Mulan: My Little Baby, Off to Destroy People...

Mulan is an absolute belter of a film. The film takes place during the Han Dynasty, where Fa Mulan impersonates a man so she can take her father's place in a counter to a Hun invasion. It is the first film by Disney to explore Family Duty and Honor themes, and it has done so in a very successful manner. The film is vibrant and is visually pleasing, but also contains a very wide range of characters, that reach out to a number of different personalities/audiences.

I'll make a Man Out of You

For me what made the film successful and much more entertaining were the songs, in particular "I'll make a man out of you". It made the training montage much more enjoyable, and really hyped up the battle that was going to occur between the Chinese army and the Huns, so I am definitely going to have to disagree (strongly) with the critics that describe the film as a "disappointment" and accused the songs of "not being memorable". I beg to differ. This is one of my favourite Disney songs, and it always gets me hyped up when I hear it.

Beauty and the Beast: I Use Antlers in All of my Decorating!

Beauty and the Beast is another of my all time favourites. Now, usually I'm not a big fan of the Disney Princesses (with the exception of a few), but I really enjoyed this film, and I think it's because of the twists they put on the generic story. Like that that it isn't "love at first sight" between Belle and the Beast (which is obviously understandable, he's not even human at this point) but instead she is scared of him to begin with and eventually sees his gentle side. The same with the beast. He is aggressive towards Belle at the start of the film but he becomes more comfortable with her as he realises she is doing the same.

 I also like that there isn't an talking animal companions that are attracted to the princess' kind and caring nature, but instead we have humans turned into live everyday objects that accompany the beast. These characters definitely enhance my viewing experience as they are very lovable and they stick by the Beast's side through this hard time in his life, despite him being partly responsible for the state they're in. I think it's a nice touch that they encourage him to be a kinder and a more friendly person, and ultimately set him and Belle up for a "dinner date" which is a nice change from "Prince Charming sweeping the Princess off of her feet".

I also think that this film is very well animated. The movements of the characters are very fluid and realistic especially in the ballroom scene, which is one of my favourites in the film.

Emperor's New Groove: The Poison. The Poison For Kuzco, The Poison Chosen Especially to Kill Kuzco, Kuzco's Poison. That Poison?

The Emperor's New Groove is another film that I grew up watching, which I still enjoy watching today. Where I don't think it's one of the best films that Disney has produced, it is still one of my favourites.

I think the animation in this film is spot on, but I think it is in the backgrounds that this film is lacking. Don't get me wrong, I think the style works very well for this film, but they definitely aren't the most detailed that Disney have produced. A lot of them are made up of basic colours and shapes with the exception of the odd detail. This is fine, because when the setting is an important factor in the story, there is more detailed included to help set the scene, but otherwise the backgrounds are quite basic in comparison to some of their other films. I think this works great for this film though, as the focus is clearly on the characters, and the basic backgrounds help to divert your attention towards them.

Examples of Minimal Backgrounds

Which brings me to the characters. They really hit the nail on the head with the characters in this film. They're a lot different to their usual characters, and have personalities and traits that make the film very humorous. The plot itself is quite simple, but the characters and the gags definitely make it worth watching. I especially like that they talk to the audience in a couple of scenes, as not only is it entertaining to watch, but also makes the viewer more involved and helps them to connect to the characters.

Interacting with the Audience

Clannad: The World is Beautiful. Even if You're Full of Tears and Sadness, Open Your Eyes.

Clannad was originally a Japanese visual novel that was developed by Key in 2004, which was later adapted into an anime series by Kyoto Animation in 2007, and it is one of the most heart-breaking yet beautiful animes I have ever seen. I don't think I have ever cried so much at an anime in all of my life.

Clannad is set in a high school and is based on the relationship between the classmates, the main characters being Tomoya Okazaki and Nagisa Furukawa, a shy girl who because of her medical problems is retaking her senior year. The story focuses on the life of Tomoya - who had lost his mother at a young age and has a troubled relationship with his father - and how his actions affect those around him. It took me a couple of episodes to get hooked in the show, especially as the plot can be quite confusing at times. There are scenes of a girl and a robot, who seemingly exist in a separate plane to the rest of the characters, and this is something that doesn't particularly get explained throughout the series, but you develop an understanding of what it means at it's relevance as the story progresses. This is something I really enjoyed about Clannad, as it had a a good mixture of humorous and gut-wrenching scenes that can really make you think about your own life, but it also has the opportunity for you to give it your own meaning and make it more personal to you.

The plot has proved to be effective at delivering both humor and emotion, as you see the characters develop throughout their time at school and you are given the opportunity to learn about all of the main character's backgrounds, which ultimately gives the characters more appeal. There is such a diverse range of characters and backgrounds which allows for the show to be highly relate-able. The characters themselves have a typical anime style ("moe") and are drawn in a way that makes them seem very cute. Where as some people can be put off by this style as it is quite unnatural (big eyes for example), I, myself, am quite a fan and I think it worked well for this animation series, as it only helped to increase the appeal for the characters without retracting from the realistic drama.

