Andrew's Corner: July 2020

In memory of Kelly Asburry, director of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Shrek 2, and Smurfs: The Lost Village. Boy, the 2010s have been a strong decade for animation, both on the big screen and the small screen. Disney abandoned hand-drawn animation, but in return, released groundbreaking CGI movies like Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, and Zootopia. DreamWorks released some surprise flicks like How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda 2, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Cartoon Network went through a renaissance with hit shows like Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Steven Universe. There have also been two new competitors in the animated feature race: Illumination Entertainment and Warner Animation Group (WAG for short), as well as several foreign films that received recognition, such as Your Name, Ernest and Celestine, The Wind Rises, and Song of the Sea. Today, I will list my Top 10 Best Animated Movies of the 2010s! However, as usual, there will be rules.

The movie had to be released in theaters, with one surprise exception.
The movie cannot be rated higher than PG-13.
It has to be a movie that was released between 2010 and 2019. US releases of foreign films like The Secret of Kells and Summer Wars don’t count, since they were technically from 2009.
The movie has to be at least 70 minutes long.

With all that said, here are the Top 10 Best Animated Movies of the 2010s!

10. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

Based on the Japanese folktale ‘The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter’, this movie tells the story of a tiny girl nicknamed Takenoko, who was found in a stalk of shining bamboo. She grows faster than the other kids and is soon a delightful, curious girl out enjoying the forest with the local boys. One day, the bamboo cutter, her adoptive father, finds that the bamboo she came from is shining again, this time with treasure. With his newfound fortune, the bamboo cutter moves to the city to give his princess a proper "young lady's" education, complete with an uptight royal governess. Despondent about moving away from her beloved country home, Kaguya's only joy is an outdoor garden she tends for herself. When she comes of age, tales of her beauty reach the highest levels of Japanese society, and five titled men vie for her hand in marriage. But Kaguya still misses her first crush, Sutemaru, from her childhood home. ‘Kaguya’ is a diamond in the rough with an animation style that deters away from the typical anime style, an emotional story, a wonderful score from Joe Hisashi, and a strong female lead different from your typical Western Princess.

9. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo and the Two Strings, the fourth feature film from Oregon-based stop-motion studio Laika, is about a Japanese boy named Kubo, who wields a magic guitar that can control paper. When the ghosts of his aunts attack a local village, Kubo gets rescued by a stubborn snow monkey and finds himself in a cave on top of a snowy mountain. Now Kubo must embark on a quest with the monkey, along with a humanoid samurai beetle, to find magic gear to defeat his evil grandfather the Moon King. ‘Kubo’ is an underrated film that deserves more recognition with groundbreaking animation that brings stop-motion to new heights, an emotional and heart-felt story, and likable characters. It’s a true shame that Kubo and the Two Strings, along with Laika’s next feature film Missing Link, were box-office flops, and if Laika doesn’t release another hit like Coraline, the studio will cease to exist.

8. Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Poster

Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) always thought he was the only Spider-Man, but when he gets sucked into a vortex, he ends up in an alternate dimension in which a different Peter Parker dies at the age of 26 during an intense fight with the Green Goblin. Peter meets a teenage Afro-Latino trainee named Miles Morales (Shamiek Moore), and when more portals open up, they encounter Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), the anime-influenced Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn) and her robot boyfriend, and Peter Porker/Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). Together, they have to stop the broad-shouldered Kingpin (Liev Schreiber) from building a device that will destroy all the Spider-Men/Women's worlds. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the best animated movie of 2018 with a paper-thick story, groundbreaking animation, and likable characters. What surprises me the most is that this movie was released just a little over a year after the fiasco that was The Emoji Movie, which came from the same production company as Spider-Verse.

7. Song of the Sea (2014)

Amazon.com: Watch Song of the Sea | Prime Video

Song of the Sea takes place in Ireland during the 80s. Ben, whose mother passed away shortly after giving birth to his sister, Saoirse, discovers that his sister is part Selkie, a mythical seal-like creature whose race is in danger. Together, they embark on an adventure to go back home to find Ben's dog Cú (pronounced Coo), and to save the Selkies. Song of the Sea is a gem of a movie with beautiful animation, three-dimensional characters, a story and musical score that bring you right into Irish culture, and a strong message about sibling cooperation and love. As much as I enjoyed Big Hero 6, I feel Song of the Sea deserved the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that year.

