With recent decades' influx of computer-generated animation and (ugh) the recent surge in CG 3-D films, I thought I'd take some time to discuss my favorite non-CG (and non-anime) animated films. I've been thinking about older Disney movies, and while I appreciate their contribution to the field of animation, I'm just not a huge fan of their general visual style. There's a limited stock of character designs, all used with minor tweaks in every movie, and a lot of the characterization is a bit lazy. The settings are usually beautifully done, but sometimes overly simplistic in their details. In the realm of cel animation I think anime is more interesting. Most of my favorite styles of animation are less traditional: I'm a huge fan of stop motion, rotoscope, and cut-paper silhouettes, for example. Read on for the list, and let me know what I've missed! (oh man... rhyming)
Neco z Alenky (Alice) (1988)
Experimental Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer combines a real-life actress with downright creepy stop motion figures in this version of Alice in Wonderland. The absence of music and dialogue allows the visual aspects to speak for themselves. It's intriguing and ultimately haunting.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Another stop motion film- and arguably the most well-known- with creepy undertones, but this time much more kid-friendly. I love Burton's character design and Selick's attention to fluidity of movement and intricate sets. Plus, these guys can sing and dance!
The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Why don't I own this yet? Jeez. This is a lovingly crafted 2-D French film about a boy who trains to become a bicycle racer, only to be kidnapped by a mysterious group of gamblers. His grandma and dog search tirelessly for him, with the aid of eccentric, elderly chanteuse triplets. There's very little dialogue, but the expressive animation effortlessly details the story. I love the combination of observant and realistic movements with exaggerated character design.
Sita Sings The Blues (2008)
Nina Paley's ode to divorce draws from the songs of Annette Hanshaw and the Hindu story of Sita and Rama. She mixes shadow puppets, vector graphic, traditional cel, and flat, jerky stop-motion animation techniques for an eclectic and visually arresting tale. I'm not a fan of the style used in the modern-day segments, but everything is so beautifully done I can't really fault her for it.
Coraline (2009)
Another Henry Selick, so what? I was taken aback by how drop-dead gorgeous this movie is. He generates even greater fluidity than Nightmare with colorful, interestingly-designed characters. The sets and various fantasy segments are wonderful and imaginative, and I actually think the film improves a bit upon Gaiman's original book. Selick really knows how to create a fully realized, believable world out of such small pieces.
Honorable Mentions
Die Abenteur des Prinzen Achmed (The Adventures of Prince Achmed) (1926)
The oldest surviving animated full-length feature, and it's made by a German lady!
Waking Life (2001)
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Dante's Inferno (2007)
Animated completely with paper dolls and backgrounds.
Fears of the Dark (2007)
What are some of yours?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Top Five: Animated Movies (Non-CG)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'd argue in favor of creating some more-specific categories. Excluding CG was smart, but I'd also create separate lists for cell animation, stop motion, and rotoscope. THINK IT OVER FILM FORAGER.
ReplyDeleteTake a look at the recent Australian film "Mary and Max". I just caught it a couple of days ago and it's one of the best films I've seen this year, animated or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteSome good choices there. I totally agree with your citation of the wonderful Fear(s) of the Dark, which featured some great comic artists -- McGuire, Burns, Mattotti, et al. -- creating exciting, formally ambitious animations. I was especially enamored of McGuire's formalist closing piece; unsurprising since he's one of the great formalist comic artists, with "Here" an amazing piece that singlehandedly demonstrates the potential for experimentation inherent in the comics artform. And since I see your other review says that he doesn't have a website, I should point out that he does, and you can go there to see his other animated short, Micro Loup, a great piece in the same vein as his comic strip "ctrl."
ReplyDeleteI'd also add Persepolis as a great recent animated film.
I'd nominate PERSEPOLIS for this list - not only is it a swell bit of animation, but it's one great adaptation of a graphic novel.
ReplyDeleteGive it a look!
joelcrary: I hadn't heard of Mary and Max but I just added it to my Netflix queue. thanks for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteEd: McGuire's short in Fears of the Dark is definitely one of the best. I'm not sure why I couldn't find his website when I first wrote the review, so thanks for the link!
hatter: I haven't seen Persepolis since it came out in theaters, and I remember loving it, but can't recall how I felt about the animation style, so I didn't feel comfortable putting it up here. Great movie, though, and excellent graphic novel!
Yeah, I was going to nominate Persepolis as well. How about its spiritual cousin, Waltz with Bashir?
ReplyDeleteFletch: While I think the subject matter and structure of storytelling in Waltz with Bashir are really interesting and poignant, I actually wasn't a huge fan of the animation. I'm not convinced that Flash is a viable technique for a serious, full-length film, so I thought the visuals were a little strange. Since I based this list on visual aspects, I didn't include it. And yeah, I guess I need to re-watch Persepolis since I don't remember it too well! I dig the stark black and white in Sartrapi's design though.
ReplyDelete