With Walt Disney Animation Studios raking in the dough, but dying of the blade of “quantity over quality” with Moana 2, I’m scared for the future.
We know of our trips back to Zootopia and Arendelle, but not much past that.
Do I have faith? Of course I do. George Michael has instilled that in me from a very early age.
However, maybe what Disney needs is a healthy boost of originality to revitalize the studio that hasn't been as strong as they’d like it to be in recent years.
Looking at this year’s crop of Best Animated Feature nominees, originality is at the forefront.
Flow is the big standout, a Latvian triumph.
(Respectfully, name another “Latvian triumph”.)
The silence of the film’s characters breeds real suspense and yearning for the story’s completion.
(and, like, name a better capybara in film.)
Flow is grittier than most, with an animation style all its own that reads as a comic book mixed with water colors. It’s a remarkable feat for a country that cites itself as having a lack of resources for animation and the film industry.
Maybe Disney could look towards this as a sign to play outside the box they’ve confined themselves into? Maybe a less than 90 minute, silent film? Maybe something a bit smaller in scope, but bigger in heart than their other recent works?
If you watch Flow and don’t want to snuggle that labrador retriever, you don’t have a heart. However, I audibly stated “I’m about to punch Maui in the face” during Moana 2. So maybe there’s a lesson to be had?
Today, I just finished watching the sensational Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
That is how you do comedy, folks. Quaint, well-written, superbly calibrated comedy.
A villainous penguin in a nun disguise? Put it in the Louvre, ‘cause that’s art.
Sometimes, especially in recent memory, Disney films go for either an obvious joke or one that is bottom of the barrel. A burp, a fart, a smidge of potty humor, or something so benign, no laughter forms from it.
Vengeance Most Fowl earnestly shares the smartest humor imaginable, whether or not the “key demo” will find it funny. For that, it succeeds. It harkens back to Hercules, a movie that is funny for all, not just the youngest of viewers because “poop”.
Arguably my favorite animated film of the year is The Wild Robot. Dreamworks, most known for their love of the above “poop” took a creative risk for themselves, utilizing stunning worldbuilding and immaculate storytelling to create a masterpiece.
What does it have that Disney has strayed far away from? A storybook.
The Wild Robot is based on a series of books and has become a great jumping off point for a (soon-to-be) franchise with depth and wonder.
When was the last time Disney looked at an actual story? Frozen? We were promised Gigantic, a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, but it was rudely pulled from our hands like the Main Street Theatre at the Magic Kingdom.
(Yes, I’m still bitter.)
Are there fairy tales untapped by Disney? Are there modern children’s books that are ripe for storytelling?
Sometime seems amiss with Walt Disney Animation Studios and, while I still am looking forward to the upcoming sequels, I’m worried we are straying from good storytelling and lasting films.
Maybe the key to future success is to look towards the upcoming Academy Award nominees. ‘Cause I can guarantee ya, Moana 2 won’t be alongside them.