One of my favorite modern storytellers in the animation genre happens to be Brad Bird. Not only is the man a wonderful writer, but he gets modern story themes and basic characterization, all the while building on adult themes that children can understand but will also appeal to adults as well. One of the most underrated and innovative filmmakers in film today, Brad Bird only seems to get better with every film. “Iron Giant” was a masterpiece of friendship and alienation, “The Incredibles” was a wonderful take on the dysfunctional family in modern suburbia, and now Bird yanks Pixar from its horrible “Cars,” with this fantastic follow-up “Ratatouille.”
Tag Archives: Animation
The Ant Bully (2006)
When we experience misery in our own lives, we look for ways to vent our frustration. When we’re bullied, many of us in anger tend to bully as well, only on smaller individuals than us. “The Ant Bully” is yet another “What they do when we’re not looking” animated film that revolves around yet another microcosm with species learning to survive in our mass consuming intrusive world. Films like the hilarious “Over the Hedge” and the groan inducing “Barnyard” as well as a slew of others dare to demonstrate such a concept.
Josie and the Pussycats – The Complete Series (1970) (DVD)
Out of all the Hanna Barbera series to stem from the sixties and seventies, I’d have to say that “Josie and the Pussycats.” Sure, it was in essence a pure “Scooby Doo” rip off, with a Shaggy character voiced by Casey Kasem, a Freddy character with an ascot, goofy animal sidekicks, and even re-using its chase music on many occasions, but it’s just so much better than “Scooby-Doo” which I’ve always considered an overrated franchise to begin with.
Legion of Superheroes Volume 1 (DVD)
This new WB series featured the introduction of a new style of animation for the new Millennium of DC audiences. Once WB broke out of the Bruce Timm era, “Teen Titans” ushered in a semi-anime style that was influential and hipper, arguably. The quasi-anime was appealing to the pre-teens and tweens who didn’t quite like the Timm blocky style. “Legion of Superheroes” is a much more dramatic turn for the animation aside from the goofy and often over the top “Teen Titans.” Inspired by “The Animated Series,” the Legion needs the help of their god, the one and only Superman. The Legion now lives in a reality where Superman is the one and only inspiration for young avengers, even with monuments built in his honor.
Superman: Doomsday (2007) (DVD)
To this day, “Superman: Doomsday” is still one of the most gut wrenching graphic novels I’ve ever read. As a hardcore Superman geek since the age of five, Superman has been one of my recurring beacons of heroism and courage, and something that’s still very representative of what man is capable of. Superman is possibilities, and that’s why I still stick by this character for better or for worse. And as you can imagine, reading the entire graphic novel as a young boy, seeing Superman’s lifeless body in Lois’ arms as he faded away from the vicious attack from Doomsday really bummed me out. And quite frankly, it left a pure lump in my throat. “Superman: Doomsday” truncates everything about the graphic novel into a movie that’s a little over an hour. And I accept that. Due to DC’s issues with superheroes in multiple formats, we couldn’t have had all the guest stars and the Reign of the Superman in this movie. Instead, Timm and co. focus on the meat and bones of the story: Superman vs. Doomsday, and then Superman’s death.
A Work in Progress: A Short Film By Wes Ball (2002)
Writers always put themselves into their work, be they articles, reviews, and especially fiction. The stories we tell are a part of us, they’re our personality, our inner most desires, and our greatest wishes. What “A Work in Progress” does is feature a storyteller in search of her own friend. She’s a girl who sits watching many other children play while she’s forced to basically write and create her own characters. And wouldn’t you know it, she begins to tell the sad story of a brown bear in search of a friend.
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme (2007) (DVD)
For my money, Dr. Strange is probably one of the most uneven characters in the Marvel gallery ever created, while others of his ilk are basically one sided. Spider-Man was too whiny for me, Iron Man was too weak, and Fantastic Four was much too irritating to enjoy, but Dr. Strange is a character with great potential that had a comic series that was as dull as day old bread. Yet, this character‘s appearances in other series were exciting, and his television movie from the seventies was also decent. I just hope the live action adaptation gives me a reason to enjoy the character again. For now, here‘s another direct to DVD Marvel movie, “Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme,” an unofficial prequel to the movie. “Doctor Strange” is thankfully a step in the right direction, depicting the mythos of Doctor Strange as a murky and dark world filled with eerie sights and demons.