2nd Animation Hall of Fame

As the oldest surviving animated feature-length film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed is an important part of film history. Familiar tales from “Arabian Nights” provide the basis of the story, which features the titular Prince Achmed as a central character to tie the different segments together. While the title cards do provide context, the film's visuals are able to convey enough on their own that the general plot can easily be surmised without them.

The cut-outs used by Reiniger are incredibly detailed, and it must have been a painstaking process to ensure that everything was in its correct place for each shot. The film apparently took three years to complete, but I wouldn't have been surprised if it had taken longer. Though it looks quite simple, the animation is incredibly creative. Added materials like sand and wax help create special effects when necessary, and certain segments feature an impressive illusion of depth, though many of these backgrounds are now faded or barely visible.

With a fairly short runtime, Prince Achmed is an easy watch for fans of fairy-tales and fantasy. Wolfgang Zeller's score works incredibly well to set the tone of each scene, so I appreciate that it has been preserved over the years. There's not much else to say, since I can't exactly comment on the performances of cardboard silhouettes and sheets of lead, though I was tempted to credit them in the “starring” line I typically include under the director. While I had seen large portions of this film before, this was the first time I've seen the entire thing from start to finish, so I'm glad it was nominated, otherwise I might never have gotten around to it.

I was a little surprised at how the opening scenes in Meet the Robinsons don't shy away from showing the struggles some kids may face in orphanages, with Luis not being being the right child for any of the adopting couples. Throughout the course of the story we continue to see how mistakes or perceived failures can have a negative impact on someone or cause them to hesitate to try again, which is something I think both children and adults can relate to. So the film's message of not allowing these set backs to keep you down is an important lesson to convey.

I'm not a fan of fully CG animation, so the visual style doesn't appeal to me. Some of the character designs were interesting, but as a whole I didn't like the aesthetic. It didn't bother me so much at the start of the film, but once the plot jumps ahead in time, I found it off-putting. The scene where we actually meet the Robinson family was easily the worst part of the film for me. Too much happens too quickly, and the whole thing becomes so nonsensical it feels like it was aimed at a significantly younger audience than the rest of the story would suggest. I wasn't exactly engaged before this point, so this change in pace completely threw me off and I was never able to get back on board.

On a positive side, the performances were really great across the board, and none of the characters were overly irritating. I definitely appreciated the complete lack of musical numbers, though the film's attempts at humour failed to amuse me. I didn't even smile once during the runtime, let alone laugh. I'm clearly not part of the intended audience for the film, so I didn't expect it to cater to my tastes, and I'm not disappointed that it didn't do much for me. It was actually better than I was anticipating, and I appreciate the positive message the film expresses, but it's not something I'd consider watching again.

Ernest et Célestine is a charming story about friendship overcoming prejudice and one's social standing, which encourages its audience to follow their hearts despite what society expects of them. The tale is told in a simple yet effective manner that allows it to be understood by younger viewers, while remaining accessible to adults. It feels very sincere, which is something that seems to be missing from too many films aimed at a similar audience.

The animation is absolutely gorgeous. The use of watercolours, empty space, and occasionally incomplete backgrounds makes each frame look like an actual illustration ripped straight out of a classic children's book. The lines, especially the ones that comprise the outlines of characters, aren't always perfectly neat, but that makes it seem like an authentic work in progress - as though the film is being drawn for you as you're watching it. The style definitely suits the story being told, especially given the film's ending.

During this rewatch, I still had issues engaging with Ernest et Célestine at times. Ernest's introduction, and his next scene singing in the square are just so abrasive, that it takes too long to warm up to him afterwards. The film is basically over by that time. I did still enjoy the climax in the courthouses, and the final scene is quite sweet to watch. I'd say I liked it a little more than I did before, but overall I have a similar impression of the film.