In 2005, a star took over a young franchise on the come-up. While 2001's Shrek won the first-ever Best Animated Feature Oscar, the arrival of Puss in Boots, voiced by Antonio Banderas, became a watershed moment for Dreamworks. Rather than rest on the laurels of the first film, their new character stole Shrek 2 from its established stars.
Review: A Whole New ‘Strange World’ for You and Me
The Walt Disney studios first released a full-length animated movie in 1937, a full eighty-five years ago. Eighty- five years before that, the United States was still 9 years away from engaging in civil war. Perhaps a strange way to begin a review, but not without context. Eighty-five years is a long time when generational … Continue reading Review: A Whole New ‘Strange World’ for You and Me
Review: ‘My Father’s Dragon’ Soars As Another Smash Success for Cartoon Saloon
Quietly emerging over the last decade, the Irish animation house Cartoon Saloon continues to showcase hand-drawn works. After breaking onto the scene with The Secret of Kells, the studio has continued to surprise with success after success. The animation team has never missed an Oscar nomination and scored several critical successes. The studio's most recent … Continue reading Review: ‘My Father’s Dragon’ Soars As Another Smash Success for Cartoon Saloon
Review: ‘Wendell & Wild’ Prioritizes Ambition and Vision Despite a Messy Story
Few animation art forms create division like Stop-Motion. Many fans of traditional 2D animation outright refuse to see these films. This unwillingness to watch stop-motion often stems from the real fears associated with The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline. For the fans of the medium, these films created our fascination with the art form. Luckily, … Continue reading Review: ‘Wendell & Wild’ Prioritizes Ambition and Vision Despite a Messy Story
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival: ‘The Weird Kidz’ Displays An Ambitious Story but Lackluster Visuals
As a medium, animation allows directors to embrace their full imagination. Where an independent production may struggle to craft certain effects, animation lets the creatives run wild. Director Zach Passero has worked on both sides of the business. He was a makeup artist on the horror film May and nearly ten other films as an … Continue reading Brooklyn Horror Film Festival: ‘The Weird Kidz’ Displays An Ambitious Story but Lackluster Visuals
Review: ‘Goodbye Don Glees’ Cannot Support Its Lush Visuals Thanks to a Rote Narrative
Sometimes, working in a coming-of-age story can be a good thing for a director. Due to their prevalence, the audience awareness of a tale allows for some simple shorthand. More impressive directors may use the opportunity to subvert the genre. Yet others allow the shorthand to speak for itself, instead opting to design a visual … Continue reading Review: ‘Goodbye Don Glees’ Cannot Support Its Lush Visuals Thanks to a Rote Narrative
Review: Apple’s ‘Luck’ Delivers Family-Friendly Animation, But Not Much Else
While Disney's dominance in the arena of animated films has never been in question, plenty of competition continues to arise. Perhaps the most surprising distributor to enter the space appears to be Apple TV+, which already released the brilliant Wolfwalkers in 2020. Not only has Apple invested in picking up titles from Cartoon Saloon and a bevy of Peanuts-related content, … Continue reading Review: Apple’s ‘Luck’ Delivers Family-Friendly Animation, But Not Much Else
Review: ‘Lightyear’ Barely Makes Orbit Despite a Gorgeous Takeoff
For months, jokes came in from every corner of the internet. Disney and Pixar had made one of the safest bets imaginable, spinning off Toy Story star Buzz Lightyear into his own film. With a new cast, headlined by Chris Evans, there was no doubt a future hit was in store for the animation powerhouse. However, shortly after … Continue reading Review: ‘Lightyear’ Barely Makes Orbit Despite a Gorgeous Takeoff