Best Animated Feature - 2016: Zootopia, Moana, Kubo, Zucchini, Red Turtle

[eXtacy]

32 minutes ago, DamienRoc said:

This, basically. 

 

Also, the quality of the animation craft is going to matter a lot. Ghibli is a safe bet because they pour a huge amount of time and effort into their films. The rest of the anime industry tends to fall a bit short in comparison. 

 

(and despite the raves, I think it will need to be a not insignificant step up from Shinkai's previous films to have a shot.) 

 

Shinkai's films according to MAL

 

Your Name 9.38

 

5 Centimeters Per Second - 8.10

The Place Promised in Our Early Days - 7.90

Children Who Chase Lost Voices -7.82

[Ray G]

At this point, with all of Zootopia/Finding Dory/Moana looking like locked-in contenders and the tendency of voters in this category to reward skilled animation over script (see, the Lego snub), I think this category probably results in the biggest WTF of the year as the vote split between the three allows Kubo and the Two Strings to take the win.

[ban1o]

yeah I'm definitely thinking vote splitting could happen among the Disney pictures. Most of the time I'm pretty the voters just vote for the Disney film but now there are 3 lol. Dory could miss out on a nomination though. 

Edited November 25, 2016 by ban1o

[Morieris]

Dory will either miss or it'll make it in but I'd bet against it being the cause of a serious vote split. Only guesses there of course.....can't wait for the anonymous voter ballots.

[Jason]

5 hours ago, Ray G said:

At this point, with all of Zootopia/Finding Dory/Moana looking like locked-in contenders and the tendency of voters in this category to reward skilled animation over script (see, the Lego snub), I think this category probably results in the biggest WTF of the year as the vote split between the three allows Kubo and the Two Strings to take the win.

 

The "Lego snub" may suggest that the Animation Branch rewards skilled animation over script when choosing nominees, but it's the entire Academy that votes for the winner. We've been down this road before, but I'm not convinced that there's any evidence of Disney vote-splitting in previous years. Even if Dory is nominated my bet will be on Zootopia or Moana.

Edited November 25, 2016 by Jason
typo

[ban1o]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

 

The "Lego snub" may suggest that the Animation Branch rewards skilled animation over script when choosing nominees, but its the entire Academy that votes for the winner. We've been down this road before, but I'm not convinced that there's any evidence of Disney vote-splitting in previous years. Even if Dory is nominated my bet will be on Zootopia or Moana.

How many times have 2 Disney films been nominated when one wasn't obviously superior? The only time is when Brave and Wreck it Ralph were nominated and Brave won because academy just voted for Pixar. 

Edited November 25, 2016 by ban1o

[Jason]

2 minutes ago, ban1o said:

How many times have 2 Disney films been nominated when one wasn't obviously superior? The only time is when Brave and Wreck it Ralph were nominated and Brave won because academy just voted for Pixar. 

 

That's precisely the point. In that example, one of the Disney films still managed to win, and we can't be sure it was just because of the Pixar name because it's just one example. In 2002, when Spirited Away won against two Disney films, it was very clearly the best film of that year. So we don't have actual evidence of vote-splitting. I'm not saying it's not possible, just that in the absence of evidence I'm not going to presume it will be a problem.

[BadAtGender]

While there might be a vote split, that just means that the ultimate winner is up in the air, not that it allows Kubo to sneak in for a win. Because we'd honestly probably have a vote breakdown something like this:

 

Disney Pic 1: 21%

Disney Pic 2: 19%

Disney Pic 3: 15%

Kubo: 5%

Indie Pic: 1%

Didn't vote: 39%

 

(If we get only two Disney pics and two indie pics, then raise the Disney votes by ~10% and the new one gets another 1%)

 

Academy Voters have a lot of films to see, and they're primarily going to be interested in actually seeing the films that are in the top of the line categories, not making sure they'll have seen the fourth most popular animation entry. There simply won't be enough of them for Kubo to get a win.

 

Honestly, any of the three Disney pics could get the win. Zootopia has phenomenally good reviews and a rather prescient message. If it does manage to sneak a screenplay nod, that could play a lot in its favor. (Unlikely at this point, but there's an outside shot.) Dory has very good reviews and it's by far the biggest in terms of box office, which often does matter for this award. (More random eyeballs have seen it.) Moana has excellent reviews, even if it's not QUITE as good as Zoo, and it's got that most recent release playing for it. And there's the fact that it's got Lin-Manuel Miranda's PEGOT riding on it, so that could have a trickle-down effect.

