Minions on the Move

Illumination Entertainment made some changes to their release schedule... Some rather interesting ones...

The currently untitled Despicable Me spin-off prequel about the Minions is no longer opening on December 19, 2014... It's now slated to open on July 10, 2015, which was Pirates of the Caribbean 5's original spot. A very smart decision if you ask me, because Minions seemed to be in a tight spot anyway, being sandwiched between many family films and also going up against Brad Bird's Tomorrowland and the Hobbit trilogy's finale.

Illumination's untitled 2015 release is now set to open on February 12, 2016. Little by little, February is becoming a big month for animation. Gnomeo & Juliet showed that a small-scale film could generate good revenue during that time, due to the fact that families don't have anything to go see between the holidays and the March-April hit season. This year's Escape from Planet Earth also had good legs, The Lego Movie will more than pummel previous February box office records.

This makes me wonder, will DreamWorks move Home (formerly Happy Smekday!) to the December spot now that the Minions have packed up and moved? They could distance it from Disney's Big Hero 6... But it would still have competition to fight no matter what. I'm thinking that the December spot will be left blank, animation-wise, but you never know... These distributors always surprise us. Maybe something from 2015 could move up... Maybe Paramount Animation's SpongeBob SquarePants 2. They wanted that to be a 2014 release from the get-go to mark the 10th anniversary of the first film.

Maybe? Who knows...

What do you think will take the December 2014 spot? Or will anything take it at all? Do you think moving the Minions to a summer spot was a good idea? Sound off below!

For Future Reference...

Well, the summer animation battle has pretty much come to a close. Yes, Planes might have been out for ten days, but it's pretty much over... So, what are the results and what can they teach distributors in the far future?

The Hollywood Reporter's click-bait title of an otherwise okay box office article would lead you to believe that there was an animation "curse". The Los Angeles Times also gets it dead wrong with their headline, suggesting that the recent string of duds is the result of the amount of animated features out there rather than the quality. Hollywood cranking out too many? Think again.

When will people realize that animated films that bomb do so for a good reason? Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 is more than going to make these people eat their words (pun shamelessly intended), as its inevitably going to be a big hit. Why's that? It's a sequel to a film that critics loved, audiences of all ages loved and one that's just well-known. The sequel is being marketed right, and many are excited for it. It's clearing $120 million this autumn, guaranteed.

So with that, let's look at the last 5 animated releases...

Monsters University kicked things off to a good start after Epic quietly walked out of the gate (a film that was saddled with its own problems, its performance doesn't really have too much to do with its scheduling), with a big $82 million, certainly a good-sized debut for a Pixar film. So this film was on its way to $300 million domestically, right? Well, along came the minions. Despicable Me 2 opened with $83 million and got an even bigger boost from its Wednesday opening, and in no time in passed $300 million at the domestic box office - the first animated film to do so since Toy Story 3! It will end up with a sub-$400 million gross, which is great for this sequel. Universal calls it their most profitable release ever...

But did Monsters University and Despicable Me 2 perform well together? Well... Sort of... Monsters University, by the time its out of theaters, will have scored below a 3.3x multiplier. That's one above the lowest for a Pixar film: Cars 2. I think Minionmania really sucked the audiences away from Pixar's prequel, plus it's possible that families gravitated towards the Illumination film because Monsters University certainly was one of Pixar's quieter films, one that didn't have a lot of action or spectacle. Despicable Me 2 on the other hand had the laughs, but also the minions, lots of fun action and everything else. Perhaps Monsters University was released a little too close to Despicable Me 2, which was undeniably going to be a titan.

However, both films did very good and that's all that matters. Both were highly anticipated, both delivered, and both certainly appealed to audiences enough. The next three films... Well, that's a different story.

I will give props to Fox marketing for this...

Turbo was shackled by its concept and the marketing didn't differentiate it from everything else, plus it was opening inside the Despicable Me 2 tidal wave. The Smurfs 2 had little to no adult appeal, plus families already saw three other films before it. Had it opened in August, maybe it would've done a little better. Planes? Obviously that wasn't going to be big to begin with.

