Monday 29 September 2014

Animation Turnaround #3: Toy Story (1995)


If there's a film that deserves the title of "Turnaround," it's Toy Story. The film completely and single-handedly changed the animation industry and its repercussions are still felt today. Just as Snow White introduced the animated feature film in 1937, Toy Story introduced a new way of making these films and now most mainstream animated films are done that way. CG animation was almost non-existent before Toy Story, mostly relegated to backgrounds, environments or creatures (for example, the stampede scene in The Lion King or the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast), but a fully CG animated film was thought an impossible task. Not only did Toy Story prove that notion wrong, but it also launched Pixar Animation Studios, one of the most highly regarded studios in the world. Toy Story came as a breath of fresh air for audiences and was a direct answer to Disney's Broadway formula, which by that time was starting to show signs of exhaustion.

Thursday 25 September 2014

Watch: New Big Hero 6 Trailer Focuses on the Characters


The second full-length trailer for Disney's Big Hero 6 is remarkable for a number of reasons. One such reason is that - in what's an extremely rare move for a trailer for a Hollywood film of this size - it actually focuses on the characters, rather than just a bunch of big action set pieces. Another reasons is that it's really, really good.

Sunday 14 September 2014

Animation Turnaround #2: Coraline (2009)



Laika made a splash in 2009 when they released their first animated film, Coraline. Done entirely in stop-motion, the film is a rarity in mainstream animation, because it's one of the few truly spooky family films that has appeared on the big screen. Based on the famous novel by Neil Gaiman, Coraline represented a rebirth for the stop-motion format and a glorious return for director Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas), who crafted a lovingly terrifying world and made Laika a force to be reckoned with.

Idris Elba and Dominic West Wired Up for Finding Dory


Former The Wire co-stars Idris Elba and Dominic West are reportedly now part of the voice cast for Pixar's hotly anticipated Nemo sequel, Finding Dory! Or so says Dominic West, anyway.

Thursday 4 September 2014

Animation Turnaround #1: Shrek (2001)


Welcome to Animation Turnarounds, a new section where I will review animated films that, for one reason or another, represented a change of direction for their respective animation studios and the industry in general. Unlike the Disney Retrospectives, these reviews won't be in chronological order and will feature a variety of films from different studios and nationalities. So, join me in celebrating these films that have made a dent in the animation industry, starting right now with Shrek:

Watch: Baymax and Hiro Meet in New Big Hero 6 Clip


Disney recently aired The Story of Frozen: Making a Disney Animated Classic; as well as providing the history of the highest-grossing animated film of all time and announcing the Frozen Fever short film, the TV special also featured a brand new clip from Walt Disney Animation Studios' next film, Big Hero 6. And here it is! Check the funny new clip out below.

Disney to Release New Frozen Short Film Next Year


Disney have announced a follow-up film to their billion dollar smash-hit Frozen - just not in the form of a feature. No, next year, Walt Disney Animation Studios will release Frozen Fever (an apt term to describe the time since the film's release, actually...) an all new short film, in a similar fashion to the Tangled Ever After short the studio released in 2012.

DreamWorks Pushes How to Train Your Dragon 3 to 2017


As How To Train Your Dragon 2 is crossing the $600 million dollar mark worldwide, DreamWorks Animation have just announced that the third instalment in what's arguably their best franchise has been pushed back, from its original release date of 17th June, 2016 to almost a year later, 9th June, 2017.