Comments (1-15) of 59 Add your comment
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D
Up was not only one of the best films of 2009 thus far, it’s one of the most touching and heartwarming films I’ve ever seen. I never, EVER, cry at films, and I was a wreck for the last thirty minutes of Up.
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Nick T
I almost cussed you out there for a second. Also, we still have “The Frog Princess” to get in. Lately, non-Pixar animated Disney films haven’t been so great (Valient, Robisons, Bolt) so here is the chance for redemption.
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Mary Q. Contrary
I actually really like Meet The Robinsons. It gets watched a lot around my house, and for good reason. It was heartwarming, intelligent, and had a great voice cast. Plus, the Tom Selleck joke was a riot.
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Connor
What do you mean? Bolt was awesome!
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Mary Q. Contrary
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Sam
Bolt was awesome! I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about…lol.
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Nick T
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Deezy
Up had me misty-eyed in the first ten min, but the very last shot of the movie did me in. It was a beautiful film and deserves all of the recognition it gets!
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Brad Niesmertelny
Up and Coraline are two of the best movies of the year. I’m so glad that all these movies are getting recognized. It would be nice to see 2 animated movies running for best picture. I know Up can do it. People have to get over the fact that animated doesn’t mean kiddie movie.
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Maserda
Ditto on this. ‘Coraline’ was easily very fun and original (button-eyes!) while ‘Up’ really hit the tear-release button. It would be quite a feat of a non-Pixar film won “Best Animated Feature” this year, given the quality and range of animated films that are in the running.
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Maserda
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Dani
These movies all are (or look) fantastic, and I would really like to see some of them get a nod for Best Picture (not just Best Animated Feature). I’m not going to get my hopes up (like I did last year with Wall-E), but I would like to be pleasantly surprised.
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craig
It has got to be Up! Never have I cried in the first few minutes of a film and then again at the end. Not to forget about the great humor, beautiful scenery and fantastic storyline!!
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Sam
Up, Coraline, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Ponyo, and Fantastic Mr. Fox will get the Oscar nomination slots for Best Animated Film…or I mean “should” get the slots. Up will probably take the win, but I must admit this is the first year Pixar has legitimate competition.
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Mary Q. Contrary
True that! I agree with all of your choices for nominees, and I think Pixar definitely has some stiff competition!
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Ryan
Definitely a strong list! Although, I hope Princess and the Frog does well and gets it over Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. I love 2D animation, so hopefully the movie is a return to form.
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Ryan
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Mary Q. Contrary
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bedc01
Up is indeed a beautiful and touching movie, however, i feel coraline was a tad better, and dont get me wrong, i love both movies but i hope coraline walks away with the oscar for best animated picture.. and hey, UP can still grab a spot on the best picture category
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Sam
I agree with you bedc01, for some reason I’m rooting for the underdog here. Even though Up and Ponyo were amazing and have Oscar history on their side, I think Coraline should take it!
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Sam
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Jason
For me it’s Miyazaki’s Ponyo, which is like bathing in the communal waters of good feelings, hope and optimism.
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Nathan
Forget the Animated Feature category, Up should be a Best Picture nominee, even if there were only 5 slots, just like Wall-E last year.
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Mary Q. Contrary
Up was brilliant. It’s far and away my favorite animated film this year, as well as all time. I’ve had a soft spot in my heart for The Incredibles and Wall-E since I saw each of them, but I’ve never seen a film more adept than Up at moving me to tears and making me laugh in such equal doses. I can’t wait to see Fantastic Mr. Fox, though. It’s promising to be such a treat. Coraline was beautiful, and my husband and I took our kids to see it twice. Gosh, what a year for animation!
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dave
Lisa, you’re definitely winning points in my book for recognizing how amazing animated films can be. I remember you were a big supporter of WALL-E last year as well. I didn’t really realize it until you pointed it out just now that animation has had a really great year. I think so far, my favorite is Up. It was so touching, not to mention very funny too. And the first few minutes were really heartbreaking. Up was one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. But I haven’t seen Fantastic Mr. Fox yet. And if anything can take Up’s place as my favorite, it’s Fox. I loved that book when I was a kid and I’m really excited to see it.
With 10 Best Picture nominees, I really hope that Up can squeeze it’s way in. I’m still upset that WALL-E didn’t make the cut last year.-
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Also great last year: ‘Waltz with Bashir.’ And the year before that: ‘Persepolis.’
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Sam
Waltz with Bashir is one of the Best Animated Films of the decade!
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dave
I actually never got a chance to see Waltz with Bashir, I should put it on my to-do list. But Persepolis was fantastic.
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Sam
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Lisa Schwarzbaum
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Alex
Im rooting 100% for ‘Coraline’ it was eerie, original, gorgeous (from the stop motion to the score) and just flat out entertaining.
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Jackie
Right there with ya, Alex! I LOVED “Coraline”! Not as good as the book (so few things ever are), but it can definitely stand on its own. And as you said, eerie and gorgeous, plus a great story to tell.
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Jackie
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Vina
Up, Coraline, Princess and the Frog, Ponyo, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Mary and Max might have a shot based on the positive buzz, in which case we boot Ponyo, since the Academy can only seem to handle one prestige title in this category per year.
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Scott
I certainly hope that’s not the case, only Up or Ponyo truly deserve to win.
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Scott
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Jeannie
Coraline was my favorite, can’t wait to see Fantastic Mr. Fox
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Oscars 2010
'Fantastic Mr. Fox,' fantastic year for animated movies
Owen loves Fantastic Mr. Fox and Disney’s A Christmas Carol, and so do I. And by my count , adding in Coraline, 9, Ponyo, and Up, that makes at least six animated feature films on my short list for best movies of the year.
On a related note, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences just announced that 20 titles have been submitted for Oscar consideration this year in the category of Best Animated Feature–guaranteeing that, for only the second time in Oscar history, there will be a full five nominees for the award.
I’m less interested in analyzing the tipping-point reasons why 2009 is a golden year for animation than I am in observing how animation in its many forms–hand-drawn, computer-assisted, stop-motion, motion-capture, 3-D, etc.-frees up inventive filmmakers to create original yet universally accessible stories that defy live-action logic and transcend audience demographics .
All by way of saying that Mr. Fox and his animal kingdom, Mr. Scrooge and his ghosts, and the box-headed old guy who hooks up his house to a bunch of balloons and flies south in Up are some of the most memorable characters of 2009. Which leads me to to a couple of questions: For fans, what’s your favorite animated movie this year? And for foes, well, what will it take for me to convince you to give the best pictures of 2009 a try?