2010 Best Animated Feature Oscar

Here are the five nominated pictures in the still fairly new Animated Feature category. Is there a chance PIXAR doesn't add more Academy hardware to their shelf again?

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This could really go either way for Pixar, but I do hope Up gets it.

In my opinion Fantastic Mr. Fox should win absolutely, no question, without a doubt.

But it won't. Can you guess which will?

I think most of us can. To be honest, it's almost a travesty that both Up and Fantastic Mr. Fox can't win. They're both easily among the top, I dunno, 5 or 6 best animated films I've ever seen, probably. If only one of them could win this year, and the other could go back and time and take Happy Feet's Oscar from 2006.

As far as just the technical achievement and how "wowed" I was by the artistry and incredible 3D, on those merits alone I'd vote for Coraline. I'm glad at least that they got a nomination, but there's no way they'll win it this year. As far as technical prowess combined with storytelling and just in terms of how much pure joy I got out of every bit of it, I'd vote for The Fantastic Mr. Fox.



I haven't seen The Princess and the Frog, but it's good to know that Disney hasn't completely given up on their animation department apart from PIXAR. I haven't seen The Secret of Kells, but sight unseen I'm certainly much happier it got a slot on the ballot than say the usual mainstream kiddie fare that might have clogged it up like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Monsters vs. Aliens, Astro Boy or Planet 51. Given Miyazaki's undisputed claim as a master of the craft (and previous winner in the category) I'm more than a little surprised Ponyo didn't make the cut, and I would have thought Zemeckis and his A Christmas Carol might figure in the final ballot. One that I loved but knew had zero chance was $9.99, based on some Etgar Keret short stories. The Tim Burton produced 9 was certainly visually impressive, though a pretty weak story. And it was just too packed a year for Adam Elliot's Mary & Max to have a realistic chance, even with Harvie Krumpet having netted the Oscar for Animated Short back in 2004.

But yes, of course PIXAR's Up will win easily. I mean it's the one animated film nominated in the regular Best Picture pool (expanded as it is) and only the second ever to have that distinction, so it's like The Academy has already told you which one they're voting for. Hey, I like Up, it’s wonderful and all, but as for which animated movie from 2009 I know I’ll be watching the most over and over again in the coming years, it’s definitely Wes Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox.




Overall it was a very strong year for animation, and I'm especially heartened to see that stop-motion is enjoying a bit of a new renaissance with Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, Mary & Max and $9.99 all hitting the screens this year, plus Nick Park's stuff, A Town Called Panic from Belgium, and in recent years The Corpse Bride and Max & Co. It's an artform I really love and I'm tickled that in the HD digital world there's still room for it in the marketplace.

I echo the above. It's going to be Up, but I wish to hell it was The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

I too am very happy to see so many stop motion animation films coming out. The best part is, is that they really look excellent in HD as well. Heck, even the great old Rankin and Bass stuff looks phenomenal in HD. I kind of think HD may bring a resurgence in stop motion because you see every single little tick and movement that the artists put forth. And if that's not the appeal of stop motion then I don't really know what is. It is for me anyway.



So anyway, yeah. Up will most likely win. I'm going out on a limb and voting for Fantastic Mr. Fox though. You never know. Maybe there's a few people out there like me, who actually found Up to be a little less enjoyable than some of Pixars recent efforts. It could happen. Doubt it, but that's why they go ahead and have the award show anyway, huh?

I, also haven't caught The Secret of Kells and am really looking forward to it. I plan to see it soon.



The Princess and The Frog is a wonderful return to Disneys roots I think. A lot of wonderful numbers and not surprisingly two more Oscar nominations for Randy Newman. It's funny, I'm not a big fan really and yet I always seem to end up humming a lot of his songs from the films he's done the music for. So, I guess I'm just a contrary jack knob. Anyway, a delightful film and worth a look for any and all Disney fans.



Coraline was also quite good. I don't think I loved it quite as much as Holden did but it really had something, didn't it? Did it seem like a Tim Burton flick to you? Like in the same manner that The Nightmare Before Christmas feels like a Tim Burton flick too huh? Even though it's in fact Henry Sellick that directed both films. Sure Nightmare has a lot more of Burton's stamp on it. It was his story and his characters but obviously Sellick was in there somewhere too. Because, I don't see Burton's name anywhere on this movie so maybe there's a new Sheriff in town when it comes to wonderfully creepy and fascinating stop motion tales... Either way its a win win for me.

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Both Up and Fantastic Mr. Fox made my top ten, either one would make me happy. Although, I see Up taking it.

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Suspect's Reviews

I must've missed something with Fantastic Mr. Fox because everyone seems to like it a lot more than I do. My favourite was Up with Coraline coming in a close second.

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I think I may love it so much because of the book it was based on. Admittedly, I can't hardly recall the book that well, but as sure as I'm sitting here now, I can remember how much I loved the story. I loved all of Dahl's books, to be honest.

I'm with you. It's "up" there, certainly, but I don't think it's their best. Most people want to say Finding Nemo, but I don't know... I still think the out-of-the-box concept and genuine heart behind Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. seal it for me. Both of those are really something special.

Up was good, but it's not even close to Monster's Inc, IMO.

To very little surprise, Up won the award, of course.