Oscar Update: Animated Films Shortlist

There will be 18 films eligible for the Animated Film Oscar this year, which means there could be 5 nominees this year, as the number exceeds the 16 film limit required to be eligible. Sadly, I have only seen four of the films eligible – Rango, Kung Fu Panda 2, Cars 2 and Winnie the Pooh. Of the others, Rio, Hoodwinked Too!, Gnomeo and Juliet and Mars Needs Moms are all available on DVD, but I probably won’t watch them unless they end up getting nominated – then I will. The other 11 films, they fall into a few categories for me – The Smurfs and Puss in Boots have already been released, and I would like to see both (I remember The Smurfs from childhood, so I’ll be renting it). The Adventures of Tintin, Arthur Christmas and Happy Feet 2 have yet to be released, and I will try to see all three. Alvin and the Chipmunks three I’ll wait for the DVD. That leaves four films – Alois Nobel, A Cat in Paris, Chico and Rita, Wrinkles – that are smaller, foreign releases (as far as I know anyway), that may or may not ever really get released.

I am interested in a few things here. One is whether Pixar will fail to get nominated for the first time since the category was brought in and they had a film eligible to be nominated. Cars 2 was popular, but critically drubbed. I think the odds are good that they won’t get in.

The second thing is whether Steven Spielberg will succeed where his friend Robert Zemeckis has so far failed in getting a motion capture animated film nominated. The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol all did not get nominated, and all had animators saying it wasn’t “real” animation. But The Adventures of Tintin is said to be better than those films – and of course, Zemeckis is no Spielberg. I think the odds are good that Tintin sneaks in.

Right now, I’m rooting Rango, which I absolutely loved earlier this year. A non-sequel, non 3-D movie from a major Hollywood studio that paid brilliant homage to one of my favorite genres – the Western. Obviously, it’s early still, but that’s my current fave.

When the Academy announces the shortlist for docs and foreign films, I’ll be back.

Here is the complete list:

1. The Adventures of Tintin
2. Alois Nobel
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked!
4. Arthur Christmas
5. Cars 2
6. A Cat in Paris
7. Chico and Rita
8. Gnomeo and Juliet
9. Happy Feet 2
10. Hoodwinked Too!
11. Kung Fu Panda 2
12. Mars Needs Moms
13. Puss in Boots
14. Rango
15. Rio
16. The Smurfs
17. Winnie the Pooh
18. Wrinkles