Category: animation

What Do You Call A Three-Humped Camel? “Zootopia” (2016)

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directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
© 2016 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, I’ve seen “Zootopia 2” and, while writing a post about, I realised that I haven’t recommended the first part on my blog. So today we’re moving back to 2016… wow. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years! It’s about time to create a post about it then. Some of you probably already know this animation, but for those who don’t, sit comfortably and enjoy the plot: Imagine a world without people. Awesome, right? Instead of them, we have animals, who can talk and do everything humans do. There, we meet Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a very ambitious little rabbit who wishes to move to the city of Zootopia and become the first ever bunny policeman. Or… police-bunny. I’m trying to be politically correct, ok? So, Judy is assigned to do rather basic boring stuff at work, but then things get complicated and she is given an urgent case to solve – but she must do it quickly. In order to succeed, she has to cooperate with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a smart but rebellious fox. As we know, bunnies and foxes don’t really go together, but, surprisingly, those to make a great team. Will they manage to solve the case? It’s for you to see. Even though I was already an adult watching “Zootopia”, I enjoyed it very much. If you miss good old animations for children, then this one shouldn’t disappoint you. The characters are well-written, the plot is fun to follow and you may spot numerous jokes that are actually hilarious. Besides, I’m sure that you’ll love their sloth – because if you’ve ever been to any office, you’ll definitely have flashbacks. Fun fact, at first the filmmakers wanted to make Nick the main character, but then decided to switch roles with Judy, and I actually believe it was a great choice. Not only they created another inspiring female character (even if she’s not human), but also made Nick in the supporting role a more insteresting element of the whole story. Generally, the film is fast, entertaining and educational, so to me, it makes a very good animation. If you still haven’t seen “Zootopia”, it’s about time! Especially since I’ll be writing about the second part soon, so stay tuned.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Like I’m born to be. “KPop Demon Hunters” (2025)

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directed by Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans
© 2025 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I was avoiding this film for so long, but one day I gave up. It’s because I was too tired of everyone talking about it and playing its songs over and over. Kpop is not what I listen to and anime is difficult for me to watch (forgive me anime fans!), because everything’s too exaggerated for my European eyes. And how surprised I was when a film that was supposed to be just a background noise turned out to be one of the best animations I’ve seen in years. Yeah, I’m still shocked myself, but I’m more than happy to recommend it to you if you still haven’t seen it. We get to know a female Kpop band named Huntr/x – Rumi, Mira and Zoey (Arden Cho, May Hong & Ji-young Yoo). They are not only the most famous music trio with lots of fans, but also demon hunters. You see, in this world, demons steal humans’ souls and give them to their ruler Gwi-Ma. That is why we need such hunters like the girls to stop them and keep people safe. Everything goes well until a new band shows up – the Saja Boys, with their leader Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop) – and their song “Soda Pop” becomes an absolute hit. At first, Huntr/x believe it’s going to be just a music bands battle, but it turns out the Saja Boys are undercover demons, who want to manipulate people using their popularity. The girls obviously cannot let it happen and they begin preparing an even bigger performance to win with the demon band. In the meantime, Rumi and Jinu start talking to each other in private and it seems like they have more in common than you could imagine. If you’re a grumpy adult (like me) who says “such animations are not for me”, then take a deep breath and play it. And I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. First of all, I loved the animation style and how dynamic it was, yet not annoying like most anime productions I’ve seen. Second of all, the girls reminded me of “Totally Spies!”, a cartoon I used to watch as a child. Back then, it was a true hit and the girls had a similar energy to Huntr/x, which made me feel a bit nostalgic. Third of all, the songs are very catchy and impressive! For example “Golden” has become a true challenge for singers, because you need to be horribly talented to hit the right notes. I was vibing a lot while watching and I still listen to the soundtrack now. And last but not least, the messages coming with this film. I’m moved because to me this film is about acceptance. The girls are fighting some cartoon demons, but in fact, it’s just a metaphor of fighting our real demons, which “steal our souls”. They make us believe we’re not enough, we are not meant to succeed, we should hide our true self. Even though the main character here is Rumi and we get to learn about her personal issues, the two other members are dealing with their own demons too. And if thanks to this animation some children and teenagers change the way they see themselves for better, I couldn’t be happier. We really need such films. Especially younger generations do. So I’m crossing my fingers for sequels and I hope the meaningful messages keep reaching those who need them.