You need to give adults and teenagers a reason to go see your animated film, and that also includes parents who might not want to subject themselves to something like The Smurfs 2 in the theater. You not only have to have one that's good for them, but you need to make it look good to them. Monsters University is a prequel to a beloved animated classic that adults and children adore. Despicable Me 2 is a sequel to a recent animated hit that both adults and children loved. No surprise those two did very well, and they are the first animated films to cross the $250 million mark since the original Despicable Me... Three summers ago!

It all boils down to the content of the films, the marketing and timing. Perhaps if these studios spaced their films out a bit more, I think all of them would've done okay business. Why wasn't something like Epic or Turbo an autumn release? Or a Christmas release? What about... Mid-August?

Now, what does this mean for the future?

2015 is crammed. Monster Trucks kicks off a similarly large animation battle that'll end in late July with the Smurfs three-quel. I think this isn't going to be pretty, and many other planned 2015 animation releases haven't even been scheduled yet, such as Aardman's Shaun the Sheep, Rainmaker's Ratchet & Clank and if one is coming, a Planes three-quel. (Going by what Blue Sky Disney's Honor Hunter said recently, there will be definitely be a third one.) That year's holiday season is going to get a bit hairy as well.

Which makes me wonder, how come studios aren't spacing their work out a little more? Shouldn't someone opt for an August release? Or an April one? I don't know, it just seems like a couple of them may underperform because they're being released so close to each other. We also don't know what the quality be like on films like Monster Trucks and B.O.O.. Also, 20th Century Fox's plans to open their own animated releases on the same days/months as some Disney or Pixar films (i.e. Blue Sky's Peanuts vs. Finding Dory in 2015, How To Train Your Dragon 3 vs. Dia De Los Muertos in summer 2016) could possibly backfire, or their plans to release them very close to whatever Disney or Pixar is releasing. People will go see the films that will appeal to them the most.

But aside from the timing, we need better quality films from all the studios and a much more diverse selection of films. I know that's a lot to ask for, but you can't just throw a cute family-friendly animated film out there expecting it to do well just because it's cute and it'll appeal to family audiences. You need to get the adults in the theater too! To do so, you got to make a film that will appeal to them or market it so that it will appeal to them!

Next year might just prove my point, look at what we're getting: The Lego Movie, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, The Good Dinosaur, How To Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6. To me, those movies are guaranteed hits because they'll appeal to adults and some of them are sequels to beloved films (How To Train Your Dragon 2 might just pull a Despicable Me 2 next summer), and there's potential money to be made in films like Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Rio 2. The Boxtrolls and Book of Life are the risky types, but I've rambled about this before - we need to make these films successful. Things people should get excited about after seeing a trailer or commercial. It's time we really make more kinds of animated films successful with mainstream audiences, in theaters! More adults-only animation! A diverse selection of animated films from the big studios! Family films, adult films, independent films! Animation is more than just family films and silly comedies. That's another story, though...

So yeah, maybe some studios might want to look into the quality of their films and the timing. Some studios might want to try something new and not follow a formula. Not to sound like a broken record here, but look! Rango did it!

In the mean time... Shut up, press. And to the LA Times writer, animation is not genre. How many times does it have to be said?

March Animation News Roundup

The month isn't over yet, but I thought I'd cover a few things I missed over the last few weeks. It's a been rather slow month for the blog, so I apologize. Been toying around with a new one that's not necessarily meant to be like this. This one is what I call the "extra rambly" blog, where stuff I deem not so suitable for this blog goes...

Anyways, what's my take on a few new things?

First up, the official trailer for DreamWorks' Turbo! Just in time for The Croods too, which is getting positive reception. The Chris Sanders-Kirk DeMicco film looks like another winner for the studio.

Since it's not on YouTube yet (DreamWorks is removing trailers that anyone is posting on copyright grounds for some reason), you can watch it on iTunes Movie Trailers.

What do I think of this trailer? I can buy the silly premise. Some have said that this film is essentially Cars and Ratatouille combined... Yeah, maybe the film has similar plot elements to Pixar's rat tale but it seems a little simpler. The snail just wants to go fast and race with cars, unless the movie reveals that there is more to that. Nice animation, good color scheme and some surprisingly funny parts. Yes, this film actually looks decent! I'll gladly take back any skepticism I had towards it.

