Best Animated Feature: the lowdown

As we all now know 14 films have been submitted for consideration for Best Animated Feature at this season's Oscars. These include the big boys: Pixar's WALL-E, DWA's Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Disney's Bolt, Fox/Blue Sky's Horton Hears A Who; Universal's Tales Of Despereaux; independent titles: Delgo, Fly Me To The Moon, Igor, Dragon Hunters; and foreign titles: Waltz With Bashir (Isr-Ger-Fr), $9.99 (Aus/Isr - but English language), and The Sky Crawlers and Sword Of The Stranger (both Japanese). For the BAFTAs Persepolis (Fra) will qualify, but Bolt, Delgo, Dragon Hunters and the foreign offerings except Waltz With Bashir won't.

WALL-E - (http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/wall-e/flash_site.html?deeplink=Video) Quite simply one of the most beautiful animated films ever made. It's good enough for a Best Picture nom potentially, although i think the status of having a separate animated category will keep it out. From the ingenius Keaton-esque almost silent comedy first 45 minutes to the slightly more general audience friendly and not as good, but still great, second half WALL-E delivers on every level. One of the greatest animated characters ever created, not just in the artistry but in the heart, voice and personality. The scenery in the first half is so astonishing it is hard to believe you are watching animation and consultant Roger Deakins' influence is evident. A wonderful film that thoroughly deserves to win this category. Pixar continues to set the bar ever higher!

Kung Fu Panda - (http://www.kungfupanda.com/) It is a shame DWA choose to deliver their best film since the original Shrek in the same year as Waltz With Bashir and WALL-E, they just don't stand a chance, and that genuinely is a shame. Panda is not only hugely entertaining - far funnier and more consistently enjoyable than probably any of the studio's previous efforts - but it also showcases some extraordinary animation - the chop-stick battle between Po and his master is stunning. A very good effort, well worth watching and hard not to enjoy. It should, and i am sure will, bag a nomination but the competition is just too stiff this year.

Bolt - (http://www.apple.com/trailers/disney/bolt/trailer.html?t=med) Disney goes the DreamWorks route: voice talent names above the poster, blatant kiddie humour grabs in a film that opens domestic this week but won't make Bafta this year due to a Feb half-term launch. Looks cute and reasonably funny but don't expect it to be considered a great and with Disney behind Pixar's WALL-E they have their nom in the bag for that. That said, i haven't seen it so who can say for sure... right?!

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - (http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/madagascar2/large3.html) A surprisingly decent sequel to a film i hated, this looks better (the animation is fantastic on the scenery etc, although the ugly character design from part 1 doesn't quite gel with the upgrade on everything else!) and is much funnier. It is still inconsistent though. The central characters just aren't that funny or likeable. Sacha Baron Cohen is great and the Penguins once again provide a lot of laughs but this is not a great film, certainly not on a par with the Panda, and it is a sequel which won't help it. DWA have their nom in the bag with Kung Fu Panda so this one will miss out.

Waltz With Bashir - (http://www.sonyclassics.com/waltzwithbashir/trailer.html) Wow! This film is stunning. I've reviewed it on here so i won't repeat everything but i expected a worthy, but hard to love film like Persepolis and got a gripping, entertaining, roller-coaster or humour and horror. This film could and would win Best Animated Film in almost any year, but against WALL-E? I can't see it. That said in a way i hope it does. I love WALL-E but Pixar has the acclaim already and i wish more people than will would see this fantastic film. I can't recommend it more. A nomination is assured if there's any justice in the world.


The Tale Of Despereaux - (http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/thetaleofdespereaux/) Could be painfully cutesy and naff, could be a new American Tail. The animation looks good and it different in style from the others on offer. The trailer has its moments without being remarkable. The only one i haven't seen that i feel i need to just in case.

Delgo - (http://www.delgo.com/flash_site.html) I can't comment too far as i haven't seen this but look at the trailer and you'll see how awful it looks. Not a hope.

Sword Of The Stranger - (http://www.stranja.jp/) Looks quite exciting (see 9th red tab on left side of site for very slow-loading trailer) but necessarily better than so many other animated films that come out of Japan, and with two Japanese qualifies i can't see this standing out.


Dr Seuss' Horton Hears A Who - (http://www.hortonmovie.com/) A fun but inconsistent film that passes the time enjoyably enough but doesn't leave you wanting to watch it again. There is also nothing special about the animation. Blue Sky won't be worrying Pixar and DWA at the Oscars with this effort.

The Sky Crawlers - (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4CWZ8BANVE) The fantastic animation on the plane sequences and landscapes doesn't seem to gel with the character animation in the trailer - an obvious mix of computer and hand-drawn animation, that may count against this. The story (from what you can tell from watching a Japanese-language trailer when you don't speak it!) looks possibly more epic than Sword Of The Stranger (which looks far more entertaining) but with the power of Bashir's story and the elegance of WALL-E's animation i can't see this breaking through.

$9.99 - (can't find a trailer) No way to judge this as can't find a trailer and haven't seen it. A good voice cast including Geoffrey Rush and Anthony LaPaglia are on it. Judging from stills it's stop motion. It had better be pretty special to challenge by top three predictions.

Fly Me To The Moon - (http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/flymetothemoon/) Haven't seen it myself but those i know who have say it is one of the worst animated films they've ever sat through! The trailer would seem to support this statement. Count this one out.

Igor - (http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/igor/large.html) Speaking of worst animated films ever, this painfully mis-judged effort wants badly to be Tim Burton but fails on every level. The jokes that are meant to be dark are just unpleasant. The character designs miss both charming and kooky. The story is hackneyed, obvious and pointless. Most of the voice cast are lazily doing what they've done so so so many times before (the work of Jennifer Coolidge, John Cleese and Eddie Izzard here is unforgivable!) What's worse is it feels like it could have been a good idea at some point. Steve Buscemi's suicidal immortal rabbit provides a (very rare) occasional smile but this won't even flit across the mind's eye of voters.

Dragon Hunters - (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6NBPXplDYA) Trailer looks horrible, and curiously Igor-esque. Ugh!

Persepolis (BAFTA only) - (http://www.sonyclassics.com/persepolis/) An impressive film, but it is hard to truly love. Given that many will see it as a year old despite its qualifying status for the British Academy and that Waltz With Bashir provides similar, superior edginess to the category expect this one to fall by the wayside given that you only get 3 nominations in this category.

Final predictions: The nominations for Oscars will be WALL-E, Kung Fu Panda and Waltz With Bashir. WALL-E will win, although Waltz With Bashir is good enough to cause an upset. BAFTAs will nominate WALL-E and Waltz With Bashir and probably Kung Fu Panda. Again WALL-E will win.