Matt and I present you with what we both feel are the best traditionally animated films. After my previous column I became nostalgic for the simpler times of classically hand-drawn movies. This list represents a nice variety of the pinnacle of the genre.
Jay's Picks
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
This is the movie that resurrected Disney's animation department, which had been spending most of the 80's churning out forgettable pictures like The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986) and Oliver & Company (1988). The primary force behind its creation was producer Jeffery Katzenberg, who would go on to lead the studio into a renaissance throughout the 90's, which included the release of modern-day classics like Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992) and The Lion King (1994). He would leave Disney to start DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen, but his work during this period would be what he is remembered for the most. It may be met with criticism but I've always felt The Little Mermaid was the best film of this period. Adapting from the classic Hans Christian Anderson story (they avoided the original's sad ending where the mermaid dies), the movie tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid princess and her desire to become part of the human world. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula (one of the very best Disney villains of all-time), and gives up her voice in order to gain legs so that she may meet the man of her dreams, Prince Eric. A lot of success should be attributed to the brilliant songwriting of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. They brought a musical theater element back into the Disney wheelhouse. Songs like "Part of Your World," "Under the Sea," and "Kiss the Girl" are showstoppers. The mold they created with this movie would serve as the template for most of the films that would follow.
The Iron Giant (1999)
Directed by Brad Bird
By the late 1990's, with the huge success of Pixar's Toy Story just a few years earlier, Hollywood had officially jumped onto the computer animated film bandwagon with both feet. The cost and time that was needed to be spent on classically animating hand-drawn features had already signaled the death of this medium. Studios would no longer invest money into these ventures and instead these traditional methods would be reserved for more independent or niche animators, mostly from foreign studios. Hayao Miyazaki and Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist) would be the most notable of these. But, in 1999, Brad Bird (The Incredibles) would give us The Iron Giant, a movie that has attained its own beloved cult following for not only being a last swan song of sorts for classically animated movies, but also a smart and thoughtful exploration of the Cold War era. Young Hogarth Hughes discovers and befriends an alien robot, stranded on earth. The robot is a dangerous weapon, obviously created for widespread destruction, but the boy teaches him compassion and how he can change the violent nature that lies within him. The film is full of the atomic paranoia of the time as the U.S. government sends an FBI agent to find the robot and eventually the military gets involved. Everything culminates in an emotionally powerful ending that rivals the catharsis of many Oscar winning live-action movies. The Iron Giant is a beautifully animated film and Bird's direction is flawless.
Spirited Away (2001)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
Like a Japanese version of Alice in Wonderland, master animator, Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, Spirited Away, is a strange, whimsical trip down a different kind of rabbit hole. Little Chihiro is moving to a new town with her parents when they take a wrong turn and happen upon an abandoned amusement park. Unfortunately for them, it's actually a bath house for the spirit gods, and when her parents are transformed into pigs after eating the gods' food, she must beg for a job there in order to save them. The witch who runs the bathhouse, Yubaba, holds sway over Chihiro and all of the workers there, and she gives the young girl a job in exchange for her name. Now called Sen, our little heroine turns to the only one who can help her -- a mysterious boy named Haku, who has a secret of his own. It was tough singling out just one Miyazaki film for my list as there are so many great ones to choose from, each a work of genius in their own right. I honestly could have made this top five just be all movies made by him, but that would be a little ridiculous. My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Howl's Moving Castle are all so unique and gorgeous works of art with stories that resonate with both children and adults. But Spirited Away is his most accomplished work. It won him an Academy Award for Best Animated Film, beating out the much more commercially successful DreamWorks movie, Shrek. Miyazaki remains one of the titans of animation and I would argue is as important as Walt Disney himself to the genre. Despite Matt's assertion that it is "too weird and freaky," Spirited Away is one the very best animated pictures . . . . ever.
The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Directed by Don Bluth
I think I've made my thoughts pretty clear on this movie in my previous column here. Read it to get all my thoughts on why it is so good. During a time when animated features were not seen as money-makers for the studios, The Secret of NIMH was a long shot. While it flopped at the box office, it found its audience on TV and VHS. It's a dark and beautiful film that didn't pander to kids. Groundbreaking techniques were employed to animate it and it's clear to see it was a labor of love for Don Bluth and his team of former Disney artists. It's the perfect combination of craft, story and performance. It still remains an underappreciated work of genius.
