoros. This is probably one of the Studio Ghibli films that everyone should watch just to have a basic knowledge of the studio (probably along with Spirited Away).


4. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
The saddest and most serious Ghibli films, not what I was expecting so be prepared, this is not a magical romp through childhood but like being dragged through history. Not a lot of fireflies, this is not about fireflies, furthering the diversion from traditional Ghibli the title isn't so obviously connected to the film. The story is so heart breaking and I was hoping the ending that was hinted at wasn't going to happen all the way through because you just want the children to be ok (and I'm generally quite cold -hearted). It's set at the end of WW2 and based on a semi-autobiographical book, so the mixture of truth and fiction adds to the distressing nature of this film. If you're in the mood to cry, you can check this film out.


5. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
So cute, perfect level of cute in a film. As someone who loves witches and cats this film would have been perfect for me to watch as a child but unfortunately I think the first time I saw it, I was 19. Kiki would also be a wonderful person to cosplay as because it's so simple but obvious who you are with the bow and a broomstick/cat (just a slight tangent in this review). The story just ended rather abruptly which confused me, the end credits began rolling before I realised it had ended, but other than that the story is very good. It's yet another thing that makes me so sad that I'm not a witch but at least I can watch this on repeat and pretend I am.

Animation Week (Day 3): 5 Best Dreamworks Films

Quick note: I'm excluding collaborations with Aardman Studios because I'm going to do a '5 Best Claymation List'



1. Shrek (2001)
So go, so so good. Lovely idea of twisting all the best known fairytales and their common tropes making for a hilarious film which challenges its audience's expectations. I, as an introvert, enjoy seeing an introverted character who is endlessly happy as an introvert. Shrek 2 is also very good, especially with the addition of Puss, The Fairy Godmother and Charming, however after that the sequels become significantly poorer (and they're still getting made). It's very funny, enjoyable and endearing, but, to be honest, I doubt there are many people I need to tell that to because it seems as though everyone has seen and liked Shrek.



2. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
I haven't read the book that this film was adapted from, but my Dad said that the book doesn't even compare to the film (which is a nice change). It's a magical story for children and adults alike because little Hiccup gets to transcend his dreary world after discovering dragons (everyone's dream, right?) In addition to the story the film is so pretty pretty with flying scenes and the animation of the dragons being cat-like and really well researched (or as well researched as it can be for a fictional creature). The really odd mixture of adult Scots and American children makes no sense but I guess realism doesn't necessarily apply to this film. It's a wonderful film but I'm very glad it didn't come out when I was younger because my dragon obsession would have been fuelled no end.



3. The Road to El Dorado (2000)
Such an underrated film (I seem to keep mentioning underrated films on these lists) but this is one of the most charming and quotable comedies and not enough people quote it constantly (as me and my friends do). It's a very typical story about two men who go to El Dorado but then they realise that there is more to life than money...Slightly moralistic narrative but they get away with it because the friendship between Miguel and Tulio is phenomenal and perfect. The best thing about this film is the unrelenting humour however the jokes come thick and fast and you need to be paying attention because it is less slapstick an obvious than films such as Shrek. If you haven't seen this film, watch it with a friend because there can be a lot of joy in quoting Miguel and Tulio's lines at each other.



4. Antz (1998)
I watch Annie Hall this weekend and it was my first Woody Allen film with Woody Allen in it that I've seen, all I could think while watching the film was 'Oh my goodness, he's the voice of Z'. I had a lot of ants in my childhood, with this film and A Bug's Life, but I think this bug based movie was my favourite. It's one of the most oddly animated things ever, the antz look so weird but things like water and nature look really pretty. I love films that show a familiar world from a different perspective and Antz has a very memorable scene of a picnic from an ant's perspective and that kind of thing makes me happy. The final scene, trying not to give anything away, is wonderful and such a marvellous use of having so many ants (hint, hint, go watch the film!)



5. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Forget VeggieTales, Dreamworks knows how to tell a Biblical story. It's difficult to analyse this film because I don't know how truthful to the original text it is, and I don't necessarily care as long as the film is good, but I do feel as though religious interpretations should be honest to their texts because some people will get a  warped understanding of religion. The people are fairly simply animated but the rest looks really beautiful, there is one sequence, where Moses splits the sea, when the animation is stunning. Moses does become very self-righteous, which is one of my pet-peeves in characters, although some may argue that he has the right to be. It's a great film and doesn't alienate anyone because of its religious context. 

(P.S. I'm so sorry for how many brackets I've used. I don't know where this obsession began but hopefully the bag habit will end. It's probably due to my limiting of 5 sentences during reviews so maybe it will never end unless I stop my obsession with 5).

Animation Week (Day 2): 5 Best Disney Films

1. Lion King (1994)
Possibly one of the greatest films ever made and it's odd to think that this is an animal adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet (the premise doesn't sound promising but works incredibly well). From the music to the beautiful drawn animation this film demonstrates superior film making skills. Additionally to how good the music sounds, the voice actors are phenomenal, although I have to say that I'm surprised that Matthew Broderick played adult Simba. It's definitely one of the Disney films that is as enjoyable for adults as it is for children. This is also one of the few Disney films with a decent sequel (which I actually debated putting on this list).



2. Mulan (1998)
Disney's ultimate female power film, even though the best song is I'll Make a Man Out of You, this film shows that you don't need to be a man to be awesome and badass (woohoo!) It's one of the most progressive Disney films because it is about cross dressing, Asian, soldier which is a little different from the traditional Disney formula. The music, not just the songs but also the score, is really pretty and powerful; the interestingly named 'Haircut' is particularly good. It's nice how in this film there are animal sidekicks who cannot talk, but the one who does talk is explained as magic (this might sound odd but it makes everything feel a teeny tiny bit more realistic). One of my favourite things about this film is that the love story is more interesting, not only because Shang might have been very confused for a short while, but also because the characters actually got to know each other well before they walked off into the sunset.



3. Treasure Planet (2002)
The most underrated Disney film. For a sci-fi fan Disney is low on supply but this film marvellous and need so much more recognition. It's a familiar and well told story and it's quite similar to The Muppet's Treasure Island because of the odd mixture of aliens/puppets. Again, I'm going to mention music, because despite the fact that this isn't a musical there is one of the greatest songs ever, I'm Still Here, which is very similar to Iris in the way it sounds. This film needs to get much more recognition as one of the greatest Disney films rather than one of the forgettable ones.



4. Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Another under appreciated film. This one shows a man triumph over oppression and adversity but because he's not a beautiful princess, no one cares. Furthermore, Frollo is bloody terrifying, he's possibly the best Disney villain ever because he's not magic he's cut crazy, and Hellfire is one of the most epic songs and animation sequences Disney has ever produced. I haven't read the original book, I know the ending is a lot darker, but I don't know how much Disney has changed the story, regardless it's quite depressing and he doesn't even get the girl in the end. The Hunchback definitely doesn't follow Disney's traditional formula, but that's why it's so great because it's really unique within the cannon.



5. Hercules (1997)
This film is about a lot of misfits who either work with or against each other to achieve a greater good, and it's wonderful. I love the colours of this film, it is definitely made for children with how each of the Gods is a different colour, but I like that. Hercules is one of the most light-hearted Disney films, although there are sad/dark parts, but even the villain is funny and likeable if you look past his touches of evil. Some of the humour is quite shouty and slapstick but it suits the excessive style of Grecian myths. One of the main reasons people should watch Hercules is to just gather a basic knowledge of Greek mythology which is especially good for children.

Animation Week (Day 1): 5 Best Pixar Films

1. Up (2009)
Charming, funny and beautiful. Fascinating story about dealing with the loss of a loved one and seeking adventure. The main reason this is my number one is because of the flawless opening sequence which, to this day, is one of the greatest cinematic openings ever. You'll laugh, you'll genuinely cry and you'll leave the cinema smiling. What more could you want from a film?



