ANIMATION 4U

These 2D-Animated Films Are Keeping Chinese Animation History Alive

You’ve heard of Disney and Pixar, and of course you’ve heard about anime – but what about donghua? Despite the slow rise to fame of the original Chinese animation, also known as Donghua, China’s animation industry is the third largest in the world — and only getting bigger.

The two films to be discussed in this article – Big Fish & Begonia and The Legend of Hei were chosen for three reasons. The first was that they were brought up on multiple film lists multiple times (after all, repeated mentions have to count for something, right)? Secondly, they were all 2D films (as that is our topic today). And finally, they were the most accessible. Although there were lots of other interesting films, for example a joint effort with Japanese animation studio Madhouse focused on a golden Tibetan Mastiff, that I just couldn’t cover because you can’t rent it.

Despite some movies being harder to stream, don’t let the “sudden” popularity of Chinese animation fool you – Donghua has its own deep roots.The influential artists that started it all were the Wan Brothers. The Brothers took inspiration from their love of painting, puppetry, and old American cartoons (such as Popeye the Sailor Man and Betty Boop).Their first work was an animated short called Uproar in the Studio (but you can’t rent that) in 1926 – 2 years before Walt Disney‘s Steamboat Willie in 1929. In return, Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937) inspired the Wan brothers to create one of their most successful works, Princess Iron Fan (1941). (Fun fact: The film was a huge inspiration for teenage Osamu Tezuka, the creator of Astro Boy.)

The animation boom couldn’t last, though. The invasion of China and the outbreak of World War II slowed down the production of Chinese animation a great deal but never killed it. After the war, the Wan Brothers made their renowned passion project – Havoc in Heaven (1964). Havoc in Heaven opened the door to the future of Chinese animation by proving that although Animated films took more time and effort to produce, they could make a lot of money.

Big Fish & Begonia (2016)

Despite the 57 years since Havoc in Heaven, folklore-inspired fantasy is still a staple of 2D animation. Big Fish & Begonia, one of the most popular modern 2D films from China, takes its inspiration from Chinese Taoist myths. The story follows Chun, a young girl from a spirit world that controls things like the tide and changing seasons in our world. When Chun comes of age, she is allowed to visit the human world for a couple of days, but when a boy accidentally dies while saving from a net, Chun uses magic to resurrect him – oblivious to the dire consequences she’d set in motion.

Big Fish & Begonia started its life as a 2004 flash animation that was brought into the public eye by a Kickstarter. Viewers were impressed with its similarity to the fanatical vibe of animation dynamo Studio Ghibli. Chinese culture oozes through the setting’s detailed background art and mythology-inspired story.There are some really great moments of detailed animation thought the film, especially of nature – scenes of vines twisting upward and branches creaking to life are outstanding, but nobody would expect less from Studio Mir (the studio responsible for The Legend of Korra). While the classical tale of hubris and kids making immature choices may frustrate some viewers, Big Fish & Begonia is worth watching for the animation spectacle alone.

Minions are in Minecraft now, thank goodness

Nothing can stop the slow, unrelenting crawl of the Minions empire.

The babbling buffoons have gotten three Despicable Me movies, a cartoon series, and a Minion-centric spinoff movie, and they’ll star in an upcoming sequel to the offshoot called Minions: The Rise of Gru. Their reach knows no bounds, and now, they’re available in Minecraft.

The Minions x Minecraft add-on from Illumination launched Friday, and you can buy it in the Minecraft Marketplace.

The downloadable content does more than just add blocky versions of the yellow one-eyed characters to Minecraft. It also lets you help Gru fight villains like Vicious Six, El Macho, and Vector. It’s apparently part of the lead-up to Minions: The Rise of Gru,which comes to theaters on July 1, 2022.

Mojang has added skin packs and additional content for countless franchises — Mario, Star Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, you name it. Given how long it’s been, it’s about damn time that we get some quality Minions content in the game.

Lin-Manuel Miranda draws influence from Cuban music in his animated short ‘Vivo.’

Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for his popular musicals “Hamilton” and “In The Heights,” but he claims that his most recent film, “Vivo,” is his children’s “favorite thing I’ve ever worked on.”

Miranda remarked Saturday during a special showing of the film in New York City, “I am so thrilled that your kids will now all get to hear the thing that has been playing on a loop in my house for years.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for his hit musicals “Hamilton” and “In The Heights,” but he says his latest film, “Vivo,” is his children’s “favorite thing I’ve ever worked on.”

“I am so delighted that your kids will now all get to hear the item that has been playing on a loop in my house for years,” Miranda said at a special screening of the film in New York City on Saturday.

