Discuss: Are We in a Golden Age of Animation?

GSBot · July 21, 2009, 4:30pm

Are we in a golden age of animation? To start, Pixar just keeps getting better and better; critics almost unanimously voted WALL-E](http://www.cinematical.com/2008/06/25/review-wall-e/) the best picture of 2008 – not just the best animated film, but the best film. And their new Up](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/29/review-up/) has racked up nearly equal praise. So far two of the best films I’ve seen in 2009 are animated features, Henry Selick’s Coraline](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/02/06/review-coraline/) and Nina Paley’s Sita Sings the Blues](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/10/400-screens-400-blows-see-sita-sings-the-blues/). Coraline was filmed in stop-motion 3D, and Sita was mostly hand-drawn with some computer assist. Filmmakers seem to have perfected 3D this year, not only in live-action features, but in animated features like Coraline, Monsters vs. Aliens](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/03/27/review-monsters-vs-aliens/), Battle for Terra](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/05/09/review-battle-for-terra/) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs](http://www.cinematical.com/2009/07/01/review-ice-age-dawn-of-the-dinosaurs/).

Computer animation, which recently looked like it was going to take over for good, has now simply become one of the many tools an animator can use: Disney has gone back to hand-drawn this year with the upcoming The Princess and the Frog](The Princess and the Frog (2009) - Movie | Moviefone), and Hayao Miyazaki’s hand-drawn Ponyo](http://www.moviefone.com/movie/ponyo/37682/main) is also opening Stateside soon. And best of all, some animated features are being aimed at grown-ups, such as Sita Sings the Blues and Tatia Rosenthal’s terrific $9.99]($9.99 (2009) - Movie | Moviefone). In recent years, even the Oscar-nominated short films have been released to theaters as a collection. And there are still at least half-a-dozen more big films coming out by the end of the year (including 9](http://www.moviefone.com/movie/9/29483/main), Astro Boy](Astro Boy (2009) - Movie | Moviefone), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs](Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) - Movie | Moviefone), The Fantastic Mr. Fox, etc.)