The Official Animation Challenge of April 2021!

[hurluberlu]

2. Ghost in the Shell / Kôkaku Kidôtai (Mamoru Oshii, 1995) [Rewatch] 7+>8-
3. [80+10mins TV series]
Liquid Television S1Ep1-3 (1994) 7+

(ง︡'-'︠)ง (-̶●̃益●̶̃) (❛‿❛✿)

1. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson, 2009) [Rewatch] 7+ (=)

[dirty_score]

@flavo5000 You can also add 100 Anime (BFI Screen Guides) to the pile of unofficial lists.

[sol]

Catching up on unwatched Disney and Box Office crap

1. Soul (2020)
2. Coco (2017)
3. Cheatin' (2013)
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
5. Madagascar (2005)

6. Happy Feet (2006)



Clocking in at close to two hours, George Miller and his team try to cram a bit too much in here. The tap dancing penguins and ecological sides of the film feel at odds to each other, and for a comedy it is seldom funny with so much attention diverted to the singing/dancing tap pieces and the environmentalism angle. There are some clever bits though, such the penguins and predator birds describing humans as "mystic beings" and talking about alien abduction.

Here's some irony for you: Cars was such a mediocrity that I cheered when it lost the Oscar to Happy Feet. Little did I know, they both kinda suck. Monster House really should have won out of the nominees that year.

[flavo5000]

Hiya folks. Just checkin' in. A new dawn arrives and with it, an update to the OP! Please check your numbers. I can be scatterbrained and screw stuff up sometimes. Also, I added the Sight & Sound and BFI Anime lists to the unofficial list list.

On the bonus challenge side, it's pretty paltry participation I'm afraid with only three contenders so far (and sol even watched one of the few films that qualifies for the Antarctica challenge and didn't claim it ).

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

[dirty_score]

Hey guys, just to be clear, do you consider movies with puppetry, animation? They're not usually tagged as animation but the puppets are clearly animated.

I was reading this forum and people seem conflicted on the notion.

[Onderhond]

Hey guys, just to be clear, do you consider movies with puppetry, animation? They're not usually tagged as animation but the puppets are clearly animated.

If it's stop-motion it might count, if it's hand puppets, probably not. I count Strings as an animated film too.
I think the question is: do you think it counts?

[sol]

Please check your numbers. I can be scatterbrained and screw stuff up sometimes ...

On the bonus challenge side, it's pretty paltry participation I'm afraid with only three contenders so far (and sol even watched one of the few films that qualifies for the Antarctica challenge and didn't claim it ).

Sorry; I haven't been followed the Scavenger Hunt too closely. Too much singing penguin crap isn't good for my concentration either.

Oh, and speaking of numbers, I should be on 6 points, not 5. Not sure what you're missing from me, but it's all included under my spoiler tag...

[dirty_score]

Hey guys, just to be clear, do you consider movies with puppetry, animation? They're not usually tagged as animation but the puppets are clearly animated.

If it's stop-motion it might count, if it's hand puppets, probably not. I count Strings as an animated film too.
I think the question is: do you think it counts?

I never really gave much thought about it until very recently since I don't usually watch a lot of stuff with puppetry. I watched some episodes of Sesame Street/The Muppets when I was a kid, Jim Henson's Labyrinth (although it's more like a hybrid) and The Dark Crystal, as well as prequel netflix series. I've always felt like it should be considered a form of Animation.

I was considering watching Meet The Feebles next as part of the challenge, hence the question, but I don't want to feel like cheating.

[flavo5000]

Hey guys, just to be clear, do you consider movies with puppetry, animation? They're not usually tagged as animation but the puppets are clearly animated.

If it's stop-motion it might count, if it's hand puppets, probably not. I count Strings as an animated film too.
I think the question is: do you think it counts?

I never really gave much thought about it until very recently since I don't usually watch a lot of stuff with puppetry. I watched some episodes of Sesame Street/The Muppets when I was a kid, Jim Henson's Labyrinth (although it's more like a hybrid) and The Dark Crystal, as well as prequel netflix series. I've always felt like it should be considered a form of Animation.

I was considering watching Meet The Feebles next as part of the challenge, hence the question, but I don't want to feel like cheating.

