JA from MNPP here. While Nat's been away there's been a sad dearth of Oscar news reported on here at TFE and so when I saw this news earlier today I knew it might be a nice enough sized scrap to toss down until he's back and such things can be discussed proper-like. The Academy announced the fifteen candidates that are eligible for the Animated Feature prize this morning, and they are as follows:
Alpha and Omega
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Despicable Me
The Dreams of Jinsha
How to Train Your Dragon
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
Despicable Me
The Dreams of Jinsha
How to Train Your Dragon
You can check out Nat's prediction page for the category right here. But isn't it funny how the alphabet saved the inevitable winner for last? Trying to trick us all like that.
Seriously though, is anybody going to beat Toy Story 3? Should anybody beat Toy Story 3? I liked not loved it personally - although those final 20 minutes are killer to be sure. I'd love to see The Illusionist (as I'm sure most of us would) but it's not out here til Christmas.
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21 comments:
I'd love to know if anyone has any info on those obscure titles, Any chance of a surprise Secret of Kells in the mix?
Shoot. We need one more animated film to have a squirrely 5 nomination category. Right now, it's going to be Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon or Tangled, and The Illusionist. That would be a Pixar, an overtly kiddie animated film (I give the edge to the musical Tangled, but ...Dragon has the reviews), and a serious/artistic animated foreign-language film (but not straightforward "anime," as that style has yet to be nominated).
I hope there's a last minute animated entry (perhaps yet another Tinkerbell movie?) to make the nominees expand to 5 again next year.
Oh, nevermind, I didn't see a Tinkerbell movie already listed. Hmmm...what about the film Trouble with Terkel which was made in 2004, but got a limited U.S. theatrical release this year last month?
These are great nominees and I'd like for Despicable Me and Toy Story 3 to win.
There's a rule that a film has to be released in the US within two years of it's initial release for any awards play. The Trouble with Terkel is too old. And "an anime hasn't been nominated?" Does Miyazaki not count all of a sudden?
I think HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON will take the second spot, but I'm still dithering about who may take the third. SUMMER WARS (which is the anime nomination, Volvagia), better not get in, as I thought it was ordinary at best. DESPICABLE ME, THE ILLUSIONIST and SHREK FOREVER AFTER were OK, but disappointments compared to what has come before (sorry, JA, but don't get too excited about TI - it has the charm of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE, but, unlike that film, it lacks a compelling narrative). Going on reviews, CATS AND DOGS 2 doesn't have much of a chance. I missed LEGENDS OF THE GUADIANS, and the reviews were good, so that may have a chance, but I'd like to see one of the foreign unknowns get in (if the oldies get to vote here, then maybe MY DOG TULIP also has a chance?).
I'll wait and see the last of the releases (e.g. TANGLED) before I make some final judgments.
I think it's a race between Tangled and The Illusionist to take the final slot, which will include losing to Toy Story 3 and joining How to Train Your Dragon. For most people, I think The Illusionist will be the equivalent of Kells.
Toy Story 3 and Dragon will defs be in there...3rd slot seems to be difficult doesn't it! Possibly Tangled...maybe Legend of the Gaurdians....
One short? Darn!
ODDS:
Alpha and Omega: 100 to 1.
Cats and Dogs: Infinite to 1.
Despicable Me: 10 to 1.
Dreams of Jinsha: 50 to 1...Secret of Kells repeat?
How to Train Your Dragon: 3 to 1.
Idiots and Angels: 1000 to 1. (Secret of Kells?)
Illusionist: 10 to 1.
Legend of the Guardians: 60 to 1.
Megamind: 45 to 1.
My Dog Tulip: 150 to 1. (Secret of Kells?)
Shrek 4: 80 to 1.
Summer Wars: 120 to 1. (Secret of Kells?)
Tangled: 20 to 1.
Tinker Bell: 250 to 1.
Toy Story 3: Even.
Toy Story 3 and Dragon are in. The third slot is a dead-even battle between Despicable Me, Illusionist, and Tangled.
The other 10?