The release date of the film was also changed. Originally set to open on July 19th, it's been moved two days forward, so you can catch this new DreamWorks film on a Wednesday!

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Next up... A new trailer for Despicable Me 2!

I will be honest, I enjoyed this trailer as well. Sure it looks a bit generic and it will be harmless at best, but it looks funny and cute like its predecessor. I'm also glad that it has a decent plot too. This ought to be an enjoyable flick at best.

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Who is scoring Pixar's The Good Dinosaur? Looks like John Powell is no longer onboard, this time it's none other than Thomas Newman!

Newman also provided the scores for Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Both scores are pure excellence. I have no doubt that his Good Dinosaur score will also be fabulous. I was really excited to see what John Powell would bring to the table for a Pixar film, but I'm fine with Newman assuming the job.

And of course, The Good Dinosaur opens on May 30, 2014.

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Last but not least... The piece de resistance of recent animation news... A new hand-drawn Mickey Mouse short!

I could probably ramble about this for paragraphs and paragraphs... Let's just put it this way: I'm glad to see that Disney is bringing Mickey and friends back in a proper fashion. They haven't gotten such treatment since House of Mouse, and that was over a decade ago. If you ask me, this is the best Mickey short since 1995's Runaway Brain. The design... The design is great.

It mixes the look of the original shorts (down to the title cards, too!) with a minimalist new style. This style has already gotten praise, but it's also gotten a lot of detractors. It certainly is a lot more modern, but I think it does its job. It's modern enough for today's audiences while still having a classic feel to it.

The short was designed by Paul Rudish, who worked with Genndy Tartakovsky on his three animated shows: Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack and Star Wars: Clone Wars. He is also the co-creator of Tartakovsky's unfairly canceled Sym-Bionic Titan. I always admired Tartakovsky's style, so it was nice to see Disney Animation try it on for a Mickey short. This is actually the first in a series of 19 new shorts which will air on television.

If anything, Disney should attach one of the shorts to their upcoming Frozen or maybe another film on their slate. People need to see good hand-drawn animation like this, and I could care less what Bob Iger said at the shareholder meeting concerning traditional animation... It's coming back. It may take some time, but it is coming.

Aside from the design, the short itself is funny. The lack of dialogue made it work for me, proving that you can still entertain without exposition. Everything else works well... The Cinderella bit was also priceless.

The series starts on June 28th on the Disney Channel. Definitely looking forward to this...

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What's your take on this news? Did you like the trailers for Despicable Me 2 and Turbo? Or not? Do you think the new Mickey Mouse short is genius? Or is it the opposite? How do you feel about Thomas Newman providing the score for Pixar's upcoming film?

Sound off below!

A Big Year?

I've been thinking this for a while. The more we find out about the animated films being released next year, the more excitement... 2014 is loaded. Literally. 2014 is packed with so much promise. If you ask me, this could be another fine year for animation and perhaps its biggest.

When I think of great years in animation, I think of years like 2010. That particular year had several very impressive animated films, and many of them were big hits. Toy Story 3, Tangled, How To Train Your Dragon and Despicable Me all satisfied and impressed audiences, animation fans and critics. Even an arguably lesser effort like Shrek Forever After got some form of positive reception. I mean, being "better than Shrek the Third" probably doesn't say much for the series' finale, but it didn't get all around negative reception. Megamind, though I saw it as a somewhat failed experiment, got good marks from critics and was a sizable success. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole may not have been good, but give the studio props for aiming for a story that was darker in tone, not to mention the great visuals.

Then I look at 2011, and we have impressive entries like Rango, Winnie the Pooh, Arthur Christmas and The Adventures of Tintin mixed with low quality efforts like Mars Needs Moms, The Smurfs and Happy Feet Two. 2012 was a step up, though we still had some merely passable films here and there. This year looks like it'll be the same, some critical and commercial hits mixed with some duds. I mean after all, this year does contain the likes of The Smurfs 2 and Escape from Planet Earth. We also have no idea how films like Despicable Me 2 and Turbo will turn out. It's an "it can go either way" deal with those kinds of films.

