Thoughts on animated features, which aren’t just for kids, and ‘Big Hero 6’, which is.
“But that’s an animated movie!” I hear some version of this when I say I’m going to watch… well, an animated movie. It’s surprising how, even today, so many people think that animated films are only for children – something like Rio, which is essentially a colourful diversion to keep kids occupied while you catch up on emails or something. And to them, a Rio is indistinguishable from something like Wreck-It Ralph or Toy Story 3, which, really, are targeted at adults. What tot could flash back to an era of arcade games or the end of childhood as depicted in these lovely films? To children, these would just be a swirl of movement and colour (so the keep-them-occupied goal is still achieved). It’s the adults who’d really get these movies.
But this business of ‘animation for adults’ doesn’t wash with the majority. Before and after the release of Kochadaiiyaan, I spoke to a number of people (about their expectations, and, later, about their experience of the film) – and I wish I had a rupee each time someone called it a “bommai padam” (literally, a film with dolls, but this could be taken to mean a kiddie-oriented animated feature; and where I say “feature,” most others use the word “cartoon,” irrespective of the length of the film, even if it’s something by Hayao Miyazaki). Here’s this huge superstar in this lavish production (okay, at least from reports), and all viewers could think of was… bommai padam.
Major amateur psychoanalysis-cum-sociological theorising alert: One of the reasons for this attitude is probably that we don’t have a culture of animated filmmaking in the country, and the animated entertainment we’ve grown up with – say, the Tom and Jerry cartoons, or the Spider-Man series – did have a made-for-children quality, with emphasis on momentary excitement rather than a drawn-out narrative. Of course, this did not prevent adults from seeing them, but they didn’t see these shows as adults – they saw them as kids, regressing to a blissed-out kid-like state of watching something for pure enjoyment and nothing else (in the sense that they didn’t have to process something like subtext, like in the Miyazaki movies). And because these shows came on television, the “meant for casual home viewing” label has possibly stuck. Hence the surprise when a grown-up declares he’s going to watch an animated feature in a movie hall.
So here’s a beginner’s list in case you want to check out animated features for adults: Yellow Submarine, if you’re a fan of The Beatles and high-on-LSD filmmaking; Persepolis, if you like social and, yes, political dramas (for more of the same, and with action, check out Waltz With Bashir); South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, if you can handle sacred-cow-roasting satire; Paprika, if you liked Inception and all that thrilling stuff about entering dreams (though this film came first); Waking Life, if you liked Richard Linklater’s Before films (this one too is by Linklater, and has an appearance by rotoscoped avatars of Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy); The Triplets of Belleville, if you like the comedies of Jacques Tati; Fantastic Mr. Fox (technically speaking, this is stop-motion animation), if you like the work of Wes Anderson; and since I mentioned Miyazaki, any of his films, like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke (which is being released on Blu-ray as we speak).
What set off this topic is my decision to head to a theatre that was showing Big Hero 6, and the reaction of a colleague, who looked genuinely puzzled and asked: “Why”? To indulge my inner child, that’s why. (Those of us who love animated features do not differentiate between the kiddie fare and the adult fare.) Big Hero 6 is squarely an aimed-at-kids movie, and the first thirty-odd minutes – featuring this insanely adorable robot named Baymax; I’m sorry, but if you don’t love him, you probably think puppies are overrated – are thoroughly delightful. Speaking of puppies, the short film (also animated) that preceded the main feature was equally wonderful, the story of an insanely adorable dog that loves to scarf down humongous quantities of food.
Baymax is the latest in a long line of supporting toons that steal the show (think Olaf the snowman in Frozen, or the minions in the awesome Despicable Me) – and he reminded me of E.T., with that same mix of love and other-worldly cluelessness. There’s even an E.T.-like scene where a youngster hurries Baymax past a distracted parent figure. Eventually, though, the film reminds us of less distinguished predecessors, with frantic action set pieces and an “origins” story. Yes, this is the 495th superhero film this year, and it’s getting tiresome. How strange that an animated film for kids is aping the more adult-oriented Hollywood product – then again, maybe this will make a few more adult Indian audiences go to a theatre to watch a… cartoon.
