Some Animated Film Thoughts

1. I love Brad Bird (think Ratatouille, Iron Giant, The Incredibles). I've expressed praise of Bird's work before. Bird's next work does not seem to be for the Mouse House or for Pixar...rather live action work. Including a film adaptation of the book 1906 (historical fiction about San Fransisco earthquake) and now discussions of him being on the short list for Mission Impossible 4.

2. Interesting thoughts on what Pixar says about who becomes directors and who actually directs Pixar films can be found here at FilmChat. Despite saying otherwise Peter explains the Toy Story connections.

3. Fletch at BlogCabins is angry about the marketing for How To Train Your Dragon, in the fact that the slug for this film always includes the studios name...Dreamwork's before the title, not only in the artwork but in the advertising as well. Obviously Dreamworks is trying to brand it's films like Pixar & Disney. But I can't say that Dreamwork animation has the same branding strength (or consistency of product) as these other studios - you have success stories like Shrek & Madagascar...and then you have Sinbad, Flushed Away and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

4. The documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty was released this weekend. The film tells the story of how Disney's animation studio almost closed until it got a huge revival with a Hollywood mindset (take popular films like Splash, turn into a musical and you have The Little Mermaid, add digital effects to Beauty and the Beast, etc). The premise of this documentary is interesting, but it looses massive credibility with Don Hahn directing since Don is one of the producers of past Disney films that are covered here including Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.

5. Animation is bigger business then ever and there's a lot of options in the market place...it's hard to imagine a time (like the 80s) when animation didn't really have a place at the box office.

6. Toy Story 3 or any other animated films slated for released in 2010 receiving an Oscar nod in a 10 best picture world? I don't see it this year.