I got the impression that Ponyo, while great, was directed for a slightly younger audience than some of Miyazaki’s other films. Or maybe it was just because when I saw it in the theater there were hundreds of small crying children.
Yes, Ponyo is more for small kids than adults. I still liked it. But it isn’t one of Miyazaki’s best.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
new stop motion film by Wes Anderson. My prediction for animated film of the year.
The Secret of Nimh
Don Bluth’s first film and Masterpiece
Fantastic Planet
A surreal sci fi Czech film with Terry Gilliam style animation.
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This is probably more depressing than the film itself: … why so little love for Grave of the Fireflies?
(supposing that we change the topic from “favourite” to “greatest” and allow for the vagueness of whatever that is supposed to mean.)
Watership Down- I’ve never seen it, but from what I hear it awesome. Plus how the hell could fascist bunny rabbits be that bad?
Smith: The cartoon is okay, but the book is remarkable.
The Plague Dogs
About dogs escaping an animal testing plant, as they starve, and escape the people trying to track them down. Not for kids. From the director and author of Watership Down
Old Man and the Sea
Each frame painted as a detailed as a finish painting on individual sheets of glass. Based on the Hemmingway short story, and won an oscar for best short film. Can’t be that bad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1EbNvHDxbA
Spirited Away
The Cat Returns
Howels Moving Castle
Wallace and Gromit
Coraline
I just watched Fantastic Mr. Fox.
For me, it was very disappointing.
In my opinion, Wes Anderson is beating the “daddy issues” theme with a stick.
The film positions all the female characters in the roles of either a mother or a love interest. Without much character development, the perpetuation of these stereotypes is exhausting.
The story was overly simplistic and predictable.
Anderson’s cinematic style, which once defined him as an amazing new talent, now feels like a crutch.
On some level, there seemed to be a half hearted attempt to comment on consumer culture and the current state of our economy. But mostly, the story revolved around the usual themes of insecurity, “I’m different and its hard,” and the dysfunctional family.
I love Yuriy Norshteyn’s work.
but my favorites are:
The Triplets of Belleville
Animal Farm
Ghost in the shell
watership down
Gandahar
Two of my favorites both involve trains in space:
Galaxy Express 999
Night on the Galactic Railroad
MEAT LOVE by Svankmajer (1 minute, perfect film.)
WIZARDS or HEAVY TRAFFIC by Bakshi (Good God. Wow.)
HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG by Norstein (New levels of cuteness and sweetness.)
FANTASTIC MR. FOX…constantly delightful.
THE HOBBIT (great goblins, great elves, great dragon, great commitment to Tolkien’s love of music)
FANTASTIC PLANET…super creepy and the best score of all time.
THE COMB (Quay Brothers)
Spirited Away, Akira, and Howl’s Moving Castle.
My favorite Miyazaki has always been Naussicca of the Valley of the Wind. His best is possibly Castle in the Sky though.
Albo – Thanks for mentioning “Sita Sings the Blues”. It’s one of the more visually interesting and remarkable feature length animated works I’ve seen in recent years.
Along with the great films already listed, I’d throw in Chris Landreth’s Ryan: it’s an animated film about an animator, totally fantastical in its design but rooted thoroughly in real concerns. Only Bakshi at his finest approached the same territory & treatment of these sorts of themes…
Also – Bob Sabiston’s Snack and Drink (1999) is still a remarkable short, sort of like a Brakhage film composited on Maysles-style doc footage. (Sabiston has worked to make his software-based rotoscoping technique more photorealistic in the decade since, to iron out the artifacts which make this short so interesting).
I need to watch more. But I really like:
Triplets of Belleville
Castle in the Sky
Billy’s Balloon
THE LAND BEFORE TIME!!!!!!!
no, im just kidding:
Persepolis was great and anything by Miyazaki
OH!
and
ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED
Tenkuu Shiro no Raputa: Laputa Castle in the Sky every time.
skip movies and get Mission Hill
a swan lake japanese movie from 1981, it’s set to all the original tchaikovsky music and it’s been my favorite animated film for about 15 years now.
oh and sea prince and fire child, done by the same company.
Spirited Away.
While not my favorite, Ponyo is the cutest god damned movie I have ever seen.
Blood Tea & Red String
Heavy Traffic
Night on the Galactic Railroad
Sita Sings the Blues seconded, so hardcore.
Tekkon Kinkreet is my favorite animated film since Spirited Away.
Frita Fuzzy Paws
I got the impression that Ponyo, while great, was directed for a slightly younger audience than some of Miyazaki’s other films. Or maybe it was just because when I saw it in the theater there were hundreds of small crying children.