My rating: 8/10
S.

This is our music. “Blue Giant” (2023)

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directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa
© 2023 Nova Media. All Rights Reserved.

Me and anime do not really match. I’ve seen some anime productions in my life and unfortunately, I cannot share the same level of excitement with its fans. There’s something quite annoying in the way those animations are created, so no matter how interesting the story is, I cannot really focus on it because of that. To all anime lovers – I’m sorry, but that’s just the way I am. However, do I appreciate the effort and work people put into making such films? Absolutely yes! Because even if it’s not my cup of tea, it’s still very demanding to produce anime. But recently, I was recommended to see “Blue Giant” and despite my lack of interest in anime, I gave it a try. The story focuses on Dai Miyamoto (Yuki Yamada) who is a young man dreaming of becoming a successful saxophone player. He goes alone to Tokyo to give himself a chance to be noticed by someone. However, as you might be guessing, being an artist is extremely difficult, especially if you play such an instrument like saxophone and you wish to play the music that is generally not the most popular – jazz. We follow the man doing everything to make his dreams come true, which is a horribly difficult path. First, I appreciate this film for showing the struggles that artists have to deal with. It’s not only about money and surviving, but also about the mental pressure that they constantly feel. People telling them they are not enough or that they should try doing something “serious” instead. Keep seeing empty chairs in the audience and still not giving up. That’s something I admire in artists and it’s what I wasn’t able to handle myself. Second, I really enjoy listening to jazz and this film is full of wonderful tunes. Hiromi Uehara did a marvellous job with the soundtrack and even if you don’t like anime but you like damn good music, you must see this film. I have to admit that at some points I was closing my eyes to focus on the music itself and not the animation. Once again, I’m sorry anime fans, but the animation and editing in this production didn’t work well with the soundtrack to me, so in order to appreciate it more, I had to look away from time to time. Personally, I believe that if they remade “Blue Giant” into a live action film, it would be a solid candidate for several Oscars. And the Oscar for music would be given without any voting. Anyway, I’m glad I had a chance to discover this production and I hope you’ll check it out as well. Because jazz is hot and intense, and that’s the way we like it.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I can’t live without me best pal! “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” (2024)

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directed by Nick Park & Merlin Crossingham
© 2024 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

So far I haven’t shared a single post about any Wallace & Gromit film, but I have to tell you that I’m a fan of those pals. If you’ve been reading me for some time, you already know I absolutely love stop-motion animation, so I couldn’t ignore Wallace & Gromit, could I? Especially since I was yet a child when the first films with them got released. In fact, Wallace & Gromit films are classified as claymation – so animation with the use of clay figures. Imagine how much work people need to put to make such production… Unbelievable. Anyway, for those of you who haven’t seen any Wallace & Gromit films, let me introduce you to them. Wallace (Ben Whitehead) is a bit clumsy guy in a cute sleeveless sweater who keeps inventing ridiculous machines. His best friend is Gromit, a dog, who’s the smart one and always has to save his owner from even stranger things than Wallace’s inventions. The first story of Wallace & Gromit was presented in a short film “A Grand Day Out” (1989), so we’ve been blessed by those adorable animations for over 35 years now. The one I’m recommending you today is the newest one, made in 2024. This time Wallace invented a gnome robot called Norbot in order to help Gromit in the garden (yes, the dog loves gardening, why so shocked?). Norbot does everything so perfectly that neighbours ask to hire it to their own gardens, which sounds like a great business plan to Wallace. And here comes Feathers McGraw, a penguin, which is Wallace & Gromit enemy known from the previous adventures. He’s stuck in prison, but manages to reprogram Norbot and begin his huge revenge with a whole army of garden gnomes! Are you thrilled yet? Then you must see this film! I adore how abstract Wallace & Gromit adventures can be, but I guess that’s what makes them outstanding even after all these years. Besides, despite the technological development, those animations still share the same vibe, so old fans don’t get disappointed. I feel like currently popular animations are missing good ideas. The filmmakers try to be so original that they focus too much on the form, instead of the story. We really miss some good animations about simple friendships. That’s it. And I love that Wallace & Gromit show up to remind us about that. I hope you have fun, get back to older films with those two pals, and appreciate stop-motion animation even more.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Life’s a beautiful tapestry that needs to be experienced. “Memoir of a Snail” (2024)

