AniNate Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) Why do people think 2013 was a weak year for animation? Because it was. The frontrunner this year wouldn't stand a chance against any of the noms from 2009/2010 I guess it's still not as bad as 2011 but I do long for the years where I could reasonably demand a Best Picture nomination for an animated film Edited January 17, 2014 by tribefan695 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Nevada Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 2009 was almost too good. I mean come on, Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, Ponyo (which wasn't nominated) and Coraline all in the same year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) 2014 does look more interesting even with the lack of a Pixar film. I'm really curious about Book of Life. Edited January 17, 2014 by tribefan695 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Because it was. The frontrunner this year wouldn't stand a chance against any of the noms from 2009/2010 I guess it's still not as bad as 2011 but I do long for the years where I could reasonably demand a Best Picture nomination for an animated film 2009 was almost too good. I mean come on, Up, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, Ponyo (which wasn't nominated) and Coraline all in the same year. 2010 > 2013 > 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I keep forgetting TPATF was nominated in 2009. Okay, it might've stood a chance against that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 With Miyazaki's retirement being reversed, this is pretty much Frozen's now. I still preferred DM2 though Nominee Statement from Director Hayao Miyazaki “I and my colleagues are deeply honored that the Academy has chosen to nominate The Wind Rises, my last film, for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Based on a quick internet search ( where the truth can always be found ) Miyazaki has retired/un-retired several times. Until the Oscars are over I would expect him to stay retired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Nevada Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Really, 2013 was a better year for animation than 2009? That is just false. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lab276 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) As far as 2009 goes I've only seen Up, which is inferior to Monsters Uni. I'd count Ponyo as 2008, and I reckon I'd like The Wind Rises more anyway. Edited January 17, 2014 by lab276 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Really, 2013 was a better year for animation than 2009? That is just false. 2013 Frozen, Croods, DM2 and MU - All 'A' movies in my opinion. Everyone of them were good enough to see twice in the theater. IMO Frozen is one of the top 5 animated movies of all time. 2009 PATF & Caroline - A- to B+ - Enjoyed them both but too much Frog in the 1st and too freaky in the 2nd. UP - One of the best 1st acts of all time... very average after that. 9, Ice Age, Ponyo - blah... Own 2 of them on DVD but never had an interest in rewatching them. Fox - Did not see. 2010 TS3 - Best animated movie of all time DM - Better then DM2 HTYD - Equivalent to Croods/MU 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AniNate Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I hate DM2 the more I think about it. MU and Croods were ok, Frozen was great. As for 2009's films, I may not have loved them all, but they all demonstrated a sense of ambition that's been lacking from the industry recently. I'm hoping 2014's crop will change that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadAtGender Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 In aggregate I'd probably agree that 2010 was better than 2013, but that's mostly that things were stronger on a strict comparison basis. Of the eight directly comparable films, I'd probably rank them something like Frozen, HTTYD, Tangled, TS3, The Croods, MU, and the DMs are interchangable taking up the rear. 2009 isn't even in the same picture, though. Up is fantastic, sure. Fantastic Mr. Fox is cute, but nothing spectacular. (It's not even the best stop motion adaptation of a Roald Dahl story.) Coraline and Cloudy 1 are pretty good, though. And PatF wasn't the return to brilliance that Disney wanted or needed; despite doing some great things, it's got problems. What else was there from that year? Monsters vs. Aliens? Ice Age 3? 2008 is a better year than 2009. Wall-E is at least on par with Up. Bolt is better than PatF. Kung-Fu Panda was the first time Dreamworks managed to make a film that was reaching for more than middle of the road humor. It's also the year Ponyo came out. It's difficult to find a year earlier than 2008 that has a broad swath of good animated features. Disney hadn't gotten good again, yet, Dreamworks wasn't good, and there weren't the broad umber of other studios to throw in as well. 2010 > 2013 > 2008 > 2009 > 2012 > 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CloneWars Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Nominee Statement from Director Hayao Miyazaki “I and my colleagues are deeply honored that the Academy has chosen to nominate The Wind Rises, my last film, for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Based on a quick internet search ( where the truth can always be found ) Miyazaki has retired/un-retired several times. Until the Oscars are over I would expect him to stay retired. He's getting really old though. I wouldn't be surprised if he passed away in the next couple of years. I'm not wishing him any ill-will or anything, but The Wind Rises may very well be his last film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadAtGender Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 He's getting really old though. I wouldn't be surprised if he passed away in the next couple of years. I'm not wishing him any ill-will or anything, but The Wind Rises may very well be his last film. He's 73 and males in Japan have a life expectancy approaching 80. I don't think his demise is at all impending. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lab276 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Although TWR might still be his last film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 2008 is a better year than 2009. Wall-E is at least on par with Up. Bolt is better than PatF. Kung-Fu Panda was the first time Dreamworks managed to make a film that was reaching for more than middle of the road humor. It's also the year Ponyo came out. I forgot about Wall-E. Wall-E might be the best single animated film but TS3 was great and finished a fantastic trilogy. 