Classic Animation

[Mugsy]

I suppose this could be the Disney thread, since they did it best.

Reading the Shrek thread, it seems some are tiring of the hip, ironic style of kid's movies that are everywhere these days.

Do you miss the old school, hand-drawn animation? It seems Disney had its glory days in the 40s and 50s, and then fell into a bit of a funk in the 60s and 70s when they were trying to hard to be cool.

Suddenly in the 80s, with all those baby boomer's kids available to go to their movies, they hit paydirt by going back to what they did best - classic fairytales with happy endings. Now they've hit another slump. Will they have another resurgence when the boomers' kids' want to recapture their childhood and take their own kids to old-fashioned animated movies? Or are kids these days too jaded for that stuff? What would you like to see done as a classic animated movie? What is your favourite classic animated movie?

Or is classic, hand-drawn animation dead?

[CyberCathy]

Apparently Disney is doing The Frog Princess in traditional animation. It's scheduled for 2009.

My TC? When I was in HS my dream job was to be one of the Disney animators. Talent? I would have been happy being one of the inkers or something. I really don't know that much about it, but I just figured it sounded cool. I was sad when they closed their studio because I couldn't have my "dream" job anymore. I hope it makes a comeback so I can tell people what I'm going to be when I grow up.

[mrpancake]

As great as Toy Story and Shrek are, they are no substitute for handmade animation. I just think there's a charm and simplicity to it that can't be duplicated. I think Disney's animation peak was with Sleeping Beauty. That movie was so meticulously animated, and there hasn't been anything else like it.

[kore]

Ditto thoughts Mr. Pancake! Marc Davis (one of Disney's Nine Old Men) was the force behind Sleeping Beauty's look. I have to say that is one of my favorites due to the artistry.

Cinderella's transformation (from rags to ball gown) is another scene that was just pure magic.

Lastly, I know it is not a popular film, but I consider Fantasia to be one of my all time favorite films. It is on my top 10.

I'm glad to see that even after the usage of computers to aide in the films, that there will be a return to hand drawn animation. There is something imperfect about it that just makes the animation perfect. (did that make sense?)

I also wanted to be an animator, but found out that the art school I attended wasn't even considered by the Disney Company. Needless to say, my heart was a bit broken

[viridian]

kore said:

Lastly, I know it is not a popular film, but I consider Fantasia to be one of my all time favorite films. It is on my top 10.

I'm glad to see that even after the usage of computers to aide in the films, that there will be a return to hand drawn animation. There is something imperfect about it that just makes the animation perfect. (did that make sense?)

Fantasia is one of my favorite Disney movies - I've never tired of watching the Waltz of the Flowers sequence, with the autumn & winter fairies. Sleeping Beauty is just gorgeous to watch, with the multilayered backgrounds and color.

ITA that classic animation has a warmth to it that CGI cartoons lack. I've read one hypothesis that CGI cartoons fail to connect due to the "uncanny valley". Basically, the more animators try to recreate true-to-life characters, the more detached the viewer becomes, since we stop seeing them as cartoons and focus instead on how unlike actual beings they are. The best example is The Polar Express, which was creepy as hell; the characters looked so dead-eyed & evil. Not good for a Christmas film.

[forever1267]

unfortunately, my cousin's daughter just doesn't get 2D animation, and loves the Shrek films and Madagascar and, God help me Shark Tale. I wanted to buy her a The Lion King sequel, but her parents said she "wouldn't get it".

IMO, Beauty and the Beast was a wonderful film, and I'll never forget working as a Manager for AMC when my own Mother complained that The Lion King, after the stampede/murder, was too violent for kids.

Also, Bambi's mother = buckets of tears

[mrpancake]

I saw Aladdin in the theater a few times when I was little. We also liked the Little Mermaid a lot, but my mom liked it most. She even painted our hall with a HUGE The Little Mermaid mural. Even though none of us were that into the movie, it was a really awesome mural.

[Mugsy]

Of the oldie animated movies, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella are my favourites. I just love those little mice, and the scene where the mice and birds help her make a dress.

The 60s-70s movies all seem to have a harshness to them; the outlines are more apparent and the characters are sharper and less realistic. Other than The Rescuers, which I think tried to recapture the good ol' days, but maybe didn't quite have the market yet.

As for the newer stuff, while I love Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, I think Little Mermaid is my favourite. The two song scenes, Kiss the Girl and Under the Sea? I still remember sitting in the theatre watching that, and being in awe.

I think Disney started to lose its way when it began hyping celeb talent instead of concentrating on the story and the film itself. Demi Moore? Who cares.

I am so psyched that they will be making The Frog Princess. (In my head, I'm picturing Kermit. I think he did a riff on that on Sesame Street, back in its glory days.) I was trying to think of a good fairytale Disney could do and had trouble coming up with one. Many of them are so violent and don't have good endings, but I suppose they changed the ending of Little Mermaid, so they could do that with any of them.

Imagine a Disney treatment of Hansel and Gretel? That is one "childhood" story that has little redeeming quality. They'd have to change the entire story, although I would love to go on a Disney ride that takes me through a cottage made of candy!

[diablocody]

mugsy said:

I think Disney started to lose its way when it began hyping celeb talent instead of concentrating on the story and the film itself. Demi Moore? Who cares.

Hell yeah. There are so many talented voice artists out there that it kills me that big animated movies are always stunt-casting celebrities. (Mel Gibson "singing" in Pocahontas comes to mind.) I understand putting someone like Amy Poehler, who's known for goofy, expressive voices, in Shrek, but what does Mel Gibson bring to the table?

[csmolko]

I'm a big 2D animation buff. I just love the art and really respect it...especially up through the late 80's when cels were still being hand-painted.

I probably own more animated films than live-action ones. Or more accurately...the live-action ones come and go (eBay) and the animated ones stay forever.

I grew up with a lot of Don Bluth films...I think he gets put by the wayside way too much...I wore out 2 VHSes of All Dogs Go to Heaven....now I've got the DVD. An American Tail, The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before Time....and then going later down the timeline with Anastasia. And I also really enjoy some forgotten (non-Bluth) ones like Balto and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.

I was in middle school when The Lion King was released and it was just huge. It still resonates with me the same way today.

I think Eisner made a huge mistake obliterating the 2D department at Disney and now that John Lassetter from Pixar has a lot of say, I am hoping we'll be seeing many more 2D films after The Frog Princess.