Avalanche of Animated Adventures Alienates Audiences

Aaah... finally someone mentions the animated avalanche this year. There have been too many, that much is for sure! I will go on seeing them, because I love animated movies, but I will try to check out whether they are worth it beforehand. I did not see Barnyard, Hunting Season and The Wild this year, because the reviews weren't all that good and the trailers couldn't convince me. Even with a flood of animated pictures like this year's it's rarely hard to find out, which films are worth seeing and which aren't.

Reply

I remember going to the movies as a kid every couple of weeks, and it being such a special occasion because of the infrequency of the visits. My parents probably didn't mind, because it didn't happen often enough for it to be too much of a hassle getting three boys into the station wagon, and settled with candy and pop in the local cinema. I wonder if today's parents just feel overwhelmed with all the films being marketed to children, made more difficult by rising theatre costs and less time on their hands to take the kids out. Maybe it's just too much of a hassle for parents to get their kids to a film every week, when they can just save time and money by buying a DVD instead.

What's really interesting to me is how some social conservative groups enjoyed pointing out how well G-rated movies have done at the box office in the past, and used that as an argument for a greater number of G-rated films from Hollywood. They felt Hollywood was biased toward R-rated material -- a bias they argued flew in the face of the fact that R-rated films tended to bring in less bank than more "family-friendly" fare. It's a little ironic that when Hollywood answered their challenge, the audience for more G-rated movies dried up.

Reply

I wish Disney would just start coming out with a regular old-fashioned non-3D animated movie. I just watched Emperor's New Groove last night for the first time and laughed and laughed. The new 3D ones do nothing for me.

Reply

I think the biggest issue is that so many modern animated movies just suck. When Disney only released one about every two or three years it was because they were doing quality assurance. Now, it's like every studio is in a mad rush to release whatever piece of crap they've got.

Reply

I saw one CGI animated movie this year, and it was Cars. I thought it was a really good movie, but slow at times.


The main problem I have is that, like Brent, I miss disney's regular non-CGI movies. I'll gladly take Aladdin, Hercules, anything made before those, over any of the more recent ones. They seemed to be more timeless, more lasting. I mean, I can totally watch Aladdin and the Lion King over and over and find myself singing along and having a good time. :D

Right now I just watch more anime movies. I find them way more enjoyable than the CGI ones, both visually and plot-wise.

Reply

I agree with all the comments thus far.

When I was a kid, we got to go to the movies twice a year at most and we always picked the latest Disney animated. Even today I still have a solid collection of these films (albeit on VHS because the constant "going back into the vault" only to release a special edition a week later is making me nauseous) and watch them occasionally.

I think the big difference is that studios are focusing on getting quantity out, and using the most high-tech graphics, rather than making the best overall film. This is the same reason I still play Super Nintendo. Great graphics can add to a great product, but a pretty picture alone can't hold a flick (or a game).

Reply

I totally agree to everyone's comments and want to
add also that a few seem so similiar in nature that
you can even confuse which is which so that, too,
is another element to be weary about.

Reply

I for one enjoy being able to find a decent movie to take my kids to... although them reading on the monitor..MOM WHATS JACKASS ABOUT? is enough to make you toss your cookies. It's nice to be able to have a fun family day out on a weekend. Our theater shows movies for less than $5 and we get free refills on popcorn. It's a cheap night out. Most of them are just hilarious, but open season, I only think we laughed once or twice.

Reply

Anything the New York Times gets in its sights is bound to spring from some hidden agenda. What is it this time? Why would a responsible newspaper lambast a series of blockbuster movies. This is what the public wants but for some reason it does not jibe with the NYT's agenda!

Reply

The recent movies aren't even animated! Timeless Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Snow White, Cinderella - etc. seem to be extinct. The skill and craftsmanship that went into createing such family movies is simply stunning and irreplaceable - and now, we get one computerized piece of junk after another - please, spare your pixels - I want some REAL animation.

Reply

I really hate that these animated films use famous high-payed stars for the voices. Don't these people earn enough money- they even get their families involved. Aren't there normal every day people out there with good voices? I have been boycotting all of the films that use "star" voices. Give some other poor slobs a break!

