Dreamworks' First Animated Film
Many people know of Steven Spielberg as the master director of suspense, horror, drama, and action. But he also loves to make fun movies! He has made many films in this genre including The Haunted Palace, Jurassic Park, and his most recent film, A Quiet Place. These are all very cleverly constructed stories that keep you engaged throughout.
He even made an animated movie recently called How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. If you loved the first two movies then you will love this one too! It is just as good if not better than the original trilogy!
In fact, it was such a success that it won the Best Animated Feature at the Oscars last year! That is definitely an honor for any movie, let alone one with such a great legacy.
What is the setting of the movie?
The film takes place in an unspecified future where humans have abandoned Earth to search for another planet to survive on.
A small group of survivors, led by Commander James McQuaid (voice of Chris Pratt), live aboard the Starship Enterprise. They train new crew members while looking for a habitable planet that they can call their own.
McQuaid's leadership style differs from Captain Kirk's (Chris Pine) and there are some humorous encounters with his first officer, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols).
While attending a mission briefing, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Salazar (Jimmi Simpson) makes an unexpected announcement about the upcoming mission. He reveals that he has discovered a life form within the planetary sample that seems to be responding to external stimuli.
Dr. Salazar dubs this organism "Ambrosia" because it tastes good like food. Due to its nutritional value, the ship's supply is nearly gone and it must be saved at any cost.
The team dispatches Lieutenant Steve Attenborough (Ryan Gosling) and his tactical squad to locate and destroy Ambrosia. However, things go wrong when only one member of the squad returns.
Steve learns more about himself and the people around him as he processes what happened and tries to move forward. As the movie progresses, we learn that he and Ambassador Karyn Niedecken (Anne Davis) begin developing feelings for each other.
When and where is the movie set?
The movie begins with an animated prologue that takes place in India around the Indus River Valley area. This is followed by a flashback to Egypt, where we meet Zissimos, a pharaoh who has just died leaving his kingdom to his son.
His son is very angry about this and vows to take revenge against his father for making him king while he was still underage. He gathers some of his supporters together and they begin plotting how to overthrow his father.
At this time, two young men enter the palace and are invited into the prince’s chamber. They are presented as being from a neighboring tribe and have a gift - a beautiful golden ball. All of a sudden, however, the boy grabs the ball out of their hands and runs off!
He returns later with the golden sphere in hand and drops it onto the bed. It explodes into thousands of pieces, covering the sleeping prince in gold dust!
The next morning, the prince wakes up feeling refreshed and well-rested. As he looks down at himself, he notices not only does everything on his body look golden, but also his head!
He calls his new friend over and asks what happened last night, but there's no answer. Frustrated, he picks up the phone and dials someone, anyone. No one answers - so he hangs up and starts having second thoughts.
What are some famous locations?
One of the most recognizable settings in animated films is The City. This is typically where almost every film features at least one scene or sequence. A lot of these scenes take place within what seems to be an endless urban landscape, making it very difficult to tell which cityscape you are looking at.
There have been many different versions of The City but they all share similar characteristics. It is always situated somewhere within a large metropolitan area and there are usually tall skyscrapers with lots of glass windows that give a panoramic view of the surrounding cities.
The buildings look extremely realistic and color-coordinated which gives the setting a sense of prestige. There are also often highways, train tracks, rivers, canals and other waterways that run through the city.
This creates an immersive environment because the audience becomes immersed into the story. In addition, there are sometimes helicopters flying around or submarines diving under the water so it not only looks good aesthetically but also adds more depth to the plot.
What are some fun facts about the movie?
Many know of The Jungle Book as Mowgli’s tale, but it was actually his father's story. Before he met Kaa (the snake) and Raksha (the bear), he spent most of his time with another predator: Shere Khan, or "The Tiger."
As you can probably tell, this didn't go well for him or for anyone else!
Shere Khan is one of our favorite characters in the film because he embodies what many people feel when they're struggling to find their place in the world. He isn't necessarily bad, but he does lose his temper sometimes.
That makes him scary, which may be why Mowgli finds himself drawn into his rage at times. At other times, he feels like he belongs among the tigers, so he tries to fit in by being friendly towards them.
It's your choice whether to sympathize or fear Herdementer, but either way he's an interesting character.
What is the plot?
In the movie, an orphan boy named Mowgli grows up in the jungle with animals his age. He learns how to survive there and becomes friends with some of the other creatures. One day, when he's older, he comes across a human village.
He discovers that the people living there are not really humans but rather bear-like anthropomorphic beasts called manimals. The two groups learn to get along and even start traveling together as a pack.
However, something happens and Mowgli must choose which tribe to belong to.
What does the title mean?
In 2002, Steven Spielberg released his first feature length animated film, The Nightmare Before Christmas. He wrote and produced this movie himself with very little help from others. It was not only well received by critics but it also made him a lot of money!
The story is about an out-of-work writer who dreams he makes a bet to tell his stories in a genre that has never been done before: nightmares. For each nightmare he tells, someone else must tell their associated dream theme and then combine them into one song.
He uses these songs to motivate people and create hope for the future. Unfortunately, his motivation fails and he is fired so he goes after those who win the contest using his tricks. His final trick backfires horribly and everyone ends up terrified or dead.
That is the plot of the movie! If you read my article about what genre The Nightmare Before Christmas belongs to, you will know it is a horror movie.
What is the voice cast?
The first animated feature film from one of America's biggest entertainment conglomerates is an action-packed adventure about a young boy who finds himself in a fantastical world. He teams up with his spirit guide to save the day!
The movie features the voices of Noah Schnapp as Max, Ansel Elgur as Spike, Tara Strong as Angel, Jaden Smith as Tai, Keke Palmer as Ruby, Ariana Grande as Violet, Chris Dominguez as Charlie, Blake Shepard as Zoltan, Rosalind Chao as Grandmother Wu, Bill Nighy as Roar, Danny Glover as Generalissimo Rocky, Clifton Collins Jr. as Mufasa, Kenji Garmen as Hakuna Matata, Maulik Pancholy as Kionga Chiwetelu, Nicole Olivero as Simba, Jessica DiCicco as Kiara, Austin Butler as Timon, Justin Salinger as Hamani, Camille Guatier as Azula and Leslie Grace as Kovai.
What are some important themes?
One of the most significant thems in animated films is how they approach story-telling. Some stories focus more heavily on action, while others emphasize deeper plot points that go beyond just chasing after or saving the protagonist.
Many movies tend to feature an overarching theme that ties together various events. For example, many stories center around issues such as friendship, love, family, and so on.
Other stories explore larger concepts like death, life, and the afterlife. There have even been tales told about society, politics, and economics! All these themes relate back to the original question: what makes someone feel good about themselves?
There are limitless ways to apply the concept of storytelling to your own writing career, but one method to learn is exploring storylines through different genres.
This article will discuss why this tactic is powerful and how you can use it to strengthen your writing skills.