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directed by Adam Elliot
© 2024 Madman Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

In 2009 the cinema world gave us “Mary and Max”, which is a very important film in my life. One day I’ll write you about it, but I need a good moment for that. Today, however, I can gladly recommend you “Memoir of a Snail”, a film by the same director, which was made last year and got a nomination for the Best Animated Feature. I’m not going to keep it a secret – this is my personal winner of the category this year. Deep inside I know that it won’t win because of numerous reasons (the Academy reasons, so not very logical to me), but I’m thrilled to see this title on the list and I hope Adam Elliot will be praised by viewers for his filmmaking talent. Unlike other nominees, this animation isn’t actually for children. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend you to show it to children because, well… that would be a great, yet quite traumatising life lesson for them. We get to know Grace (Sarah Snook, young Grace – Charlotte Belsey), a little girl living in Melbourne in the 70s. She has a twin brother Gilbert (Kodi Smit-McPhee, young Gilbert – Mason Litsos) and an alcoholic father who’s currently in a wheelchair. The mother died in childbirth, so the siblings are being raised by one parent only. However, considering their situation, the twins have to take care of each other, because they can’t really count on their father. When the man dies, Grace and Gilbert are separated by social services and sent to two totally different sides of the country. Later we learn about the rest of the story from a grown-up Grace, who’s remembering and reflecting on her life. Just like in “Mary and Max”, the director again focuses on the worst and most difficult topic we may imagine – loneliness. His characters are always those outsiders who don’t fit anywhere, so they either suffer alone or find other outsiders and experience a pinch of happiness in their miserable reality. Some reviewers claim that this film is too dark, but if you take a moment and look around – we’re living in this dark. Some of us may have been more lucky, but there’s a bunch of people whose life is a series of unfortunate events. One problem ends, another one appears, and then we die. I know, we love cinema for this opportunity to forget about our reality for a moment, but maybe sometimes such raw productions may comfort us even more? To me, Elliot’s animations are therapeutical. I may see myself in his characters and watch how they manage our common struggles. It’s hard to explain, but such experience might be both painful and soothing. Finally, I’ve always been a huge fan of stop-motion animation and I will always support this technique because I know how much effort it takes to make even a minute of such film (I used to be playing with it, so my respect for those animators is insane!). So, all my fingers are crossed for Adam Elliot! Maybe the Academy surprises us. Fun fact, Elliot has already won an Oscar, but it was in 2004 and for his short animation “Harvie Krumpet”, which I also recommend you to see, by the way. Time to win for a feature film! And if not – please, keep making your exceptional animations no matter what.

My rating: 8/10
S.

I’m an emotional man, I often follow my heart. “Ibelin” (2024)

