Brad Bird Officially Quits Animation (...kind of)

This past Sunday, the Annie Awards, an annual ceremony for the animation community, was held in Los Angeles. And, as was feared and predicted among us Pixar-lovers, DreamWorks Animation took home almost all of the awards, leaving just one for Pixar (Best Short - Day & Night).

Bigger news than that, however, is that Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Iron Giant, has officially quit the business of animation forever . . . well, sort of. Watch the hilarious video embedded above to see what I mean--it is his acceptance speech for the coveted Windsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award. (Oh, and jump to 4:30 for the actual speech.)

Great stuff!

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My Top 10 Films of 2010

I love movies. I love writing them, shooting them, watching them, and analyzing them. There isn't anything like seeing a really great movie, is there?

Here are the movies from last year that I thought were really great. Without further ado, My Top 10 list of movies from 2010:

#10: Red
Yeah, I know. An empty action flick makes it on the "Top 10" list for the entire year? What is up with that?! Well, I loved this movie. It's one of those movies where, once you manage to shut your brain off and just enjoy what you're seeing, you will be thoroughly entertained. There was not a strong story in the slightest, but I still loved it. I know, I know--this is coming from the guy who is all about story, story, STORY!, but sometimes it's nice to not have to analyze a film and just be able to appreciate some good old-fashioned grenade baseball by a mentally-ill John Malkovich...y'know?

#9: Legend of the Guardians
Zach Snyder, the director of Watchmen and 300, is the only director I know of who can manage to make a film about owls so amazingly epic. Legend of the Guardians was the classic hero's journey tale of a supposed weakling experiencing the world through a journey of trials to eventually undergo self-discovery and better themselves and others. It has been a done thousands of times since stories were first told ages ago, but it never gets old--it just works . . . especially when there are owl sword fights, it is amazingly animated (did you see that "water on the feathers" sequence?!?), and is just great storytelling with likable characters.

#8: How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks doesn't have what I'd call a perfect score as far as their films go. They are very much hit (Kung-Fu Panda) and miss (Bee Movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, every Shrek after the second one...), but I was pleasantly surprised by How to Train Your Dragon. It had a very good story (definitely the hero's journey, once again), wonderful animation, and lots of "heart" which we aren't used to seeing from Mr. Katzenberg...

Read my full review of the film here.

#7: Inception
A heist movie that takes place in . . . the mind?! Directed by Christopher Nolan?!? Are you kidding me?! That combination made this one of my most-anticipated films of last year. Momento and Dark Knight easily rocketed Mr. Nolan to my top 5 favorite directors, and I was very interested to see what he'd do with a completely original work. And he didn't disappoint. There was action, humor, philosophy, and even a great, ambiguous ending that we all love debating so very much. For all of that, though, I feel like it was missing the "x factor"--maybe it's the fact that I had already seen and loved Shutter Island and was kinda sick of seeing Leonardo whining about his dead wife. Maybe I just couldn't relate to the characters' situations. Or maybe it's just that I'm subconsciously upset that Christopher thought of the film premise before I did. Whatever the reason, it is still a phenomenal film, and deserves its #7 slot.

#6: Tangled
Yeah! The 50th film to come out of Walt Disney Animation Studios has got it all (or at least most of "it"). Humor, heart, gorgeous animation galore, and some of the funniest animated characters I have ever seen . . . it's all there, and it's there in heaping quantities. The story is solid, the characters are well-animated, and it is just great entertainment. My one beef with the film, however, was its soundtrack--there were no good songs! I was very disappointed in Mr. Menken, especially after his previously-impeccable track record. Still, Tangled is a wonderful film.

Read my full review here.

#5: Shutter Island
What a great film. I love period movies, and the 1950s especially. The style of the film--very "Hitchcockian"--was great to look at. The way the shots were lined up, the sets were decorated, the characters acted, and even the color tones used, all helped to really suck you onto Shutter Island. In that respect, the film definitely delivered--a movie should transport you to a different time and place, and Shutter Island definitely did that. And, not only did it do that, but its superb acting performances, major twist, and (yet another) ambiguous ending made it a joy to watch and an Oscar-worthy movie. It had story, great acting, and a twist; what more can you ask for?

