Will Animation resurface?

2010 had been an year famous for the animated work we got to see on the big screen. The revenues that animated studios garnered had been mind-boggling with 5 movies featuring in the top 10 highest earning movies in the US released that year. Such was the impact of the animation industry which I duly noted in my post 'The Year for Animation!' (flashback link: http://bucksandcorn.blogspot.com/2010/10/year-for-animation.html). So you would have expected something similar or better to happen in 2011, right? You did, but the industry disappointed. For starters, none of the animated movies crossed the $200 million mark at the US box office, whereas four had achieved this feat in 2010. Two movies that had some good collections in international markets were both sequels, and both failed to achieve the kind of acclaim their predecessors had gathered - Kung Fu Panda & Cars. With Cars 2, Pixar probably noted its first critical failure in a so far immaculate 15-year old movie making history. Towards the end of the year, Puss in Boots, the spin-off from the Shrek series got a somewhat positive response, but it was too little too late. And right at the end came the much awaited flick by Steven Spielberg, The Adventures of Tintin, which I found to be rather refreshing as well as true to a large extent to the spirit of the book series, though it too did not light up the box office as many had expected it to.

So after 2011 dulled the impact that the animation movies of the previous year had created, what would one expect from 2012? I would not blame you if you remained skeptical about it. But the animation studios have a lot of redemption work ahead of them. And no one more so than Pixar Animation Studios. Pixar is hitting the theatres with is first animation flick that has a lady in the leading role, titled Brave releasing in the coveted month of June. The initial trailers are making me forget about Cars 2 and being a loyalist, I am praying that we will have the old Pixar works back again. Two series' are coming back to set things right for animation industry; the trio of Manny, Sid and Diego returning back along with the ever adorable Scrat in the new Ice Age movie called Ice Age: Continental Drift, and another bunch of animals regrouping in the next of the Madagascar series, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Usually you wonder about the quality of the work when hit movies are packaged and repackaged in form of sequels, but I was not particularly disappointed with the previous movies of these two franchises. In fact Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs had churned a mind boggling number close to $900 million in worldwide revenues. Also, with 2011 making me a bit worried, it would be better to see some familiar faces on the screen again.

What else do we have? For those who have loved the Dr. Seuss books, there is another animation movie releasing in March on one his books titled Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. While the initial rushes are looking good, what is more comforting is that Illumination Entertainment is working on this project and after watching their previous flick, Despicable Me, I am buoyant about the prospects of this studio. Rise of the Guardians is another animation movie that has got me interested with its imaginative storyline that if pulled off well, would be spectacular - "Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman band together to form a united front against the Bogeyman." There is Hugh Jackman as one of the star voices for the project and it has the name of DreamWorks Animation behind it, so hopefully things will turn out for the best. Hotel Transylvania is the last of the anticipated animated movies I can think of. Voices of Adam Sandler and Kevin James, so it is a no-brainer that this one is intended to be a laugh-riot. I hope I have not missed out on any of the big projects due in 2012 (not counting re-releases such as Beauty and the Beast and Finding Nemo). But all said and done, the animation world is irreplaceable for any movie goer; it adds an extra dimension, an extra feature, a different kind of thrill to watching movies. So I do hope that this year, the animation studios will stand up and be counted... and recreate the magic of 2010! Here's to hope... and to the world of animation!