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directed by Benjamin Ree
© 2024 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I haven’t been touched by a documentary that much in a while. In my whole life I’ve always been very empathic and supportive, so the reality of people with different disabilities is pretty known by me, even though I’m not one of them. I’ve been volunteering and working with people with special needs and everyday I admire their strength and motivation to keep going. Remember that ad with Duracell Bunnies? This is how I see people struggling with any serious health issues – they are those bunnies. Powerful and always going forward. So when I found out there’s a documentary about some inspiring young man with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, I had to watch it immediately. DMD, shortly speaking because I’m no doctor, is a disease that makes a person’s muscles slowly weaken and disappear. At first, they lose weight and have troubles walking, but then it even leads to breathing problems. Unfortunately, as you might be guessing, life expectancy is not high in this case. Today’s documentary tells the story of Mats Steen who fought hard, yet the disease finally took him away from us when he was at the age of 25. The older he was getting, the less he could actually go out and do what his peers could do. Therefore, he found some comfort in the online world, and most specifically in his favourite game World of Warcraft. For those who have very little knowledge about games (like me) – it’s an online multiplayer game, where you can create your own avatar and interact with other people’s avatars as well. In the same game you can also explore landscapes, do some quests and generally experience another version of life. Or like Mats – experience the only life he had. He had a wonderful and loving family, there’s no doubt about that, but the disease made him a prisoner in his own body. After his death, the family wanted to inform people online about this fact, so they logged into Mats blog and wrote a post. What happened next is truly moving. Lots of people who were reading his blog and played with him were writing e-mails to the family describing what a great person Mats was. The character he played in WoW was named Ibelin Redmoore and many players were grateful for his company. Not only he was helping them in some quests, but he also supported them like a real friend. They could talk to him, share their problems, ask for advice. A lot of people who interacted with Mats were introverts with difficulties in real life, so finding someone who understands them in the game was truly therapeutic. He also united many people and helped them find long-term friendships. And all that was kept in secret from his family, so imagine their reaction when they find out about Mats’ second life and how incredible it was. As I said at the beginning, I was absolutely moved by this documentary and I recommend you all to see it. Rest in peace, Mats Ibelin Steen.

My rating: 8/10
S.

I’d rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not. “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck” (2015)

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directed by Brett Morgen
© 2015 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

30 years ago, on April 5th 1994, we failed as humanity. Well, to be precise, we fail quite often, but that day we lost one of us and I do believe it was our mistake that should have been a big lesson. Yet we keep making the same mistake, so perhaps you’ll share my conclusions after seeing this documentary. I’ll explain my truly Schopenhauer’s mood in a moment, but first, let’s focus on the film itself. For the younger generations or people who prefer slightly lighter kinds of music, Kurt Cobain was the vocalist and guitarist of Nirvana, a very popular grunge rock band. They were especially appreciated for being total rebels and artists refusing to go with the flow. Their songs were not only on top because of the music, but mostly because of the lyrics that were somehow allowing millions of people to associate with them. It’s not surprising because Kurt was writing those songs basing on his own experiences, feelings and personal troubles. From the early years, he’d been a lost soul, seeing the world differently than his peers and constantly in need of more affection in life, especially after his parents’ divorce. He was looking for a way to escape this mind battle of his in many ways, finally ending up with addiction to drugs. So his life was mostly focusing on expressing himself through music and running away from the reality that was too difficult to handle. Despite his arduous mental battle, he managed to get married and have a child, Frances. Those big life steps and their fame as Nirvana were pulling Kurt down and, unfortunately, he finally hit the bottom. No matter if you’re a fan of Nirvana or what I’m writing is new to you, still you should see this documentary. I believe it’s not about a music icon, but about a lost soul that was too emotional for this ruthless world. Indeed, Kurt chose the worst way possible, meaning drugs, and very few manage to return from this hell, but we have to remember he didn’t choose it just for the sake of wasting his life. He was so helpless and desperate that drugs were the only thing making him function, even on the lowest level. What I wrote at the beginning of this post was perhaps to general, but I do think Kurt needed more understanding and support, just like anyone struggling with anything in life. One may struggle to find a job, another to find a will to wake up in the morning. Why do we help one and leave the other to shoot himself out of the blue? Addiction to anything is never a pleasant picture, but, in the end, we’re all together on this planet and maybe, just maybe, we could try harder to stay united. People give up too easily on literally everything and never learn, because we keep losing our idols, family members, friends, neighbours. And you know to what? To loneliness. Because that’s the biggest killer of them all. This documentary is horribly difficult to me, even though I became a fan of Nirvana and learned about Kurt years after his death, but he’s still an icon to me. In the world full of people pretending to be someone they’re not, he wasn’t afraid to show his even ugliest sides, which made so many fans sympathise with him. To me, such authenticity is what I appreciate most in another person, so thank you Kurt for being you. I’m sorry the world wasn’t welcoming.