#4: The King's Speech
I went into this movie not knowing much about it. I knew it was a period piece about a guy doing a speech or something, but that was about it. I wasn't expecting anything out of it except maybe a history lesson, but I was sorely mistaken--I enjoyed it. Like, really enjoyed it. Taking the simple premise of "A guy who has to give a lot of speeches has a speech impediment," they made something really special. It is funny, dramatic, and engrossing. The suspense and tension the director managed to get across to the audience is awe-inspiring; you really do get butterflies in your stomach when Colin Firth steps up to the microphone to deliver his speech. Easily the best part of the film, however, was Geoffrey Rush's performance as His Majesty's speech coach--he was very funny, very witty, and just a joy to watch. If you haven't seen The King's Speech, go see it. Right now. You won't be disappointed.

#3: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, created something really special with Scott Pilgrim. When I first saw Sin City and 300 and the other Miller adaptations, I thought that was the quintessential "Filmographic Graphic Novel." I was mistaken; Scott Pilgrim is. The more "interactive" components, like the pee meter in the bathroom and the bursts during the fight sequences made this movie the graphic novel movie. It was just so cool to watch. And, not only that, but it was so funny. All of the characters were perfectly cast, and the story was really engaging. I don't think there was one thing wrong with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Not a thing...

#2: The Social Network
Talk about buzz. This is probably the most-hyped film of 2010, and deservedly so. David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Benjamin Button) is easily in my top 3 favorite directors of all-time. The Social Network portrays a really gripping story and utilizes great acting to enhance the story even further. And, not only was the story great, but the screenplay itself was. The dialogue was so wonderfully-crafted and just perfect--it was witty when it had to be, subtle when that was key, and powerful during the several climaxes. That screenwriter should (and definitely will) win an Oscar. Everything about The Social Network was great. Just great.

#1: Toy Story 3
This should be no surprise to my regular readers out there. I am not choosing this film because it is a Pixar film, but because it truly, truly was the best film of 2010. It had a flawless story, even more character development for characters we've already seen twice before, humor, action, homages to classic movies, a great score, gorgeous animation, and more "heart" than I know what to do with. There is too much to say about how great this film was, so I'll just point you to my full review right here.

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Well, there you have it, folks. The best movies of last year. Obviously, I loved many more movies than just those 10, but these are the best of the best, and each one of them deserves its spot. Once the Oscar nominations are announced I'll post my predictions here, but I hope this satiates your film-thirst for the time being.

On to 2011! . . .

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My Review of 'How to Train Your Dragon'

In 2006, Chris Sanders was removed from his post at Disney Animation Studios. Previously, he had worked on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Mulan, and directed Lilo and Stitch. He was directing the feature American Dog (which would later be renamed Bolt), but was fired by Lasseter, who called Sanders' take on the film “too quirky for its own good.” So, once Sanders cleaned out his desk and left the Mouse for good, he was snatched up by Katzenberg. How to Train Your Dragon is the outcome.

DreamWorks Animation does not have a flawless record when it comes to their films. Over the Hedge was decent, but Monsters vs. Aliens was really awful. Shrek and Kung Fu Panda were great, but The Bee Movie and Shark Tale were just bad. I wasn't sure what I would think of How to Train Your Dragon, but was pleasantly surprised by what I did.

(Spoiler Alert!)

In the Viking village of Berk, killing dragons is a way of life. Dragons regularly raid the village for food, and the Vikings always retaliate, being lead by their chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler). Every member of the town contributes to the cause of destroying the beasts—they all either fight or make weapons or keep the women and children safe. Well, every member except for Hiccup, that is. Hiccup longs to become a heroic dragon-killer like his father, the chief, but he is scrawny and weak.


During one of the dragons' attacks on the village, Hiccup tests a large catapult he's created and successfully takes down a dreaded Night Fury dragon, the likes of which have never been seen. The next day, Hiccup hikes through the forest and finds the fallen brute. Carefully, our hero approaches the creature with his knife drawn, preparing to cut its heart out to earn the honor and respect he's been dreaming of. But, at the last second, he decides to cut the ropes and free the creature instead.

Hiccup returns several days later and sees that the dragon's tail was damaged. Hiccup creates a new tail attachment for Toothless (what he has named the Night Fury), and very carefully approaches him to fasten it on. After some modifications, the new tail works perfectly, and Hiccup and Toothless quickly become best friends.


