Animation is brilliant. 2D animation is what I lived on as a child. It is versatile and creative. It relays all forms of emotions as well as being utterly ridiculous plus just looks bloody awesome. Although I would say that wouldn't I?
So in the vein of being completely biased we wanted to share with you our favourite animation features of all time! In this mini listicle I will present to you my top five favourite features of all time and why.
This list was really hard to curate purely for the fact of narrowing it down to 5 seemed like a herculean task (spoilers he did not make the final cut.) However I have chosen what I have chosen through a mixture of childhood awe, what impressed me technically as an adult and a big dose of nostalgia. In no particular order;-
1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
Seeing Roger Rabbit for the first time as a kid was like being given a sneak peek behind the curtain of animation. I was seeing into a world where all my favourite characters coexisted, and knew each other! The fact the toon world was bleeding into our own made them real in my eyes. A very exciting prospect to a little me. Even if Judge Doom was TERRIFYING in his final form. Those eyes…
The relatively seamless mix of 2d animation and live action still stands today. Upon rewatching it as an adult it is hilarious and filled with double layered cartoon tropes.
2. Aladdin
Undeniably Robin Williams is a big part of this choice. Williams played a huge part in my childhood film watching (my sister’s too.) For me, his performance makes this film. But! All the crazy animation surrounding his performance is hilarious, maniacal and true to the character of the genie aka Robin Williams. If I had to choose a favourite scene I couldn't. I particularly like when he is zipping around the crowd during “Prince Ali”. His asides still make me laugh after the thousandth watch. Aladdin is like a weighted blanket or laughter with your best mates down the pub. An absolute comfort.
3. Fern Gully
So you may think there is a running theme here with Robin Williams as he voiced the recently freed science experiment Batty and you’d be right. However, the sheer sassy audacity of Tim Curry as Hexxus chugging on that exhaust pipe before breaking into “Toxic Love” cannot be ignored. Pure. Dead. Brilliant. The animation is stunning, the music is retro AF, there are magic fairies everywhere you turn. A true fantasy dreamland with heavy environmental overtones. What is not to love about this film?
4. Spider Man into the Spider-Verse
When it comes to Marvel super heroes I am all about Thor Hemsworth. Spiderman craze kind of passed me by but this Sony Picture Entertainment film is simply perfect. The comic book stylised line drawing in 2D over the 3D animation is fresh and sumptuous. The backdrops, typography and illustrations are like a 15th century Tudor masterpiece feast for your eyes. It is a work of art and deserves all the recognition it received. The story is enveloping, engaging you emotionally from the get go. You instantly care about the protagonist. The concept as a whole is just too damn cool. Stunning.
5. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
This disney sci-fi/fantasy adventure ticks all the right boxes for me. I am a fantasy loving, world escaping, mythology devouring, language learning geek at heart and ATLE just gets me. First and foremost Kida is kween. What an absolute badass. Visually my favourite aspect is the character design. This is heavily due to Mike Mignola’s style, the artist behind Hellboy. The characters are so sharp, angular and clean. The score for the film is beautiful and emotional. This is a disney film with the usual joys, a more insidious adult baddie plus a cool (nerdy) slant and I loved it!
So these are my top five. In three words fantasy, sass and Williams. I would love to know if you agree or more importantly completely disagree! We will be posting a follow up with Owen’s top five soon.
Notable mentions are Hercules (the muses), Spirited Away (the soot balls), Sword in the Stone (Mad Madam Mim) and Prince of Egypt (THAT duet).