Kung Fu Panda

Post by **CGIFanatic** » January 31st, 2009, 8:21 pm

I know a lot have praised Wall-E as the second coming but I never believed it was all that and the results at the ASIFA only proves not everyone bought into the hype. If we are going to question the results of this year’s awards then are we going to question all the past wins by Pixar. I don’t think so.

Why can’t we simply congratulate KFP for the win instead questioning the decision or going to the conspiracy theories?

Post by **James** » January 31st, 2009, 8:45 pm

I congratulate DreamWorks for the film -- I named it the second best film of the year and DW's best ever. So I'm not denigrating the film at all.

But c'mon CGI! You don't think it at all odd that a film that many thought would get a best picture nomination and tied Beauty and the Beast for the most Oscar nominations ever lost the premier animation award and every other category as well to a film that has won no major awards? Not strange at all?

Post by **James** » January 31st, 2009, 8:50 pm

Bill1978 wrote:Are you able to explain the wierd voting rules to me James for greater clarity in my understanding.

From what I understand: Unlike the voting for the VFX awards (visual effects), the SAG awards (acting), the PGA awards (producers), etc, where only people who work in that specific field are allowed to vote, the Annie Awards allow any person who pays for a year's membership to ASIFA to vote! Everyone on this forum could go vote the Annies for less than a hundred dollars each!

Post by **Zach** » January 31st, 2009, 9:16 pm

Josh wrote:I think WALL-E is absolutely brilliant as far as creativity is concerned, but I found Kung Fu Panda to be more enjoyable. Nonetheless, I still think WALL-E will win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

I agree that WALL-E was creative. I just think that Kung Fu Panda was something very original. Martial arts isn't used as much in animated movies. Although, I guess robots helping clean the Earth isn't really used either.

Hmm.. Isn't it kind of funny that Kung Fu Panda was in theaters two months before the Beijing Olympics started? And they both take place in China. I wonder if that was just a coinsidence. That is weird though.

Post by **Bill1978** » January 31st, 2009, 9:21 pm

Thanks for that James. That is a really strange way of conducting your premier awards for Animation. Although totally cool that technically I could vote in them. Putting on my tinfoil hat, I would guess that there are more Dreamworks members for the Annies than Pixar. LOL

Seriously though Kung Fu Panda is a great film. Probably my 2nd favourite CG Dreamworks film after Over The Hedge. I loved how they didn't rely on pop culture for humour and the production wasn't obessed with making the backgrounds totally believable. The only thing that I was disappointed with was Katzenberg's announcement of another 5 movies. As I said before it's a shame that it was released the same year as WALL-E.

You know I think Kung Fu Panda beating WALL-E is the equivalent of Shakespeare In Love beating Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture (Even though I was happy for Ryan to lose that year)

Post by **CGIFanatic** » January 31st, 2009, 9:57 pm

James, I know that Wall-E has gotten a lot of accolades and is considered by a lot of people as a work of art and all but in my opinion Pixar showed up with a third of an excellent movie. I seriously doubt if we took the Mona Lisa and only showed a third of it that it would be considered a piece of art. I enjoyed KFP far more than I did Wall-E and am glad KFP is getting some recognition. I’ll agree that it is very surprising that Wall-E didn’t win at least a single category but I’m not going to denigrate the entire award and how they go about choosing a winner because things didn’t go as expected.

BTW, who are these so called many people? How do I know it isn’t the massive propaganda machine that isn’t saying all of those things that you claimed?

Post by **Zach** » January 31st, 2009, 10:58 pm

I'm glad that Kung Fu Panda is getting some recognition too. I was afraid that WALL-E was getting a better reception than that of KFP, but apparently KFP can sweep WALL-E out of the race too.

Post by **James** » January 31st, 2009, 11:09 pm

CGIFanatic wrote:BTW, who are these so called many people? How do I know it isn’t the massive propaganda machine that isn’t saying all of those things that you claimed?

Huh? Why would I make up the Annie rules when anyone can go read them?

http://annieawards.org/rulesandcategories.html

ELIGIBILITY TO VOTE
Only members of ASIFA-Hollywood in good standing as of November 30, 2008 shall be eligible to participate in the final voting process of the 36th Annual Annie Awards...

Can anyone become a member of ASIFA?

http://www.asifa-hollywood.org/2007/05/ ... ywood.html

Certainly! ASIFA-Hollywood membership is open to animation professionals, students and fans of animation. Anyone who loves animation can be a member of ASIFA!

Do you get to vote for the Annies if you join?

