Okay this is probably going to get me a lot of heat. I am about to open Pandora's Box of animation discussion, but first hear me out. I am a huge fan of animated films and Dreamworks Animation isn't my first choice to get my fix, but something is changing. I am not a fan of just one studio, instead I am a fan of good story with a good concept. My recent favorites have been from Pixar such as films like Wall-E, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and The Toy Story series. My other favorites are from Disney mostly. Okay before we start all my opinions, I have conceived for a while and has nothing to do with the recent release of Cars 2, so don't think I am bagging on Pixar or any other studio.
First thing I don't understand is, why is there so much hate for Dreamworks Animation? They are a very good studio and they usually put out quality work, like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon. Well actually, I can understand because during a certain period of time they did put out low quality work such as Shark Tales and Shrek the Third. However I like to think that they just had a dark age sort of like Disney did after Walt died and during the change of the millennium.Even during their dark times Dreamworks managed to release a good movie like Over the Hedge, which got lost in the low quality films. I'll admit that they get a little formulaic with the success of Shrek. They started making films that imitated the humor, but couldn't match the heart. But I think they are coming out of that dark phase and entering a new more enlightened phase,
Okay before we get to in depth, I want to talk about Pixar, a studio that Dreamworks has lived in the shadow of for a long time. Pixar is an amazing studio that puts out high quality work that has brilliant comedy, lovable characters, and heartfelt stories, however, I think they too are getting formulaic. They are riding the success they had with Toy Story. I'm not talking about rehashing the story of Toy Story or playing off its humor, instead I'm talking about the buddy comedy story aspect. All of Pixar's films aside from A Bug's Life has been about a duo out to do something unimaginable. It's not that they make bad films, but the films get exhausting. After watching a Pixar film I feel like I was on a magical trip, but the experience often feels to familiar, kind of like a Disney princess film. I wish that they would do something different, which looks to be Brave, that would feel fresh and take the studio to new heights.
Overall I think the industry is sort of stuck in one place and animated films aren't going to new heights unless someone takes it to a new level. All animated films have been doing similar things to Pixar, such as making buddy comedies . All mainstream animated films tend to be comedies, they touch upon darker subject, but never become to serious. I don't mind comedies, but I would love to see a more serious animated film, something that goes beyond gags. I know it is a industry mainly for kids, but I want to see at least something more, not asking for sex, violence, or profanity, but something more dark or serious.
The only studio that I think that can go to that next level is probably Dreamworks. You guys are probably thinkin, "Dreamworks...really? The guys that make movies with potty humor and pop culture references...really?" And to answer you guys, yes. Yes I think they can take animation to a more serious and different path. Look at it this way before Shrek came along characters were always appealing, sweat, innocent, and nice. After Shrek, characters are a little more raunchy, a little more aggressive, a little more real, and they truly did make the first unlikely hero. Imagine without Shrek, do you think a old man could be seen as a hero. Another reason is because they have gone to that point before, with movies like Antz and The Prince of Egypt, for gods sake they made a movie about Moses. They may have copied A Bugs Life with Antz, but they made it a mature tale of class-ism and took it to that dark place. Even with recent movie like How to Train Your Dragon they managed to make a serious movie with some funny intelligently placed one liners. Dragons was one of the most serious movies I've seen in a long time. They even managed to put some dark moments into Kung fu Panda 2. They have the ability and the guts to take animation to another level, unlike Pixar and Disney who are to concerned with their image. The biggest factor of this company has been the acquisition of acclaimed director, producer, writer Guillermo del Toro who I think can take the studio to that mature and dark place. He is the equivalent to John Lasseter and can be a game changer for Dreamworks. Plus they have the brilliant mind of Jeffery Katzenberg, say what you want, but he is smart. He took Disney to a point of glory that animation hasn't reached in a while and under his supervision Disney got the first animated film to be nominated for best picture and Dreamworks became the first studio to win the best animated film category.
Dreamworks may have had a dark period, where they were trying to copy and ride the success of Pixar and Disney and even the success of their own franchise, but I think they have found their own identity. They have been making hit original movies since 2008 that have good story, concept, humor, and have found the perfect balance. Last year they released 3 movies all of which were either decent (Shrek 4), great (the under appreciated Megamind), and amazing (How to Train Your Dragon). They have a few more sequels in the works, but everything starting from 2013 will all be original aside from the dragons sequel. I think in the next few years we'll begin to see a shift in the industry and I think Dreamworks is going to be leading the change.
I want to read what you guys think, so comment below.
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