James Harvey
01-10-2002, 11:50 AM
I find this guy just as hilarious and pathetic as Rob Allseter. As anticipated, he's gradedf the 2001 animated releases at http://www.animationblast.com . Here's what he had to say:
MONSTERS INC > C+
METROPOLIS > C-
ATLANTIS > F
SHREK > F
OSMOSIS JONES > F
FINAL FANTASY > F
JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS > F
WAKING LIFE > Animated or more like stylized live-action?
POKEMON 3, RECESS: THE MOVIE, MARCO POLO: RETURN TO XANADU, THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN > Give me a break!
Superficial, crass, stupid.
I'd originally penned some long-winded diatribe about the sorry state of feature animation but upon further review, I found that the above three words made a pretty succinct summary of my feelings. Animated filmmakers and Hollywood corporations should be collectively ashamed of themselves. Ashamed for their inability to tell a story, ashamed for assaulting the viewer's intelligence with their mind-numbingly shallow and insipid brand of filmmaking, and most consequential, ashamed for degrading this wonderful artform.
The disgusting and ceaseless pile of animated excrement that paraded its way across movie screens last year was enough to make even the most ardent animation aficionado lose faith in this artform. Sadly enough the slate of entries in 2002, with the exception of a few promising films, looks just as pathetic. And even more heartbreaking, I predict the lackluster quality of animated features will remain unchanged as long as audiences, critics, and the industry itself continues to hold the animated art form to lower standards and expectations than its live-action film counterparts. As a fine example of these lowered expectations, we'll be taking a closer look at the laughably misguided new Oscar race for Best Animated Feature in the coming months and showing how something started with good intentions may in fact lead to more of the above animated waste.
MONSTERS INC > C+
METROPOLIS > C-
ATLANTIS > F
SHREK > F
OSMOSIS JONES > F
FINAL FANTASY > F
JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS > F
WAKING LIFE > Animated or more like stylized live-action?
POKEMON 3, RECESS: THE MOVIE, MARCO POLO: RETURN TO XANADU, THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN > Give me a break!
Superficial, crass, stupid.
I'd originally penned some long-winded diatribe about the sorry state of feature animation but upon further review, I found that the above three words made a pretty succinct summary of my feelings. Animated filmmakers and Hollywood corporations should be collectively ashamed of themselves. Ashamed for their inability to tell a story, ashamed for assaulting the viewer's intelligence with their mind-numbingly shallow and insipid brand of filmmaking, and most consequential, ashamed for degrading this wonderful artform.
The disgusting and ceaseless pile of animated excrement that paraded its way across movie screens last year was enough to make even the most ardent animation aficionado lose faith in this artform. Sadly enough the slate of entries in 2002, with the exception of a few promising films, looks just as pathetic. And even more heartbreaking, I predict the lackluster quality of animated features will remain unchanged as long as audiences, critics, and the industry itself continues to hold the animated art form to lower standards and expectations than its live-action film counterparts. As a fine example of these lowered expectations, we'll be taking a closer look at the laughably misguided new Oscar race for Best Animated Feature in the coming months and showing how something started with good intentions may in fact lead to more of the above animated waste.