athena

For animation fans, I don't think any one film has been quite so hotly anticipated as The Princess and the Frog. Disney's (we really, really hope) triumphant return to classic 2D animation.

So, the big question is, does this film deliver on all that pent up hype and anticipation?

By and large, I would say it does although perhaps not in ways that audiences expecting a Little Mermaid or Cinderella story might expect. This is not your childhood Disney fairytale, but a tale that brings that fairytale into the modern age.

For one thing, our Disney princess isn't a Snow White singing about how "someday her prince will come" to save her and make all her dreams come true. Tiana has be raised to believe that making wishes on stars isn't enough and that you have to put in some hard work in order to make your dreams come true.

Prince Naveen however is a spoiled rich boy who has grown up in the lap of luxury. He wants nothing more than to dance, sing and paint the town red with a lady on each arm. Yes, that's right, this is a Disney prince who is a bit of a womanizing cad. Believe it or not, this is surprisingly refreshing because it makes Naveen one of the more multi-dimensional Disney princes we've had grace the screen. Naveen is also far funnier than the princes of the past and you can see why even workaholic Tiana could eventually warm up to him.

So right there you've already got a major difference between many of the Disney movies of the past--the proverbial ant paired up with the grasshopper--and the story unfolds from there.

The sidekick characters also weren't half as annoying as I thought they'd be. The cajun firefly, Ray, who I was expecting to hate, turned out to be an intelligent and quite endearing character in large part because he wasn't what I expected.

Animation... well, it almost goes without saying that it was beautiful to watch, although almost too frenetic in places. I came out of the theatre feeling like I really needed to see that movie again just so I could have more of an opportunity to absorb it all.

And finally the music... well, this is honestly where the film lost its half star for me. There was only one or two musical numbers that really stood out for me, and the rest just left me with a bit of a 'meh' kind of feeling. Alas these are not the catchy, toe-tapping, can't get them out of your head songs of yester-year. I think in any other animated musical I wouldn't have noticed, but this is a Disney movie and I expected a bit better.

So is this Disney's triumphant return to 2D? Well honestly, that's ultimately more of a box office question than an artistic one. That said, if this is the kind of movie that we can expect from the revitalized 2D department, then I sincerely hope that this is the first of many films to come.

This is an absolutely stunning film to look at. There were times when its beauty just rocked me back on my heels so much that I found myself literally grinning from ear to ear.

The character designs are wonderfully eclectic... like Samurai Jack with a Celtic flair. Flat, graphic but always finding interesting ways to represent the characters. Keep an eye out for the village shepherd--he's my favourite.

The animation itself is fluid--particularly that of the sprite, Aisling. She seems part human and part smoke in places, and it's quite fun to just watch her zip here to there.

Story... well, that's where I felt I had to dock a half star, although very grudgingly. While I was undoubtedly pulled in by the visuals, I never felt quite as snared by the characters or the story. The plot leads Brendan from one astounding vista to the next, but even though the visuals felt epic the story couldn't quite keep up in my mind.

Having said that, I seriously think Brendan could've stood there and read the New York phone directory with all the "pretty" going on around him, but if you aren't as enraptured by that sort of thing as I am, you may find this movie to not quite meet expectations.

Keep an eye out for it at film festivals as it definitely deserves a large screen treatment.

In a landscape of animated films that seem to be all look and no substance, "Mary and Max" hits with the weight of a freight train. This is an intimate biography of two people who find themselves to be outcasts in a world that seems baffling to them and yet, by the miracle of chance, find each other. It is strength of the characters and the story they tell that makes this movie such a stand-out.

And when was the last time you hears THAT about an animated film, hmm?

Don't get me wrong. I have always had a soft spot for stop-motion animation because it is such a meticulous and genuinely hand-crafted art. The look of the film and its characters are wonderfully down-to-earth and a little oddball--much like the characters themselves. Everything in Mary's world is in shades of brown with brilliant touches of red here and there. Everything in Max's New York is gray, but also having these brilliant red objects here and there as well.

The voice acting is also exceptional. I didn't realize until I read the credits that it was Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman who provides the voice of Max, but I wasn't really surprised given the quality of the actor's previous work. Hoffman makes Max incredibly sympathetic. You get that Max is a bit simple, but you are never put off by his eccentricities and you feel the earnestness and delight when he writes to Mary.

As a whole, the movie reminded me a bit of "Amelie" with its imaginative cutaways. However, where "Amelie" offers viewers a sugary sweet fairy-tale, "Mary and Max" is a bittersweet dark chocolate that is satisfying in its blend of humour and tragedy. Not a film for the kiddies, but don't hesitate to grab a ticket if it appears at a film fest in your area.

I am one of those types of people who loves to cheer for the underdog and in the animation world, just about any film that isn't made by Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks I would classify as a kind of 'underdog'. Further "9" takes on a dark stylistic sensibility that you just don't see in the kind of movies that the major studios produce. More than anything, it is the look of this film that recommends it for the big screen.

Still, after the truly epic feel of the trailers, I came away from the movie feeling like they perhaps sold a different movie from the one I saw. While definitely good, "9" falls short of true greatness in my mind, lacking some intangible quality. The characters are likeable, but you don't click with them quite enough. The action is exciting, but it doesn't quite pull you to the edge of your seat. I almost wonder if it was perhaps the soundtrack that was lacking in this area--not quite developed enough to ratchet up the tension--because certainly the visuals were gripping in unto themselves.

Should you see this in theatres? Yes. This is a movie that visually lends itself to the big screen. Further, you should see it if you believe that animation ought to be more than what we have become accustomed to... go ahead and cheer for these underdogs.

Mr. Miyazaki makes two kinds of movies. The visually stunning rollicking adventure movie like Castle in the Sky or Princess Mononoke. He also makes the visually stunning imaginative kids movie like Kiki's Delivery Service or My Neighbour Totoro.

Ponyo is very much the LATTER in terms of tone and themes. In a nutshell, this is the Little Mermaid with five year olds.

Now, I'm not five so I will admit this felt a little overly sweet in places. Unfortunately there isn't much here story-wise for the adult taking the little kids do this movie, so be prepared for that. It does of course have Miyazaki's trademark visuals and imagination and he imagines an ocean world that is vivid and full of life.

It's not what I would personally call Miyazaki's best, but I would have no qualm in recommending this for the young ones in your life.