Filmspotters' Top Animated Features: Comments

[smirnoff]

Continuing to catch up.

Waltz With Bashir

Hmm. Not quite sure how to account for my reaction to this film. I found it thoughtful but cold. Rightly so I suppose, considering the subject matter. But I wouldn't call the experience especially powerful or moving. Maybe it's just my mind numbing itself so it doesn't have to deal with the tragedy. It's a good film, but I'm not sure it's anything special.

2.5/4

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Persepolis

Very well done. I got a lot more out of it than I did Waltz With Bashir. Things just hit home a little more for whatever reason. Not sure I'd recommend it, but I certainly wouldn't avoid it either. Like Waltz it's very insightful.

3/4

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Vexille

Some of the prettiest animation I've ever seen. The film has something to do with Japan being a world leader in robotic weaponry and becoming a isolated society after the UN banned the technology. Unfortunately the story written around this imagined world is horribly mundane. The dialogue is equally awful. An unforgivable shame really, considering how much work probably went into the other elements in the film. The action is probably the most disappointing part of all. It has lots of flash and style but there is no meaning behind it. I turned it off after 20 minutes.

1/4

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Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

I made it through this film, but even at less that 90 minutes it felt too long. I only needed one hand to count the number of times I laughed, granted they were good laughs. The best part of the film is the very first scene, which comes before the movie proper has even started. Not as funny as Robot Chicken, and even that's not that funny. I suppose it's an acquired taste, like baseball.

2/4

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The Sky Crawlers

Good movie! Stunning animation, particularly in the action sequences. The story is fascinating. The details of whats really going on only trickle in, but that's really what kept me watching. The dialogue stumbles a few times, but for the most part it's handled well. It's waaaaay more sophisticated than Vexille. This is a film I think might improve on a second viewing.

3/4

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Ratatouille

Pretty wonderful. I felt there was a 3 or 4 too many ups and downs, and that they were very predictable, but for the most part it kept my interest. There's a lot of good physical comedy. I particularly enjoyed the first cooking scene in Linguini's apartment with Remy. I'm pretty certain this would've made my top 20.

3.5/4

[THATguy]

I think if we do this again, 100 might be pushing it, but this year's FS100 showed that a larger voting field improves results.  I'd say we should at least do 50.

[Bill Thompson]

I think if we do this again, 100 might be pushing it, but this year's FS100 showed that a larger voting field improves results.  I'd say we should at least do 50.

100 worked out fine this time, why would we change it?

[smirnoff]

I think he meant 50 films per ballot

[THATguy]

Right.

[Bill Thompson]

I think he meant 50 films per ballot

That might be pushing it, most people told me they had trouble with a top 20, some only turned in ballots of 15 or less.

[THATguy]

Gives them a year to watch more animated films.

And as I said, I think a larger ballot will allow for a more interesting ending.

Besides, they don't have to do 50, it will give some of us opportunities to show some films some love that we otherwise wouldn't be able to.

[FLYmeatwad]

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is incredible, and the film is nearly a masterpiece.

[oldkid]

Gives them a year to watch more animated films.

And as I said, I think a larger ballot will allow for a more interesting ending.

Besides, they don't have to do 50, it will give some of us opportunities to show some films some love that we otherwise wouldn't be able to.

I don't know if a year is enough time.  There's a lot of movies out there, and will we really have seen that many more movies in just one genre in just a year's time to justify it that soon?  Unless there's some new blood really interested in it.

[Melvil]

Loving your reviews, smirnoff. I'm a lot more interested in checking out Persepolis and especially The Sky Crawlers now (looks gorgeous).