4 in the indie slot, 3 with big box office but mixed reviews (Megamind, Guardians, Shrek 4), and 2 with poor box office and tepid reviews (the 3D dog/wolf movies). Oh, and Tinkerbell.
His statement was vague. If he meant "An anime has not been animated since the start of this category" Miyazaki alone proves him WRONG. An animation style is an animation style. An American style is different from a British style is different from a Japanese style. The entire Academy is tilted against "the action cinema" even more than even I am (and I'm very much against kineticism as the main story focus.)
The opening musical number of "Tangled":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SF3zOLCSDI
Thoughts? Original song potential?
Volvagio, I mean the action/sci-fi/robo/high schoolers with special powers variety (which composes most of what a lot of people view as anime), not the artistically rendered fairy tale kind from Miyazaki. Miyazaki's style of anime isn't as well-represented in America as the more "straightforward," as I called it, anime. Instead of making a gigantic post explaining the difference between the perception of anime in America (Sailor Moon, Bleach, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and the like that air in syndication for years and years on multiple networks) from a layperson versus Miyazaki, who fits more along the lines of other "artistic" (next you'll jump on that when you know damn well what I mean) nominees The Triplets of Belleville or The Secret of Kells. The long and the short of it is this category nominates mainstream Hollywood animation with a wildcard sophisticated/artistic nominee that, barring Miyazaki, doesn't win unless one of the mainstream nominees is particularly sophisticated (like Wall-E). It speaks worlds to me that Persepolis was shortlisted for foreign language film yet still didn't get nominated there or in animated. When the Academy voters realize that animation isn't just a medium for children, maybe then the category will embrace other genres of animation. Until then, it's pretty safe to say that the one week and gone anime releases, like Summer Wars, don't have a chance.
Still: VAGUE. And yes: Something like Akira (the masterpiece of the very specific thing you're talking about) has yet to be nominated.
For anybody that's in or around in NYC I just got an email that Summer Wars is showing at the New York International Children's Film Festival this weekend. It's Saturday at 1pm, and you can see the info and get tickets here.
@Volvagia, does that disqualify Tales from Earthsea as well?
Well: 1. That wasn't Oscar nominated and 2. That's not my opinion as to what "anime" means, that's OtherRobert's opinion. And his opinion is "action/sci-fi/robo/high schoolers with super powers variety" which doesn't exactly fit Tales of Earthsea. Me...I'd count it. OtherRob: Unsure, leaning toward Probably Not. And I'm not jumping on his statement of what "artistic" means in regards to animation. The best animation breeds on fantasy and surrealism. It's just the depth of the leap that differs commercial animation from "artistic" animation. So: Finding Nemo, Shrek, Ice Age and even Akira would be "commercial animation" while Spirited Away, The Triplets of Bellevile, Persepolis and The Secret of Kells would fall on the strictly artistic side of the divide.
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
Toy Story 3 (winner)
Easy.
Dave L -- having just seen TANGLED. I'm not sure that it'll be an easy get for THE ILLUSIONIST.
Volvagia & George -- the way i understand it "anime" is just a term for animation originating from Japan so therefore Miyazaki would definitely qualify. but i agree that the Academy is too limited in their thinking about what an animated film can be to ever go for the violent sci-fi subgenres within anime (like AKIRA). but frankly the academy is not alone (at all) in having limited ideas about what animation can be for. Even Pixar is super limited in their reach, despite the high quality of their work.
There is ALWAYS a surprise in this category. No film (besides Toy Story 3) is safe.
Remember, this is the category where The Polar Express was snubbed - for Shark Tale!
This is the category where The Simpsons Movie got snubbed - for Surf's Up!
This is the category where recently Ponyo didn't get nominated - in a year with 5 open slots!
I would like Dragon to win even though I know it won't - but besides Dragon (95% lock) and Toy Story I see several movies being the third. Tangled, Despicable Me, Illusionist and something completely left-field - cause that's what usually happens here.
Summer Wars is pretty great. More than anyone from Ghibli, Mamoru Hosoda is the true heir of Hayao Miyazaki. I hope it gets in.
My dream ballot:
Toy Story 3
The Illusionist
Summer Wars
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