Animation Month Marathon- The End

      O you cruel dashed hopes! I had started out with 40 titles to watch this month, including rewatches, but soon it was apparent to me that I won't be able to fit in all of them. Still I had hoped that I would cover my 26 first-timers. With a lot of difficulty, I have managed to fit in only 24, with quite a bit of effort I might add. Maybe I can do another animation month eventually and finish the rest, and more, because one thing I did manage was to get a new found appreciation for animated films, outside the realm of Pixar.

These are the animated films I have seen as of 31st July, 2012-

1) My Neighbour Totoro (1988)- I think if I were about 10 years younger, I reckon that I would have really loved this film. I still liked it quite a bit, and the animation, but there’s only so much of little kid crying that I can take.

The totoro itself was absolutely adorable. Like the Disney films of this month, this seemingly happy film has quite a dark side to it. Thankfully, the catbus comes to the rescue to those who suffer, at least in this world.

Rating- 8.5/10

2) Perfect Blue (1997)- This film is famous for its Darren Aronofsky connections. While I could not find the big Requiem for a Dream reference, the Black Swan allusions were clear as a day. It was a pretty far-out animated film, to say the absolute least. Not for children at all.

I liked the way the protagonist’s mind and control over reality deteriorate over the course of the film. It actually makes the viewer equally confused. I felt that the climax was a bit weird and I don’t think I followed completely, but overall, very good.

Rating- 8/10

3) Despicable Me (2010)-  A lot of people seem to love this film. It is really sweet and quite funny, so I guess I get where they’re coming from. I like a “good” baddie, and Gru is just that. Also his minions were totally epic and if I were to fulfill my dreams of being a supervillain who can steal the friggin’ moon, I would want them to be my army too.


The three girls were very cute as well. It was a surprisingly heartwarming film. Not a lot, since there was no crying involved on my part, but enough to make you smile.

Rating- 8.5/10

4) Paprika (2006)- Now at the beginning of this film, I was beyond confused and perplexed as to what it was that I was watching and who the hell this Paprika was anyways. It was quite a while later that things started to make sense.

People compare this to Inception, but I think the only thing common to both is the whole world of dreams that they are mostly set in. Paprika is very surreal, which is what I liked about it. I love the colours of the dream parade, and also the inclusion of films in such a place. Paprika, the character was strange, but I quite liked Dr. Chiba. The animation is definitely the best part of the film.

Rating- 8/10

5) South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)- I have never been an avid watcher of the television series, but that’s because I am barely a TV person. Still, even with all the Indian censorship, I liked whatever little I had seen. So I was already on board when this film started, and boy was it some super-crass, super-awesome fun!

This is one smart movie with a really nice and important message, which was astonishingly unexpected to say the least. Personally, I like it for the potty-mouthed children and the “evil Canadians” and the Disney princess-esque Satan and whatnot. It is a total riot, but a rewarding one too. Also, Kyle’s mom is definitely an uber bitch.

Rating- 10/10

6) Akira (1988)- Woah that was brilliant! This film stands alongside Fantasia for me because it showed me things that I could have never even imagined to be a part of animated films. It has fantastic action and cool bikes and huge explosions and powerful villains and badass teenagers and just so much more.

A dystopian tale, it also looks at what jealousy can drive people into doing and being. I loved both the protagonists- Kaneda and Tetsuo. The animation is just mind-blowingly amazing. I can see why people would want to make a live action remake, but then again I can see them failing miserably. The music is superb too, and it is a great movie-watching experience all together.

Rating- 10/10

7) Arthur Christmas (2011)- Aww I love Christmas movies, and especially those about the Christmas spirit and the north pole and Santa. This film is about Santa's family, and especially his younger son Arthur, who must deliver the present to the only child his figurehead dad and adept brother missed in the whole world.

There is a lot to like in this film- the varied characters that the Clause family consisted of, the hi-tech North Pole, all the elves and especially the packing expert Briony, the magical sleigh- so many Christmas elements that one cannot help but feel cheerful. It also talks about changing times. It really is an adorable film that is officially going on my favourite films to watch on Christmas list. Also I can hear James McAvoy talk all day.


