R2D2's Ultimate Top 10 Countdown Of The 2000s #3 - Animated Films.

[For the last 10 days of the decade, I'm doing a Top 10 list a day, all culminating into an ultimate post of Top 10 lists. We have previously seen Top 10 Comedies and Dramas. Now we're moving on.]

Top 10 Animated Films of the 2000s

It's Christmas Eve, a day children everywhere want to wish upon a star and believe in magic and the fantastic. So what a better genre to discuss on this most wishful of days than animated films? Sure, animation can span many genres and many languages. But no matter if it was sci-fi, fantasy, foreign, or whatever, if it's animated, it's on this particular list. That being said, let's get to it (as a note, it was surprisingly easy to list these in 'countdown' order... until the top 3).

10. Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children (2005)

I place this in the #10 spot for one simple reason: it's geared only towards those who've played the video game. If you've never played FF7, you probably wouldn't understand (nor would you be watching) Advent Children. But I wanted to include it on this list. Why? First, because it was a long-time coming, highly anticipated story. Second, because regardless of whether or not you understand the movie, the animation is freakin' amazing. Advancing on the technology used in Spirits Within, Advent Children takes it to a whole new level, making it much more realistic. And for those who have played the game, the movie is a real treat. The action is stunning, the music is great... the story itself is so-so, but who cares? It's an FF7 movie with amazing animation.

9. The Incredibles (2004)

I know this movie would probably make a bunch of a lists. It's a good one. Families of superheroes and the drama around them keeping quiet. Jason Lee as a villain. Jokes about capes. It's all here, and it's a wonderful film.

8. Shrek (2001)

Can you make this list without including Shrek? Of the series thus far, I've really only cared for the first one. It's your classic fairy tale turned on its head, making the monster a hero, the 'hero' an idiot, the sidekick a donkey, and the princess... well, you know. And you gotta love all the fairy tales walking around. If you're any kind of fairy tale fan, this movie is great just for that aspect. But what's really at the heart of the film is the friendship between Shrek and Donkey. I think if they hadn't made it as heartwarming as it was, the film would not have worked like it did.

7. Titan A.E. (2000)

This is probably one of the 'earliest' films on any of my lists. It'll probably not show up on anybody else's either (I seem to have a knack for picking those kinds of films). But it's one I really enjoy. I love the sci-fi aspect of it, trying to create a new world after the old one was destroyed. There's action, comedy, romance... it's all there. The animation is really good, too. And the voice cast is excellent: Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, Drew Barrymore, Ron Pearlman... hell, even Tone Loc is in this (remember him?). Not to mention Jim Cummings, who has a voice role in another film on this list, as well. It's just an all-around fun film with great animation. Completely underrated, in my opinion.

6. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

This was one of the first movies I rented through Netflix. Now usually, I watch a movie once and send it back. I think by the time I sent this film back, I had watched it at least 3-4 times. This is the first anime film on my list, as well. The story is, apparently, a well-known one in Japan. It's the story of a girl who, after having an incredibly bad day ending with almost dying, finds she has the ability to throw herself back in time. At first, she keeps redoing the same day over and over until she likes where she's at. Then she gets to the point where she just does it with important things. There are funny little moments where she tries to stop certain things from happening (like a friend telling her he loves her). But, of course, there are consequences to her actions that she must face. And there is so much more to the story I'm not saying. It sounds like a sci-fi movie, but it's really a drama. The film's main focus is on the relationship between the girl and her friends (and a bit on her family). The first time I saw it, I was a little confused toward one character (the 'aunt'), but I later found out this is kind of a sequel to the actual story, while being the same story anyway, but the 'aunt' character was the original girl. That made parts of the film make much more sense. Still, it's an amazing film with gorgeous animation... and I dare you not to feel emotional at the end.

5. Kung Fu Panda (2008)

I remember when this movie came out, I thought it was going to be one of the stupidest movies ever. But I was bored one day after it had been out for many weeks and decided to check it out. Boy, was I surprised. I totally loved the movie. The action was surprisingly fun, much like any other kung fu film. And while some of the secondary characters weren't very developed, their interactions were funny. I also remember sitting through this movie going "I recognize some of these voices..." and not being able to figure them out (besides the obvious Jack Black and Seth Rogen). And then when the closing credits started, I sat in awe at the star cast of vocals this movie had. Very fitting for such a good movie.

4. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

I didn't want to do this list until I had seen this movie. But now that I have, I went ahead and did this list. Similar to the previous film, I wasn't exactly hopping (no pun intended) out of my seat to go see this. But, yet again, I was wrong. The movie had some surprisingly adult moments, some incredibly sad moments, some really fun/funny moments, and some amazingly creepy/scary moments. The animation is classic. The songs are great. The villain is both fun and scary. The movie was a throwback to some of the more classic Disney films, but it made itself a new classic in the process.

3. Up (2009)

This is a film that would probably be on many people's lists, if not #1 spots. They took a risk with this film... centering a movie around a geriatric and a young, overweight Asian kid? But they somehow pulled it off. The film is highly emotional, and the first 10 or so minutes is incredibly sad and moving... probably more moving than some entire films as of late. The film is bursting with imagination, but more importantly, it's bursting with heart. And I think that's why it's so good.

