10. Wall-E (2008)
Directed by: Andrew Stanton
Written by: Jim Reardon
Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios
This was a last minute choice, but watching “Wall-E” in theaters this year was an incredible experience and has made me somewhat of a fan of Pixar Animation. Pixar and co. seem to put Disney on the fryer for the messages they influence here with themes of consumerism, materialism, and the dangers of dependence on big corporate conglomerates who keep us fat and happy. In their infinite ignorance, I doubt Disney saw the jabs through their dollar colored goggles. One of my favorite movies of 2008 and now one of my favorite animated movies of all time, “Wall-E” is that rare picture that features one of the most sympathetic heroes of all time, a droid with a simple purpose: Clean. He is then met by Eve, a new entity in his life that he falls in love with at first sight. This inspires a look in to a new world and a better purpose beyond working and he learns that he has a choice in how he lives his life. Just seeking to reclaim his love, he doesn’t know he’s introduced an apathetic, fat and lazy society to a world beyond comfort and sloth and to a crooked organization whose given up on humanity. It’s one of the most visually stimulating animated films with some of the best characterization I’ve ever seen in a movie that didn’t rely on dialogue.
Our Top 5 Animated Characters
5. Tie: Fred Flinstone/Snoopy
In the end, I really couldn’t decide who I loved more. They’ve both had a significant impact on my childhood, they’ve both managed to garner more than a few chuckles out of me over the years, and they’re also interesting creations who have garnered a long shelf life thanks to the innovation of their creators. Snoopy was the much needed edge in the “Charlie Brown” cartoons always giving the characters a run for their money, even during hard times.
And I don’t know a single person who didn’t like the Red Baron. From his interaction with Woodstock, to his battles with Peppermint Patty, Snoopy is an enduring icon. Fred originally began as a spoof of Ralph Kramden and thankfully gained his own individual cult status in one of the funniest cartoons ever created. Fred has that particular personality to him that warrants the same laughs as Kramden did, but also revealed a sweet center that showed on more than one occasion. Even at its absolute worst, “The Flintstones” strived thanks to the combined comedy of Fred and Barney.
Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths (2010)
Comic book geeks like yours truly are at a definite cross roads. Marvel continues to churn out animated series and live action movies like it’s going out of style yet their animated movie gallery has been severely hit or miss, while DC has only released big films from Batman and Superman and yet their animated movie gallery has promised quality almost all the time. I’m just curious when we can get a movie from them that’s longer than eighties minutes. That aside “Crisis on Two Earths” is another graphic novel that I haven’t read and thankfully I went in blind. I consider that an advantage because in the end it allows me to judge the material more objectively.
The Blind Side (2009)
Admittedly I’m an old cynical bastard in a young man’s body, so nine times out of ten inspirational sports films don’t connect with me at all. “The Blind Side” took everyone by surprise and I don’t think anyone expected it to hit as big as it did. But sure enough it did and I’m more surprised than anyone that I quite enjoyed myself most of the time because normally I’d find a reason to bash this film as being melodramatic. Sure it is melodramatic but oddly enough most of the events that occur here actually happened. Someone actually did take a poor African American child from the ghetto and turn them in to a fine upstanding citizen with a plethora of opportunities and it’s because of the Tuohy’s that Michael Oher was able to pursue his dreams and break free from the prison that is poverty and crime. John Lee Hancock directs quite a visually soft film that doesn’t play too heavy on the sap.
Blessed (2004)
I’ve seen many “Rosemary’s Baby” wannabes since I was a kid, many of them hit the mark, many of them missed the mark, but all aspired to reach the greatness Roman Polanski did in his film about Satanic cults and the woman who becomes prey for their horrific goals at resurrecting satan. “Blessed” seeks to take that concept and run with it and wouldn’t you know it? It misses the mark. It misses it by thousands of miles. “Blessed” is such a confused and unfocused piece of tripe that I feel nothing but sadness for the likes of Heather Graham and James Purefoy who just shamble around looking for a direction and can never seem to find any.
Dead Air (2009)
It’s hard to believe that a film I had considerable trouble sitting through without covering my eyes was directed by Corbin Bernsen of all people. This is the man who takes pride in starring in some of the worst horror movies ever made, and here he’s directed a film that has outweighed its double “Pontypool” in every aspect. While many were out celebrating the existence of the indie horror film about a radio DJ experiencing the end of the world through the radio, I sat waiting for something better from this concept and wouldn’t you know it? Here comes “Dead Air,” a movie that possesses basically the same concept and story and pulls off much more suspense and tension than “Pontypool” actually does.
Alive (1993)
I didn’t lead a fairly sheltered life growing up. When you are raised the way I was, you tend to see many disturbing things, And yet first watching “Alive” was a very interesting experience because it shook me down to the core. Watching people eat their loved ones and best friends is harrowing enough but having to ask myself how far I’d go to survive in the middle of nowhere is something else entirely. We’ve all heard of the Donner party, and we relive that same experience with the Uruguayan Rugby team who found themselves at death’s door after a horrible plane crash left them stranded in the snow covered Andes where help was literally hundreds of miles away. Losing their lives, and their sanity the group had to rely on their faith and their strength to make it through day by day being forced to live on rations and inevitably each other.