As an animation enthusiast, I decided to watch this year’s nominated films in the Best Animated Feature category at the Oscars. After watching all five, I laughed, I cried and I even reevaluated my whole life. Hence, I have concocted a personal ranking of the nominees, from my least favorite to my favorite watch.
- The Sea Beast Dir. Chris Williams
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While watching this film, I was in awe of how beautiful and meticulous the animation was, especially with each character’s design. From each character’s hair to the waves of the ocean, the atmosphere the animation created felt real. Along with the animation, the protagonists of the story, Jacob and Maisie, had a heartwarming and grounded relationship that served as the heart of the film. However, I only felt connected to the protagonists; the other characters throughout the film fell flat. I believe the reason for this was the film’s inability to show rather than tell, especially when it came to worldbuilding.
I saw myself comparing this film to DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon (2010), as both stories illustrated a world where humans and nature were kept separate. Where How To Train Your Dragon succeeded and The Sea Beast failed was how it depicted the hatred between dragons and humans, connecting the conflict to the world itself. With The Sea Beast, I felt that I knew little about the world and the sea monsters, thus making the conflict between nature and man less impactful.
- Turning red Dir. domee shi
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As a Pixar enthusiast, I thought they hit yet another home run with this film, especially with the direction they took in terms of animation. The anime-inspired animation style aided in bringing both the characters and the world to life. As for the characters themselves, I felt each one was relatable and authentic, especially the dynamic between Mei-Mei and her mother. I thought that the red panda serving as a motif for puberty and change was a creative direction to take when illustrating Mei-Mei’s struggle with accepting her faults. As a former middle schooler, I can confidently say that puberty felt just as embarrassing and humiliating, so seeing that experience depicted on screen made me chuckle a little bit because I know exactly how that feels… unfortunately.
- marcel the shell with shoes on Dir. dean fleischer camp
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What I didn’t expect from this film was to learn a life lesson on community and change, especially from a tiny, shoe-wearing shell, but alas, here we are. Marcel’s perspective on the importance of community was uplifting, and his relationship with his grandmother was one of my favorite aspects of the film. Even though they lost their family, their ability to adapt and form their own community with each other made me appreciate their dynamic even more. Being both heartwarming and comedic, this movie has officially become a new comfort watch for me.
Side note, having a tennis ball as a car is absolutely genius. Marcel had something going on there.
- puss in boots: the last wish dIR. Joel Crawford
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The hybrid use of 2D and 3D animation was THE move for this film. The action scenes were flawless, especially the opening action sequence, which was reminiscent of Attack on Titan. The vibrant color palette of this movie made the story more thrilling and the world both entertaining and extremely immersive. I felt that each character was properly fleshed out, with each of their motives feeling purposeful and important to the story. The depiction of Puss’s fear of death made me scared of the Big Bad Wolf because his character design and execution were extremely frightening. The numerous uses of symbolism and foreshadowing not only demonstrated this film’s attention to detail but also aided in presenting the story’s themes. It was clear that while making this film, DreamWorks understood its audience, as it included references that my generation and those who grew up with the first film (as well as the Shrek franchise) would understand.
Side note (again), I cannot express enough how genuinely hilarious this film is. If you’re looking for a much-needed laugh, this is the movie to watch.
- guillermo del toro’s pinocchio dIR. Guillermo del toro
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At this point, if I were Disney, I would hide because Guillermo Del Toro’s version of Pinocchio is a masterpiece. He turned a story about a wooden boy wanting to become human into one about humanity itself, and it had me reevaluate my whole existence.
The cinematography and stop-motion animation complemented each other perfectly, displaying some of the most beautiful sequences I have ever seen in any film. Its characters effectively presented the story’s exploration of the overwhelming nature of grief, the power of greed and the importance of life. The dialogue between each character wasn’t wasted, especially with this line said by Sebastian (a cricket and Pinocchio’s acting conscience): “I’ll try my best and that’s the best anyone can do.” I felt this one line not only captured the essence of this film but was also something that I needed to hear.
Each animated film nominated this year is an absolute blast to watch. I would recommend each one if you ever have the time, but especially Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, which in my opinion is not only going to win the Oscar but also wholeheartedly deserves it.
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