Fandango Awards Watch
Fandango Film Commentator
Fandango Film Commentator
Best Animated Feature
Chuck Says:
When it comes to this year’s animated features, I'm going to be a little controversial and go against the grain. While I'm fairly certain that when the Awards season is over, Ratatouille will be declared the best animated feature of 2007, in my humble opinion, it's not even the second best of the year.
© Walt Disney Pictures
For pure heart and emotion, I think Meet the Robinsons is by far the best animated movie yet to be released this year. Robinsons is about an orphan seeking his real parents and ending up on a Back to the Future-style time-travelling adventure. Its story can be a little convoluted, and it takes a while to get rolling, but by the end, I defy anyone to say that this movie doesn’t create a real lump in your throat.
That's the difference between Robinsons and Ratatouille. The actual animation in Ratatouille, the production value, the voice work, the Pixar brand of excellence, it's all there. But nothing places Ratatouille in the league of the company's landmark films of heart such as Toy Story 2 and Finding Nemo.
I would also argue that Surf's Up is better than Ratatouille. The animation wasn't as spectacular (that accolade does go to Ratatouille), but Surf's Up, in its own sunny, breezy way, seemed more genuinely fun without trying too hard, and its lessons held more feeling, at least for me.
Pixar's technical excellence and storytelling skills have triumphed in the animation category for years. But which is better, a film that’s fairly good on every technical level, or an imperfect film that genuinely moves an audience in vivid, vibrant color? I liked the tale of a rat who becomes a top Parisian chef a lot. But I loved the heartfelt stories of a boy who finally finds a home where he belongs, and a surfing penguin who learns that winning isn't the most important thing at all.Stacie Says:
I respect Chuck’s love for a good sentimental flick. But I’m a little more cynical than he is, and I’ll admit that I haven’t truly loved an animated family flick since Toy Story 2.
In my view, the formula for a win in the animated category is pretty pat. Take the animal du jour, be it a penguin, fish, hedgehog, ant, animate it with googly eyes and loud colors, hire a few famous comic voices, come up with a plot about an underdog emerging victorious, and voila! you’ve got blockbuster money in pocket and an Academy Award in hand. It’s certainly been Pixar’s winning m.o.
a moment in Ratatouille.
© Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
My first thought on Ratatouille was that the idea of restaurant rats cooking soup and cordon bleu was not only absurd but also a little repulsive. However, Pixar handily turned this dubitable premise into a movie with brains, wit, top-notch animation and even appetite-whetting dishes that earned major accolades from the critics and $200 million from moviegoers.
wait for the next big wave.
© Columbia Pictures
Sure, Surf’s Up’s buoyant vibe has a certain appeal, and Meet the Robinsons’ overall story is intelligent enough to appeal to kids and adults alike.
I’m just sayin’…all things considered, which animated movie is the best, in terms of all-around quality of story, acting and illustration? Ratatouille’s likeable furry gray chef may have been an unlikely hero, but for me, audiences and critics he clearly stands heads—and tails—above the competition.
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