celticmoon

That's what I'm banking on. Or I'm banking on it being a long run anyway, since I will likely be in Japan at the end of Nov. and it'd be great if I can catch this. I wonder. Because I don't feel like Shinkai could have possibly had enough exposure until now to have any sort of significant name recognition among general audiences. He's only had super limited releases until now, and his resonating with what little audience he had over the years doesn't seem to be nearly enough of an explanation as to why Your Name has exploded to this mind-boggling degree. It feels to me just like one of those inexplicable things where everything must have just come together at the exact right time. But I fully admit, I could be missing something. Hosoda's fanbase seems to be more of something that has been built up over the years through audience goodwill, given the steady box office increase with each subsequent release. And the box office for his last two films are definitely nothing to scoff at.

I've seen 5 Centimeters Per Second, Garden of Words, and Children Who Chase Lost Voices (and own them all on BD, and I'd generally say that I'm a fan of Shinkia's), but I agree with your assessment. And while I'm always enamored with his visuals (I mean, AMAZING), I'd take it a bit further and say he's nowhere near Miyazaki in terms of writing and storytelling, which I feel relies way too heavily on melodrama and sugary sentimentality, and the pseudo-philosophical voice-overs that say so much yet fail to say much of anything don't do the films many favors either. He's been proclaimed to be the next Miyazaki (along with Hosoda) for a long time now, way before he broke out like this, but for the aforementioned reasons, the comparisons have never felt earned to me. I agree that Hosoda feels much more like the next Miyazaki, though I don't feel he's quite reached Miyazaki's heights yet either. I would have said that Hosoda's great box office indicated that the public was embracing him as the next Miyazaki as well, but that was before Shinkai completely leapfrogged him with Your Name. lol I've always felt that Shinkai would have really strong films if he had a good writer on board with him, but considering how well-received the new film is, I'm willing to reevaluate my assessment of him. He's never had a production this huge, and maybe that has actually benefited him. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing this, and pleasantly surprised by this unbelievable success.

I agree about Tangled. While Frozen looked great and the snow was impressive, Tangled was just on another level, especially in terms of character animation. Rise of the Guardians looked great, but the poorly animated children really brought it down, I feel. Everything about them, from their designs, movement/animation, and the level of detail paled in comparison with the Guardians and the other fantasy/mythical characters.

Umm, no. (See, I can play this game too. ) All kidding aside, we'll just have agree to disagree, I suppose. Personally, I'm surprised that The Croods didn't reach near-KPF levels of critical success.

Exactly. The relationship bewteen Hiro and Baymax (and by extension ) is clearly going to be the heart of this film.

IMO, Ratatouille is better than all of those sans The Incredibles. It has tight storytelling and great characterization throughout. The monologue provides the perfect ending to a near-perfect film; it doesn't serve to elevate a lesser film. Conversely, I think the prologue in Up is exactly what you claim the end monologue in Ratatouille is. I think the opening minutes of Up are pretty much perfect and 100% sincere. However, while I do think there is a truly special story in there post-prologue, it is stretched quite thin due to the crazy bird and talking dog antics, as well as an unnecessary villain that the story could have done quite well without. Honestly, I think it could have cut down on the excess and done much better as a 30-60 min film. And I never had the impression that Monsters, Inc. is generally regarded as one of Pixar's lesser films. I think it is one of Pixar's most consistent films, with one of the biggest hearts. A Bug's Life isn't Pixar's greatest, but I think people generally give it much less credit than it deserves. I actually think it is a very solid film. While the third act in Monsters University was good and had a touch of that Pixar brilliance, it could not save that movie from being mediocre, second only to Cars 2 in the Pixar canon. It was not without its fair share of problems, but The Croods was refreshingly cartoony with a boatload of heart; miles ahead of MU, with or without that third act. It wishes it was even remotely near The Croods quality.

Oh, well that's unfortunate. I remember reading at CartoonBrew that it was the same technology, but maybe the author was just making an assumption based on the visuals. But considering that the author actually saw the short and proceeded to think it was the same technology, I think that still says that this is something pretty special. Whether the Paperman technology or not, I'd like to see them do something "out-of-the-box" like this for a feature.

I think it's pretty clear Frozen had some problems and issues during production, and Disney were probably happy just to get the thing released. I think those problems are evident in the final film itself, but it was still a good film regardless of its issues, and most of all, people were just able to connect with it. (While I personally find it to be quite overpraised, I think many people go needlessly out of their way to undermine it as well. But I digress.) While I can see why they were worried, I think there was a lot of goodwill that was built up from Tangled (and, to a lesser extent, Wreck-It Ralph as well), so I'm surprised they weren't a little more confident from the get-go. (Tangled's audience has only grown since its release.) While I never even thought that 400M domestic 1B+ WW was a possibility, I was optimistically expecting an increase over Tangled and WIR, though I understand many BO communities weren't. Anyway, that Feast short looks glorious. While I'm really looking forward to BH6, I think my anticipation toward Feast is even higher. As I understand it, they are utilizing the same technology as Paperman. I'd really like to see Disney take a risk and use it on a feature length film... Considering that some pretty big budget CGI flicks, even from powerhouses such as DreamWorks, are bombing left and right, perhaps audiences will respond positively to something new and refreshing. WDAS has built up enough goodwill now that I think audiences will respond positively. (But it still probably won't happen...at least for a long while...)