I'm going to say that puppetry is unfortunately not included. The base definition of animation is creating the illusion of movement from something inanimate whereas puppetry is actual live action movement albeit indirectly. It's a slippery slope, ya know? Having said that, you should probably watch Meet the Feebles whether it counts for the challenge or not. It's a ridiculous movie.

[dirty_score]

I'm going to say that puppetry is unfortunately not included. The base definition of animation is creating the illusion of movement from something inanimate whereas puppetry is actual live action movement albeit indirectly. It's a slippery slope, ya know? Having said that, you should probably watch Meet the Feebles whether it counts for the challenge or not. It's a ridiculous movie.

I understand. I will eventually watch the movie regardless of the challenge, thanks!

[vortexsurfer]

1. How to Train Your Dragon (Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders, 2010) - 7/10
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Dean DeBlois, 2014) - 6/10
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Dean DeBlois, 2014) - 6/10
4. Rise of the Guardians (Peter Ramsey, 2012) - 4/10
5. Turbo (David Soren, 2013) - 4/10
6. When the Wind Blows (Jimmy T. Murakami, 1986) - 7/10

[Onderhond]

05. 1.0* - Rock & Rule (1983) by Clive Smith

Delusional rock animation. One of those films that places rock at the center of the universe and paints it as the salvation of mankind. That might've been a fun idea in the 80s, for someone who has nothing with the music though the cheese is simply overbearing, even somewhat embarrassing. Angel is the singer of a rock band, who gets kidnapped by the legendary rock god Mok. He needs the girl for a satanic ritual, but her band members are determined to chase Mok down and stop him dead in his tracks. It's the kind of plot you could've derived yourself from a random 80s hard rock album cover. The animation is somewhat decent, but the art style is absolutely poor. The music is horrendous, characters are dumb and the plot is just mind-numbing. It lacks the self-awareness that saved the stuff guys like Tenacious D put out and ends up being a complete joke. I'm not surprised this flopped horrendously, even with the involvement of some famous rock stars.

blank canvases

01. 2.5* - When the Wind Blows (1986) by Jimmy T. Murakami
02. 2.0* - The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) by Will Vinton
xx. 2.5* - Invention for Destruction [Vynález Zkázy] (1958) by Karel Zeman
03. 2.0* - The Humpback Horse [Konyok-Gorbunok] (1947) by Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya, Viktor Gromov, Ivan Ivanov-Vano
04. 3.5* - Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal [Gekijou-ban Mahou Shoujo Madoka*Magica: [Kouhen] Eien no Monogatari] (2012) by Yukihiro Miyamoto, Akiyuki Shinbo

[Traveller]

Hiya folks. Just checkin' in. A new dawn arrives and with it, an update to the OP! Please check your numbers. I can be scatterbrained and screw stuff up sometimes. Also, I added the Sight & Sound and BFI Anime lists to the unofficial list list.

On the bonus challenge side, it's pretty paltry participation I'm afraid with only three contenders so far (and sol even watched one of the few films that qualifies for the Antarctica challenge and didn't claim it ).

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

I should be on the leaderboard for the bonus challenge if I’m not missing anything.

11. Bee Movie (2007) - 4/10

[Torgo]

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

Spotted the HydroHomie!

[flavo5000]

Hiya folks. Just checkin' in. A new dawn arrives and with it, an update to the OP! Please check your numbers. I can be scatterbrained and screw stuff up sometimes. Also, I added the Sight & Sound and BFI Anime lists to the unofficial list list.

On the bonus challenge side, it's pretty paltry participation I'm afraid with only three contenders so far (and sol even watched one of the few films that qualifies for the Antarctica challenge and didn't claim it ).

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

I should be on the leaderboard for the bonus challenge if I’m not missing anything.

11. Bee Movie (2007) - 4/10

ah, yea. I got distracted by your positive rating of a sweet movie. It'll be reflected in the next update.

[flavo5000]

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

Spotted the HydroHomie!

pretty sure I drink too much coffee and tea to be considered a HydroHomie...

[DudeLanez]

2. Soul (2020, Pete Docter) 6/10
3. Kurenai no buta (1992, Hayao Miyazaki) 7/10
4. Koto no ha no niwa (2013, Makoto Shinkai) 7/10

Spoiler

1. Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru (2007, Makoto Shinkai) 7/10
2. Soul (2020, Pete Docter) 6/10
3. Kurenai no buta (1992, Hayao Miyazaki) 7/10
4. Koto no ha no niwa (2013, Makoto Shinkai) 7/10

[sol]

I got distracted by your positive rating of a sweet movie. It'll be reflected in the next update.

