Hey guys! My next video in my analysis of the Animated Oscars is up. This is 2008 and for a lot of you my thoughts won’t be a surprise as I have reviewed both Wall-e and Bolt on this blog. I went on a little bit in this video but if you like it I’d love a thumbs up. Thanks!
Overall, I think all 3 of the nominees in 2008 are strong; although, Kung fu Panda was not as strong as I remembered it on the rewatch. I even gave it 2 chances and it didn’t wow me. Particularly the humor isn’t my favorite, but it’s fine. I can see why others love it and it’s not bad. Just didn’t love it as much as I did when it first came out.
Bolt is an enjoyable film, if a bit forgettable. The set-up takes too long but the characters are likable and overall it is entertaining. I think it was a huge step in the right direction for Disney’s CG films and helped give them the confidence to make better films like Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen and Tangled.
Wall-e is Pixar’s most bold and daring film. It’s beautiful and I actually love both the silent film and science fiction sections. Unlike Kung fu Panda it’s a movie that I appreciate new things about it each time I watch it. I love how the Captain’s eyes are opened and he see’s the fuller life he could live. It’s really quite moving and tense as they fight the computer to live a better life. And then scenes like the space ballet with Wall-e and Eve is just breathtaking. I think it is the most beautiful artistry of Pixar’s history and the best CG has given us from any studio.
So in this case I clearly think the right film won. What about you?
I admit, I still haven’t watched Kung Fu Panda. Bolt is cute, but generic. Wall-E…I am in the middle. I love the first part of the movie, but hate the second part, when the humans turn up. I think it would have worked better as a short film. Between those three it is most likely the strongest movie.
But there is a fourth movie which was released that year and deserved to get taken into Consideration: Walz with Bashir. It is not just considered a really good animated movie, a lot of people consider it one of the best films of the year, period.
Good point. Waltz with Bashir is great. It I believe was first animated film to be nominated for best foreign film. I certainly think it is better than Bolt and Kung fu Panda but I would still pick Wall-e but I can see picking Bashir. It’s a stunning film.
I think the second half of Wall-e is very compelling with the captain and others realizing they arent living a full life. Their journey is a moving science fiction story to me. But I know many who feel as you do so thanks for the comment
Have you seen Wall-e more than once? I ask because I really found it grew on me the more I saw it. Anyway, that’s my experience. It’s a pretty unique film so I get the variety of reactions 🙂
2 and a half….I watched it twice and it was recently on TV, so I watched most of the second half. Reminded me how grating I find the appearance of real humans in it. Takes me out of the movie every single time.
Plus…I actually don’t get the significance of the show Wall-E keeps watching. I suspect it is something I should know or would know if I were American, but I have no idea what it is, so I feel left out everytime it gets referenced.
Yeah it’s Hello Dolly. It’s not that popular. I think if anything Wall-e made it much more popular than it was. It’s just the messages of the songs that people respond too. I’m a pretty big musical nut so I knew it but most Americans probably didn’t know the songs before Wall-e. I see what you are saying about the live action humans. I guess it didn’t bother me as much or take me out of the movie but I get it.
Oh well. You can’t win them all. I think this is the first out of all these videos to have a movie you haven’t seen. Very impressive! 🙂
I actually skipped a number of DreamWorks movies…at one point I might get around watching Kung Fu Panda.
Yeah I’m not huge into Dreamworks either. The films I hadnt seen before this series are Spirit, Shark Tale, Surfs Up and Monster House.
Honestly, I enjoyed Wall-E and Kung Fu Panda. However, I’d have probably gone with Bolt to win for that year. It’s not perfect by any means for sure. Still, I thought the idea of them having a dog act as a superhero was really creative and things like that. Not to mention that he believed he actually was one when in reality, he was only part of a TV show. I can relate to that and here’s why. Well, I don’t know if you ever saw the live-action/animated film Space Jam or not. Basically, the plot is some cartoon aliens from outer space to to Looney Tune Land under the earth and try to capture them. The Looney Tunes challenge them to a basketball tournament. After seeing that the Looney Tunes are successful, the aliens steal the talents of other real basketball players. The Looney Tunes then have Michael Jordan brought down to their world. Anyway, for the next year, or so, I actually believed Looney Tunes and possibly other cartoon characters actually did exist somewhere underground. I a tually dug a hole in my back yard. Crazy, right? Obviously this was before I realized all that was fake and that there were other stories like that such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Enchanted soon to be, you name it. Anyway, my point being that I can relate to a character like Bolt because of that. Don’t get me wrong, the other two were still really enjoyable, make no mistake. I guess I’m just likely one of few who likes Bolt the best of the three, you know? Great review once again. I’m curious to hear your thoughts on Kung Fu Panda 2 once you get to reviewing the Oscars for 2011.
What a fun perspective. I certainly can relate to getting swept away in a story like Bolt.
Why thank you and that’s awesome. I told my friend Ashton this story recently and even he thought it would be cool if Looney Tunes and other cartoon characters actually did exist underground. Oh, and I’m just curious, in addtion to this film being similar to The Truman Show, did you think that this film was also similar to say Homeward Bound or something like that?
Yeah I can definitely see a little Homeward Bound in there
Oh good! I just thought I’d ask.
My father’s fave DW film is ‘Kung Fu Panda’ and I quite enjoy it as well which is more than I can say for the sequel.
Yeah we will see what I think of the sequel on the rewatch. This one didnt hold up for me but it’s fine. I can see why people love it
Would that be your pick to win in 2008? (I know you aren’t a Wall-e fan). Or would you pick Bolt?
I don’t know. It would be between KFP and Wall-E. I’d probably go with Wall-E even though I’m not that big a fan of it as you know, just because I think the animation is better.
All three films are strong contenders, and I enjoy all of them thoroughly, but WALL-E is the best by far. The other two suffer from issues like predictability and forget-ability, though 2008 was one of the strongest years in animation thus far.