Animated movies are some of my favorite films to watch.
When I was a young adult, “The Lion King” was released on VHS and I believe I watched it every day.
My newest obsession is the adaptations of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s animated features. They are re-released in America voiced by an American cast, but feature the same beautiful hand-drawn images of the original film. My favorites include “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “Kiki’s Delivery Service.”
Recently, I watched “The Last Unicorn” again and was awed by the beautiful colors, imagery and shapes.
To me, the animation is better when done by hand and transferred to film.
I’ve seen many of the computer animated films and, while I still think they are good, they don’t showcase the real skills of a talented animator.
I cannot draw a stick figure to save my life, so I certainly can appreciate an artist who has the ability to create scenes and people with the stroke of a pencil.
Recently, Disney returned to their roots when they released “The Princess and the Frog.” Not only was I excited to see a movie set in the South, but I also love the beautiful hand drawn imagery.
Call me old fashioned if you wish, but I prefer movies the way they used to be made.
I’m not a big fan of computer generated imagery in films and, while I’m sure it still takes a lot of talent to complete, there’s something magical about seeing a movie filmed with a natural backdrop.
For instance, the HBO drama “Game of Thrones” is filmed in Northern Ireland and I believe that some of the authentic landscapes are as much of an important character as Tyrion Lannister.
It is my hope that one day film companies will return to hand drawn animations and a more natural method of filming.