Critter's Animated Film/Anime Marathon

[Jimmy]

Here it is Sophie
Complete table for all your reviews in this thread. Juste paste everything starting with [table in your first post. If you don't understand something in it just ask.

P.S : don't forget you must quote my reply to get the code.

Years	Title	Rating
2008	Kung Fu Panda	4
1992	Aladdin (Limited Edition)	3
1951	Alice in Wonderland (Special Edition)	5
1995	Pocahontas (Musical Masterpiece Edition)	5
2009	9	3.5
2009	Coraline	5
2000	The Emperor’s New Groove	3
2009	Final Fantasy VII Advent Children: Complete	3.5
1937	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	5
2004	Mai-HiME	4
2008	Ponyo	3
2006	The Girl Who Leapt Through Time	4
2002	Ice Age	2
2009	Fantastic Mr Fox	4
2007	ICE	1
2004	Elfen Lied	3.5
1988	Akira	5
2009	Up	5
2006	Black Blood Brothers	3
2001	Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within	2.5
1998	Mulan	5
1992	FernGully: The Last Rainforest	5
2009	Monsters vs Aliens	3.5
2001	Noir	5
2006	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni	4
1995	Balto	4
1998	The Prince of Egypt	3.5
2010	How To Train Your Dragon	4
2009	Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs	3.5
2008	WALL•E	5

[Critter]

Thanks Jimmy, I never have quite figured out how to use tables here so this is helpful. 

[Jon]

Hey, Sophie. Empire have posted a link to a Pixar feature on how they made the Day & Night short to accompany Toy Story 3. Clever stuff. They never stop thinking, do they? 

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28064

[Critter]

Thanks for that Jon. There seems to be a lot of these around at the moment. I'm subscribed to Empire Australia and the latest issue had a three page spread on Toy Story three, then another three page article on Cal Arts, and then right after that pages of original art from Tim Burton  . It's like they made the issue for me.
In all the excitment about Toy Story 3 I have completely forgotten about the new short that is attatched to each film! So thanks for this reminder, even more to be excited about now.

[Jon]

Ok. This is weird. But strangely, I find that reassuring that someone like Verbinski isn't following trends!

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28088

[Critter]

Well that was... interesting. I hadn't even heard of this film until now, since I know nothing of the plot I can at least say I like it's visual style so far.

[Antares]

Hey, Sophie. Empire have posted a link to a Pixar feature on how they made the Day & Night short to accompany Toy Story 3. Clever stuff. They never stop thinking, do they? 

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=28064

They never fail to amaze me with the concepts they create. That looks like it's going to be the best short yet.

[Critter]

Toy Story



Year: 1995

Director(s): John Lasseter

Run Time: 80 min

Plot: A cowboy toy is profoundly threatened and jealous when a fancy spaceman toy supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

Cast:
Tom Hanks – Woody
Tim Allen – Buzz Lightyear
Don Rickles – Mr Potato Head
Jim Varney – Slinky Dog
Wallace Shawn – Rex
John Ratzenberger – Hamm
Annie Potts – Bo Peep
John Morris – Andy

DVD Extras:
•   Making of Toy Story
•   Short film: Tin Toy

My Thoughts
Toy Story is ultimately the beginning of the Pixar legacy as we know it today. Sure there were short films before this, but this is the first one that really reached out to the mainstream audience. And what a marvelous film it is. To start with, this film is visually stunning which is quite an accomplishment for such a new filmmaking medium. How is it that this film, made 15 years ago still looks great today, even better than some of the other computer animated films being turned out. Compared to newer Pixar films there are a couple of minor noticeable imperfections within the animation that we wouldn’t except from them today, but Toy Story still holds its own visually.

Of course I could go on forever about how beautiful it looks, but in the end a great film comes down to a great story, and storytelling is what Pixar do best. Toy Story sets up a method of storytelling that we will come to know and love over the years throughout all their films, and it is a method that really speaks to everyone. The fact that a film about talking plastic children’s toys has come to be loved equally by not only children, but adults as well shows the true magic of Pixar’s ability to reach an audience. These may be targeted as family, or children’s films but unlike some other children’s films Pixar do not talk down to kids, which is what I believe to be a major part of their success.

The characterization in a film where the characters are inanimate objects is crucial to it’s success, we have to care about these toys and in the end we do. There are some funny parts in this film, but some extremely emotional scenes as well, which is something that will carry on with all three of the films. It’s in these emotional scenes that it is proven just how much we have come to care for these little plastic characters.

My Rating

 

[Antares]

Do you think that Disney will some day pull a Lucas with this film? You know, completely redo the animation.

Discuss...

[Critter]

If they do I dearly hope I will be long dead before it happens  .

At this point I can't imagine them doing it. Pixar is Disney's poster child, they realised that their films were getting worse and worse so now they rely on Pixar for actual decent films, while they take care of the merchendising. I believe if we were going to see old animation remakes we would have seen some already by now, I mean they have been making animated films since the 1930's and still no remakes of old-style animated redone with flashy effects. Also, every Pixar film is visually on a higher level than most Disney ones. If I was going to see them redo the animation on anything it would be of some of their own, not of Pixar films.

[Antares]

No, what I meant was bringing the images up to date so that Toy Story 1 looks as good as 2 & 3.

[Critter]

Oh sorry I completely misunderstood that.  .

I'm not sure, the possibility for a digital remaster of this film isn't out of the question, the animation still looks pretty good by today's standards but I could see it happening maybe in the future. I can picture some sort of 10th Anniversary box set of digitally remastered Toy Story films. That seems like something Disney would do.

[Antares]

Also, I was looking at this thread and noticed something. Being such a fan of animation, have you ever seen Yellow Submarine?

[Critter]

I have unfortunatly not seen that one. I love animated films but have seen not nearly as many as I would have liked to. I am using this thread and the list in the first post as a way to try and get a move on in terms of how many more I need to watch.

[Antares]

Then you definitely need to find it. It is one of the most strikingly creative and beautiful animation films ever.