Since there's still Obon this week and a couple of weeks of summer break left, I don't deny that Marnie could come pretty close to matching Wolf Children's total. But I wasn't necessarily comparing the grosses of the two to measure their respective successes. The fact is that everything is relative, and I'd say Wolf Children was a huge hit, as it made the top 10 grossing films of that year, and for an animated film to do that, not coming from Studio Ghibli or an established franchise (Evangelion, One Piece, Doraemon, Detective Conan, etc.), is honestly a pretty major feat. Sure, there were some big names like Aoi Miyazaki and Takao Osawa in the cast, but many other animated films have had that sort of selling point too. So it's impressive that Hosoda's gotten to that point mostly due to his own rising star. If his film is able to make 4 billion without any major brand recognition, imagine what could be done with the Ghibli label attached. I suppose it's all hypothetical with a lot of "ifs," but I don't think there's any doubt he would have been an asset to Ghibli in terms of both commercial and creative success.

I'm surprised at how well Stand by Me Doraemon has been received, both at the box office and in terms of audience reception. I thought it might fail due to people being turned off by it being CGI. But then again, the Doraemon movies have been doing exceptionally well lately, despite the cast overhaul from a few years back. Personally, I'm really intrigued with Stand By Me, and how they have incorporated the various storylines into one film. The CGI animation looks pretty decent too. On the other hand, man, that Marnie performance is disappointing. Huge drop off from Yonebayashi's last outing, though that one definitely benefited from Miyazaki's name being advertised as the writer, whereas he is completely hands-off here. Arietty probably also benefitted from the obvious fantasy setting. Considering how Mamoru Hosoda's films have been doing better and better and resulted in a HUGE hit with Wolf Children, it's obvious that losing him during Howl's Moving Castle was a big blow to them. Their future looks pretty rocky, and Hosoda clearly was the fresh face that they needed to keep them more stable.

1. Captain America: The Winter Solider 2. Guardians of the Galaxy . . . . . 3. Iron Man 3 4. Thor: The Dark World

Honestly, I think we've reached a point where it will become increasingly difficult for CGI films to age in terms of visuals. Not that improvements aren't constantly being made, but they aren't in the leaps and bounds they were before. Compare Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. (6 years between releases), and you see a big difference. Compare Monsters, Inc. and Ratatouille (5 years between releases), HUGE difference. Compare Ratatouille with Toy Story 3 (4 years) or Monsters University (7 years)--well, yes, I do see some improvement, but not at all a huge leap. I really think Pixar, starting with Ratatouille, reached a point where the visuals are "good enough." Ratatouille still looks breathtaking, even today, especially when watching in HD on a huge screen. So in terms of visuals, I think anything from Pixar from Ratatouille on is top-grade. In addition, The Incredibles looks great and still holds up well due to its stylized retro/modern look. I feel like Pixar usually goes for a sense of pseudo-photorealism in their films, but they didn't in The Incredibles, and it holds up that much better for it. Other top picks: [*]Kung Fu Panda/Kung Fu Panda 2 - Refreshing and beautiful design. The second is especially beautiful due to the technical improvements seen between the two films. [*]Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Overall, great design. Plus it proves that CGI is capable of wacky, cartoony movement that we don't see all too much of in CGI films. Same goes for SPA's Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy 2 as well in that regard (but the movies themselves are meh...) [*]Tangled - Some of the greatest character animation ever. The Glen Keane factor really comes through even in CGI. There are a couple of awkward moments--Rapunzel's huge eyes would have worked in 2D but it doesn't translate well into CGI; also, I found the part where Rapunzel/Flynn emerge from the water to look less than stellar. But everything else is grade A--I'd say Frozen was a downgrade in this regard. [*]The Croods - The human character designs are ugly, but I really think DreamWorks has caught up with Pixar in terms of the technical ability--animation and lighting are top notch. The world and creature design are beautiful as well. [*]The LEGO Movie - Can't believe this was made with such a smaller budget than most mainstream CGI films. Simply stunning and the stop-motion like movement is unique and a joy. [*]How To Train Your Dragon 2 - Concept art come to life. Glorious lighting. A huge improvement from the first, which I thought was a step behind its contemporaries in 2010. [*]Foreign films like Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror, The Painting, and Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart are also doing some interesting stuff with CGI. Really shows that there is a lot more stuff that can be done with CGI that we haven't seen much of yet.