ViVO

Following “In the Heights,” Lin-Manuel Miranda returns for another 2021 release but now in the form of a kinkajou. What’s a kinkajou? A tropical mammal and the star of another Sony Pictures Animation-produced title to launch on Netflix. Set between Havana, Cuba, and Miami, Florida, this musical adventure has further ties to Miranda since his longtime collaborators Quiara Alegría Hudes penned it. Cuban talent is well represented within the voice cast, with Juan de Marcos González, a former member of the famed Buena Vista Social Club, and Latin superstar Gloria Estefan in major roles. Vivo, the adorable furry creature, must travel from the Caribbean island to the States to deliver a song. But when the trip proves perilous, he’s forced to find an ally in Gabi (Ynairaly Simo), a young girl also trying to find her place in the world. Directed by Kirk DeMicco (“The Croods”) and Brandon Jeffords, “Vivo” marks Sony Animation’s first attempt at a song-driven story.

Release date: August 6, 2021

Marvel Studios’ ‘What If…?’ Launches on Disney+ August 11

Disney+ unveiled a new trailer and poster for Marvel Studios’ “What If…?,” showcasing the compelling series that reimagines famous events from films in the MCU. Creating a multiverse of infinite possibilities, “What If… ?” features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. Marvel Studios’ first-ever animated series launches on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 11.

‘Boss Baby’ sequel offers more zany antics

In “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” Amy Sedaris, Ted Templeton (Alec Baldwin), and little Tim Templeton (James Marsden) join on a quest. (Imaginative+ Imaginative+ Imaginative+ Imaginative+ Imaginative+ Imaginative

It’s evident that entertaining the kids comes first, and that makes good commercial sense. After all, according to promotional materials, “The Boss Baby” grossed more than $500 million worldwide and spawned a Netflix series, “The Boss Baby: Back in Business.”

Director Tom McGrath returns for the Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation sequel, which opens this week in cinemas and on the NBCUniversal streaming platform Peacock. Nonetheless, it hits a few emotionally rewarding notes that the original film may have missed.

You’ve Probably Never Heard Of These 5 Great Anime Films

Some of the most overlooked anime films are also among the best. These fantastic films may not have been seen by all moviegoers, but they are well worth seeking out.

5 Mind Game (2004)

Mind Game is a 2004 Japanese animated experimental feature film based on Robin Nishi’s manga of the same name

Masaaki Yuasa’s (of Devilman Crybaby and Tatami Galaxy renown) 2004 film Mind Game is a lesser-known effort in his career, but it is also one of his most inventive. To say the least, the plot is a little tough to summarize. Nishi gets murdered by criminals after reconciling with his high school crush, and in the afterlife, he meets an uncooperative trickster god. The story of reanimation, yakuza, and unrequited love that follows is weird and surreal.

4 Interstella 5555 (2003)

Four talented alien musicians are kidnapped by a record producer who disguises them as humans. Shep, a space pilot in love with bass player Stella, follows them to Earth. Reprogrammed to forget their real identities and renamed The Crescendolls, the group quickly becomes a huge success playing soulless corporate pop. At a concert, Shep manages to free all the musicians except Stella, and the band sets out to rediscover who they really are — and to rescue Stella.

Interstella 5555 is a Daft Punk animated musical that features Leiji Matsumoto, the famed mangaka behind such classics as Space Battleship Yamato, as the art director and character designer. Yes, you read that correctly: Daft Punk collaborated with Leiji Matsumoto on an anime musical. An unscrupulous Earthling record producer kidnaps a band of alien artists, and it’s up to space pilot Shep to save them and restore their actual identities.

The story takes a back place to the music and graphics here, but that’s not a problem because the music and visuals are both fantastic, and this funky space opera is likely to please both sci-fi and Daft Punk lovers. The film is still relatively unknown due to its restricted streaming possibilities, however it is currently available on Amazon through Qello Concerts.

3 Spring And Chaos (1996)

Spring and Chaos is a 1996 Japanese anime television special inspired by the life of poet Kenji Miyazawa, released in Japan to mark the 100th anniversary of Miyazawa’s birth. It was directed by Shoji Kawamori. It was released in North America by Tokyopop

“Unbeaten by the rain, Unbeaten by the wind,” read the first lines of Ame ni no Makezu, a poem by Kenji Miyazawa, one of Japan’s best poets of the twentieth century. Spring and Chaos, directed by Shoji Kawamori, the creator behind the mecha classic Macross, is a biographical recreation of the poet’s life in animation from 1996. Befitting the biography of a great poet, Spring and Chaos is depicted with visual surrealism and narrative passion.

