Kubo and the Two Strings Review: Music to my Eyes and Ears

Logo for Kubo and the Two Strings. Copyright Laika Entertainment LLC and Focus Features.
Logo for Kubo and the Two Strings. Copyright Laika Entertainment LLC and Focus Features.

Too often a film is hailed as a masterpiece, whether it’s a classic piece of cinema like The Godfather or a catchy-song-filled animated adventure like Frozen; that kind of acclaim can raise one’s expectations for a film too high, resulting in backlash when a movie is not as good as one would have thought. And while the story of Kubo and the Two Strings may feel familiar at times, its animation style, sound design, characters, and the world it creates more than make up for a somewhat typical story. In short, Kubo and the Two Strings is nearly a masterpiece, and a delight to watch. Continue reading “Kubo and the Two Strings Review: Music to my Eyes and Ears”

Sausage Party: Oscar Contender?

Promotional poster for Sausage Party. Copyright Columbia Pictures
Promotional poster for Sausage Party. Copyright Columbia Pictures

Sausage Party. The moment I heard about this movie, I thought to myself, “well, there goes all the good press that Anomalisa brought to R-rated animated films; now they’re going to have to start all over again.” The first trailer for this Toy Story with food products certainly didn’t help my perception; I thought, despite an all-star voice cast and an interesting concept, that this stinker would be looked down on by everyone except 13-year-old boys, who would find it hilarious.

But despite its provocative title, occasionally childish humor, and problems behind the scenes that are still being figured out, Sausage Party was actually well received by critics and audiences, currently holding an 82 percent “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It has also grossed $95 million against its $19 million budget as of September 22nd, making it an unqualified success financially.

Now that the Emmys are over, and Oscar season has officially/unofficially begun, I have found myself thinking an almost unthinkable thought: could Sausage Party receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature for the upcoming 89th Academy Awards this February?

Continue reading “Sausage Party: Oscar Contender?”

Disney and DreamWorks: The Constant Struggle

Disney Animation has been a part of many people’s early lives for over 75 years. Very few people believed that Walt Disney would succeed with his first feature length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but he did, and his company created a new way of thinking about animated movies. For decades after, the animation department at The Walt Disney Company kept big hit after big hit coming, with a decline in success in the mid-70s. But starting with The Little Mermaid in 1989, the Disney Renaissance brought us some of the greatest animated movies (and arguably best movies in general) ever. And now, with successes like Tangled, Frozen, and Big Hero 6, Disney animation has arguably entered a second Renaissance, creating movies that can please old and new Disney fans alike.

But in the late 90s, a new animation studio started to challenge Disney’s reign as the undisputed king of animated films: DreamWorks. It took a little while, but now some people will argue that DreamWorks has reached the same caliber as Disney animated films. Movies like Antz, Shrek (and its sequels), the How to Train Your Dragon films, the Madagascar movies, and others, are receiving much of the same praise as Disney animated films.

This, of course, begs an obvious question. Which studio is better: DreamWorks Animation or Disney Animation?

Continue reading “Disney and DreamWorks: The Constant Struggle”