My rating: 8/10
S.

To awaken humanity. “Aurora’s Sunrise” (2022)

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directed by Inna Sahakyan
© 2022 Bars Media. All Rights Reserved.

In 1919, “Auction of Souls” film was released. It’s a silent production focusing on the Armenian genocide of 1915 from the perspective of an Armenian woman. Then, the film disappears and nobody has a chance to see it until 1994, when only fragments are found. The content of this story is nothing pleasant to see, yet it’s important to learn and that is why I’m recommending you “Aurora’s Sunrise” today. It’s an animation, but definitely not for children, so if you’re a parent – better watch it alone. Aurora Mardiganian, or Arshaluys Mardiganian (her Armenian name which she changed for non-Armenians speakers to make it easier for them), was a survivor of the already mentioned genocide and she played herself in “Auction of Souls”. The animation is based on her life story, where most elements are animated, but there are also fragments of interviews with Aurora and several scenes from “Auction of Souls”. I wouldn’t like to write too much about the woman’s life because it’s what you’ll learn best from this production and herself speaking. However, I’d like to focus on the technicalities and the messages coming out of this film. First, I’m positively surprised about the animation style because it was a paper cutout technique (a form of stop motion animation using flat objects often cut from paper or photographs and such), which normally gets me tired, and here I was enchanted. The filmmakers decided to make it an animation because it gave them more freedom of expression, which I definitely support. Since they were already using the recordings of Aurora and fragments of “Auction of Souls”, putting all of that into a live-action film would be a huge mess and mistake. The animation let us see all those pictures in a somehow limited way, which forces us to use our imagination, and I believe it’s a big plus. Second, this production reminds us about something that took place, something incredibly real, which was swept under the rug. Was it because they wanted to forget about it? Or hide it from us? Or they didn’t believe in the fault of the offenders? No matter what the motivation for hiding “Auction of Souls” was, we should spread this story and encourage people to see it. I personally support the opinion shared at the end saying that if only we’d put enough spotlight on one genocide, perhaps there wouldn’t have been others. You see, I don’t believe in a perfect world, because I’m too much of a realist, but it is true that we kind of treat wars and crimes as a part of our reality. Yes, there’s a war somewhere. Life goes on. And I’m not judging that because even though I’m following the news about some conflicts happening in the world, I can’t do much about that as an individual. So I sort of understand this “blindness” to tragedies – it comes from helplessness. However, I do believe we have country and world authorities to make difficult decisions and that’s the way to make sure offenders get punished and the consequences are significant. Because if one crime is swept under the rug, I’m pretty sure next one will be as well. That is why this film is worth seeing – to remind you that perhaps all those world crimes are happening right now because we, as humanity, ignored one a long time ago. So it’s surely time to awaken.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Who’s bad? Sin-bad! “Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas” (2003)

