2009 Animated Films

[Drtooth]

The problem that I have is that I really loved the book so much as a child, I just hated the thought of them changing the story to something so banal. I have read the book cover to cover countless times mind you. The entire point of the book is that a grandfather tells his grandkids a really tall tale with no explanation whatsoever... The food just always came out of the sky, no one knew just why, no one seemed to mind (until the end) and it just had a nice feel of a fantastic world that on;y exists in the imagination. As far as I'm concerned, saying "A scientist did it" is like saying the Mr. men all lack torsos and have no parents is because they're aliens, or the reason Arthur and his friends are upright animals is because they were mutated. You DON'T explain magic or it takes away from it.

Plus, I heard Andy Samberg is in the cast, so double negative points for that.

 

[Baby Gonzo]

The problem that I have is that I really loved the book so much as a child, I just hated the thought of them changing the story to something so banal. I have read the book cover to cover countless times mind you. The entire point of the book is that a grandfather tells his grandkids a really tall tale with no explanation whatsoever... The food just always came out of the sky, no one knew just why, no one seemed to mind (until the end) and it just had a nice feel of a fantastic world that on;y exists in the imagination. As far as I'm concerned, saying "A scientist did it" is like saying the Mr. men all lack torsos and have no parents is because they're aliens, or the reason Arthur and his friends are upright animals is because they were mutated. You DON'T explain magic or it takes away from it.

I have to agree with you. I read the book as a child and where it came from wasn't an issue. Everyone just accepted it. And the book just didn't have enough content to merit a feature length film. It might have made a nice 30 minute short film, but honestly, can't anything just be left to being a book? Of course, I haven't seen this film yet and can't make a fair judgement about it. Though it looks 1,000 times better than some of the live action junk that is coming to theaters soon that I saw trailers for before The Princess and the Frog. (Though believe me, that's not saying much.)


1. Coraline - This was a great, imaginative film. I don't think it has the same re-watchablity factor as some other films. Though that doesn't stop it from being outstanding.
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox - I haven't seen this one yet, but it looks like it has a nice color scheme. However, from looking at the trailers, it doesn't look like it matches with the tone of Roald Dahl's writing. I guess it's hard to explain what I mean
3. The Princess and the Frog - I think this was a great return to traditional animation. The characters were appealing, the music was fun, and the art (especially the backgrounds) is excellent, in my opinion. It really took me back to my first Disney movie.
4. Monsters vs. Aliens - I have to admit, this movie suffers from some of the things I don't like about Dreamworks films. At times, the humor and some of the secondary characters got on my nerves. (And for that matter, the ping pong ball 3D gag from the beginning of the film left me groaning.) HOWEVER, I really enjoyed this. The monsters were great, and I wish we could have seen more of them. Ginormica was a refreshing female lead. And all in all, I love how it kept with the classic monster flick tone.
5. 9 - I haven't seen this one yet, but it looks really neat.
6. Ponyo - I have yet to see this one, but only because it wasn't in theaters near me. As soon as it comes to DVD and Blu Ray, I will pick this one up. Even Miyazaki's weaker movies have always been great.
7. Up - This film was adventurous, sweet and poignant. I can't really rate what is Pixar's best film, but I do think this film is a masterpiece in its own right.
8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - This film doesn't seem like it would be unwatchable. Though by looking at the trailers, it really seems like this film was made for the sole purpose of throwing junk at the audience in 3D.
9. Astro Boy - I am curious to see this film.
10. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs - I have no intention of seeing this film. I had the opportunity to see the second Ice Age film for free in a student theater, and even though it was FREE I couldn't find the appeal in it. And from looking at the trailers, this film just has too much obnoxious humor for my tastes.
11. Planet 51 - I haven't seen this film and don't really want to, though I do think some of the character designs seem cute.

Despite my pessimism, I do think this has been a rather good year for animation.

 

[Drtooth]

I have to agree with you. I read the book as a child and where it came from wasn't an issue. Everyone just accepted it. And the book just didn't have enough content to merit a feature length film. It might have made a nice 30 minute short film, but honestly, can't anything just be left to being a book? Of course, I haven't seen this film yet and can't make a fair judgement about it. Though it looks 1,000 times better than some of the live action junk that is coming to theaters soon that I saw trailers for before The Princess and the Frog. (Though believe me, that's not saying much.)[/qupte]

If the book doesn't have a complex plot or anything that's interesting enough to fill a full 90 minutes should be left alone as a book. I said this with the Wild Things movie... when they made that one, they were overly cautious about adding things, and some people feel it was a little flat in the middle. This is the extreme I think the writer was trying to avoid. Taking the book and turning it into something it wasn't.