I also really like the art style of the settings. the backgrounds are often very detailed which definitely help at transporting you to another world, but the colours in which they have been drawn has also been very carefully considered. For the vast majority of the show it is produced in bright and vibrant colours which reflects the comedic nature and subtle romantic undertones, but there are also scenes that are very dull, (especially in Clannad: After Story) to help portray the mood and the hard times that are occurring.

All in all, this series - as well as the sequel - is a must watch. The story is beautifully written, and has a good mixture of comedic and heart-felt scenes with just the right amount of background stories. It has definitely made it onto my list of favourite shows, and just writing this has made me want to watch it again. I might have to...

Nightmare Before Christmas: What's This?! There's Colour Everywhere!

Nightmare Before Christmas was one of the first ever Tim Burton films I had seen. For a long time I put off watching this film back when it was getting lots of hype, because what I had heard about it didn't necessarily jump out at me. Eventually I caved and watched it with two of my sisters and I immediately saw why it was getting so much attention, which frankly, I think it deserved. The story was actually entertaining and put a creative twist on the two seasons that are featured in the film. It also had a number of catchy songs that were in my head for days after having watched the film, and the one referenced in the title of this blog post still lingers in my head if I hear the tune played.

What I liked most about this film, was the amount of effort and commitment that had obviously been put into it, which I can appreciate a lot more now that I have experimented with stop motion myself. At the peak of the production, there had been 20 individual stages that were being simultaneously used for filming, and in total 109,440 frames were taken for the movie. The filmmakers had also constructed 227 puppets to represent the different characters in the film, each having many different components to help animate them. Jack Skellington for example had around 400 heads to allow for his different facial expressions to be animated. The film really is a beautiful work of stop-motion, which accurately captures Burton's Gothic style, which I have grown to be quite a fan of.

The Magic Roundabout: Have You Seen Our Friend Doogal? Big Black Nose, Looks Like a Bad Hair Day on Legs.

I used to love watching The Magic Roundabout as a child and it's only recently that I have rediscovered it. Now, this 2005 movie adaption generally got mixed reviews. Some found that they didn't like it as they very much preferred the original series (I never watched the show, so I can't particularly comment on this) where as some critics thought the producers did a good job at retaining the charm from the series. The American version on the other hand was considered to be one of the worst movies of all time.

The film had also been criticised for its subtle drug references, which shocked me when I heard about it as I didn't think there was an drug use in the film. Having watched it back I couldn't believe the amount of drug related references are made, ones that I clearly didn't pick up on as a child (for example: Zebedee: "Nothing will grow, not even grass." Dylan: "No grass? Right we've got a problem, man.")  It's now come to my attention that Dylan is a "massive stoner". Having found this out it hasn't ruined my view on the film, instead it has only made it more humorous for me as it is something that went undetected (for me) for years. Not only this, but I am a sucker for bad puns and this film makes a lot of them, which is one of the many reasons why I like it. 

Another reason that I love this film, besides the obvious nostalgia I get from watching it, is the characters. I don't know if the film does the characters from the original series any justice as I had never watched it, but I like how lovable they all are and the relationships they have with one another. I like that they also have very believable and relate-able traits, for instance Dougal eating sweets all the time, Dylan always sleeping/being tired, etc. I think it's the fact that you can relate to the characters that has made the film so successful, that and the obvious fact it has adapted the original series in an entertaining way.

The Wind Rises: Airplanes Are Beautiful, Cursed Dreams, Waiting For The Sky to Swallow Them Up.

The Wind Rises is the next film I watched by Studio Ghibli, and I was shocked to see how different it was to Howl's Moving Castle. The art style is consistent throughout the two films, but the plot of this movie completely caught me off guard and I wasn't prepared for "the feels".

I started watching the film having never heard anything about it, other than about the stunning "flying through the town" scene. I soon learned that this animation is much more serious and is actually based on Jiro Horikoshi, the designer of the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft during World War II. I like that the movie depicts the events from that time from a different view point, but still documents the suffering of those living through the war. In some aspects its quite light-hearted and shows the ambition and passion that Jiro has for designing planes, yet it is heat breaking because of sad and horrific events that occur.

The Wind Rises - Flying Through Town Clip

Again, this movie is visually stunning and I would recommend anyone to watch it. I feel that it takes a while to get into as it isn't your usual imaginative plot, but it is definitely worth it.

Howl's Moving Castle: Here's Another Curse For You - May All Your Bacon Burn.

It's only recently that I have started to watch Studio Ghibli's films. I had heard of the animation studio, but I had never actually got around to watching any of their creations. What a fool I was. I wish I had watched them sooner because they are mind-numbingly beautiful, and I certainly would have benefited from having them in my life sooner.

Howl's Moving Castle was the first film of their's that I sat down and watched all the way through and I immediately fell in love with it. Everything about the film is gorgeous and I honestly can't find fault with it. 

For starters, the film is visually breathtaking. Just take the example shown above, the attention to detail in this scene is phenomenal, yet the clutter in the background doesn't retract from the action and the movement of the characters. The characters are drawn with a thin, black defining edge to make them stand out from the background, but because it's ever so subtle they still feel as though they belong in that space. 

