Ahwell's Lists and Projects

I really liked Mononoke but it's not top 3 Miyazaki for me so yes I prefer Ratatouille as well as it's animation is just wowful.

#1 Up vs. #5 My Neighbor Totoro

Originality - Up
Script/Screenplay - Up
Animation - My Neighbor Totoro
Characters - Up
Music/Sound - Up
Themes/Values - Up
Structure/Pacing - My Neighbor Totoro

Up - 5
My Neighbor Totoro - 2

Winner: #1 Up

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My Neighbor Totoro
Year: 1988
Director: Hayao Miyazaki

From the same director as epic films like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke, comes movies like Kiki's Delivery Service and My Neighbor Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro is my sixth favorite Miyazaki, but I still love it. Everything about it is just wonderful, and it's like taking a refreshing breath of air on a summer or spring day. It's an ode to warmth and happiness that I find is very hard to dislike. Kudos to this movie for just being different.

So what is this movie about exactly? This is one of those rare slice of life animated films. Some others I can think of are The Incredibles (kind of) and Persepolis (kind of). But My Neighbor Totoro is a true "story-in-the-background" film. The first time I saw it, I was just really confused by its lack of a real story arch and structure. This is because it is so different from most films made in the United States in terms of plot. Many Western films rely on a rise-and-fall narrative involving a single protagonist with a conflict or goal that he or she must overcome. This is not what My Neighbor Totoro is at all. There is no one protagonist, but rather several important characters. There is no overarching conflict, although there are mini-conflicts along the way (notably the fact that Mei and Satsuki's mother is in the hospital). For the most part, there are simple anecdotes of daily life for the girls. Of course, these anecdotes are incredibly entertaining and make for one of the better animated movies out there.

Of course one can't talk about My Neighbor Totoro without mentioning Totoro himself. He's none other than the Studio Ghibli mascot, routinely ranked as one of the best animated movie characters of all time, and is is simply an icon. How can one not love such a creature? The totoro is a giant wood spirit that joins the young girls of the film on many of their adventures, and in the end, saves the day. He is a curious, goofy, yet noble beast that really represents the imagination and heart of childhood. And don't forget his Cat Bus as well, another magnificent Miyazki-ism. The sheer amount of magic and delight in this film is hard to measure. It truly is a film for all ages, as well. As a youngster, the joyous excursions of the two young girls with Totoro are a delight. As you grow older, you'll see more mature themes involving the environment and acceptance of tragedy. In the end, its a heartfelt film.

It's also beautiful looking! I mean, I can't say there's a Miyazaki film that's not beautiful looking, and My Neighbor Totoro is no exception. There are beautiful Summer Day colors and palettes, and it's overall a feast for the eyes. The music is fantastic and often gets stuck in my head. There's also a quiet melancholy to it that always makes me nostalgic... for what, I don't know. This movie brings a lot of childhood emotions to me in ways that I don't quite understand. It was never a childhood favorite, I only discovered it a couple years back. But it still gives me that bittersweet look back into the past, back when things were happier, simpler, and less complex. Truly beautiful film.

#2 Monsters, Inc. vs. #6 Mary and Max

Originality - Mary and Max
Script/Screenplay - Monsters, Inc.
Animation - Monsters, Inc.
Characters - Mary and Max
Music/Sound - Mary and Max
Themes/Values - Mary and Max
Structure/Pacing - Monsters, Inc.

Mary and Max - 4
Monsters, Inc. - 3

Winner: #6 Mary and Max

Monsters, Inc.
Year: 2001
Directors: Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman, Alan Barillaro

Monsters, Inc. was the fourth feature film of Pixar and the movie that I think that really kickstarted their never-ending train of quality films. It's not hard to see why it was so successful. There's nothing shabby about Monsters, Inc. The characters - Sulley, Mike, and a whole plethora of others - are fantastic, the voice acting is stellar - featuring the hilarious voices of Billy Crystal as Mike and John Goodman as Sulley - , and it's overall a blast to watch. This is one of those films where the time just flies by and you don't realize where it went.

The premise of Monsters, Inc. is the fears of every child - monsters in the closet, under the bed, and basically every place imaginable. Of course Pixar loves to have a quirky twist and what's more fun than to make the monsters the protagonists, the creatures that rely on kid's fears for their energy? It's a bizarre and complicated economic system that only Pixar would do.