Rating- 9.5/10

Updated: 8) 101 Dalmatians (1961)- I can't believe I forgot to mention this film, seeing how much I enjoyed it. Despite not being a dog person, I love all the canine friends in this film. They are actually too cute. But the cutest of them all is Roger, the male owner. His "Cruella De Vil" has been stuck in my head for a while now. Also Cruella is ab fab.


The final act does get a bit annoyingly long though. If the film had finished earlier, it would have gone to join my list of favourite Disney films. A lot of fun still.


Rating- 9/10

Animation Month Update

Hello again. This is my second update. I have fallen behind a bit this week, but hopefully I can buck up in the following weeks.

These are the animated films I have seen as of 16th July, 2012-

1)  Mulan (1998)- This is my Disney-loving best friend’s favourite Disney film, one she has been telling me to watch for the longest time. After finally having watched it, I can see why she loves it.
It is the funniest Disney film I have watched this entire month. Mulan is definitely a brilliant protagonist, seeing how her motivations had nothing to do with a prince charming, but about her proving herself and helping out her family. It looked beautiful, set in Ancient China. Though this had a scary-looking villain, the main task for our heroine is to finding her true self, which I thought was nice. Also the supporting characters, from Mushu, the dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy, to Mulan’s fellow soldiers and one very macho yet totally adorable La Shing, were all excellent. Mulan officially ties with The Princess and the Frog as my favourite Disney princess movie.

Rating- 10/10

2) Lady and the Tramp (1955)- I am not a dog person. At all. So it was a little hard to concentrate on this film. I guess it was cute, especially that spaghetti-kiss scene, but I was most certainly not the target audience for this movie. I am pretty sure that a particular scene with a dog-fight would have scarred me as a child. It pretty much terrified me still.

Rating- 6/10

3) Pocahontas (1995)- I actually liked this one, though apparently that is not the popular opinion. I think Pocahontas is the prettiest Disney princess, and her first meeting with John Smith was perhaps my favourite romantic moment in all these films. 

It was quite a stunning film too, especially in the song “Colours Of The Wind” where all the nature shots are just gorgeous. After this film, I just had to watch The New World, so I guess that would make an interesting double feature.

Rating- 7.5/10

4) Grave of the Fireflies (1988)- Unable to find the remaining Disney films in my list at the time, I decided to start off with anime and this Studio Ghibli feature was my first for this month.

I have heard a lot about how sad this film is, and it really is. It is also incredibly beautiful to look at, especially all the scenes with the fireflies, and the falling bombs that looked quite a bit like the fireflies too. There were moments I got slightly annoyed with the character of Setsuko, but by the end of it, I was very much moved. It is a powerful tale about how war affects everyone, in particular children. As I read in a review, it is not an animated film, but a war drama that just happens to be in the animated form. To see such a poignant film in this medium is quite unbelievable, but it does make us think and believe how much more can be shown in animation, and how it is not just for kids, but for anyone with a tale to tell.

Rating- 10/10

5)  Hercules (1997)- Hey male hero! Woo hoo! First off, the cartoon Hercules is probably the most disproportionate character ever. But he was quite endearing, and this film on a whole was a lot of fun. It doesn't follow the actual exploits of Hercules, for any Greek mythology geeks out there who might be outraged by the film. Instead of Hera, it is Hades who is after Hercules’s life. We see how he becomes mortal and then attempts to get back his immortality by becoming a hero. The action scenes for this are very well made. I also really liked his heroine, Meg, who could almost safely be part of 'Sex and the City: Ancient Greece Edition'. My favourite part of the film were the oh so fabulous muses and their songs.

Rating- 7.5/10

6) The Jungle Book (1967)- I really think that I have seen this before, but the tale is so well-known that I can’t be sure. But I do know the songs, and golly they are awesome!

This is a sweet movie. The characters are colourful, and it gives a sense of colonialized India. I loved Bagheera and Kaa and King Louie and Shere Khan and the very mod vultures, but my absolute favourite was Baloo. He was like the stoned uncle of my dreams. Also, maybe my favourite Disney companion. The ending is a bit blah, but a very enjoyable movie through and through.

Rating- 9/10

So that is it. See ya next week!