2. Toy Story (1995)
This film is filled with amazing characters, not just Woody and Buzz, who can make any adult or child laugh. The soundtrack for this film was particularly strong, especially with Randy Newman's amazing voice put to the opening credits. Considering how old the animation is, it doesn't look too dated and is a testament to Pixar as not just great story-tellers but also astonishing animators. This, as a first film, is possibly the strongest start a company can ever have. Toy Story captures the magic of childhood in a way few other films have managed to do.



3. Toy Story 3 (2010)
A great way to (potentially) end this trilogy. Similar to Toy Story 2, this adds in a few new characters to help keep momentum going (and generate more merchandise). This came out when I was turning 18 so the growing and leaving things you love behind really hits home for me, and many people in my generation. Yet another Pixar film that will make you feel every emotion under the sun. I don't know if there will be a 4th, or if it's even necessary but a 4th instalment would be welcomed by me.



4. Wall-E (2008)
Probably the prettiest Pixar film, they even managed to make living in a wasteland look romantic. Wall-E is somehow one of the most endearing characters even without really speaking and no recognisable facial movements. Although it can be read as slightly preachy about Global Warming, it's told in such a friendly way that most people won't mind. The love story, which is quite rare in Pixar films, is so endearing and enjoyable but doesn't overtake the plot. I can't believe that Pixar managed to make, what is essentially, a dystopian film and still make it charming.



5. Monster's Inc (2001)
Probably the funniest of Pixar's film but it doesn't shy away from the sentimental stuff either. Pixar do pairing very well (Woody and Buzz, Marlin and Dory) but Mike and Sully are my favourite friends. Watching this after having seen Monster's Uni, I was shocked at how simplistic the animation is (go back and re-watch, it's weird) but Pixar were so ambitious for their time, especially with Sully's fur, it's amazing that it looked as good as it did. I was even some how converted into liking little Boo, which is another achievement because I am an adamant child disliker. I was so pleased when Monster's Uni came out, but I do want a sequel to see how Boo turns out.


 P.S. Having finished this list I keep thinking of all the other Pixar films that could be here. Top 5 really does chop and change depending on how I'm feeling. To be honest, you can't go wrong with any Pixar film, so this list is almost irrelevant. Left it until the end to say so though ;)

Frozen (2013) - Newest Disney film

* * * *

Two sisters are emotionally separated when the elder has to keep her snowy powers hidden from the world. When these get unleashed her younger sister, with the help of a reindeer, snowman and dashing gentleman, has to try to sort out the situation. Sadly I think that watching this film after hearing so many positive things about it has dampened my enjoyment of it somewhat.

Firstly, the characters are incredibly good. They are believable and imperfect. With a lot of films now-a-days they are trying to portray an ultra-feminist ideal of women, this is creating one dimensional 'strong female characters'. In this film they don't mind about their female characters showing weakness but instead show them as having positives and negative. Furthermore the two male characters were interesting, and Kristoff was particularly loveable. The most clever thing they did was also have an animal who didn't talk, for the cynics, but a magical creature who did, for everyone else's enjoyment.

It was one of the most beautiful films that I've seen in a while. Generally snow can be used to great effect and they do that here. Furthermore they have created beautiful costumes and character faces. The Anna's freckles and flushed cheeks were adorably wonderful. A particularly lovely scene was during the song Let It Go, when Elsa created her ice palace. Both the scenery and the character looked brilliant during that scene, they obviously really wanted to highlight that sequence.

The songs were great. Let It Go and Do You Want To Build A Snowman were my particular favourites, however there were also some delightful short ones which added humour and wonder to the world. Idina Menzel, of course, gave a flawless vocal performance but I was really impressed with Kristen Bell because I didn't know her as a singer and she sang amazingly well.

There were a few random bits thrown in which seemed to just be padding. There was a Duke character who seemed fairly pointless. Similarly there were trolls who, although adorable and fun, were also just there as filler. When you have a magical snow Queen, I don't think that you need more magical elements, especially such incongruous ones as rock trolls.

It was a incredibly good Disney film, another one to be proud of and enjoy. It was cleverly and carefully made and the strength of the film is testament to that. Unfortunately I do feel as though it was missing something, I believe that that is because I was expecting it to be this perfect film that many critics seem to be presenting it as. It isn't perfect but Disney is getting closer to capturing its old magic.