I'll be honest, I do not have high hopes for animation this year. About half of the contenders I see are either sequels or reboots or spin-offs, and what little original material there is just doesn't intrigue me much. Even the filmmaking Garden of Eden that is Pixar Studios is offering me little in the way of hope. So, what will be nominated?
Even though I find the upcoming
Cars 2 a less-than-promising prospect, Pixar should never be counted out for the nomination. But after four consecutive years of dominating this category, I think this is where the streak ends. I just can't see them winning for a sequel to what is commonly cited as the studio's weakest film.
As if to directly challenge Pixar's reign,
Happy Feet (the film that beat the original
Cars) is coming out with its own sequel, directed again by George Miller, which may give us a repeat of the
2006 BEST ANIMATED FEATURE SHOWDOWN! Forgive all-caps hyperbole, but it's the only way I can muster up any excitement in either of these movies.
Oh, original material, why hast thou foresaken me!... But wait! We've already seen one of this year's original cartoons, the delightfully surreal
Rango from
Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski. Though not perfect, this film was an entertaining and kooky throwback to the great Westerns of yore, and could standout from the crowd by the mere virtue of being an original concept.
Predicted three:
Cars 2
Happy Feet 2
Rango
Also consider: Arthur Christmas,
The Dreaming Machine,
Kung Fu Panda 2,
The Lion of Judah,
Puss in Boots,
The Rabbi's Cat,
Rio,
Tales of the Night,
Winnie the Pooh