Our main protagonist is Sulley, a big blue monsters who is not as tough as he acts. His sidekick - who's also not very tough but at least doesn't act it - is named Mike Wazowski, a small green guy with absolutely no knack for scaring kids. He sits on the sidelines as Sulley does most of the work (this is explored in greater detail in Monsters University, the prequel that's not as good as this movie). They live a basically normal life, until one day. That is the arrival of "Boo."

Now I usually don't really love children characters in movies. They can be annoying and stupid. Boo is great, though. She represents defying every stereotype, she represents difference, and she is a charmer. Even Sulley and Mike, who have been taught that humans are toxic their entire life, grow to love her. It's not hard to see why.

Boo essentially wreaks chaos for them for the rest of the film. Sulley and Mike are kept busy trying to protect her and hide her from the CDA (Child Detection Agency), who could potentially harm her. Things get more complicated when we figure out there is an evil master plan being conducted by the CEO of the company, Henrey J. Waternoose (III). He, along with his sidekick Randall, plot to change the scaring business by forcing screams out of kidnapped kids. Boo is intended to be their first victim.

Damn, this is kind of a dark movie, actually. There is basically an instrument of torture, very evil villains, and basically a struggle of morality about the whole thing. This is actually one of the most complex of Pixar's plots if you think about it. We have several juxtaposing themes and conflicts. The external ones, involving Waternoose and Randall, and the internal ones, involving Sulley and Mike questioning their own prejudices. It's a complicated film, but there's no doubt it's a masterpiece and deserved the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture (over Shrek, which actually won!).

There's not much else to say, really. Well, there is, but in this condensed form, the worst thing that you can say about Monsters, Inc. is that it doesn't necessarily have a single very strong suit. For instance, in Up we get the emotional impact, in Ratatouille and Toy Story we get the dialogue, in Wall-E and Inside Out we get the visuals, and so on. Monsters, Inc. does all these things - not the best for the studio - but so solidly that it's hard not to really love it.

#1 Spirited Away vs. #5 How to Train Your Dragon

Originality - Spirited Away
Script/Screenplay - How to Train Your Dragon
Animation - Spirited Away
Characters - Spirited Away
Music/Sound - Spirited Away
Themes/Values - Spirited Away
Structure/Pacing - How to Train Your Dragon

Spirited Away - 5
How to Train Your Dragon - 2

Winner: #1 Spirited Away

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How to Train Your Dragon
Year: 2010
Directors: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders

How to Train Your Dragon is a stunningly beautiful, imaginative film that seemingly came out of nowhere from Dreamworks. Let's face it. Dreamworks made the Kung Fu Panda franchise and the Shrek franchise. Neither are bad, but neither are seen as the most noble and serious films out there. Not that that's a bad film - both series are quite entertaining. But How to Train Your Dragon is such an interesting shift for the studio. The emotional depth of the characters, the stunning music and visuals, the overall finesse. It makes How to Train Your Dragon easily the best Dreamworks animated film. Watch it and you'll see what I mean.

First, how about it for a great, great, protagonist. Hiccup is such a great example of the teenage character that's often written for entirely wrong. Hiccup is a character with a lot of flaws - he's awkward, doesn't want associate himself with his family, and is quite helpless - but a lot of strengths. He's a character that we immediately attach to and love. That's the key thing that holds this movie together (among many other amazing things as well of course). Hiccup is also a great example of a static protagonist. He doesn't really change his character throughout the film, rather he changes other's mindsets. It's a refreshing change from the often animated kids protagonist that must change or learn or lesson. Much like Remy in Ratatouille, Hiccup doesn't do that.

The supporting characters are also pretty fantastic. Some of them are obnoxious and unnecessary, but I can overlook that for the rest of them. Astrid is a pretty solid female "powerhouse" character, and Hiccup's father is very well-written. His relationship with Hiccup is often deep and complex, and deep inside, we never really hate him even though he makes bad decisions. Hiccup's mother is mentioned once, and then dropped, which I find interesting. Of course the sequels follow that story up, but ignoring them, his mother seems a silent presence in both of their lives.