Did you get my mention of my numbers being off in the leaderboard too? I wonder if it had something to do with me quoting Traveller while listing a new viewing in the same post. Too much multi-tasking, sol.

[flavo5000]

I got distracted by your positive rating of a sweet movie. It'll be reflected in the next update.

Did you get my mention of my numbers being off in the leaderboard too? I wonder if it had something to do with me quoting Traveller while listing a new viewing in the same post. Too much multi-tasking, sol.

ya, it'll be fixed in the next update too.

[flavo5000]

13. The Incredible Gokai Video Junk Boy (1987)
This was an incredibly pervy OVA very similar in tone to Golden Boy about a guy who gets a job at a men's magazine and who's job is to basically oggle models using his erection as a indicator of the quality of the photo. It's about as shallow and misogynistic as you'd expect (this dude would get cancelled in a heartbeat nowadays). Wasn't terribly funny either.


14-16. Watashi ga motenai no wa dô kangaetemo omaera ga warui! a.k.a. WataMote: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! E1-12 (2013)
Basically this one follows a girl entering high school who is completely unaware of just how introverted, weird and pervy she is and fully expects to become super popular by just making a few small adjustments. I actually liked this one. It had some pretty funny moments in it with a nice mix of awkward humor, gags and parodies along with some interesting aesthetic choices at times.


17. Deathstroke Knights & Dragons: The Movie (2020)
Originally aired as a web series but compiled into a film not unlike some previous stand-alone DC animated movies like Vixen and Constantine: City of Demons, Deathstroke is a solid effort with some very nicely orchestrated, violent action sequences and a fairly deep plot involving the fracturing of Deathstroke's family. At times the writing feels a little too convenient but in general it's worth a watch.

Living a Frame At A Time

1a. Mowgli's Brothers (1975)
1b. The White Seal (1975)
1c. Yankee Doodle Cricket (1975)
1d. A Very Merry Cricket (1973) #BONUS Creator Profile: Chuck Jones
2. Jewel BEM Hunter Lime (1996)
3. Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
4. Taishizen no makemono Bagi a.k.a. Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature (1984) #BONUS Creator Profile: Osamu Tezuka
5. Lupin III: The First (2019)
6. Megazone 23 (1985)
7. Megazone 23 II (1986)
8. Megazone 23 III (1989)
9-10. Nu, pogodi! a.k.a. Just Wait! E1-21+Lost Episodes (1969)
11. My Dog Tulip (2009)
12. Beyond the Mind's Eye (1992)

[Bing147]

I should have two for the bonus challenge unless I did something wrong. (in my last post, Chicken Run and Bugs Bunny/Road Runner)

6. Klaus (2019)
7. 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

[Onderhond]

xx. 2.5* - Pacific Rim: The Black (2021) by various (7 episodes)

Finished this Pacific Rim TV series, though not even sure when I started it. I rarely watch TV stuff, but because it was rather short (both in episode count as well as episode length), because the Polygon people were behind it (Blame!, the Godzilla anime) and because I've seen and appreciate to two live action films I figured I could give it a fair shot. The result is a bit basic though, though it contains some above average moments for TV material. The Kaiju are the highlights here, sadly they take a back seat to some terrible "human commune" drama that is all too prevalent in genre work these days. Humanity is the biggest monster and all that blah blah. But whenever the mechs are taking on the kaiju it's pretty decent. Bit a a bummer they ended on a cliffhanger and a second season is already in the works though, not sure if I'd started watching this if I'd know that.

blank canvases

01. 2.5* - When the Wind Blows (1986) by Jimmy T. Murakami
02. 2.0* - The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) by Will Vinton
xx. 2.5* - Invention for Destruction [Vynález Zkázy] (1958) by Karel Zeman
03. 2.0* - The Humpback Horse [Konyok-Gorbunok] (1947) by Aleksandra Snezhko-Blotskaya, Viktor Gromov, Ivan Ivanov-Vano
04. 3.5* - Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part 2: Eternal [Gekijou-ban Mahou Shoujo Madoka*Magica: [Kouhen] Eien no Monogatari] (2012) by Yukihiro Miyamoto, Akiyuki Shinbo
05. 1.0* - Rock & Rule (1983) by Clive Smith

[Onderhond]

This was an incredibly pervy OVA very similar in tone to Golden Boy about a guy who gets a job at a men's magazine and who's job is to basically oggle models using his erection as a indicator of the quality of the photo. It's about as shallow and misogynistic as you'd expect (this dude would get cancelled in a heartbeat nowadays). Wasn't terribly funny either.

