Sunday, August 8, 2010

Animation

Animation is so much more than "for kids" that American culture has made it out to be. Nor does it have to be pornographic, crass, or unintelligible to be "not just for kids." The best animation is more than just an artistic show piece. The best animation shows that moving pictures are a way to tell a story, any story, whether those pictures contain live-action or animated frames.

The following is a list of my picks for good animated films. They are separated by into MPAA ratings categories.

G
Cat's Don't Dance (1997)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
The Thief and the Cobbler (1993)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Ponyo (2008)

PG

The Incredibles (2004)
The Secret of Kells (2009) (not rated)
How to Train a Dragon (2010)

PG-13

Princess Mononoke (1997)

There are also several television cartoons which I believe are great examples of animation and/or storytelling.

Reboot
Beast Wars
Simpsons