Though this may sound biased, I personally think 2014 is animation's next big year. A year where most of the work will impress in some way, and also dominate at the box office for the most part. 2010 did just that, and maybe 2014 can do it to. The domestic box office performances of all of 2010's animated batch put together is $1.5 billion, making it, money-wise, animation's biggest year at the North American box office to date. The previous record was held by 2006, a year that was packed with animated features.

From the looks of it, I think that 2014's line-up suggests so much potential. So what are the films? Well if you don't follow animation news, here's the rundown of what's coming next year:

LEGO: The Motion Picture

Animal Logic / LEGO

February 7, 2014

Initially, I had mixed feelings towards this film. A LEGO film could either be plain fun or a film that's only good for children and no one else. Also, what person doesn't want to see a LEGO film? What person did not enjoy LEGO sets when they were young? I think if the studio does this right, it'll be perfect for kids and it'll be perfect for everyone else. It's also a film that doesn't need to be more than what it is, so I'm not expecting too much out of it.

The premise? An average joe LEGO figure apparently might be the one who will save the universe from a massive evil force. Sounds generic, but the announcements said that the character will team up with some colorful allies and Batman... Yes, Batman. It's clear that this film is going to take full advantage of its setting and tone, and if you ask me, that'll make for a fun ride. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are directing it. Enough said. If it doesn't necessarily succeed in the story department, it's sure to be a riot from start to finish. This has a lot going for it.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman

DreamWorks Animation

March 14, 2014

One of the reasons I may have seemed a bit harsh on this film is because it seems a lot lighter than some of the studio's recent attempts at big, heartfelt films. Films that could arguably rival Pixar, such as How To Train Your Dragon and Rise of the Guardians. Well I don't expect Peabody to reach such heights, and as such, it should be a solid good film when taken on its own terms. The only other thing that turned me off was the fact that it's a re-imagining of something people knew many decades ago.

This was done once in a blue moon before the success of Alvin of the Chipmunks in 2007, but nowadays this trend is everywhere. It's to the point where it's gotten annoying, but I trust DreamWorks. I doubt that the studio and director Rob "Lion King" Minkoff will deliver a cynical, crass and shallow piece of trash where the titular characters talk in hip slang, rap and crack lame kiddie fare jokes every five seconds. The cast is impressive too, boasting talent such as Mel Brooks himself! With its new release date, the team will have more than enough time to iron out any possible setbacks.

Rio 2

Blue Sky Studios

April 11, 2014

Rio seems to have split animation fans from what I've gathered. Some found it to be an enjoyable, cute flick while others thought it was just plain mediocre. Either that, or people were simply angry because Pixar's Newt got cancelled for possibly being too similar to this. Me? I personally enjoyed Rio, and while it had its cringeworthy moments, I found it to be a treat. I liked the animation for the most part. The designs of the different birds were great, not so much the humans. I liked the story, a few of the songs were catchy and most of the comedy worked. The audience I saw it with on opening weekend had a fun time and applauded twice during the film. Again, I wasn't expecting it to be an emotional powerhouse that would rival something like Toy Story 3. I was expecting fun, and that's what I got.

Rio 2, I'm a bit skeptical of. Yes the first was fun and that's all I expect from the sequel, but I just hope the team at Blue Sky don't go the route of the Ice Age sequels. Nothing is more frustrating than animated comedy that has a lot of funny moments, but also a boatload of gags that don't work. This is one I'm not terribly excited about it, but I think it could make for good fun. A nice little matinee before the heavy-hitters kick in.

The Good Dinosaur

Pixar Animation Studios

May 30, 2014

How many more times can I rave about this film? I fell in love with the concept when it was unveiled back in the summer of 2011. I was beyond excited when I heard that it would be directed by Bob Peterson, instead of someone who already directed a Pixar film. The concept art that was unveiled was gorgeous. Also, it's Pixar. That's pretty much it. You might argue, "But Pixar has been slipping lately! Didn't you see Cars 2 and Brave?" I did, and I don't believe the studio is slipping. I've made it clear many times before that I don't see a "Pixar rut" coming any time soon. Cars 2 was what it was, it obviously wasn't going to be great. Brave had its faults, but can you blame it? It was a problematic production. You'd be surprised how many animated films were troubled productions.