Secondly, the film is beautifully animated. All the movements in the movie are very fluid and believable and they really help you to get lost in the beautifully drawn world. Just take how the character's hair and clothes rustle and float in the wind for example. It's such a subtle movement but has been captured perfectly. Which leads me onto the characters themselves. The characters have been designed with masses of appeal as they have great personalities. Sophie is a girl who isn't necessarily considered to be "pretty" especially when compared to the girls in her family. She is quite plain and her clothes don't suit her, yet Howl considers her to be very beautiful, Howl being a character that seems to be a bit of a lone wolf (with the exception of Calcifer). 

Howl's Moving Castle - English Trailer

Lastly, the plot of this film is extremely creative and entertaining. It's not like anything I have ever seen before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There wasn't a moment that I found myself bored. Definitely would recommend it to anyone.

Gorillaz: Hero Who Appears in You to Clear Your View When You're Too Crazy

I've liked Gorillaz's music for quite a few years now, but I'm still to this day impressed by the virtual band that was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. I think the idea was amazingly creative and not only that but I like the style in which they have been produced too.

I really like the thick definitive line work that Hewlett uses to draw his characters. It is something I do myself with my own character designs, just not as thick; I don't think I could pull of working in lines as bold as what he has used. I also like the characters look very "clean" due to this definitive line work. The characters also manage to look human, even though some of their features have been exaggerated (incredibly long, thin legs for example) and that they have been drawn using straight lines and sharp edges, with only the occasional curve.

Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood

Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill

Overall I really like Jamie Hewlett's style. It is a very recognizable style and you can tell immediately that you are looking at his work, especially because Hewlett is so consistent with it. The only times he has really strayed from his usual style is when he has worked with 3D, for example in the On Melancholy Hill music video. Even then you can still tell it is his work, because he is still committed to the definitive edges that make up the characters. I like that even though this style is consistent throughout his characters, he is still able to make a vast variety of them and give them different personalities. 

Lilo and Stitch: Ohana Means Family, Family Means No One Gets Left Behind…

… Or forgotten.

I may sound like I'm repeating myself when I say this, but Lilo and Stitch is another of my all time favourite films. For me, I can't find fault with it, I just like everything about this animation. For starters the story is great. It may follow a generic theme of a character developing from having a destructive nature to a loving one, but I think it does so in a much more creative way by taking a different approach to the subject. It also does so by creating masses of character appeal. Stitch is just a well designed character in my opinion. He is very "cute and fluffy" and has a general personality and mannerisms that make him very loveable.
I also like the story because it is one of Disney's first animations to focus on the relationship between siblings rather than parent and child. It also tackles the subject of losing a parent/s very well, and gives just enough detail at the right time to explain how Lilo and Nani ended up in the situation that they are in. You can tell that the event has effected them greatly but this all but strengthens the appeal of the characters. It makes it more heartbreaking learning that Lilo doesn't fit in with other children of her age, and that she gets bullied by her peers. Because of this it makes it all the more heartwarming when Stitch settles into the family and genuinely enjoys Lilo's company. Not only this, but it emphasises just how hard Nani works to keep her happy and their broken little family up and running.

I also like that the art style greatly reflects an Hawaiian culture. The environment maintains a certain degree of realism, but it's nice that the backgrounds and props aren't "picture perfect". It gives the animation a more homely and loving feel, and directs the attention to the characters, which are so beautifully designed. Below is an example of what I mean. The setting is very realistic, but it lacks details in the background which consequently makes the foreground stand out.

Brave: Mom, It's Just MAH BOE!

Brave is another one of my all time favourite animations. I don't necessarily like it for it's storyline, as I don't think it's one of the best that I've seen. It's not really that creative, and after a while I managed to worked out the twist in the story but with that being said, It's still interesting to watch and I don't get bored of it.  What I really like brave for is the art style.

Visually, Brave is beautiful. Pixar's attention to detail has made the film look extremely realistic. Where as I don't think that an animation has to do this in order for it to be visually stunning, however It really does help you to get lost in the world that they have created in this case. Not only is the setting well produced, the lighting in this film is spot on, and it really enhances the realism of the world. Especially in the example I have given below. They have created a warm glow to show that the sun is setting, which really makes the scene feel cosy and warm which greatly compliments what happens in this scene as it makes the relationship between the mother and daughter seem much more loving. 

But it's not just the environments that I find stunning, I also really like the characters within this film. I like that Merida isn't your usual princess that seeks "true love", instead she is against marriage and is much more adventurous than your usual female protagonist. She also has a much more realistic body image, which isn't usually something that I am bothered about, but it is nice to see a bit more variety in the size of characters.  It's not just Merida that has character appeal though, the whole family are great characters with great personalities. I especially like the relationship between Merida and her father Fergus which I can definitely relate to. 

Then there's the fact that I am very, VERY jealous of Merida's hair. Everything about it is perfect in my opinion, the colour, the style, and it's also beautifully animated. She has a grand total of 111,700 strands of hair in total and the simulation team ended up creating a simulation program to animate her hair which they named "Taz". This took them three years to produce but their hard work clearly paid off. The team were actually so proud of the program and how well it worked, that they used it to animate the other character's hair and fur.