8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - This film doesn't seem like it would be unwatchable. Though by looking at the trailers, it really seems like this film was made for the sole purpose of throwing junk at the audience in 3D.

That's the other thing I wanted to say... It really feels that half the movie was made to just be crappy one liners for the sake of tossing a trailer together. I hate that. I hate when trailers are basically a loose collection of the "funniest" parts of the movie. Even if the movie is good, it just really turns me off of seeing the thing.

 

[Blue Weirdo]

Dude... Mega Man stole the concept and just tweaked it. Astro Boy was made all the way back in the 1960's. Heck, dude's as popular as Mickey Mouse over there. Even if there were to be an actual Mega Man film, I'm sure they'd warp it around so it has nothing to do with the game, like they all do.

Yeah I know that, but does the average American movie-goer or film critic know? I'd hate to see it get slammed for being a ripoff when it's really an "inspired by". Actually Mega Man was originally going to be an Astroboy game but somehow the rights were lost after work had already begun so rahter than throw it away they took what they had and developed it into a new original story.

Heck Proto Man's back-story and helmet design are based on Racer X and his color scheme (red with a yellow scarf) are taken form Cyborg 009.

I'm a huge Mega Man fan and I've been wanting a film for a long time. As far as I know there is none in development and I agree that there's a good chance if one were made they'd change too much. I've been writing my own and while I make some alterations for a movieverse I'm trying to stay close to the overall game storyline.

Getting back to animated films, 2010 looks like it should have some good ones too.

Hoodwinked 2: Hood vs. Evil: I loved the first one and have been waiting for this long delayed sequel (it was announced when the first one still in theaters)

Toy Story 3: If the title alone isn't enough how about this: an evil Ken doll voiced by Micheal Keaton? Can't wait!

Shrek 4ever After: Shrek 3 was kind of a letdown after the first two great ones but I'll still probably see this. Paul McCartney (Yes the Paul McCartney) is voicing the main villain Rumpelstiltskin.

How to Train Your Dragon: I'll admit I've never read the book and have heard some complaints from people who have(and that's just based on the trailer) but it looks like something I'd like.

Megamind: (formerly titled Oobermind) I'm not a big Will Ferrel fan but the plot of this one: a villain accedently kills his superhero rival and must create a new one who then turns evil and he must stop -looks pretty funny

The Borrower Arietty: Just found out about this Studio Gibli's new project is a film based on The Borrowers. Of course this is brand new so it may not (in fact probably won't) hit American theaters for another year or so.

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah I know that, but does the average American movie-goer or film critic know? I'd hate to see it get slammed for being a ripoff when it's really an "inspired by". Actually Mega Man was originally going to be an Astroboy game but somehow the rights were lost after work had already begun so rahter than throw it away they took what they had and developed it into a new original story.

I don't know if that bit's true...

But my question is, when were they planning on making an actual Mega Man movie? The only Mega Man film I've seen was an online fan film that I don't know if they've ever finished.

The problem is that in the US at any rate, Mega Man is only really well known in gaming circles. Mainly old schoolers like me. He doesn't have the same public eye that Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog (as well as a bunch of the newer upstart games like Halo). So I doubt making the movie is actually a high priority, and even so, do anyone besides gamers know or care enough to go see it? I know I would, since I love him too... but the bigger picture is that he may not have enough of a hold on the public concious to make a film. Keep in mind, I am talking about the US... a Japanese film in Japan would probably bring in something... and I wonder if the NT warrior series get one of the theatrical movies that most animes get.

Of course, even if one does get made, video game based movies don't exactly have a good reputation for accuracy. Usually, whoever's writing and directing it will work outside of the perimeters of the game, and come up with something that basically is the game in name(s) only. Look at Super Mario Bros. Sure, it is kinda fun to watch, but Koopa being a human? Luigi being Mario's younger Brother by about 20 years? Naming the princess after the obscure Super Mario Land Game Boy character? I wish they'd just dub or subtitle "Super Mario Brothers: Rescue Princess Peach!" for release in the US already.