2008 had a lot of very good B+ movies - tales of desperation, bolt, KFP, Horton, Madagascar... none of those were great however. Other years... loved tangled and Ralph and to a lessor degree Brave... but can't remember other movies in those years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CloneWars Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 He's 73 and males in Japan have a life expectancy approaching 80. I don't think his demise is at all impending. Maybe, but he seems to be a heavy chain-smoker from all the documentaries I have seen. But, most Japanese males seem to do that. Hmm... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadAtGender Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 (edited) I forgot about Wall-E. Wall-E might be the best single animated film but TS3 was great and finished a fantastic trilogy. 2008 had a lot of very good B+ movies - tales of desperation, bolt, KFP, Horton, Madagascar... none of those were great however. Other years... loved tangled and Ralph and to a lessor degree Brave... but can't remember other movies in those years. Notable animated films from recent years: 2013 - Frozen, DM2, Monsters University, The Croods, Epic, Turbo, The Wind Rises, Planes 2012 - Brave, Wreck-it Ralph, Ice Age 4, Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians, Paranorman, Frankenweenie. 2011 - Cars 2, KFP 2, Rio, Rango, The Adventures of Tintin, From Up on Poppy Hill, Happy Feet 2, Arthur Christmas 2010 - Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon, Tangled, DM, Shrek 4, Megamind, Legend of the Guardians, Arietty, 2009 - Up, Princess and the Frog, Monsters vs. Aliens, Ice Age 3, A Christmas Carol, Cloudy w/a Chance of Meatballs, 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox 2008 - Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2, Horton Hears a Who, Bolt, Ponyo, Tale of Despereaux, The Clone Wars, Edited January 17, 2014 by DamienRoc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLL Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Notable animated films from recent years: 2013 - Frozen, DM2, Monsters University, The Croods, Epic, Turbo, The Wind Rises, Planes 2012 - Brave, Wreck-it Ralph, Ice Age 4, Hotel Transylvania, Rise of the Guardians, Paranorman, Frankenweenie. 2011 - Cars 2, KFP 2, Rio, Rango, The Adventures of Tintin, From Up on Poppy Hill, Happy Feet 2, Arthur Christmas 2010 - Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon, Tangled, DM, Shrek 4, Megamind, Legend of the Guardians, Arietty, 2009 - Up, Princess and the Frog, Monsters vs. Aliens, Ice Age 3, A Christmas Carol, Cloudy w/a Chance of Meatballs, 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox 2008 - Wall-E, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2, Horton Hears a Who, Bolt, Ponyo, Tale of Despereaux, The Clone Wars, When you look at that list you really have to decide if you judge on 1 or 2 really great films or a lot of very good films. I guess I stand by my rankings.... 2008 had one great film and a lot of good films 2012 had several really good films, a lot of good films... but no great film. I still put 2010 & 2013 at the top because they had a great film and several very good films and many good films 2012 comes next because it has more re-watchable films even though there is not a great one. My new ranking: 2010/2013 > 2012 > 2008 > 2009 > 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rukaio101 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I figure I might as well add my two cents to this discussion since I watch a lot of Western and Japanese animation. I'll go through each year separately talking about the films I've seen. 2008 was an alright year. Kung Fu Panda, Ponyo, Bolt, Wall-E and Tengen Toppen Gurren Lagann- Gurren Hen were all great, there's not much notable beyond them that I've seen. Going against popular opinion, I think 2009 was an absolutely fantastic year. Summer Wars (my joint 2nd favourite film of all time), Cloudy 1, Coraline, Evangelion 2.0, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-Hen, Ice Age 3, One Piece: Strong World, The Professor Layton movie and Up I all absolutely loved. And I definitely enjoyed 9, Fantastic Mr Fox and (to a lesser extent) Princess and the Frog. Not to mention Mary and Max and the Secret of Kells, neither of which I've seen but I've heard good things about, especially the former. 2010 is obviously a great year, with the holy duo of Toy Story 3 and HTTYD. In addition, I absolutely loved Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Redline and Arrietty, while enjoying to some extent Megamind, Despicable Me and Trigun: Badlands Rumble 2011 is also very underrated. While none of the films quite reach the standards of films like Toy Story 3 or HTTYD, they were a lot better than the usual average fare we get. Tintin, KFP2, Winnie the Pooh, Rango, Arthur Christmas, Puss in Boots and From Up on Poppy Hill were all fantastic films. 2012 wasn't very good in my opinion. Paranorman is the only film that stood out for me. The rest were just good, not great. This year suffered from a lot of films (Berserk: Golden Age arc, Brave, One Piece Film Z + Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists) not living up to my expectations. Not that they were bad by any definition of the word, I just had really really high hopes for them which weren't quite fulfilled. (Wreck it Ralph and Rise of the Guardians were about as good as I expected though (although that wasn't particularly high)) 2013 has been... kinda shit. Sure it does have 2 massive standouts for me in Frozen and the new Gintama movie but (Cloudy aside), the rest barely reach above average. Maybe my opinion on it will rise once we get some more releases for Japanese films like The Wind Rises, The Tale of Princess Kaguya and the new Puella Magi movie, but I have doubts. In summation 2009/2010 > 2011 > 2008 > 2012/2013 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BadAtGender Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Summer Wars was pretty good, yeah. It's not quite top tier for me, but very solid. 2012 also had The Wolf Children, which hit at about the same level. I hope Hosoda can really break out with a truly great film soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
