Tag "Pixar"
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The Sweet 16 of (Non-Pixar) Computer Animation
While basketball fans have plenty to be excited about this weekend, movie buffs rarely get the chance to make educated guesses about arbitrary bracket rankings.
Not anymore!
In celebration of the theatrical release of Dreamworks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” I’ve concocted “The Sweet 16 of (Non-Pixar) Computer Animation.”
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Pixar trumps Dreamworks. Always.
Dreamworks Animation is just about to release “How to Train Your Dragon,” their latest animated film that won’t be anywhere near as good as the Disney/Pixar movies.Not that Dreamworks cares. The movie is presented in 3D, which is all but a guarantee for big box office these days.
Attention America: 3D movies have been around forever. You are getting duped into paying premium prices for inferior products.
I like some of the Dreamworks movies, notably “Kung Fu Panda” and the first two “Shrek” movies. But even those can’t even compete against the awesome, all-powerful winning streak of Pixar. Well, OK. “Panda” beats “A Bug’s Life.” But only because Pixar couldn’t figure out how many legs go on an ant. (more…)
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50 (ish) Movies of the Decade (51-11)
Ten years. Thousands of movies. Hundreds of contenders.continue readingWhen I set out to write a best movies of the decade feature, I only intended to showcase 10.
Talk about being indecisive.
You can find numerous articles by more reputable critics concerning the best movies of the decade. My list is 100% personal preference. These are films in which I felt a personal connection. We start at the bottom and move our way up. The top ten will be showcased in a separate post.
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Best Movies of 2009
With two lingering wars and the economy in the tank, the nation didn’t exactly have a very happy 2009.
Fitting that many of the year’s best movies were fantasies, comedies and cartoons. Apparently, there’s nothing like a good distraction to help ease the pain of tough times.1. Up
While this Pixar masterpiece boasts several visually arresting action sequences, the film’s most powerful moments are the quietest ones– particularly a dialogue-free sequence that documents the love and loss of a long, happy marriage.
From there, “Up” becomes a refreshingly funny buddy comedy, teaming an 80-year-old grouch with a young, upbeat wilderness explorer. It seems like all fun kid stuff, but “Up” is more a movie about grief and how some of the greatest adventures in life can also be the simplest.
People go on and on about the revolutionary computer effects in “Avatar,” but only Pixar has ever made me connect with computer images on a human level.
Consider the climactic scene of “Up,” when heartbroken Carl Fredericksen opens the last page of his wife’s photo journal. The scene has no explosions, quips or bright balloons. The essence and brilliance of “Up” is in an old man’s gaze.
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