All members of ASIFA-Hollywood may vote for the winners

So if DreamWorks wanted to they could sign up all their family members so they could then vote for their stuff! Is that really any way to give out the "premier" animation awards? (Not implying that DW did that, just saying nothing is stopping anyone from doing that. Thus my complaint about the "weird" way they give out awards.)

BTW - ASIFA does a lot of good stuff other than the Annies - well worth a membership.

Post by **Whippet Angel** » January 31st, 2009, 11:13 pm

<===== My reaction upon seeing the Annie winners.

I loved Kung Fu Panda, but it was nowhere near as well crafted as WALL E in my opinion.

I do agree that the second half of the film wasn't as perfect as the first, but I still loved the film for what it was, and I don't consider it a lesser work of art for that fact.

And yeah..... Not to throw any conspiracy theories around, but I did find it very odd that KFP won pretty much everything (especially the award for character design).

Post by **James** » January 31st, 2009, 11:13 pm

Bill1978 wrote:Seriously though Kung Fu Panda is a great film. Probably my 2nd favourite CG Dreamworks film after Over The Hedge.

KFP is a really great film. Easily my favorite from DW. Madagascar is my second favorite with OTH right behind.

Post by **Rodney** » January 31st, 2009, 11:21 pm

Kung Fu Panda was a great movie. I'm in no way doubting the legitimacy of the awards they received. I was shocked to hear Wall-E was shut-out, but to me both were excellent movies. I think it might have had something to do with camaraderie. Dreamworks is in LA and Pixar is far from Hollywood. My guess is people were voting for their friends. Who knows? I could be completely wrong on this, but it wouldn't be the first time this has happened. Anyways, I still think Wall-E will win the Academy Award. That's a completely different voting body and it's clear they loved the movie.

Zach wrote:Hmm.. Isn't it kind of funny that Kung Fu Panda was in theaters two months before the Beijing Olympics started? And they both take place in China. I wonder if that was just a coinsidence. That is weird though.

Believe me. That was not a coincidence. It was very much evident that it was on purpose. The plans for the Olympics were there 7 years ago (really 8 since everyone knew Beijing would get these Olympics). The pre-production on Kung Fu Panda started shortly after that. It was perfect promotion for the film.

Post by **Zach** » January 31st, 2009, 11:25 pm

I figured it wasn't a coincidence. Any studio will pretty much take easy way promotions for their films.

Post by **CGIFanatic** » February 1st, 2009, 1:01 am

So if DreamWorks wanted to they could sign up all their family members so they could then vote for their stuff! Is that really any way to give out the "premier" animation awards? (Not implying that DW did that, just saying nothing is stopping anyone from doing that. Thus my complaint about the "weird" way they give out awards.)

I don't know James but Pixar has won plenty of Annie’s over the years and never has anyone suggested anything untoward about those wins but now that KFP has won one of these things out come the ballot box stuffing conspiracies. I think it is wrong for people to suggest this ridiculous claim because if we do then that puts into question Pixar's past Annie victories.

I love Pixar films and feel that they deserve every single accolade they get but what is happening in this situation strikes me as sour grapes on somebody’s part.

Post by **Bill1978** » February 1st, 2009, 2:18 am

I don't have sour grapes it's just more shocks that WALL-E couldn't even manage 1 win out of the categories it was nominated in. Especially since other committees have been saying WALL-E is the animated movie of the year and then the Animated Community awards Kung Fu Panda. It's more that I'm scratching my head over the decision. I've been trying to think of an analogy that happened to explain where I'm coming from better but the best I can do is to make one up.

Let's say that of all the awards handed out so far for Costume Design were given to The Duchess (just picking a random period piece). So everyone from the Online Critics Society to the Boston Film Critics Circle to the Golden Globes said The Duchess has the best costumes and then the Costume Guild awards best costume to Australia. I would be scratching my head over that decision as well. It's kinda out of left field. And that's what I feel about Kung Fu Panda's win. I don't think Kung Fu Panda's win should be denied or conspiracy theories began, but it is puzzling that the Animation committee couldn't even bring themselves to acknowledge WALL-E in at least 1 category.

And as I was typing I thought of another scenario that could have happened, everyone thought everyone else would vote for WALL-E so decided not to add their vote allowing Kung Fu Panda to win. Something I fear is going to happen to Kate Winslet at the OSCARS.

At least it has people talking I suppose, that's one good thing about Kung Fu's win LOL Look what it's done for my posting here in this forum.

Post by **CGIFanatic** » February 1st, 2009, 2:36 am

I agree on the conversation starter and the weirdness of Wall-E not receiving any Annie awards. However, on the flip side it could also be said that until the Annie's, it was kind of strange and unfair that a fine movie like KFP was being shutout of every single award.