 

Right now it's a toss-up. I'm still leaning Zootopia, but if Moana manages to catch some lightning and become more of a phenomenon, it probably gets the edge. 

[CoolioD1]

1. Moana

2. Zootopia

3. The Red Turtle

4. Kubo

5. Finding Dory

 

makes the most sense.

[Jake Gittes]

Annies

Quote

Walt Disney Animation’s Zootopia scored the most Annie Awards nominations with 11 as noms for the animation industry’s top honors were unveiled today. Focus Features/Lakia’s Kubo And The Two Strings was second with 10 noms. Bot are in the marquee Best Animated Feature race with Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory, DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3 and Disney Animation’s just-released Moana.

 

 

Quote

 

Best Animated Feature

“Finding Dory,” Pixar Animation Studios

“Kubo and the Two Strings,” Laika

“Kung Fu Panda 3,” DreamWorks Animation

“Moana,” Walt Disney Animation

“Zootopia,” Walt Disney Animation

Best Animated Feature – Independent

“Long Way North,” Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, NorlumStudios, France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes

“Miss Hokusai,” GKids

“My Life as a Zucchini,” GKids

“The Red Turtle,” Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions

“Your Name.,” CoMix Wave Films

 

 

Quote

 

Directing in an Animated Feature Production

“Kubo and the Two Strings,” Laika; Director: Travis Knight

“My Life as a Zucchini,”GKids; Director: Claude Barras

“The Red Turtle,” Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions; Director: Michael Dudok de Wit

“Your Name.,” CoMix Wave Films; Director: Makoto Shinkai

“Zootopia,” Walt Disney Animation Studios; Director: Byron Howard; Director: Rich Moore

 

 

Quote

 

Writing in an Animated Feature Production

“Kubo and the Two Strings,” Laika; Writer: Marc Haimes; Writer: Chris Butler

“My Life as a Zucchini,” GKids; Writer: Céline Sciamma

“The Red Turtle,” Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch, Why Not Productions; Writer:Michael Dudok de Wit; Writer: Pascale Ferran

“Zootopia,” Walt Disney Animation Studios; Writer: Jared Bush; Writer: Phil Johnston

 

 

http://deadline.com/2016/11/annie-awards-2016-nominations-zootopia-kubo-and-the-two-strings-1201860477/

 

Zucchini, Red Turtle and Your Name made some waves. 

 

[Ezen Baklattan]

Kubo

Moana

Red Turtle

Zucchini

Zootopia

 

Feel 95% sure about this.

[BirdMan]

I think " your name " 's chances are better than Zucchini's tbh 
as a side note  Was Kubo THAT good ??? I mean it was alright but definitely not anywhere near zootopia or any good animated movie I've seen in the past years 

[RandomCat]

6 minutes ago, BirdMan said:

I think " your name " 's chances are better than Zucchini's tbh 
as a side note  Was Kubo THAT good ??? I mean it was alright but definitely not anywhere near zootopia or any good animated movie I've seen in the past years 

 

It was the best animated feature of the year.

[Jason]

4 minutes ago, BirdMan said:

I think " your name " 's chances are better than Zucchini's tbh 
as a side note  Was Kubo THAT good ??? I mean it was alright but definitely not anywhere near zootopia or any good animated movie I've seen in the past years 

 

I didn't enjoy it that much personally. But it is among the best films of this year in terms of its critical reception.

[eXtacy]

Finally saw your name today and it would be absolutely criminal for it not to be nominated. Best film I have seen this year

 

 

Edited November 28, 2016 by eXtacy

[Jake Gittes]

I'm not crazy about Kubo (I am if we are talking about its visuals), but if only two American movies were to be nominated they'd clearly be Kubo and Zootopia. 

 

I could see a scenario where the entire Zucchini/Turtle/Your Name trio gets in, I could see one where only one of them does. Red Turtle has the best chance, Your Name is the least likely but with a last-minute surge it could yet overtake Zucchini. 

[Jason]

I think it's hard to evaluate Your Name's chances at this point, because we don't have many reviews from American critics. That should change beginning this Friday when Your Name gets its Los Angeles release.

[Morieris]

I'm more surprised that Kung Fu Panda 3 got in there than Kubo...like it's FINE but it's definitely not in the same league. Then again, I don't know what other american production would take its place that even has it's quality.

[AniNate]

Notably absent is Sing, only got noticed for music. So I imagine later reviews aren't going to be a huge positive deviation from the current ones.

[SchumacherFTW]

About to see The Red Turtle, so let's see how it stacks up.