The Best Films of the 2000s and more.
Posts tagged Talking Animals
Top 10 Animated Films of the 2000s
Mar 17th
Over the last decade animated films have taken a turn from generic children fare to films the entire family can enjoy. This is no doubt attributed to the ultra success of Pixar and the black magic they weave over audiences. But we’ve also seen an increase in serious animations released in the last ten years. Films like Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir; both personal tales of finding one’s identity amongst a world at war. Or there are the gothic tales of 9 or Coraline to stir up scary images in your mind before you go to bed. And then there’s a few just for a great laugh, like Shrek or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
Whatever the case, there’s something for everyone. Animation has officially become accepted among all ages as a valid form of entertainment, and in quite a few cases it ends up being a bit more successful than their live action counterparts at cementing a lasting relationship with an audience. If you had asked me in the year 2000 whether or not there would be any animated films in my best of list at the end of the decade, I may or may not have said yes, but could never have guessed there’d be this many amazing masterpieces.
Without further ado, the top 10 animated films from 2000 – 2009:
*Note: films listed chronologically and are subject to change.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Monsters, Inc. is my go-to example of what the perfect voice casting/acting can do to enhance an animated film. Often times a celebrity voice can be distracting, but every voice is so well suited in this film that it leaves no room for doubt that these characters actually do exist in the dark places when we’re asleep. Of course when you’re dealing with the comedic talent of Billy Crystal and John Goodman, your job is halfway done. The film is the perfect blend of heartwarming moments and exciting action.
Rataouille (2007)
Mar 7th
Starring: (voices) Patton Oswalt, Brian Dennehy, Janeane Garofalo
Director: Brad Bird
Country: USA
Genre: Animation
Best Animated Feature – Academy Awards
So often filmmakers ask audiences to suspend their disbelief in order to accept an amazing and unlikely story. But Ratatouille asks one of the biggest favors of an audience, perhaps ever. Remy is a rat. A rat with aspirations to become a beloved French chef. There’s something psychological that triggers revulsion when the mind mixes rats and food, but leave it to Pixar and Brad Bird to gain our trust and give us the best return on on our investment.
Bird’s script is as immaculate as its main character’s impeccable palate. It utilizes a traditional sense of storytelling with progressive themes without sacrificing a whimsical sense of fun. The character development is intricately measured allowing for the characters to overcome more than just physical obstacles. Remy and Linguini undergo such layered transformations that would be inspiring even for a live-action film.
The success of this film can be ascribed to the intense dedication that Pixar has for researching its films’ subjects, the shear craftsmanship of the script, or it could be chocked up to pure movie magic.
