Animation 2011

[dixon_green]

This has not been a great year for movies, and positively pathetic for animation.  I saw several films this year, but I am hard pressed to remember most of them:  X Men First Class, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part II, Puss in Boots, Sherlock Holmes, all of these are franchise films that kind of blend into the timelessness of memory with

Comments

[anonymous]

Pan's labyrinth was on TV here tonight. Dad decided to watch it. I had other things to do but read the plot synopsis on Wikipedia and then watched the last twenty-five minutes. By then Dad had gone to bed - after reading the synopsis. Can't say I really liked the story - didn't in fact. I don't like Ruth Rendell mysteries where the villain gets away with his/her nefariousness, either. I watched one last week with a couple of actresses that I enjoy, but no more. Her Inspector Wexford series is OK, though. He always catches the baddies. While I'm on the "don't like" kick, I pass on operas where everyone dies, too - no matter how good the music. Will wait for Happy Feet 2 to come on TV. I remember that you weren't impressed with the story of the original and I agree - not satisfactory at all. But I do like the animation - the baby penquins are cute. So I'll probably watch it for the production numbers. I really don't like stories that start well but that soon have me wondering how the writers can satisfactorily resolve things - because usually they don't. When Puss in Boots come on TV again, I may watch that - again for the cute characters. (Yeah, we have a weakness for orange tabbies, don't we?) M

[dixon_green]

Pan's Labyrinth is old-school fairy tale: the rules of the game are harsh, the consequences unavoidable, blood magic is real, the good guys don't always win, but maybe the princess is rescued after all. The story is brutal, absolutely, but the visuals are wildly creative and unique. The bad guy was defeated, the prince was rescued, and the princess found her way home. But it was not a happy story.

You will like Puss in Boots. Solid (if unsurprising) story, excellent animation, and delightful production numbers. I think one of the requirements for assignment to the project for the animators must have been to be a cat owner.