The Year for Animation!

The year 2010 has been a great year for animated movies. And Megamind, releasing in the first week of November, could very well keep the run going. The dominance of the animated movies can be very well seen in the fact that, till date 4 animated movies have earned more than $200 million at the US box-office this year (out of a total of 8 movies that have achieved this feat). Compare this with only one movie in 2009 and two movies in 2008, and it is easy to see why animation studios have much to rejoice about. Animated movies have grown in stature and size over years, moving away from a traditional target audience of young adolescents to a more varied audience, comprising of anyone and everyone who enjoys listening to a good story. The so-called 'cartoon' flicks no longer deal on themes that only 5-year olds can relate to, but dwell into emotions felt by people all over the globe. And this year's big animation flicks have done exactly that... they have hit the perfect notes and spoken about camaraderie, love, courage and as always... adventure!

Toy Story 3 was one of the most anticipated films of the year considering the big boots it had to fill. The first movie of the series, Toy Story, released in 1995, had marked the beginning of the partnership between Pixar and Disney. And the response that it had garnered from fans and critics was overwhelming as it made Pixar a household name, earning $362 million worldwide. The sequel that followed four years later matched its predecessor in every aspect, earning $485 million worldwide and cementing Pixar's reputation in the animation industry. So when it came to 2010, people questioned 'How bigger can it get?' The answer was simple. $412 million at the US box-office alone, $1056 million worldwide, the biggest grosser animated movie of all-time... that is how big it has become! The adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the crew have created a legacy... a legacy that even another Pixar film will find hard to touch. Toy Story 3 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest animation movies of all-time!

While Toy Story 3 was made on a production budget of $200 million and had the name of Pixar behind it, another animated movie released a month later had little of such affluence to rely on. Made on a meagre production budget of $69 million, Despicable Me was not expected to run long in the theatres. The first film by a relatively new studio, Illumination Entertainment, currently co-owned by Universal Studios, Despicable Me however surprised many as it raced on to become the second-biggest animated movie of the year in the US. A tale of a supervillain and his bonding with three orphan girls, the movie's family-friendly tone brought in the movie-goers in plenty, and collected $247 million at the US box-office. The movie's worldwide collections have been relatively low at $383 million, but considering the low budget of the movie, it has earned enough to make its studio owners run merrily to the bank.

Just like the Toy Story series, the Shrek series has been one of the greatest animation movie series of all-time. Prior to Toy Story 3, it was Shrek 2 that had been the highest worldwide grosser amongst animated movies. The series that had started in 2001 and grown in leaps and bounds with its sequel, took a slight nosedive with the third movie of the series. Shrek Forever After, the fourth Shrek movie, had already been labeled as the final installment of the series. While it earned $238 million at the US box-office, the figures are the lowest amongst the movies in the Shrek series. Though many have suggested that it is time for the green colored ogre to make his exit, the worldwide collection figures however speak otherwise. The movie earned $732 million worldwide, which, despite being lower than Shrek 2 and Shrek The Third, reflects the global following that Shrek continues to enjoy. Shrek and his friends will definitely be missed!

Dreamworks Animation had two reasons to rejoice this year. While Shrek

Forever After brought in good returns to the studio, the joy was doubled with the success of How to Train Your Dragon, both critically and commercially. How to Train Your Dragon was the first of these four animated films to be released in the year and it is now expected to be the one to give Pixar's Toy Story 3 a tough competition at the Oscars. The movie spoke about a young Viking and his friendship with a dragon that changes the course of his life and the decisions that he takes. While the opening of the movie was the weakest amongst the top four animated films of the year, a strong word-of-mouth helped the bucks flow in, and gradually the movie crossed the $200 million mark, earning a total of $218 million in the US and $493 million worldwide. Will it be strong enough to pip Toy Story 3 for the Oscar... that remains to be seen!

Dreamworks has another shot at the box-office with Megamind opening in November. Another villain-centric story, the trailer is likeable and the voices of Will Ferrell and Brad Pitt also up the credibility of the movie. But independent of the fate of Megamind, it has been a wonderful year for animation movies in general and this raises the bar for all animation studios in the coming years to not only maintain high quality of animation work but also mix the storyline with the right amount of emotion along with humour. Kudos to them all, and looking forward to many more adventures to come!