Haha, watched this last year I think and found it relatively amusing.

A simple and short ecchi comedy. It's not unlike the Golden Boy series, only a bit more explicit. If you like overly excited boys chasing after every single girl they come close to, then Junk Boy delivers. Certainly not the most memorable of films, but solid filler is nothing to scoff at either. Ryohei believes he has found his dream job when he is hired to work at an adult magazine. He still has to prove his worth as he isn't really cut out for the cutthroat business world, but as it turns out he has some very handy skills that come in handy when the models aren't really feeling their shoots. The animation is limited and the comedy quite predictable, but the chirpy atmosphere, the over-the-top characters and the slightly excessive dedication to its topic make Junk Boy worth a fun diversion. And at 45 minutes it's also sure not to overstay its welcome. Pretty decent filler.

Seems Golden Boy is the obvious reference

[flavo5000]

This was an incredibly pervy OVA very similar in tone to Golden Boy about a guy who gets a job at a men's magazine and who's job is to basically oggle models using his erection as a indicator of the quality of the photo. It's about as shallow and misogynistic as you'd expect (this dude would get cancelled in a heartbeat nowadays). Wasn't terribly funny either.

Haha, watched this last year I think and found it relatively amusing.

A simple and short ecchi comedy. It's not unlike the Golden Boy series, only a bit more explicit. If you like overly excited boys chasing after every single girl they come close to, then Junk Boy delivers. Certainly not the most memorable of films, but solid filler is nothing to scoff at either. Ryohei believes he has found his dream job when he is hired to work at an adult magazine. He still has to prove his worth as he isn't really cut out for the cutthroat business world, but as it turns out he has some very handy skills that come in handy when the models aren't really feeling their shoots. The animation is limited and the comedy quite predictable, but the chirpy atmosphere, the over-the-top characters and the slightly excessive dedication to its topic make Junk Boy worth a fun diversion. And at 45 minutes it's also sure not to overstay its welcome. Pretty decent filler.

Seems Golden Boy is the obvious reference

Although interestingly Junk Boy came out before both the Golden Boy manga and anime. So maybe it's Golden Boy that's Junk Boy-esque and not the other way around...

[flavo5000]

I should have two for the bonus challenge unless I did something wrong. (in my last post, Chicken Run and Bugs Bunny/Road Runner)

6. Klaus (2019)
7. 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

Nope, you did it right. I'm just a scatterbrain. It should reflect in the next update.

[Bing147]

I should have two for the bonus challenge unless I did something wrong. (in my last post, Chicken Run and Bugs Bunny/Road Runner)

6. Klaus (2019)
7. 5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

Nope, you did it right. I'm just a scatterbrain. It should reflect in the next update.

Sounds good, no worries.

8. Animal Farm (1954)

[Onderhond]

Although interestingly Junk Boy came out before both the Golden Boy manga and anime. So maybe it's Golden Boy that's Junk Boy-esque and not the other way around...

Well, there's a bunch of others too, it's just that Golden Boy came out the best one and became the "golden standard" for the rest I guess.

[Bing147]

9. Perfect Blue (1997)
10. It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

[Knaldskalle]

2-9. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), episodes 1-28. This anime series took a surprisingly dark turn about 6 episodes in, with a mysterious serial killer on the loose, and hasn't really looked back since. I for some reason didn't expect it to be like this, given the animation style. It still does have (silly) humorous moments, but the overarching story is pretty dark. I like it. 28 episodes, 23 minutes each, which should equal 644 minutes. 644/80 is ~ 8 points.

Spoiler

1. A Silent Voice (Yamada, 2016)
2-9. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), 1-28. 644 minutes = 8 points.