I'm confident that this film will be like their other films. Sure Brave ran into difficulties and it may not have been the film it could've been, but that doesn't mean this film will automatically be plagued by production problems. It could turn out to be another excellent endeavor from the studio. Why should two films, one of which that was most likely not going to be anything Pixar-like, influence how we anticipate Pixar's upcoming work? I say don't worry and hope for the best.

Ninja Turtles

Nickelodeon Movies / Platinum Dunes

June 6, 2014

In all honesty, can I just skip this one? IMDb lists it as an animated film, but I've been hearing that it will be live action. Will it be a hybrid like The Smurfs? Or not? Please oh pretty please can I skip this? I mean, every announcement has just upset many. Look whose working on it... Jonathan Liebesman, who directed such great classics like Battle: Los Angeles and Wrath of the Titans, will be at the helm. Michael Bay is producing. Grrrreat. Megan Fox was cast as April O'Neil. Wonderful... If you can't tell I'm being sarcastic, then I'll break it to you this way: It's going to be a disaster. It's been obvious since day one. I have no desire to see it, and I'm not even a fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to begin with!

I will say one thing though, the title is actually fitting. This is not "Teenage Mutant" Ninja Turtles. Peter Laird, the franchise's co-creator, is apparently against the film. Very telling if you ask me. What are you left with? A movie that'll anger the fans that probably won't appeal to non-fans. Maybe kids will go see it, since the new series is a hit, but... Yeah...

How To Train Your Dragon 2

DreamWorks Animation SKG

June 20, 2014

Yes, we all know How To Train Your Dragon was DreamWorks' most critically successful film to date. It was beloved by many, and it won skeptics over. DreamWorks had made a film that was more than impressive. A film that didn't have hit music, potty humor or pop culture references. Despite its many setbacks, How To Train Your Dragon has a sincerity and golden heart to it that helps you overlook its problems. I bet that's because Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois directed it. One thing I loved about Dragon was the setting; the whole idea of a world where dragons exist opens up the doors to many new possibilities. I wanted to know more about the setting, and hopefully the sequel delivers in that department.

But I also want a good story, and one that's stronger than the one in the first film. I also want a better screenplay. No pointless exposition or modern slang dialogue. The film will take place five years after the first one, so maybe Hiccup and the other kids won't talk like your typical high schoolers. Maybe. Will we see all different kinds dragons? Will we see other settings beyond Berk? Since DreamWorks went big for Kung Fu Panda 2, I suspect that How To Train Your Dragon 2 will be a bigger and much more epic film than its predecessor. So much to look forward to!

Popeye

Sony Pictures Animation

September 26, 2014

Why in the world would I anticipate a computer animated re-imagining of Elzie Crisler Segar's legendary sailor man? One from Sony Pictures Animation no less? Well, for starters you have Genndy Tartakovsky directing it. Tartakovsky did a fine job with making computer animation "cartoony" in Hotel Transylvania, an extension of what we saw in films like Madagascar. Despite what some may think, computer animation can do what the funniest Golden Age cartoons did. The medium is not limited by the naturalism or realism, and Tartakovsky proved that. I personally think that computer animation has a little ways to go in order to capture zaniness and slapstick seen in hand-drawn cartoons, but it'll get there. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Hotel Transylvania were an indication that it can.

That all being said, Popeye also worries me. While I have no doubt that Tartakovsky will make it a lively, energetic film; I also fear that it may lack what made the short subjects so great. With films like Alvin and the Chipmunks, there wasn't much to live up to. With something like Popeye, there is a lot to live up to. Also remember that during the Golden Age, nobody copied one another. The Fleischer shorts have a distinct look to them that wasn't anything like Disney or Warner Bros. cartoons. They were grounded in a modern day setting with no old timey look nor a lavish one. Since Tartakovsky respects classic animation, he may make his Popeye film resemble those brilliant shorts. But something tells me that he'll be getting lots and lots of notes from the higher ups to make it a safe, audience-friendly picture. You never know, he may not listen.