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directed by Tim Johnson & Patrick Gilmore
© 2003 DreamWorks Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Surprisingly, I’m starting this post telling you about another film: I’ve just seen “Nimona”, one of the animations nominated to Oscars this year. I’d love to write about it, but unfortunately I’m incredibly disappointed. The screenplay is messy, the introduction is unclear and way too short, the animation style is not my cup of tea, and I felt like the message they were trying to share within is actually too hidden in this fantasy world, which looks like a combination of several stories. So it’s a “no” from me. But, while I was watching, I couldn’t stop thinking about the two characters – there are two knights competing with each other. And I had this feeling as if I’d seen them somewhere else. At some point, a lightbulb over my head shone and I realised that the knights might be a cheap copy of Sinbad and Proteus, who are the characters of the film I’ve decided to recommend you today. If 2023 doesn’t give us quality animations, let’s get 20 years back, shall we? Sinbad is a pirate who does rather pirate kind of things – travelling and robbing, simple as that. His life seems peaceful, if being a thief can be considered peaceful, until he decides to steal the Book of Peace. It’s a magical book that protects the world, so if he manages to rob it, the authorities will pay all money possible to get it back. So, the plan is to grab the book, exchange it for lots of gold and spend the rest of the life in Fiji. Unfortunately, things get complicated. The pirate meets Eris, the Goddess of Discord, who offers to pay him even more than any human for the Book of Peace. Sinbad obviously agrees, but when he attempts to steal it, he changes his mind seeing his old friend Proteus, whose life would change drastically if that book went missing. So when the pirate gives up, Eris impersonates him and steals the book herself, but in the body of Sinbad, so now everyone blames him. When Sinbad is sentenced to death, Proteus tells him to find the book and if the pirate fails, Proteus volunteers to be killed for him. Will Sinbad ignore the fact that his childhood friend might die? Or perhaps he will save him? That’s for you to see. Watching those two knights from “Nimona” I just saw Sinbad and Proteus. In fact, they even looked the same… Call me a grumpy old cinephile, but I appreciate the old animation much more. It used to be one of my beloved films, because it’s adventurous, funny, exciting, surprising and moving, so while watching, you’re riding an impressive rollercoaster of emotions. Besides, Proteus’ fiancée Marina joins Sinbad’s crew and we get one of the coolest female characters. She’s such a badass, I swear! Not only she’s stubborn and brave, but also horribly smart and mentally strong. All characters in this film are well-written, but Marina is that cherry on top. When I was a child, the animation was just fun, but as an adult, I see much more in the story. To me, this film is not only about true friendship, but also about staying yourself. You may be a fair person no matter if you’re a prince or a pirate (although that may seem strange to read), so don’t let others tell you how to live – experience, learn, discover and then you’ll know. Could there be a better message to share with children? And that’s the kind of animations I miss the most. Feel free to see it, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it very much.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Embrace the light while it burns because it won’t always last forever. “Elemental” (2023)

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directed by Peter Sohn
© 2023 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I haven’t been much satisfied with Disney’s recent animations and I know that this one isn’t a perfection either, but it put a smile on my face, which is enough for me to recommend it. If it’ll make you feel better, that’s already a reason to watch. At first I thought it’s some kind of alternative to “Inside Out”, but I’m assuring you the story is totally different. We end up in Element City where various elements coexist, although not without conflicts. A couple of fire elements move to the city and aren’t much welcome because other elements see them as walking troubles. After all, they are literally fire. The couple finally settle down, have a daughter and open their own little store. When their child, Ember (Leah Lewis), gets older, the father wants her to run the family business so he could retire in peace. Unfortunately, Ember has difficulties with her temper and finds it difficult to deal with annoying clients. I mean, I feel you, girl. Anyway, soon and by accident she gets a chance to meet Wade (Mamoudou Athie), who is a water element. Even though those two elements completely differ from each other, they will realise how much opposites attract. And if you haven’t guessed that yet – yes, this is actually a love story. It’s still a lovely animation for children, but the main idea is showing a romantic relation between two different elements. But not to focus on the romantic part only, I have to point out that this film is also a great tolerance lesson. Different elements represent different races/cultures. It is presented how each element group stick together and feel best surrounded by other elements like them, but also how elements might be discriminated and excluded from different activities. I actually loved the idea for this film and the way they covered the topic of racism and xenophobia so well. I believe that not only children will learn the lesson, but I’m pretty sure their parents/guardians might also reflect a bit. The thing that I definitely didn’t like was the main adventure – or rather lack of it. I mean, if I was bored, then I guess a little human would have left the room before I yawned for the first time. So yeah, no fun adventure in this one, at least in my opinion. But the characters of Ember and Wade caught my attention and I was actually cheering for them. *SMALL SPOILER* Honestly speaking, I was more excited about their first hand touch than when I had my own first kiss as a teen. In the end, I wanted a relaxing animation, I got a relaxing animation with a cute romantic cherry on top, so I’m happy and hope you’ll be too.

My rating: 7/10
S.