Spring and Chaos is musically beautiful in visuals and heartbreaking in thought, employing the aesthetic freedom of animation to present a resonantly true-to-life story, much like the work of its subject. Spring and Chaos is unfortunately tough to find streaming on major platforms. It can be found on Mubi from time to time, as well as on DVD through various vendors.

2 Belladonna Of Sadness (1973)

A peasant woman is raped by the local lord on her wedding night. To take revenge, she makes a pact with the Devil himself who appears as an erotic sprite and transforms her into a black-robed vision of madness and desire

Belladonna of Sadness is based on La Sorcière, a treatise about Satanism and witchcraft written by French historian Jules Michelet in the nineteenth century. A woman named Jeanne is molested by a nobleman on her wedding night in this psychedelic watercolor nightmare. Jeanne, having exhausted all options in the mortal realm, makes a deal with the devil himself to exact her vengeance.

Belladonna of Sadness is guaranteed to be unlike anything even the most seasoned anime fan has seen before, with captivating, surreal imagery. Check it out on Kanopy or Fandor if you’re seeking for anything with an unusual premise or very experimental aesthetics.

1 Time Of Eve: The Movie (2010)

In the near future, people commonly use androids as tools, but some treat them as equals which is becoming a social problem. One person discovers his android is acting strange and some investigation leads him to a strange cafe.

Time of Eve is a touching film set in a not-too-distant future Tokyo, in which robotics technology has advanced to the point where household androids that are nearly indistinguishable from humans have become widespread. Two lads stumble onto the Time of Eve, an underground cafe where the distinctions between androids and humans are completely eliminated.

The story of “robots becoming sentient” has been portrayed before in sci-fi classics like Blade Runner, but Time of Eve is refreshingly cheerful in its depiction, foregoing the cynicism of its genre rivals in favor of a positive optimism about mankind’s future with machines. The story is offered in two versions: a cinematic form on iTunes and a shorter episodic version on Crunchyroll.

The trailer for ‘Sing 2′, an Illumination sequel starring Bono, Halsey, Pharrell Williams, and others, will premiere in December.

The official trailer for Sing 2, which will be released on December 22, has been released by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment.

Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) and his all-star group of performers have transformed their New Moon Theater into a local smash as the second chapter of the musical comedy franchise begins. Buster, on the other hand, has his sights set on a much bigger prize: the opportunity to debut a new performance at the Crystal Tower Theater in glitzy Redshore City.

To make it happen, he’ll need Jimmy Crystal, Crystal Entertainment’s vicious mogul wolf, to sign off (Bobby Cannavale). Buster tells Crystal that the show would feature a performance by a rock great, lion Clay Calloway, in a desperate attempt to do so (Bono). But the truth is that Buster has never met Clay, who has long since cut himself off from the rest of the world following his death.

As a result, Buster embarks on an odyssey with the purpose of locating the performer and persuading him to return to the stage.

Garth Jennings, who directed the first film, wrote and directed Sing 2. Chris Meledandri, the creator and CEO of Illumination, and Janet Healy are producing the film.

Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelley, and Nick Kroll are among the cast members. The sequel features new characters played by Pharrell Williams, Letitia Wright, Eric Andre, Chelsea Peretti, and Grammy winner Halsey, and marks Bono’s animated film debut.

The Surprising Voice Cast of the New Disney and Pixar Film “Luca”

Pixar Animation Studios is responsible for some of the most well-known animated films of the last two decades. Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, WALL-E, and Coco are just a few examples of creative storytelling. With Luca, the studio follows up on its 2020 releases Onward and Soul. Only the stacked voice ensemble surprises more than the lovely Italian Riviera setting and accompanying soundtrack.

Luca, a Pixar film, is a literal fish-out-of-water fantasy that wants to say something.

Luca (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Alberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) (Jacob Tremblay). Pixar Animation Studios

The fictional town of Portorosso, which appears in the new Pixar film Luca, is a brilliant daydream of Italy. Residents pepper their speech with ejaculations like “Santa Mozzarella!” and the youngsters compete in a triathlon of swimming, cycling, and pasta eating every year. The pastoral allure doesn’t end at the water’s edge. Sea monsters live in a lovely underwater village, herding sheeplike fish and producing rows of kelp.They stay out of the way of the “land monsters,” who have an unsettling habit of hoisting harpoons and adorning their plaza with images of fisherman fighting maritime threats. But how could anything horrible happen in such a happy-go-lucky animated world?