Book of Life

Reel FX Creative Studios / Fox Animation Studios

October 10, 2014

After Reel FX enters the competitive world of animated films with their debut feature Turkeys this November, they'll serve up this spooky-themed computer animated film. Guillermo del Toro is producing it, and it'll be directed by Jorge R. Gutierezz (the creator of the short-lived Nickelodeon series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera). Reports say it'll be a Romeo and Juliet-esque love story that's in a Day of the Dead setting. The working title was actually Day of the Dead, but it was probably changed to avoid confusion with Pixar's upcoming "Day of the Dead" project. With a smart choice of release date, this film could actually be a hit in Mexico if it doesn't do well here. Given its subject matter, it probably won't. Animated films with a creepy flare don't translate to box office gold here, unless it's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

I'm already interested in it, and it seems like a risky turn for an up-and-coming studio (well granted, Reel FX was doing VFX, short films and direct-to-video titles before this). It already sounds good and it's got some good talent behind it. Keep an eye out for it in the coming months.

The Boxtrolls

LAIKA

October 17, 2014

LAIKA's two films, Coraline and ParaNorman, were animation game-changers. The Boxtrolls will be no different. The revealed synopsis and cast already excite me, in fact this could be my most anticipated animated film for the year. It'll combine stop motion richness and computer animation, so it'll make for a cool hybrid. If anything, I'm excited for the trailer alone. I just want to see what this thing will look like. I expect the writing to be whip-smart, after all, Coraline and ParaNorman had great writing.

Big Hero 6

Walt Disney Animation Studios / Marvel Studios

November 7, 2014

I've been anticipating this one since it was announced. Again, Walt Disney Animation Studios branching out and doing a superhero film. A Marvel Comics adaptation no less. Disney Animation's President talked about how Disney will be trying new things with their output, and Wreck-It Ralph was proof. Big Hero 6 reminds me of something like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, but unlike that 2001 film, the creative team won't have narrow-minded executives ruining their work. The studio's output nowadays is very good because of this. Executives ruined films like Dinosaur, Atlantis and Treasure Planet. This is not the case anymore. I also hope it will be a hand-drawn film. Please Disney, make it hand-drawn.

Happy Smekday!

DreamWorks Animation SKG

November 26, 2014

I'll admit, I'm not too excited about this. I never read the book it's based on (Adam Rex's The True Meaning of Smekday), but the plot to that juvenile novel sounds interesting: An alien race called the Boov take over the world and change Christmas to "Smekday", meanwhile a human girl and one of the Boov become friends and go on adventures together; they ultimately end up having to save the world. The cast currently consists of Jim Parsons and Rihanna, the latter can't act and shouldn't be providing voice overs in animated films in my opinion. Again, it feels like DreamWorks is going back to their old roots by casting big names, but... The idea and setting could make for a very good-looking film. I'd like to see DreamWorks take a good stab at sci-fi, a genre often avoided by the animation industry due to many misguided films.

Minions

Illumination Entertainment

December 19, 2014

Allow me to get one thing out of the way. I am not a fan of Illumination or their apparent business model, despite the fact that I really enjoyed Despicable Me. In fact I enjoyed it enough that I got the Blu-ray of it, and I don't regret that purchase. It's a very cute and appealing movie, and it's the rare exception where an animated family film takes so many things that are typically seen in these kinds of films and makes them work without ever feeling tired. Others may feel differently about it, but in my eyes, Despicable Me was pure fun and entertainment done right. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax on the other hand, well... Let's just say the Despicable Me formula did not work and only undermined Seuss' book and its message.

This is why I'm not worried at all about Despicable Me 2. In fact, I enjoyed the trailer for the film, so it could be alright. Then again, will the schtick that worked the first time around work in the second one? Maybe. Maybe not. However, I worry a bit about this one. How much Minion silliness can we handle? 90 minutes? It's clear that Illumination is only after the money with this one, and it's sure to be a huge hit with kids. The fan in me wants to see the studio ditch all conventions and try something different, but we all know they won't. So Minions... It could be fun, but it just feels so crass. Who knows, they may prove me wrong come December 2014.