2. WALL-E (2008)

Another film that's gonna end up on a lot of lists, possibly some #1 spots. In fact, it almost made my #1 spot, and it was tough trying to decide some order here. Similar to Up, they took some risks here. A children's movie with virtually no dialogue, especially in the first 20 or so minutes? A children's movie centering around a robot love story? A children's movie with a strong environmental message (I mean, we all remember Fern Gully)? But it worked. It all worked. Children and adults alike sat enthralled, completely taken in by WALL-E's naivety and childish wonderment. And then when EVE shows up, our hearts jump with glee to see WALL-E trying to impress this female robot. And in an age of sex and violence, we sit on the edge of our seats, just waiting for these two lovable robots to hold hands. Oh, not to mention the animation is astounding.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

It was tough trying to decide whether I should put this over WALL-E or not, but in the end, I think it deserved it. This is one influential little film... the first, if I recall correctly, anime to not only be nominated for an Academy Award, but win. Miyazaki is a genius at what he does, and it really all culminated together in this film. The animation is great and fills you with wonderment. The story is fantastic. The characters are complex. The morals aren't shoved down your throat, but are present. Even if you don't like anime, you should check out this film. If there was any anime film to see before you die, it's this one. And even if you don't like reading subtitles, I would actually go so far as to say that, for once, the dubbing isn't bad. They actually did pretty well with it, and I'll watch this movie either way. It's just full of imagination and completely inspiring. An all-around great film.


End Note: Please don't kill me for not including the likes of Finding Nemo or Ratatouille. Nemo's good, but doesn't really stick with me, and I've only seen Ratatouille once... a while back.

LKMYNTS: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.

Based on what is apparently the most-adapted novel in Japan, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time takes a somewhat different approached (or so I’m told), and not just because it’s anime. Makoto is a senior in the Japanese equivalent to high school, has no idea what she wants to do in life, and just plays baseball with her best friends, Chiaki and Kousuke. But during the worst day of her life (that should have actually ended with her death), Makoto discovers that she can travel back in time. Even ignoring the slight guidance given to her by her Auntie Witch, Makoto selfishly uses the ability on insignificant details that, like most time-travel movies, cause incredibly significant alterations. And things only get worse and more awkward when Chiaki decides to ask out Makoto, which she only wants to ignore as if it never happened, starting a rift in their friendship and their lives in general.

When I first read of this movie, and even when I started watching it, I felt it was something like mixing The Butterfly Effect with Groundhog Day. But it turned into something much more. This movie has such a realism to it for being a movie about time travel. Sure, it has the obligatory montage of her trying to make the same situations better time and time again (much like Groundhog Day), but unlike Groundhog Day, and more similar to The Butterfly Effect, even if she thinks she did a good thing in the past, not all good can come from it in the future. And the movie is much more focused on the relationships between the characters (primarily Makoto, Chiaki, and Kousuke) than the time traveling, which was a nice. It hasn’t been since WALL*E (even though this movie technically came out first) that an animated movie made me laugh, tense up in suspense, and nearly cry (sometimes within the same 5-10 minute frame).

Like most anime or foreign films, it’s much better with subtitles instead of dubbing. However, the dub wasn’t completely terrible, either. The English voice actors for Kousuke and especially Chiaki were really well done. But it was Makoto’s voice that was a bit stiff at times and could have been suited by a better actress (especially considering they got a 13 year old to do it, when the character is at least 17 or 18). But in its original Japanese language, it’s fine, though the subtitles have the tendency to move by very fast at times. There were moments where I had to pause or rewind the movie to see all of what was said. But that only happened on occasion.

Besides the story, however, the greatest things about this film were the visuals and the music. To start with the visuals, I’ve read a lot on this movie that say “It’s no Miyazaki” or “It’s just a throwback to a more classic anime style.” I think some of these people have gotten spoiled by Miyazaki’s style to the point where they can’t appreciate anybody else. This movie is beautiful. You can’t compare it to Miyazaki, anyway, as he does more fantasy-type films, while this is a more realistic (with a touch of sci-fi) film. And in a time when the majority of anime have giant robots, brooding themes and characters, endless bloody action, and dark settings, this movie is full of vibrant colors, rich tones, and some breathtaking scenes (such as any of the frozen time moments). And the music just added to it. It’s stunning when the beauty of the music matches up with the beauty of the visuals so well, and this movie perfects it. I could buy this orchestral/classical soundtrack and just listen in awe.

If there were any negatives to the film, it would lie in with the Auntie Witch character. As I said in the opening, they tried to do something a little different this time around (outside of animating it). They made this movie a pseudo-sequel to the book, but from what I’ve read, it’s one of those sequels that’s almost exactly like the original, except with different characters and a new setting. However, apparently, the Auntie Witch character was the main character from the book, who pretty much went through a lot of what Makoto does, so she references the occurances of the book every now and then (there’s a sequence near the beginning where she talks about how it’s normal for girls to time leap because she, too, did it when she was Makoto’s age. This threw me off completely, as I had no idea what that meant until after the movie). So yeah, if you’ve never read the book or don’t know anything about it, her inclusion in the movie is going to be pretty confusing. But another thing with her is that she always seems to know that Makoto can time leap, even if she traveled back in time to before she told her initially. Now, maybe it’s just that Makoto has to keep re-telling her, but they never address the issue in the movie. They also never show resolution with a particular other character whose life goes to crap due to the time alterations (but I think it’s easily assumed what happens because of what Makoto does without having to be shown).

Besides that, there’s only a couple other scenes near the end that only seemed to be there to lengthen the movie (which is only an hour and a half or so). There’s a pointlessly extended ‘running’ scene. There’s also an almost Return of the King-like ending where it just doesn’t feel like it’ll ever stop. But all in all, it was a beautiful film that I really do recommend. If you don’t like reading subtitles, there’s not a whole lot wrong with the dubbing outside of one or two voice actors (in fact, there are actually a couple very slight script alterations that I liked better in English than in Japanese. Otherwise, it’s almost exactly the same as the subtitles). It’s just that one of those voice actors to put up with is the main character. It’s a fun, heartfelt drama that’s mixed with some fun sci-fi (amazingly enough, the explanation for the time leaping doesn’t suck and is actually pretty good). So yeah. Check it out.

A Keanu 'Whoa'