A recent review of the new Pixar film Ratatouille said that to watch this film is to realize that we are in another golden-age of American animation.  I haven’t seen the film yet, but it’s been getting very good reviews, and I am pumped to go see it.  Over the past decade, Pixar films have taken the film industry by storm, pumping out hit after hit after hit.  Their resume speaks for itself: Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters INC, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars.  That Cars (generally agreed to be their weakest) is as good as it is is testimony to just how good these films are, and it’s no surprise to hear such strong positive feedback from their new film. 

I think just by Pixar’s presence alone, we are entering into a new golden-age of animation, at least from Disney.  The best news though is that Pixar-head John Lasseter is now over all the animation projects from Disney.  To have such strong creativity heading up the animation studios is very promising.  But he’s already made two very big switches in the way Disney animation works:

1.  Lasseter is commited to bringing back traditional, hand-drawn, 2-D cartoons.  I love the 3-D stuff, but I do think it’s sad that the movie studios’ embracing of it seems to have made the cartoon-styles I grew up with obsolete.  It’d be weird to live in a world that hasn’t had any new 2-D cartoons in years or decades.  I think there’s room for both, and so I’m glad Lasseter is making it happen.

2.  This is probably the best change: no more crappy direct-to-video sequels of classic Disney films.  I’ve always hated this about Disney.  Does anyone honestly believe that a sequel to Aladdin or The Lion King would not fare well in the theatres?  Because they’re DTV, the quality obviously stinks.  The animation is worse and the stories are so-so at best.  In addition to that, the fact that they’re also making sequels to Disney’s oldest and most beloved cartoons cheapens these old films as well as make Disney look like they’re running out of ideas.  I’m so happy that the children who first saw Cinderella back in 1950 can now FINALLY see the epic conclusion to the Cinderella Trilogy which was released this year.  Lasseter recognizes how stupid this is and more importantly, the money these bring in is not worth the reputation of these beloved films.  If you’re going to make a cartoon, do it right.  That’s the Lasseter way!

So here’s hoping to the new golden-age of American animation.