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Which of these films are looking forward to? Which ones are you not looking forward to?

Do you 2014 will be a great year for animation? Or a simply good one? Or do you think it'll be a disappointing year?

Sound off below!

2013's Animated Film Line-Up: What We Know So Far

Now that 2012 is almost over, let's take a look at next year's offerings. What do we know so far about the animated films opening in twenty thirteen? What do you think of the results so far?

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Escape from Planet Earth
Distributed by The Weinstein Company
Studio: Rainmaker Entertainment
Opening February 24, 2013

I’ll be completely honest here, the trailer didn’t make my eyes burn. That says a lot coming from an animated film from a distributor who is notoriously bad when it comes to animation. That doesn’t mean, however, that I liked it. Escape from Planet Earth looks so generic in every way, and the animation is nothing special. Also, is it just me, or does this film look like a giant commercial for 7-Eleven?

The Croods
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG
Opening March 22, 2013

With the two trailers we have gotten alongside numerous images, The Croods looks like it’ll be another beautifully-made animated film that goes the safe route. It’s got that written all over it from the seemingly phoned-in story to the hit-or-miss gags. That being said, the trailers for this might be totally misleading and the film will turn out to be a smart, heartfelt animated adventure for the whole family. It’s what I’m personally hoping for, especially since this was directed by Chris Sanders and the fact that DreamWorks’ recent films are impressive. Please prove me wrong again!

Epic
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Studio: Blue Sky Studios
Opening May 24, 2013

So both trailers have a generally moody tone, grand-scale visuals, lots of action and pretty animation. But... There’s still an annoying, wisecracking slug that’ll induce more frustration than laughs. Also, our lead seems rather cardboard and the motives of the villains are unclear. However, this film is not out until May, so maybe another trailer will clear things up. Or, the film itself will be better than what the trailers suggest. For now, it just seems like Fox is trying to tell audiences, “This is no Ice Age” though the irritating slug contradicts that.

Monsters University
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
Opening June 21, 2013

Only a teaser and a promo of sorts (haven't seen what they attached to the Monsters, Inc. 3D yet), but the viral marketing is good and the stills we have gotten shows that this will probably be a more comedic film from Pixar, but with the same doses of heart and sincerity that define their films. When will we get a good, full trailer? I'm guessing somewhere around the release of Oz: The Great and Powerful. Disney better start marketing this one if they want another Toy Story 3-sized success.

Despicable Me 2
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Studio: Illumination Entertainment
Opening July 3, 2013

The recent trailer shows that it’ll be about aliens. You can either say it’s cheap and desperate, or an attempt to do what the first film didn’t. Either way, it looks like cute fun much like its predecessor. I’m not expecting anything more out of it, I’m just hoping it isn’t as shallow as The Lorax. Fun brainless animated comedies aren't always a bad thing, but a lot of animation fans probably dislike them because there's too many of them and a lot of them are forgettable. Despicable Me wasn't to these eyes, so hopefully this one will deliver.

Turbo

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Opening July 19, 2013

The teaser was cute, I'll admit that. How the story will play out is beyond me. Again, this could take its crazy premise and do good with it. I trust DreamWorks with it, so I'm hoping the next trailer delivers. Not much we can say about this at the moment, but a new trailer will probably be out in February or March. I'm thinking March more than anything, since DreamWorks' The Croods opens the 22nd.

The Smurfs 2

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation / The Kerner Entertainment Company

Opening July 31, 2013

What do we know? It'll be just like the first one. Egh.

Planes
Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures
Studio: DisneyToon Studios
Opening August 9, 2013

All we know is what the story will be, and that John Lasseter is involved with the project. (Lasseter, I admire you, but this is your weakness!) There's a teaser as well, that does have competent animation, but that's about it. That being said, I don't expect anything good out of this. Yes, I do have a thing against the direct-to-video Disney sequels. Planes can be okay fun for all I care, but like I said, is a theatrical release really necessary?

