2014 Best Animated Films oscar nominations

[Inkwolf]

This year's nominees are:

Frozen
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
The Wind Rises
Ernest and Celestine.

This article has trailers of all of them:
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/2014/01/animated-feature-nominees-86th-academy-awards-includes-croods-frozen

So, what do you think?

Personally, I am disappointed that Epic did not make the nominations.  I enjoyed The Croods, but didn't think it was as good a movie.  (Maybe the fact that the Academy members are mostly old men is one of the reasons cartoons about daddies trying to relate to teen girls keep being cranked out.) I also saw and loved Despicable Me 2.  The other three I have not seen yet. (The previews for the French film look adorable. The trailers for Frozen just make it look like more of the same old Disney thing, but everyone's raving about it, so I'm looking forward to watching it when the DVD is available.)

[Avaitor]

I've only seen Frozen, which I love.

[Daxdiv]

I've only seen the first 3. The Croods was a pretty neat flick, I kind of liked the visuals in The Croods. Despicable Me 2 was a step up from the 1st one, and I liked the first one. Frozen was Frozen, which means I still love this film. Still listening to the soundtrack whenever I feel like it.

[Daikun]

The only ones I've seen are Frozen and Despicable Me 2. I've never heard of Ernest and Celestine.

It's pretty obvious that Disney curb-stomped the competition this year. Now we just play the waiting game.

[Avaitor]

I think Frozen is the likely candidate to win this year. Keep in mind that this award usually goes to the film voters' kids liked the most or just ended up seeing (and yes, Pixar's films usually factor in this way the most), and since Frozen has been such a big hit for Disney, that gives it a big push.

The Wind Rises is a possibility, but I think the lack of major distribution hurts its chances for now. The others kind of seem like filler, but people sure love dem minions.

Edit: Also, Frozen won the BAFTA, which has had 100% overlap with the Oscars for animation. Looks like Disney's getting their big win.

[LumRanmaYasha]

While I LOVE The Wind Rises, I think it's a no-brainer that Frozen is going to win. Aside from all the stuff Avaitor mentioned, it's become a pop cultural phenomenon, and is easily the most popular movie Disney has released in a LONG time. And none of the other nominees even compare to it in those respects.

[Daxdiv]

I honestly think that Frozen is this generation's Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, which ever one people claimed was the best film from the Renaissance period. Cause that is the impression I am getting from this. I'm still curious to see how well the film's hype will go down after a year of it's theatrical release. Still, Frozen seems locked on for the Best Animated Flick. Not sure about Best Song, but I guess it could get lucky and win both.

[Inkwolf]

Well, the Frozen verdict seems unanimous so far.  I look forward more than ever to seeing it.

[Lord Il]

I wish I had seen at least half of that list to offer some sort of an opinion. Only saw Despicable Me 2.

But with all of this talk about Frozen, this makes me want to see it more now than when it was out in the movie theaters - Just to see what the fuss is all about.

[Avaitor]

Called it.

[Daxdiv]

Called it.

I think it was fucking obvious going in. Now the real test is to see if "Let It Go" wins the award for best song.

[Avaitor]

Called it.

I think it was fucking obvious going in. Now the real test is to see if "Let It Go" wins the award for best song.

It did!

[Daxdiv]

Called it.

I think it was fucking obvious going in. Now the real test is to see if "Let It Go" wins the award for best song.

It did!

Oh good! I thought Bono was going to beat them. Good work to the Lopez clan!

[Avaitor]

Bumping this for this year's Oscars. I actually got to see all of the nominated animated shorts a few days ago (as well as the live-action shorts, which I can talk about elsewhere if you want me to), and I have something to say about each of them.

The Bigger Picture- Man, I love the art style of this. Combine stop-motion with abstract gorgeousness, and add in some clever usage of inanimate objects all over the place, and there you go. It's a sight to behold, and I couldn't possibly describe it. The story is also pretty strong, the most mature of the films in terms of content. This isn't a very happy watch, but it's my personal choice.

The Dam Keeper- This has a really cute design, combining chalk drawings with a storybook-like atmosphere. In terms of story, well, the narrative bugs me, even though it's the only use of dialogue in the film, as bookends. It's not even the writing, but rather the delivery that bugs me. But that isn't my only problem, as despite a strong, promising start, the short loses me by the end with some contrasting moments and an obvious message beaten on your head. That said, it was the group's favorite, so maybe it did something that was missing on me.

Feast- This one wasn't new to me, and it wouldn't be to you if you saw Big Hero 6. My opinion on the short stays the same- it's cute and breezy enough, but let's be honest, it borders on animal cruelty. I much prefer Paperman and Get a Horse.

Me and My Moulton- This is a fun one! The narrator is very welcoming and brings very funny moments throughout, along with some honest moments. It may not be a whole lot more than a slice of life story, but told well enough to make it a fun watch.

A Single Life- A brief, but undeniably welcome, comedic short. Add enough gags to make this run for five more minutes, and it could have been a reminder of the days when you'd see a Road Runner or Tom & Jerry short here. There isn't much to it but laughs, but what's wrong with that?

A pretty good selection, really. If you can find them online or have a local AMC, these are all worth a look yourself.