6. Klaus (2019)

All mailman Jesper Johansson (Jason Schwartzman) wants is to be respected, but after failing postman training academy, his father sends him to the violent and gloomy town of Smeerensburg. If Jesper delivers 6,000 letters, he can return home. With the help of a woodcarver named Klaus (JK Simmons), they decide to bring joy to the children of Smeerensburg by delivering toys. Klaus is not only a near-perfect Christmas movie, but also a perfect way to end the decade with fluid animation, a heartfelt story, an all-star cast, and perhaps the best interpretation of the Sami tribe through the adorable Margu.

5. How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

How To Train Your Dragon is about a teenage boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Jay Baruchel) who lives in a small Viking village called Berk. The only problem is the pests. While other places may have mosquitoes or mice, Berk has dragons that steal their livestock and fish. After capturing a legendary Night Fury, instead of killing it, Hiccup releases the dragon, names it Toothless, and becomes its friend. How To Train Your Dragon is an enjoyable entry into the DreamWorks library with a timeless story, brilliant animation, and a music score from John Powell that ranks among his best.

4. Coco (2017)

Pixar’s 19th feature film is about a 12-year-old boy named Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzales), who wants to be a musician. However, his family hates music because his great-grandfather Ernesto de La Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) abandoned his family to pursue his career. When Miguel breaks into La Cruz’s mausoleum to take his guitar, he gets bewitched into the Land of the Remembered, on Dia de los Muertos, to boot! Now, with the help of a bum named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal),Miguel has to find a way back to the Land of the Living before sunrise, or else he will remain in the Land of the Remembered forever and become a skeleton. Coco is another Pixar gem with vibrant and gorgeous animation, likeable characters, excellent music, and a story that not only embraces Mexican culture, but also has a strong message about family and forgiveness.

3A. Zootopia/Zootropolis (2016)

Disney's 55th animated feature takes place in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic mammals. Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit, wants to be a police officer, despite all the other officers being elephants, rhinos, hippos, wildcats, and wolves. When a river otter goes missing, Hopps has no choice but to team up with a sly fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) to find the missing otter within 48 hours. Zootopia is arguably the best animated Disney movie in decades with eye-popping animation, a colorful cast of characters, one of the best scores from Michael Giacchino, and a story with a strong message about overcoming differences.

3B. Moana (2016)

Set about 2,000 years ago, Moana tells the story of a Polynesian girl named Moana (Auli'i Cravalho), who sails on a dangerous mission to save her people. Moana meets a demigod named Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her journey to become a master way-finder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering numerous monsters and impossible odds, while also discovering Moana's identity. Moana is an instant Disney classic that sits comfortably on the same shelf as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin with jaw-dropping animation, three-dimensional characters, a story that embraces Polynesian culture, and the best songs in a Disney movie since The Lion King. While Moana didn’t win the Oscars for Best Animated Feature or Best Original Song, it did win the Heartland Award for Truly Moving Picture, the Alliance of Women Film Journalist Award for Best Animated Female, and the Annie Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Animated Effects in an Animated Production and Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production.

2. Inside Out (2015)

Inside Out tells the story of what goes on inside the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley Anderson. Riley's emotions, Joy (Amy Pohler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Anger (Lewis Black), help Riley out through her lifetime. When her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, California, Riley spirals into depression and cries in front of her new classmates. Things get worse when Joy and Sadness get sucked into the labyrinth of long-term memory, and without Joy, Riley can't be happy. Inside Out is Pixar's most original movie since Up and their best since Toy Story 3 with breathtaking animation, an emotional (no pun intended) story, likable characters, and a strong message about how it’s okay to be sad sometimes. And the #1 Best Animated Movie of the 2010s is...

1. Your Name. (2016)

Andrew's Corner

Friday, July 17, 2020

Movie Review: The Jungle Book (1994)

Monday, July 6, 2020

Top 10 Best Animated Movies of the 2010s