Wallace and Gromit in the curse of man and rabbit (2005)
Not every film can select two beloved freeze frame animation characters from a series of short films and TV specials, and put them on the big screen to produce a cheerful, hammer inspired comedy. But we rabbit is just one reason why no one should underestimate the Aardman team, who can bring their British feelings to a (relatively) large budget American animated film. The larger canvas did not weaken the charm of the inventor Wallace (the late great peterssalis) and his silent and intelligent dog friends, which was full of the kind of cunning winks and interesting outings of the characters we expected. The film itself may not have made a box office record (we obviously didn’t see the second film starring the pair), but it won the Oscar for animated feature film in 2006 – which is a good thing if it’s just for all the gardening puns.
Shrek (2001)
Twenty years later, DreamWorks’ side scan of Disney’s dominant position in the animation industry may not be as fresh as before – but if it is no longer the sharpest tool in the shed, it is still a noisy and colorful explosion. From the opening moment, “Shrek” tore up the fairy tale rule book and gently wiped its buttocks with it – centered on a huge green ogre, the princess was shaped into a monster, and the villain was depicted as the oppressive ruler of Duroc, the kingdom of Disneyland. If Mike Myers’ Scottish accent (emphasizing “ish”) is an inspiration, then Eddie Murphy’s donkey makes the whole film full of vitality – the legendary comedian is presented in a completely free way. As a companion comedy, it freely slides the metaphors and characters of the entire Magic Kingdom, and (for better or worse) ushers in a new era of popular culture reference. It still changes the rules of the game and is very, very interesting.
Pinocchio (1940)
Disney’s second animated feature film is a major leap for snow white – more narrative, more complex technology, and a darker way. It is adapted from the novel of Carlo Collodi, and tells that the nominal puppet won his humanity in the process of pursuing survival – he found that he was used by a dark entertainer, devoured by a violent whale named Montero, preyed on by a distraught cat man, and, in a really disturbing sequence, brought to the evil “Happy Island” by a demon rickshaw driver, There the rebellious boy was transformed into a donkey and carried away for evil purposes. In short, it’s not really a game for children – but adults will find a lot of technical mastery in its vivid tracking footage and creepy character animation. In addition, it has an excellent song in “when you wish on the stars” – now an unofficial Disney theme song.
