The state and future of animation

[Ben]

Discounting POE is just plain silly. It was their big debut film, and was only scheduling that saw Antz come out just before it.

Outside of POE, and while I can take or leave many DWA films, Shrek 2, Chicken Run (yeah, yeah) and Madagascar 3 are animation gold.

[ShyViolet]

Over the Hedge and Megamind aren’t too shabby either!


In my opinion, the most unbelievably overrated DWA film is, without a doubt, Monsters vs. Aliens. Reese Witherspoon is pretty bad, it never feels like anything is truly at stake, and so many of the jokes fall FLAT. Even Shrek the Third had some good gags. This didn’t.

I know a lot of people put SharkTale down but even with the stupid stuff I’d watch that in a second over Monsters.

[Ben]

"Susan"

[Dacey]

MVA is incredibly quotable, for what it’s worth.

“I’d cry, if I didn’t lose my tear ducts in the war.”

And I’m not even sure what version of reality Eric lives in.

[Randall]

For my part, I do love a number of DWA films. I just wasn't thrilled with Shrek.

[EricJ]

In my opinion, the most unbelievably overrated DWA film is, without a doubt, Monsters vs. Aliens. Reese Witherspoon is pretty bad, it never feels like anything is truly at stake, and so many of the jokes fall FLAT. Even Shrek the Third had some good gags. This didn’t.

MvA felt like a feel-good breath of fresh air when it came out, since Reese's character was likable enough--and not the interchangeable KFP/Turbo DWA trope of "The pathetic bullied loser who doesn't want to be bullied anymore"--although JK going all-in on his new Shrek 2 money train of pandering to the female fans with the Derek subplot and the runaway-bride opening (and the role-reversed 50s "I tripped when I was chased!" gag...oh, dear lord ) was pure high-grade industrial cringe.

Still, the byplay between Susan and the Monsters was believably friendly enough for us to escape to watching them, although the rest of the movie still had the Cain-Mark of DW in that its cold sitcom gags didn't really seem to like humanity all that much--
This was from Guillermo del Toro's brief phase of collaborating with the studio, and I compliment this movie by saying it deserved another--I don't have to tell Iron Giant fans what Pixar could have done with a 50s-scifi spoof*.

____
* - [Dacey: "But Iron Giant wasn't--" BIRD, Dacey. Brad @#$%in' Bird. And you knew I meant that.]

[ShyViolet]

Shrek 2 had already been out for five years when MVA was released. It wasn’t “new.” And the whole “fighting princesses” feminist theme was in Third, not 2.

Yes, animated films take four years to make, but it is a constant process of creation and re-creation.

A Pixar sci-fi spoof (wasn’t Incredibles one to some extent?) would very likely have been stunning, but since it hasn’t been made yet, there’s no way for us to know for sure, is there?

[Ben]

But MVA wasn’t Brad Bird, Eric…?

[Dacey]

GDT had nothing to do with MVA, either.

[Farerb]

Netflix Animation Shakeup: Job Cuts Coming, Two Films Shut Down as Streamer Explores Third-Party Output Deals
https://variety.com/2023/film/news/netf ... 235752497/

[Ben]

So…'Flix isn’t the second coming after all then?

After all these guys work out that you can’t basically be a studio and a streamer at the same time without other options and outlets, this will be happening everywhere until or unless more of them pool resources and offer bundles. But again, I refer back to younger eyes basically not being that interested in linear narrative small screen content anymore. Where it all goes from here is open season…!

[EricJ]

GDT had nothing to do with MVA, either.

He was at the studio consulting on other projects, which is the accepted explanation for why Link is basically an undisguised Hellboy with gills.

So…'Flix isn’t the second coming after all then?
After all these guys work out that you can’t basically be a studio and a streamer at the same time without other options and outlets,

I wasn't aware Netflix was independently working on their animated acquisitions at ALL beyond the obvious x-producer pony-up of cash.
Like the Weinsteins didn't animate "Doogal" themselves, I assumed 'Flix was just acting as the last sanctuary distribution space for independent animator projects, when Paramount chickened out of putting "The Little Prince" in theaters.

[Ben]

That’s essentially how it started, yes, but we’ve had several Netflix-funded and owned features since then. I believe Klaus and Over The Moon were among the first ones. Some have obviously been distribution pickups (Mitchells, Vivo), but their biggest success has obviously been del Toro's Pinocchio. He *was* involved in that one, y'know.

[Daniel]

But not Monsters vs. Aliens. Megamind would be his first for DreamWorks.

[GeffreyDrogon]

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/sh ... 33860.html