Reply

I really hate that these animated films use famous high-payed stars for the voices. Don't these people earn enough money- they even get their families involved. Aren't there normal every day people out there with good voices? I have been boycotting all of the films that use "star" voices. Give some other poor slobs a break!

Reply

I think it all comes down to what ever age you were when which ever movie debuts, my generation loved Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Mary Poppins & Cinderella etc, my daughters generation loved Mermaid, Lion King etc, my nephews who are young, enjoy that latest things out. I personally have enjoyed most of what has come out whether it's animation, live or CGI.

Reply

Although I, too miss the non-CGI films, I find these animated films to be refreshing. Not only are they child-friendly, but most of them include some complex humor only adults could understand, which makes them entertaining to everyone willing to appreciate them. Also, I must admit that I feel relaxed knowing that I'm not going to run into a graphic scene when watching one of these films with my family.

Reply

I watched The Little Mermaid when I was very small and loved it. Ariel has always been my favorite Disney Princess. At the moment I'm watching Disney Channel, with Ashley Tisdale singing the music video for "Kiss the Girl"..I'm sorry, it's cute, but I liked it much better when Sebastian sang it. And the girl's about fifteen. She was barely born when the movie came out; what makes her qualified to sing a remake? And why does there even need to BE a remake? They sound so cheesy and annoying, trying to fit in with whiny boy band trends (I'm referring now to the remake of "Poor Unfortunate Souls," which Ursula originally sang) and they need to know when to leave a good thing alone.

Reply

The trouble is that once a film does well, everyone wants to copy them. Disney did it right for years, taking time to develop it. Nemo was the last really good one, I think. The Shreks were good, but Nemo had a sweet story and is one I don't mind seeing again. Everyone now wants to do these CGI fims, without thinking of plots. They think kids will watch anything. They don't. Just like the period when there were scores of action films, and before that scores of fantasy type films. Everyone wants a cash cow, but few think of quality.

Reply

This article is pointless. Animation is there, CGI is there. Horrors films are there. Action films are there. Your point is lost in your gripe. If you do not like the CGI, wait for one of the others to come out. This is just another pointless rant. There is already a glut of nosensical rants on the internet that serve absolutely no purpose but to make the author feell ike they are accomplishing something beneficial. Uh oh!!!! Look I just did the same thing.

Reply

With the price of movies I can't afford to take my kids all the time, but when i do have the money to spare and want to take them I like that there is almost always a movie age approprite for them.

As far as Lord of the Rings opening the door for Chronicales of Narnia, I do not believe this is true. Chronicles are Narnia is a remake of an older movie Titled just "The Lion Witch & the Wardrobe" that used to be on TV about once a year as a special. I do believe this is older then Lord of teh Rings.

Reply

SINCE DISNEY IS PUTTING OUT ALL THESE "CLASSICS" FROM THE VAULT,WHY DON'T THEY DO A RE-RELEASE OF "THE SONG OF THE SOUTH".THIS MOVIE AS I CAN REMEMBER FROM BEING A KID WAS ENTERTAINING AND HAD A LOT OF GOOD ACTING AND WAS AN OVERALL GOOD WORK FROM DISNEY.THEY BELIEVE THAT IT IS TOO CONTROVERSIAL TO RELEASE IT AGAIN EVEN THOUGH CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS HAVE NOT CALLED FOR ITS BAN.I WOULD SAY THAT THIS MOVIE IS MILD IN COMPARISON TO SOME OF DISNEYS OTHER WORKS.

Reply

I've read all the comments thus far, and agree there are alot more animated and even more cg animated features, than rvrt brfore.
In the 70's when I starte out as a cartooonist, Animation was on it's last legs.
I worked for a very short time on the first x rated animation feature Fritz the Cat
Layoffs were a matter of the business, and animators and inbetweeners had a hard time getting work,
I for one am delighted that animation is in full bloom, although I do worry that the glut will kill it's future.
What I am delighted about is that there is such a large variety of creativity.
From the South Park Cutouts to Claymation, standard animation and then CG animation.This opens doors for creativity to flow, and gives creative people a chance to experiment and grow.
It also keeps them working.
So enough may be enough, but then if you look at the options, where are the great movies, to take the place of animated films?

Reply