Being best friends with the dragon, Hiccup quickly realizes that everybody's beliefs about dragons are completely wrong. The Vikings think that the dragons are evil, brutish creatures who only live to attack and kill, whereas the truth is that the dragons are frightened, calm creatures who only fight in defense. If they're treated kindly, like Hiccup treats Toothless, then the dragons really are gentle beings. When the chief decides to hunt for the dragons' nest, Hiccup tries to explain that the dragons really aren't vicious creatures at all. But trying to change the beliefs of generations and generations of his father's people provokes an absolute war between the dragons and vikings, and only Hiccup and his faithful Toothless can end the madness once and for all.

(End Spoiler Alert!)

How to Train Your Dragon's story is fairly straightforward. There is an outcast who dreams of doing bigger and better things, eventually gets his chance to do so, and then succeeds. This universal plot outline is known as the Hero's Journey, and is followed exactly by How to Train Your Dragon. That's not to say it's a bad thing—almost every story follows the Hero's Journey in one way or another, and this movie managed to utilize the universal outline very well.

The most amazing aspect of this movie for me were the two main characters, Hiccup and Toothless. How to Train Your Dragon nails one of the most important aspects of any film: having a likable main character that audiences will cheer for. From the opening of How to Train Your Dragon, you want Hiccup to succeed. The filmmakers managed to make Hiccup a really likable and innocent guy that served the story well.


Even more amazing than that, though, was the relationship created between Toothless and Hiccup. The connection that this boy and dragon have is heart-wrenching and incredible, and is conveyed through almost no dialogue. Chris Sanders has turned the silent, strong relationship between a kid and their pet into an art form within itself with Lilo and Stitch and now How to Train Your Dragon. There are parts of the film when you forget you're watching a movie and feel genuinely frightened that Hiccup will lose Toothless. It is a truly remarkable aspect of this film.


How to Train Your Dragon had decent animation. Every dragon was unique and colorful and just plain interesting to look at. There were many different types of dragons, all with imaginative names and powers. One reason why I loved the dragons' animation so much was because of the amount of emotion the animators managed to convey through solely their eyes. Another aspect of the animation I loved were the settings. The forest, village, and volcano were all very detailed, colorful, and works of art on their own. Although the animators were very skilled when it came to the dragons and settings, they were fairly lazy with the Vikings. The eyes were lifeless, the cloth and hair were inorganic, and the characters' acting lacked believability and humor. It was pretty distracting for someone like me who appreciates great animation and is very particular about what they like, but I doubt that the average moviegoer would notice. After all, it wasn't that bad.


Another great thing about How to Train Your Dragon was its soundtrack. While I was expecting the usual rap- and rock-laden track that so commonly graces Katzenberg's features, I was surprised to find that this particular film didn't. Instead, it was scored by an orchestra. And, more than that, its score was inspiring, beautiful, and very relevant to the subject matter. The music really helped heighten the action and emotion, and also helped to transport you back to the times of the Vikings. I've already purchased the soundtrack, and love the score even without the film playing along with it.

As Forrest Gump might say if he reviewed films, “DreamWorks is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.” Some of their films are high-quality, entertaining movies worthy of Oscars while others are just embarrassingly awful. From the trailer, I couldn't decide where How to Train Your Dragon would fall on the Katzenberg Spectrum, but now I'm proud to say that it's one of my favorite films to come from DreamWorks. It is funny, touching, full of action, beautifully scored and animated, and imaginative. After seeing How to Train Your Dragon, Lasseter might actually think twice about letting Chris Sanders go.

I give How to Train Your Dragon a solid 8 out of 10. We can only hope that Sanders' next feature for DreamWorks, The Croods, is just as good.

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'How to Train Your Dragon' Trailer from DreamWorks

Above you will find the first official trailer for the next DreamWorks flick, How to Train Your Dragon. I'm still not sure what to think about it. The animation (or should I say MoCap), looks pretty decent; the people are certainly a step up from the rubbery beings from the Shrek universe. The dragon looks pretty weird, and I don't know about a main character named Hiccup, but at least I didn't see any pop culture references in the trailer. I hope that DreamWorks has finally decided to focus more on story than gimmicks, although the pushing of the 3D-ness of the film is not a step in the right direction. We'll see come March 26...

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