The First Animated Movie To Win An Oscar
The movie that won our favorite category at this year’s Oscars was not your typical animated feature. It is actually a live action film with some very cleverly designed computer graphics! And while it may sound like a contradiction, I will explain why it makes perfect sense.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a special award called Best Visual Effects. This is given out for creating incredible illusions or exaggerations via visual effects. Some examples include having someone walk across a set that can be seen through a glass window, using green screen technology to create digital characters, or filming something in real life and then adding CGI to make it look fake (this is what made up the vast majority of the VFX in Captain America: Civil War).
A few years ago, the academy gave their prize for best overall production design to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2. During the awards ceremony, they played a short video which showed off some of the sets and how the designers incorporated magic into the story. They even included some footage of Daniel Radcliffe as Dumbledore walking down a hallway.
This got us thinking about other famous works that use impressive visuals to tell their stories.
Toy Story
In 1995, Pixar released their first animated feature film -Toy Stories-. The movie was set in the future when all of our children have toys that talk back to them. When one toy’s voice changes, another child will get its new speaking part!
The main character of the story is Woody, a green plastic cowboy doll with a southern drawl. He loves his owner Andy, but when Andy goes away for a few months, he invites himself along as a house guest.
While staying at Jessie’s house, Woody meets her brother Mooch, who doesn’t like him because he thinks he is too expensive. As they spend time together talking, however, it becomes clear that Woody has some interesting qualities.
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The Little Mermaid
Many people consider Disney’s 1991 film The Little Mermaid to be one of their greatest achievements, both critically and financially. It is not only considered a classic movie, but it also helped launch the career of actress Auliʻe Cravalho, who played Ariel.
The Little Mermaid tells the story of young mermaid princess Melody (Cravalho), who dreams of escaping her aquatic home in order to live on land with her human friend Prince Eric (Rico Medina).
Melody meets the handsome crab Sebastian (Jansen Allen) while exploring the seabed for her escape route, and he encourages her to pursue her dream. She enlists his help by writing a song about her desire to leave the sea, which she sings for other fish.
When she finishes singing, however, she discovers that another little girl has already written her own song! When Sebastian realizes what has happened, he captures the new song and hands it off as his own so that he can help the second singer succeed.
Beauty and the Beast
More than twenty years ago, in early 1991, Walt Disney Pictures released what is arguably one of the greatest animated films ever made-Beauty and The Beast. It was not only nominated for several Academy Awards but also won two!
The movie follows the story of Belle, a pretty, smart city girl who lives with her father in his apartment building. One day while walking through the castle’s dungeon looking for inspiration for her latest project, she happens upon a mysterious blue creature.
It turns out that this strange beast is actually Prince Eric, the last heir to the throne of Illuison. He has been trapped inside the castle due to an incident three years earlier where he accidentally insulted and hurt Princesses Bella (his sister) and Jasmine (his girlfriend).
Now that he has finally found someone he likes, he can’t stand it when they leave him alone. So, he asks Belle to be his princess and help reawaken his dormant powers so that he can win back their hearts.
While some people may find the relationship between the two romantic, there are others who feel differently. Some even say that it encourages gender stereotyping or adds new stereotypes to exist.
This article will discuss why this film is important as well as how it influenced other movies.
The Aristocats
Released in 1970, The Aristocrats takes place in France during World War II when many animals are evacuated from the country due to threats of being captured by Germans.
A cat named Kitai moves into a house with three other cats and two dogs. He learns that his fellow felines were trained as air raiders and spies for French military intelligence.
He eventually convinces the others to go after their former masters’ food and steal supplies. They take over a nearby villi- Get the rest of us some good luck!
The dog owners get rid of them, but not before one of the dogs is poisoned. When the family can no longer afford veterinary care, Kitai and his friends save the pooch using medicine they find at home.
After he recovers, the grateful owner names him Aristo, which means “the most noble or worthy of things.
The Three Little Pigs
Many people may not know this, but it is possible for someone other than Walt Disney to have won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. That person is Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, who in 2001 received his second nomination for his movie The Three Musketeers.
The first part of that film is actually animated, but it does not use any special effects or computer-generated imagery (CGI) aside from some color adjustments. Instead, most of the scenes are live action with some filming happening away from view.
This is because much of the story takes place in the past, when nobility was still common. So instead of using CGI, the animators filmed actual actors interacting with already drawn characters.
In fact, one scene features actor Orlando Bloom as Cardinal Richelieu talking directly into the face of another character while they both look off screen. This technique is called overbalancing, and it is done very frequently in anime.
Pirates of the Caribbean
In late 2005, Disney released their first feature length animated movie, Pirate’s of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. The film was not only well-received by critics but it also made over $856 million at the box office! It is one of the highest grossing films ever in both America and around the world.
Pirate’s of the Caribbean follows Captain Jack Sparrow as he battles a pirate organization known as Dungeness. He must find a legendary treasure that has been stolen from him and his crew along with some secrets of immortality.
While the plot seems very clichéd and simple, the movie still managed to be entertaining due to its unique settings and characters. Some examples include Captain Sparrow interacting with other pirates for the first time since joining their crew, or Gaston LeRoux (one of the main villains) belittling someone before getting punched through a wall.
The voice acting was incredible as well, with Johnny Depp giving his famous performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. People who have seen the movie say that his portrayal really helped make the character come to life.
101 Dalmatians
Almost twenty-five years ago, Disney released their first animated feature film titled 101 Dalmatians. While some may consider it a simple movie, it contains several important messages that emphasize self-confidence, love, and trust.
The story follows Dalmatian puppies who are given away as babies but soon find themselves being trained by his father, Chief, at the Dalzell Ranch in Scotland. They learn how to be smart, obey orders, and use good judgment.
When their new owners depart for work one morning, they leave all of them behind! The dogs must embark on a quest to save the other puppies while also figuring out what to do with their own lives.
A few days later, however, the house is visited by two strangers who claim to be looking for the missing pups. Before long, the three groups combine into a pack to look for the little ones together.
This movie teaches us that when we put our effort into things we want to succeed, then we should give ourselves credit for our hardwork. It also encourages everyone to believe in yourself and your potential so that you can achieve your dreams.
At the end of the movie, we see all nine puppies grow up and live happy, healthy lives. Many people praise this movie because it shows off confidence, gratitude, and hope. These qualities make for a powerful message.