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Post by Jeremy on Dec 29, 2019 14:56:42 GMT -8
Ooh yeah, I figured there'd be some heat for the Zootopia thing.
I think my Top 3 or 4 are all close enough to make ranking pointless, but I put Zootopia above the rest because (1) the animation is simply stunning, (2) it's excellently plotted, paced, and structured, more so than most Disney flicks in this or any other decade. and (3) the sheer tonnage of details and in-jokes in the show's animal-centric world is just incredible, and I find more and more each time I watch them. Just an immersive and amazing film.
I would also like to add that Shaun the Sheep Movie is an animated masterpiece. I cannot wait till Farmageddon gets released in America.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Dec 29, 2019 16:34:53 GMT -8
Ooh yeah, I figured there'd be some heat for the Zootopia thing. I think my Top 3 or 4 are all close enough to make ranking pointless, but I put Zootopia above the rest because (1) the animation is simply stunning, (2) it's excellently plotted, paced, and structured, more so than most Disney flicks in this or any other decade. and (3) the sheer tonnage of details and in-jokes in the show's animal-centric world is just incredible, and I find more and more each time I watch them. Just an immersive and amazing film. I would also like to add that Shaun the Sheep Movie is an animated masterpiece. I cannot wait till Farmageddon gets released in America. I can accept that. But the first two points definitely apply to Spider-Verse as well, to an even greater extent. It quite literally looks unlike almost any other animated film, and it masterfully balances a ludicrously ambitious plot with a half-dozen incarnations of its main character, and it pulls it all off. While the world-building of Zootopia is a strong point in its favor, I don't think its story is anything special. Inside Out is wonderful and definitely deserves its spot in your top 3. It and Toy Story 3 were the only two genuinely great Pixar films of the decade. Maybe 2020 will be their year again? Onward and Soul seem like they have immense potential. And Pete Docter, director of Inside Out, is directing and co-writing Soul.
Shaun the Sheep Movie is good! But How to Train Your Dragon 2 was a home run and one of the best animated sequels ever. Better action, deepened the characters and story, and the animation was top notch as well.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Dec 29, 2019 17:09:37 GMT -8
Oh, no, I'm not mad because I think your top four are all roughly equal in quality. I'm mad because I think Zootopia is a movie I think doesn't belong on a top 50, let alone a top 5. I think the film doesn't stray very far from the modern Disney/Pixar animated formula, and that the jokes undercut the film's alleged theme. It occupies the same spot in my mind as Shark Tale, for crying out loud.
(Although even if it you subbed it out with Wreck-It Ralph - a film in that same mold that I do think could plausibly be in the top 5 - Spiderverse would still deserve the edge for its originality. I don't think any film has pushed the boundaries of what mainstream animation can look like as hard as Spiderverse does since the original Toy Story proved you could do a full-length CGI movie.)
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Post by Jeremy on Dec 29, 2019 18:03:47 GMT -8
I think the other thing that's keeping me from putting Spider-Verse in that precious #1 spot is the fact that it's barely a year old, and as has been established elsewhere, I have this subconscious concern about recency bias. But I would not argue with anyone who put it at #1.
I will argue with anyone who puts Zootopia at the same level as a film as bad as Shark Tale. Zootopia is among the most highly rewatchable animated films I've ever seen, and it gets me every time. I also think it adheres less to formula than most modern Disney/Pixar films, which is just one of many things that make it so distinctive.
Flame, I won't disagree over the quality of Dragon 2 - as you may notice, I love that film as well. But few films this decade made me laugh the way Shaun the Sheep did. I think it's Aardman's best film, and it has some pretty solid competition in that category.
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Post by guttersnipe on Dec 30, 2019 18:02:24 GMT -8
I will argue with anyone who puts Zootopia at the same level as a film as bad as Shark Tale. Yeah, I thought that was pretty fierce.
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 1, 2020 5:25:44 GMT -8
(Most people have issues with the indiscriminate killing in The Dirty Dozen; I don't like it because there's too much green.) Hmm, turns out I have the same problem with the new Pete's Dragon, David Lowery being one of the heroes of the decade notwithstanding.