And how can I forget Toothless? The aggressive yet caring, often annoyed but ultimately joyful, dragon that ties the whole film's plot together. Toothless is a stereotyped dragon, a creature that has been seen as a killer since the beginning of the Vikings. Hiccup's defiance and refusal to kill Toothless of course represents a change, a shift in this mindset which ultimately decides the events of the rest of the film. Hiccup's constant support and growth of relationship with Toothless is touching, and it pays off during the final battle sequence.

As for the technical aspects, they are pretty darn admirable. Let's talk about the visuals. No other film has given me a better sensation of flying through the air, the wind in my air, awesome views everywhere around me, than How to Train Your Dragon. Those scenes simply make my jaw drop. The rest of the film has stunning animation as well. It's a film that you just sit and stare at, never wanting it to end just so you can look at those visuals.

And the music of course! Wow!!! John Powell is an under-appreciated genius, his score for How to Train Your Dragon is majestic, beautiful, powerful, epic, intimate, basically everything. It leaves me stunned and inspired, and in fact I am listening to it right now as I write this. There are other soundtracks that are better, but How to Train Your Dragon's score is certainly up there with the greats.

It's only been 9 years since its release, but I suspect How to Train Your Dragon will become a classic along the lines of the Disney Renaissance and Studio Ghibli films. There's a timelessness about it that just refuses to leave you, and it remains an awe-inspiring film that I want to return to in the future.

. You love your Gladiator.

Well, yes, but mainly I love my Joaquin. I love Russell Crowe, too, but not as much and he doesn't have cool reaction gifs like Phoenix does.

Is Phoenix your favorite actor?

By a lot, yes. He's in three of my top five favorite films and a bunch of other favorites too.

I should probably check him out more, I’ve only seen him in one film which was your nomination for 19th Return to Paradise. I liked his performance in that for sure.

Only one??!!



You need to fix that, like now.

I haven't seen Waking Life, but I'm glad that Pinocchio won because I've always liked that movie, even though it scared me when I was a kid.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

I like both of these movies, and I could see either of them winning, but I probably would have picked Toy Story over The Lego Movie too.


Monsters, Inc. is one of my favorite Pixar movies, and I don't think it gets enough appreciation, so I'm thrilled to see it win this match.


I haven't seen Porco Rosso, but I love The Incredibles, so I'm glad to see it win this match.


I haven't seen Grave of the Fireflies, but I think Fantasia is a beautiful movie with some amazing music, so I'm glad to see it win this match.


Toy Story 2 is my least favorite of the first three Toy Story movies, (I haven't seen the fourth movie yet), but I didn't care much for Fantastic Mr. Fox, so I would have voted the other way in this match.


These are both good movies, but I prefer Toy Story 3 over Mary and Max.


I haven't seen Kiki's Delivery Service, but I think Finding Nemo is one of the best Pixar movies, so I probably would have picked Finding Nemo for this match.


I haven't seen Perfect Blue, but I love Disney's Beauty and the Beast, so I probably would have picked Beauty and the Beast for this match.

I like Up more and more each time I watch it, but I've loved Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ever since I was a kid, so I would have voted for Snow White in this match.


I like Pinocchio, but I haven't seen Princess Mononoke, and it sounds like a movie that I might like, so I don't know how I would vote in this match without seeing the movie.


I like Ratatouille, but it's not a favorite movie for me, so I would have voted for Frozen in this match.


I think I saw Persepolis a while back, but if I remember correctly, I didn't like it, so even though The Lion King isn't one of my favorite movies, I probably would have voted for The Lion King in this match.

@gbgoodies interesting comments, they were fun to read. I thought you said you had seen Grave of the Fireflies before?

I haven't seen My Neighbor Totoro, but I love Bambi, so I would have voted for Bambi in this match. (Thumper is one of my all-time favorite animated characters.)


I hate Wallace and Gromit, so I'm glad to see Spirited Away win this match.


I thought Chicken Run was only okay, while How to Train Your Dragon was a fun movie, so I'm glad that How to Train Your Dragon won this match.


I thought Akira was kind of confusing, and Wall-E is one of my all-time favorite movies, (not just animated movies), so I'm thrilled to see Wall-E win this match, and I hope it comes in at the top of the list.

I've seen a few anime movies, but I don't think I've seen Grave of the Fireflies. I read the synopsis of the movie, and it doesn't sound familiar, but I guess it wouldn't be the first time that I just didn't remember a movie after seeing it.