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Distributed by Columbia Pictures

Studio: Sony Pictures Animation

Opening September 27, 2013

Very little has been announced about this sequel to Sony Animation's 2009 hit, and now that it's on track for an earlier release (it was originally penciled in for February 7, 2014), we should be getting some details by now. The original directors aren't returning so I'm not getting my hopes up. The same applies to Hotel Transylvania 2.

Ignore the "Spring 2014" at
the bottom. This is an older
image.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: DreamWorks Animation SKG

Opening November 1, 2013

Just some story details and an image of the two leads themselves. A teaser should arrive by March, following DreamWorks' 2010 film pattern. Until then, we don't know much.

Frozen

Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures

Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios

Opening November 27, 2013

Aside from some lovely concept art and other cast and crew details, there's no teaser or anything. Here's hoping one comes soon. I don't want to have to wait until June to see a teaser.

Walking with Dinosaurs 3D

Distributed by 20th Century Fox

Studio: Animal Logic / BBC Earth / BBC Worldwide

Evergreen Films / Reliance Big Entertainment

No word on this one. Not for a while. Will it still be distributed by Fox? Is it still on track for a December 20th release? We haven't heard anything for a long time. Interestingly enough, this will be co-directed by Barry Cook (who directed Mulan, co-directed Arthur Christmas and worked at Disney as an effects animator).

Unscheduled 2013 Releases

Currently, the three Weinstein Company animated releases scheduled to be released this year are up in the air. Leo the Lion, The Trick or Treaters and Santapprentice originally had release dates set but have disappeared. It's possible that the Weinstein Company may jump ship on these films and give them to another distributor, if not, maybe these said films aren't even in production yet. We saw a teaser poster and got some information on Escape from Planet Earth many months in advance, but nothing for the planned August release of Leo the Lion. No cast details or anything else. Methinks these will go direct-to-video.

Another odd case is Dino Time, a 2010 South Korean animated feature that was supposed to be released here in the states earlier this month. The dreadful, vomit-inducing trailer showed up before every (exaggeration) family-friendly film. It was being distributed by Clarius Entertainment, a company that only has two film listings on IMDb (this one being the first of which). Commercials were released as well, but sites like Box Office Mojo had no mention of the movie. Apparently it's been quietly pushed back to 2013, but this one may end up going straight to video. It was going to be a very limited release anyway.

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What do you think of 2013's animated output so far? What films are looking forward to? Which ones will you skip? Sound off!

Minion Mania

Illumination Entertainment... It's only been two years since they've released their first film in theaters. The three films they've produced all cost much less than what most animated films cost these days, they do very well at the box office and they're backed by incredibly aggressive marketing that pushes cutesy and candy-coated visuals down your throat. Kids love them, big time. Adults and teenagers found joy in Despicable Me, but Hop was for kids and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax was no different than Despicable Me with its paint-by-numbers writing and again, zany antics and visuals. Despicable Me 2 comes out next summer. That will probably be no different as well. What's next?

A Despicable Me spin-off film about the minions...

Slated for release in 2014, this is yet again another safe bet for Illumination. With Despicable Me 2 locked to do extremely well overseas and domestically, it's obvious that the little yellow creatures will be another money pot for the studio. Sure, the minions are cute and they certainly made Despicable Me a lot of fun, but having a whole film about them? That probably won't work well, but Universal and Illumination don't care. The kids will eat it up. Illumination is clearly the candy factory of the feature animation world, pumping out cheap, silly entertainment that aims at children first unlike the Pixar, Disney and DreamWorks films. Even Blue Sky and Sony to some extent.

That said, this will do it's job. Illumination is the most business-oriented studio of all the big guns, and boy do they reel in the dough each time out. The fact that their upcoming films are based on things we grew up with (minus the adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Pluto, who knows what they'll do with that) or pre-existing source material for children proves this. All three of their films are no different from each other, despite the fact that Despicable Me was at least fresh and fun when it first came out.

Anyways, are you looking forward to a Minions spin-off? Or do you think it's a pointless cash grab?