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 1, 2020 6:22:25 GMT -8
You must be a thrill at St. Patty's Day parades. Also, it occurs to me now that I should've put The Lego Movie in the #1 spot. That film checks every box - heart, humor, great messages, cultural influence. Oh, well. The important thing is that I mentioned Anomalisa in the same breath as Captain Underpants.
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 1, 2020 9:11:32 GMT -8
It's only just occurred to me that you've put Rango even higher
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 1, 2020 10:55:38 GMT -8
My only real issue with Rango is its ending, which feels kind of jarring and abrupt. Very good film beyond that, though.
Snipe, have you seen Rio? It's nothing too impressive story-wise, but it's one of the most colorful animated films of the modern era. It's a vibrant panoply of bright greens, blues, and yellows, and has some great shots of native Brazil. If you're looking for animated films with strong visual palettes, it's worth checking out.
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Jan 1, 2020 14:05:03 GMT -8
My only real issue with Rango is its ending, which feels kind of jarring and abrupt. Very good film beyond that, though. Rango was a breath of fresh air-it's difficult for me to really think of another animated film like it. As far as I remember, there wasn't an adorkable romance between Rango and a female chameleon. As much as I like those sometimes ( Tangled), they tend to grate when you've seen a lot of animated movies (and I haven't even seen as many as you).
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 1, 2020 14:41:12 GMT -8
Snipe, have you seen Rio? It's nothing too impressive story-wise, but it's one of the most colorful animated films of the modern era. It's a vibrant panoply of bright greens, blues, and yellows, and has some great shots of native Brazil. If you're looking for animated films with strong visual palettes, it's worth checking out. I have, and yes, it's brilliantly colourful (good use of the word "panoply", by the way) and I really dig the attention given to the environs. From what I recall though, what lets it down is the typical DreamWorks formula of zany and hyper, which I often find a bit juvenile and tiresome. (The Panda trilogy is similarly fast-paced but there's a lovely deftness of touch and the humour is always well-placed, plus there's an admirable amount of respect for martial arts films and Chinese culture. Po's a clumsy goof but clearly loves the world he blunders into, and that sentiment is echoed by the filmmakers, and subsequently the audience.)
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 1, 2020 16:34:09 GMT -8
Yeah, I don't think Rio is a particularly well-written film (it ranks juuuust at the edge of that Top 50 list), but it compensates somewhat as a visual experience. Ditto the sequel, although that film suffers more from a threadbare storyline (it's basically six subplots, all haphazardly strung together). They certainly aren't as well-written or layered as the Kung Fu Panda trilogy.
With some exceptions, though, I find that Blue Sky films tend to be more visually creative (and feature better character designs) than Dreamworks. Though DW has had a better batting average, story-wise, I'll take the bright, Seussian designs of Horton Hears a Who over the quaint but unremarkable fairy-take world of the Shrek films any day.
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 1, 2020 16:45:35 GMT -8
Oh right, I thought Rio was DreamWorks (I tend to find the CGI studios that aren't Pixar bleed together in my book - they don't do themselves any favours with the standard-issue one-raised-eyebrow in their promo material).
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Post by Jeremy on Jan 1, 2020 20:21:15 GMT -8
Ah yes, the raised eyebrow. Seen way too many of those. Though to be fair, I think Pixar started the trend with Buzz Lightyear.
To clear up the confusion: DreamWorks = Shrek; Blue Sky = Ice Age; Warner = Lego; Illumination = garbage. Hope that helps.
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Post by guttersnipe on Jan 2, 2020 16:02:47 GMT -8
Does Sing qualify as garbage? I'd like to see it if only because Garth Jennings seems like a totally odd fit until you factor in his background in inventive music videos (Coffee & TV, Imitation of Life, Pumping on Your Stereo etc). He also designed the nifty title sequence for Da Ali G Show, so iconic that it was referenced on The Simpsons.
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