[mjf314]

Spoiler

1. A Whisker Away (2020)
2. Ride Your Wave (2019)
3. Liz and the Blue Bird (2018)
4. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 1-4
5. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 5, 5.5, 6, 7
6. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 8-11
7. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 12-13
Aria the Origination Picture Drama (2008) episodes 1-5

8. Aria the Origination Picture Drama (2008) episodes 6-7
Aria the Avvenire (2015) episodes 1-3
The Girl From the Other Side: Siuil, a Run (2019)

(after finishing Aria I was slightly under 80 minutes, so I watched a short to get over 80)

[sol]

Catching up on unwatched Disney and Box Office crap

1. Soul (2020)
2. Coco (2017)
3. Cheatin' (2013)
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
5. Madagascar (2005)
6. Happy Feet (2006)

7. Flushed Away (2006)



While there are some gross-out bits given the location, the imagination that has gone into making the sewer town here is breathtaking - a rat city of sorts, built on rubbish discarded from above. The film is less interesting in the character department though with a standard hero, a feisty tomboy love interest and goofy henchmen. The gags are a little hit-and-miss too, though there is at least one hilarious part involving a mime frog and a mobile phone.

[sol]

Catching up on unwatched Disney and Box Office crap

1. Soul (2020)
2. Coco (2017)
3. Cheatin' (2013)
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
5. Madagascar (2005)
6. Happy Feet (2006)
7. Flushed Away (2006)

8a. Windy Day (1968) 9min
8b. Flatlife (2004) 10min
8c. Cream (2016) 12min
8d. Harvie Krumpet (2003) 23min
8e. Rejected (2000) 9min
8f. Samadhi (1967) 5min
8g. Skhizein (2008) 13min (82m)


Pictured above: 'Flatlife' and 'Cream' - my two favourites of this selection.
Flatlife was a delight. I haven't laughed so hard at a short film in a long time. The film consists of four frames for four adjacent flats. Initially, I thought it would be distracting watching four rooms at once, but with running gags involving pandas and squashed trucks, it really works. And just when I was going to call Flatlife the best of this batch of shorts, the television ad style Cream comes along. Insanely animated by making still photographs move, this weird sci-fi/fantasy film involves a miracle cream that does all sorts of crazy things best left unspoiled. Comments for the other shorts in the DTC Nominees thread.

[jdidaco]

Thank you for hosting, flavo!!

(Screenshots from 'Kogda-to davno...' & 'Circumstantial Pleasures'),



1. Soyuzmultfilm Sci-Fi program : Phaethon: syn solntsa (Phaeton, the Son of the Sun, Vasiliy Livanov, 1972) 7.5/10 (17 min), Zerkalo vremeni (The Mirror of Time, Vladimir Tarasov, 1976) 7/10 (10 min), Kosmicheskie prisheltsy (Space Visitors, Aleksey Solovyov, 1981) 6.5/10 (16 min), Kosmicheskie prisheltsy 2 (Space Visitors Part 2, Aleksey Solovyov, 1983) 7/10 (17 min), Zdes mogut voditsya tigry (Here There Be Tygers, Vladimir Samsonov, 1989) 7.5/10 (10 min), Kogda-to davno... (A Long Time Ago..., Galina Barinova, 1990) 8.5/10 (17 min) (Total: 87 min)
2. Beyond the Mind's Eye (Michael Boydstun, 1993) 6/10
3. Hair High (Bill Plympton, 2004) 7.5/10
4. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Will Becher & Richard Phelan, 2019) 6/10
5. Over the Moon (Glen Keane & John Kahrs, 2020) 6.5/10
6. Circumstantial Pleasures (Lewis Klahr, 2020) 9/10

[mjf314]

Spoiler

1. A Whisker Away (2020)
2. Ride Your Wave (2019)
3. Liz and the Blue Bird (2018)
4. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 1-4
5. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 5, 5.5, 6, 7
6. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 8-11
7. Aria the Origination (2008) episodes 12-13
Aria the Origination Picture Drama (2008) episodes 1-5
8. Aria the Origination Picture Drama (2008) episodes 6-7
Aria the Avvenire (2015) episodes 1-3
The Girl From the Other Side: Siuil, a Run (2019)

9. Hello World (2019)

[sol]