Pinocchio (1940)
Directed by Norman Ferguson and others
Walt Disney produced probably the most important movie in the history of animation when he released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. But it would be his second feature, Pinocchio that would be his best. Actually a disappointment at the box office when it was first released, now Pinocchio is pointed at by many to be Disney's crowning achievement. You won't find me disagreeing. The timeless tale of the puppet that longs to be made a real boy, so he can truly be loved as a son by Gipetto, the toy maker who built him, is a fable that all can relate to. Pinocchio's journey through "real life" and the temptations that threaten to lead him astray from being a good boy is still spellbinding today. The influence of the film on many of today's modern filmmakers can't be quantified. It would also establish many animation techniques, like the use of the multi-plane camera, that had not been attempted before but now are staples in the industry. For those who think Pinocchio is just a simple cautionary tale for children about not lying and being well-behaved, you are missing a big part of what makes this story resonate so much. Like the little cricket that is the puppet's companion, this movie is our conscience, projected right on the screen for us to see. From Pleasure Island to the belly of Monstro the whale, Pinnochio's adventure is immortal and reflects both the innocence and realities of youth in every gorgeous frame.
Matt's Picks
Matt here! Jay picked really good ones, and, in the tradition of me trying to make some different picks, here are my five (in no particular order):
Ponyo (2008)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki
I will reiterate Jay's previous statement made about my lack of love for Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award-winning Spirited Away. To say I dislike the film is an understatement, but I do like other films of his -- particularly Howl's Moving Castle. But that one falls just under Miyazaki's take on Hans Christian Anderson's (and Disney's) The Little Mermaid: Ponyo. Like with most Miyazaki films, the animation is breath-taking. But what I enjoy most about this particular film is how Miyazaki strips away all of the Disney-esque traps -- a handsome prince, a deal with a sea witch, a true love's kiss, etc. -- and focuses merely on the friendship between a five-year-old human boy, Sosuke (Frankie Jonas), and a goldfish princess, Ponyo (Noah Cyrus), who breaks away from her overprotective father to explore life above the shorebreak. Now, don't get me wrong, I have deep love for Disney's 1989 classic, and I agree with Jay and his assessment of that film and its place in animation history. But I wanted to not only show that I too have much love for Miyazaki, but also wanted to pick the film that I really unequivocally love to sit down and watch. Howl's Moving Castle is a really good film, but I wouldn't just think, "Oh, let me pop that one in and watch it." With Ponyo, however, I find myself enjoying that film every time it's on. The music is phenomenal -- even with tones of "Part of Your World" in the main suite. The voice acting correlates the closest to what is occurring on screen -- compared to other films of its ilk. And, most importantly, with the widest distribution of a Miyazaki film, this film introduced a whole new generation to Miyazaki's animation. His attention to detail on the aquatic life is outstanding, and the sweet simplistic relationship between a boy and a girl is sweetly portrayed.
Peter Pan (1953)
Directed by Clyde Geronimi and others
One of Jay's picks was Pinocchio and when I thought of animation and themes, I was close to choosing Disney's take on the King Arthur legend -- the 1963 film The Sword and the Stone. However, after careful contemplation, I decided that my important Disney film is the adaptation of J.M. Barrie's classic 1911 novel Peter and Wendy. I do remember when I first watched this film on VHS and thinking I was watching two different movies, which, at the time and today, feels like a great form of entertainment. There's the main story of Peter bringing Wendy and her brothers to Never Land, but there was also the breakaway plot where Peter has to rescue Princess Tiger Lily. Of course, I'm a big fan of Mr. Barrie's work because I love the characters: Peter, the boy who never wants to grow up and is confused by our world; Wendy Darling, the motherly daughter who teaches Peter and the Lost Boys while also developing a crush on Peter; Tinker Bell, the pixie who loves Peter and grows jealous of his affection for Wendy, but also plays an integral part in the story as well as representing the imagination of childhood; Captain Hook, (brilliantly portrayed in the stage play by the same actor who portrays the Darling's father) the grown-up pirate who appreciates "good form" but will do everything he can to destroy Peter, all whilst avoiding the crocodile Tick Tock, who still remembers the taste of Hook's hand and wants to taste the rest of him! There are themes of love, death, bravery, loyalty, and betrayal throughout a story where adults are pirates and happy thoughts can bring about the unthinkable. Peter Pan is -- still to this day -- a sweeping, imaginative, entertaining adventure and one of Disney's best.
Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Directed by Nelson Shin
Before all the CGI, Michael Bay action and Megan Fox, the only way my generation could see transforming robots was via animation. Spinning off from the Hasbro cartoon (taking place in 2005, 20 years after the end of the TV series' second season), Transformers: The Movie was released right when I was turning ten-years-old and I remember forcing my mom to take me and my closest friends to go see this for my birthday. In an age before the internet and spoilers, all we had was the movie poster. Gazing upon these strange-albeit-cool-looking characters, all one could wonder was, "Who the hell are these guys!? Who's the guy in the middle? A new Optimus Prime?" While some may look back on this film and just roll their eyes and think of the cheesy dialogue or the Stan Bush classics "You've Got the Touch" and underrated "Dare," I am proud to remind people that this film came along at a time when kids my age still had innocence in animated films. But that innocence was dashed when going and seeing this film, and watching as heroic Autobot favorites such as Ironhide, Prowl, Ratchet, Brawn, Windcharger and Wheeljack are killed as if they were some "red shirt" on an episode of Star Trek. Even the slimy, villainous Starscream gets annihilated. There's a planet-eating monstrosity of a transformer named Unicron (the legendary Orson Welles in his last "acting" role), which not only devours planets but every living thing on it. And Megatron and some of his Decepticons get a major, game-changing overhaul. However, none of these can hold a candle to the traumatizing scene in which the heroic Autobot leader, Optimus Prime -- who every kid had come to love, admire and look up to -- dies. And not just a quick death, but a long, drawn-out dramatic death. I seriously remember seeing a couple of kids leaving the theater, crying! I pick this one not just because of its introduction to killing off major characters, but also because the animation (for the time) was impressive! Transformers: The Movie may be looked upon now as some long-forgotten, cheesy kids movie, not as good as other major released animation films that have come along since -- and lost to the wham-bam-popcorn live-action saga -- but I think it is a revolutionary animation film that is still fun to watch.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Probably one of the most underrated Disney films, The Princess and the Frog -- loosely based on the E.D. Baker novel The Frog Princess, which is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale The Frog Prince -- has to be one of its best hand-drawn animated films. What I love most about this film is how it takes Disney's usual "princess/girl-meets-prince/boy" storyline and turns it on its head. First off, the protagonist of the story, Tiana, has no interest in the vain Prince Naveen. She has goals (picture that!) -- notably, opening and managing her own restaurant -- and she is not some mere damsel-in-distress who needs saving. If anything, she's the one who has to save Naveen ... from his selfish ways. And she doesn't do this because she loves him. What starts out as merely a journey to break a curse and become human once again, Tiana and Naveen learn there is more to the other than what they can gleam at first glance. From the same directors of Disney's 1989 megahit The Little Mermaid, Ron Clements and John Musker proved that even though Disney had not released hand-drawn musical animation films in years, the company and its artists could still produce a great-looking (from the streets of New Orleans to the swamps of Louisiana's bayou), as well as inspiring and entertaining, product.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (2013)
Directed by Jay Oliva
Based on the legendary graphic novel by Frank Miller, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was so massive in its scope, DC Comics films had to originally release it in two parts. Thankfully, it was eventually released with the two parts combined into -- what I think is -- one of the best contemporary animated films made. Of course, being a big Batman fan, it's easy to make that claim. But I am not biased when I say DC Comics' current animated films (Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Batman: Assault on Arkham, etc.) are some of the best ones out there; and if you think these are some "cartoons for kids," you'd be sorely mistaken. With graphic violence and plenty of adult situations, these films are for the fanboy and fangirl in all of us! The film follows Miller's magnum opus to a tee, with Bruce Wayne/Batman (Peter Weller) now old and retired from his crime-fighting ways. However, he is forced to come out of his retirement exile with the rapid emergence of a criminal group known as the Mutants and the disappearance of a supposedly reformed Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two Face (Wade Williams). With Batman's return comes a stream of ripple effects across Gotham City -- notably the "awakening" of the Joker (Michael Emerson), inspiring a new "Robin" in 13-year-old Carrie Kelley (Ariel Winter), and vigilantism spreading across the city, leaving the Reagan-like president of the U.S. to send Superman (Mark Valley) to confront his former ally. What made the graphic novel so wonderful also makes this film just as great. For instance, Miller was almost frighteningly prophetic when it comes to his portrayal of the TV news' talking heads and their bumbling, instigative giving of opinions -- a plot device which has sadly come all too true nowadays (since the story was written in 1986). The iconic images are there (Batman leaping throughout the lightening night), the voice acting is on target (Lost's Emerson oozes out the creepy-almost-sexual voice of Joker with every word), and the story is an interesting take on aging superheroes and how a man can make a difference. Best of all, the animation is really well-done and serves as proof that DC animation is a rising force to be reckoned with.
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