The original Toy Story. They're all great films. Best trilogy, in my book. But I think the original is the stand out. TServo2049 mentioned the strength of the Woody/Buzz dynamic as compared to the other two.I whole-heartedly agree with that. In addition, I appreciate the dual protagonist thing they have going in the first. Both Woody and Buzz have their own arcs--they both have their struggles and obstacles that they have to overcome (Woody has to deal with his "Andy's favorite toy" position getting usurped by Buzz, while Buzz has to deal with the realization that he is a toy and not a real space ranger). Both characters are really well written--they both feel so real, and so human. Woody displays so many emotions, and I especially find his jealousy captivating. Not that this human element isn't present in the sequels; it is. But I feel it is almost exclusively relegated to Woody, as Buzz essentially becomes a glorified sidekick. I mean, Woody is essentially the protagonist from beginning to end, but I think the first film benefited by having that extra layer. The second and third films are still really strong, and I can't deny that the third film did a masterful job at closing off the trilogy. The final goodbye sequence is simply beautiful. Still, I'd probably place the third film a notch below the second, mostly because it very much seems like a retread of the second film to me, both thematically and in terms of story structure. Both films are basically about letting go-- dealing with Andy growing up and outgrowing the toys. They both have a villain that first appears to be a compassionate mentor and a refuge for abandoned toys, showing the toys that there is a better life open to them. Yet they turn out to be villainous scum embittered by their tragic past. The final goodbye and passing onto Bonnie is brilliantly handled and would have worked no matter what the content of the rest of the movie (as it was more a closer for the trilogy than that movie specifically), so I wonder why they followed such a similar structure, especially since it was inevitably going to deal with similar themes. Sounds like I'm knocking on it, but I think it's a great film and worthy of the accolades. And it is (obviously) far and away the best animated of the bunch. But for me, it's 1>>>2>3

Well, that was hard. Did a lot of cutting. While making the list, I realized there are a lot of movies I need to re-watch and films that are on my list to watch that I haven't gotten around to yet (some are actually in my DVD/BD collection waiting to be watched). So this is surely an incomplete list, and one that will definitely be quite different whenever I compile it.... And I'm sure I've missed something, but here it is: 1. Pinocchio 2. Toy Story 3. Princess Mononoke 4. The Incredibles 5. My Neighbor Totoro 6. Fantasia 7. Who Framed Rogger Rabbit 8. Aladdin 9. Ratatouille 10. Grave of the Fireflies 11. The Lion King 12. Beauty and the Beast 13. Bambi 14. The King and the Mockingbird 15. Mind Game 16. Lilo & Stitch 17. Toy Story 2 18. Toy Story 3 19. Wolf Children 20. Castle in the Sky 21. How to Train Your Dragon 2 22. Shrek 23. Fantastic Mr. Fox 24. The LEGO Movie 25. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 26. Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance 27. Ernest & Celestine 28. The Triplets of Belleville 29. The Nightmare Before Christmas 30. Mary Poppins 31. Tangled 32. Wreck-It Ralph 33. Spirited Away 34. Monsters, Inc. 35. Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part III: The Rebellion Story 36. Enchanted 37. How to Train Your Dragon 38. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind 39. Kirikou and the Sorceress 40. Night on the Galactic Railroad 41. The End of Evangelion 42. Only Yesterday 43. Porco Rosso 44. One Piece The Movie: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island 45. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time 46. The Painting 47. My Neighbors the Yamadas 48. Mary and Max 49. When the Wind Blows 50. Tokyo Godfathers 51. ParaNorman 52. 101 Dalmatians 53. Shrek 2 54. Sleeping Beauty 55. The Illusionist 56. The Prince of Egypt 57. Whisper of the Heart 58. WALL-E 59. Finding Nemo 60. The Little Mermaid 61. Kiki’s Delivery Service 62. The Hunchback of Notre Dame 63. Kung-Fu Panda 2 64. The Emperor’s New Groove 65. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 66. Kung-Fu Panda 67. Millennium Actress 68. Angel’s Egg 69. Alice in Wonderland 70. Cinderella 71. The Jungle Book 72. Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone 73. Coraline 74. Ponyo 75. The Secret World of Arietty 76. Tarzan 77. Doraemon Movie: Nobita and the Steel Troops 78. A Cat in Paris 79. The Princess and the Frog 80. The Croods 81. Frozen 82. Up 83. Pom Poko 84. Chicken Run 85. Persepolis 86. Yellow Submarine 87. The Iron Giant 88. The Secret of Kells 89. Peter Pan 90. Rango 91. Mulan 92. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh 93. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 94. Dumbo 95. Winnie the Pooh (2011) 96. The Wind Rises 97. Howl’s Moving Castle 98. Gulliver’s Travels 99. Azur & Asmar 100. Mr. Bug Goes to Town

I'd rather see original films over sequels, but I don't mind sequels as long as they (1) grow out organically from the original film and/or make sense as a follow-up, (2) don't betray the spirit of the original film, and (3) are good films. I feel that Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 met all of these criteria (though 3 felt like somewhat of a retread of 2 thematically and structurally) and they were both wonderful films. I actually don't hate the original Cars, but while Cars 2 wasn't the worst thing in the world, it fails terribly as a follow-up to the original film. Monsters University was a slightly better, but I'd place it second from the bottom in the Pixar canon. It seems that Cars 3 is a very real possibility right now, and I can't say I have any real faith in it. But I think the concept for Finding Dory sounds quite intriguing, and so long as Brad Bird is on board to write and direct The Incredibles 2, I have absolute faith in it due to his impeccable track record.