Catching up on unwatched Disney and Box Office crap

1. Soul (2020)
2. Coco (2017)
3. Cheatin' (2013)
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
5. Madagascar (2005)
6. Happy Feet (2006)
7. Flushed Away (2006)
8a. Windy Day (1968) 9min
8b. Flatlife (2004) 10min
8c. Cream (2016) 12min
8d. Harvie Krumpet (2003) 23min
8e. Rejected (2000) 9min
8f. Samadhi (1967) 5min
8g. Skhizein (2008) 13min (82m)

9. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) REVISION



Viewed for a second time, this stands up very well as a twist on the classic underdog story. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman's characters make great kindred spirits and there is a lot to like about their mutual determination to change their assigned roles. The best aspect of the film is its world-building as we see inside of the "interiors" of various games. On this note, it is still disappointing that three quarters of the film is spent in the Sugar Rush world.

[Knaldskalle]

10. Panda and the White Serpent (aka. Panda and the Magic Serpent) (Yabushita & Okabe, 1958). The first feature length anime in color. The animation style reminded me so much of the one employed by Disney in Snow White it was a little distracting.

Spoiler

1. A Silent Voice (Yamada, 2016)
2-9. Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), 1-28. 644 minutes = 8 points.

[sol]

Catching up on unwatched Disney and Box Office crap

1. Soul (2020)
2. Coco (2017)
3. Cheatin' (2013)
4. Toy Story 4 (2019)
5. Madagascar (2005)
6. Happy Feet (2006)
7. Flushed Away (2006)
8a. Windy Day (1968) 9min
8b. Flatlife (2004) 10min
8c. Cream (2016) 12min
8d. Harvie Krumpet (2003) 23min
8e. Rejected (2000) 9min
8f. Samadhi (1967) 5min
8g. Skhizein (2008) 13min (82m)
9. Wreck-It Ralph (2012) REVISION

10. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)



This Wreck-It Ralph sequel has the arcade game characters from the original visit the online realm. It is an idea with some promise and the initial scenes in the internet are imaginative with an "aggressive" autofill search bar, literal in-your-face advertising and a literal pop-up blocker. The film is less interesting in its midsection though, which becomes more of an advertisement for Disney and online brands. There is a neat video trending satire in the mix though.

[Traveller]

Hiya folks. Just checkin' in. A new dawn arrives and with it, an update to the OP! Please check your numbers. I can be scatterbrained and screw stuff up sometimes. Also, I added the Sight & Sound and BFI Anime lists to the unofficial list list.

On the bonus challenge side, it's pretty paltry participation I'm afraid with only three contenders so far (and sol even watched one of the few films that qualifies for the Antarctica challenge and didn't claim it ).

Anyway, be cool and stay hydrated!

I should be on the leaderboard for the bonus challenge if I’m not missing anything.

11. Bee Movie (2007) - 4/10

ah, yea. I got distracted by your positive rating of a sweet movie. It'll be reflected in the next update.

I know, I know… Not even two days later and I’m already eating my words.

12. Home (2015) - 3/10
13. Rio (2011) - 1/10
14. Rio 2 (2014) - 2/10

[Torgo]

12. Home (2015) - 3/10
13. Rio (2011) - 1/10
14. Rio 2 (2014) - 2/10

Nice having you back, Trav.


The Wreck-It Ralph movie(s? - only seen the first) was really pretty good when it comes to entertaining CGI animation fodder. Definitely a cooler release than, say, the dragon train films which were so much more successful. Was as much a surprise for me as the Lego Movie just 2 years later.

[flavo5000]

18. African Tales (2009)#BONUS Around the World: Africa
19. Bru & Boegie: The Movie (2019) #BONUS Around the World: Africa
Here we have a pair of animated films from the great continent of Africa. First up is the Nigerian anthology African Tales that gives three stories rooted in folklore using cel-shaded CG animation. This one is hurt by it's budget limitations. While the cel-shaded designs are at times pretty good, in motion the animation looks very cheap and stilted. It's also hurt by subpar acting with flat line readings. Given a bigger budget, I could see them producing something actively good though. Bru & Boegie is touted as the first full-length 2D animated film made in South Africa. Bru & boegie is basically a crude web series with intentionally ugly character designs that's not unlike something that would show up on Adult Swim in the US. So how is the movie? GREATEST AND BESTEST EVAR MADE THATS WHAT!!! ITS ON YOUTUBE SO GO WATCH IT YERSELF AND PREPARE FOR MIND TO BE BLOWN!11!!!1!


20. Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2015)
Bilal is a major animated production out of United Arab Emirates with a pretty hefty budget that's all on-screen. Plot-wise, it's rooted in the history of the region with an interesting take on a protagonist. It drags a little at times and lacks something of a forward thrust in its plotting but it has some very well-done action sequences and an impressive scope. It bodes well for other features from this studio.


21. Bulsajo roboteu Pinikseu-King a.k.a. Defenders from Space (1984)
For those not aware, Korea produced a lot of garbage, rip-off animated product in the '80s that blatantly infringed on copyrighted properties. In addition to this one, you also had films like Space Transformers (Micro Teukgongdae Diatron 5), Raiders of the Galaxy (Super Majingga 3) and Captain of the Cosmos (Uju Heukgisa) that provided cut-rate, shoddy versions of Transformers, Gundam, Harlock Mazinger Z and others. Even better is that several of these were brought to English-speaking countries by none other than cut-n-paste producer extraordinaire Joseph Lai, producer of most of Godfrey Ho's disasterpieces and many others. So Defenders from Space... eh... it's just shit. The lead robot (pictured above) is an obvious ripoff of Inferno from Transformers that just had a phoenix logo slapped over its autobot logo. The plot has some very very Gundam-esque elements to it too. Only recommended for mocking with friends.


22. Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013)
So this production from Spain feels fairly derivative of some of the middle-tier American CG animated fantasy films like How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek with its quippy, self-aware earnestness (seems like a contradiction yet it's become super common). What that means is that while it isn't really that great, it isn't actively terrible either for what that's worth. As far as something to put on to distract the kids with, you can certainly do worse. Speaking of which...


23. Foodfight! (2011) #BONUS Excuse Me While I Puke
I don't even know where to begin with this one. Everything about it seems misguided... The animation and character designs look horrible like something that would've been farted out by a grad student in the late '90s. Even more shocking is that this thing somehow had a purported budget of $60 million. There's just no way this wasn't some kind of money-laundering scheme. The voice cast is a who's who of has-beens like Charlie Sheen, both Hilary AND Haylie Duff, Chris Kattan, Harvey Firestein, Cloris Leachman, etc. Maybe this is where the budget went? I know if I were someone like Eva Longoria, you'd have to pay me a shitload to be in something like this. To make matters even worse, the plot itself is just a blatant cash grab of crass consumerism with a barrage of product placement with characters like Mr. Clean and Sammy the Tuna playing prominent roles in this tonally weird neo-noir story that has a disturbing amount of murder and talk of killing people for a movie targeted to kids.


24a. When They Cry OVA: Outbreak (2013)
24b. WataMote OVA (2014)
24c. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU OVA (2013)

Living a Frame At A Time

1a. Mowgli's Brothers (1975)
1b. The White Seal (1975)
1c. Yankee Doodle Cricket (1975)
1d. A Very Merry Cricket (1973) #BONUS Creator Profile: Chuck Jones
2. Jewel BEM Hunter Lime (1996)
3. Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts (2015)
4. Taishizen no makemono Bagi a.k.a. Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature (1984) #BONUS Creator Profile: Osamu Tezuka
5. Lupin III: The First (2019)
6. Megazone 23 (1985)
7. Megazone 23 II (1986)
8. Megazone 23 III (1989)
9-10. Nu, pogodi! a.k.a. Just Wait! E1-21+Lost Episodes (1969)
11. My Dog Tulip (2009)
12. Beyond the Mind's Eye (1992)
13. The Incredible Gokai Video Junk Boy (1987)
14-16. Watashi ga motenai no wa dô kangaetemo omaera ga warui! a.k.a. WataMote: No Matter How I Look at It, It's You Guys' Fault I'm Not Popular! E1-12 (2013)
17. Deathstroke Knights & Dragons: The Movie (2020)
18. African Tales (2009)#BONUS Around the World: Africa
19. Bru & Boegie: The Movie (2019) #BONUS Around the World: Africa
20. Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2015)
21. Bulsajo roboteu Pinikseu-King a.k.a. Defenders from Space (1984)
22. Justin and the Knights of Valour (2013)
23. Foodfight! (2011) #BONUS Excuse Me While I Puke
24a. When They Cry OVA: Outbreak (2013)
24b. WataMote OVA (2014)
24c. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU OVA (2013)