Lights, Camera, Conversation… is a weekly dose of cud-chewing over what Satyajit Ray called Our Films Their Films. An edited version of this piece can be found here. Copyright ©2014 The Hindu. This article may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.
ramitbajaj01
November 21, 2014
1. In the list, one can add Ratatouille as well, if one wants to know how art is created.
2. Some reviews said Big Hero 6 is a number one Oscar contender. Your thoughts please?
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prasanth
November 21, 2014
The sub-headline is correct. There are some films that speak to your inner child, but Big Hero 6 is not one of them. It felt more like a film that was superficially designed to be marketed towards children and lead to action figures, sequels, etc. This isn’t Miyazaki, or even Pixar, by a long shot.
One thing that stood out to me is how the film cheaply uses death at every point it needs any kind of emotion. Want the audience to feel sorry for the kid at the beginning? Need some emotion to get the plot going? Need a reason for a villain to be evil? Need an emotional climax? You get the point. It all just felt so….fake.
Another indication is how afraid the film is to linger on anything. The pacing is so breakneck, you can practically see the marketing guy saying “kids will lose interest if this goes on longer than ten seconds”. Meanwhile, kids pay attention during Miyazaki’s stretches of silence because he does not assume they can’t.
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Jitaditya
November 22, 2014
Paprika IS the ultimate movie on dreams…
Wondering if you have seen Mary n Max, which I consider to be a better Lunchbox…
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brangan
November 22, 2014
ramitbajaj01: Oh, I don’t know about the Oscar thing. But there isn’t really much competition in the animation category, is there?
prasanth: About using death cheaply, I kinda agree — but then that’s the nature of this beast. To me, this film is like “E.T.” in a way. Boy alienated from father/brother finds a non-human companion who gets separated at the end. But “E.T.” was a live action drama and it lingered on the emotions. Even though Elliot’s dad is never shown, his absence is constantly invoked. That kind of “lingering” isn’t possible in this kind of aggressive marketplace-oriented “product”. Hence what you say… The pacing is so breakneck, you can practically see the marketing guy saying ‘kids will lose interest if this goes on longer than ten seconds’.
About your other point:
kids pay attention during Miyazaki’s stretches of silence because he does not assume they can’t.
But his films aren’t really blockbusters in the US, no? They are blockbusters in Japan etc. Maybe the conditioning of American children, weaned on Disney etc., is different.
Another thing that’s interesting to study is how something that’s considered “breakneck pace” in an earlier era is considered “slow” today. Today’s animated films (made in the US) are certainly more frantic than those from an earlier era, and that may also have to do with the whole ADD thing.
Jitaditya: Apparently Nolan said somewhere that he was influenced by “Paprika”. I searched for the quote/interview but couldn’t find anything.
No, haven’t seen “Mary n Max.” Will look for it. Thanks.
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Hithesh Devasya
November 22, 2014
As recommendations, I’d also like to add Takahata’s Only Yesterday and Grave Of The Fireflies. While the former is a coming of age film of a 27 year old woman, the latter might be aptly termed as Japan’s Schindler’s List.
I feel that most of the Studio Ghibli films have this age irrelevant feature. It’s made for everyone. 🙂
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ramitbajaj01
November 22, 2014
It’s been so long since I last watched it, but I guess, How to train your Dragon 2 wasn’t as much a product as Big hero 6 is. That had some originality and something to hold on to for adults, I believe. Sure its narrative regarding the boy’s trajectory didn’t feel complete but I guess that could be deliberate leaving out for future sequels. So in that way, it felt good. But you are right that there is no much competition in this category.
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Paresh Palicha
November 22, 2014
This is 1 of the best Indian animated short film I know of, made in 2005 co-directed by the guy who later made Aaranya Kaandam. 🙂
And, these days most of the Malayalam films give ‘back stories’ of the heroes in animated or storyboard format.
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prasanth
November 22, 2014
>Maybe the conditioning of American children, weaned on Disney etc., is different………… Today’s animated films (made in the US) are certainly more frantic than those from an earlier era, and that may also have to do with the whole ADD thing.
I think your second point is spot on. In comparison to an older kids’ film like Land Before Time, which is as American as they come, “Big Hero 6” feels like a commercial in its pacing. There is definitely a trend towards fast, noisy, colorful, and superficial.
Yes, Miyazaki’s success in primarily in Japan, but what I’m trying to say is that his films themselves are part of that “conditioning”. If everyone, including the creators, assume animation is not the right medium for thoughtfulness, then the audience continues to hold that assumption. Pixar, in the past, has often pushed the Western side of that boundary – for example the sequence in “Up” that left many-a-adult in tears. But they still have never been as willing to trust the audience as Miyazaki has. Big Hero 6 had some good ideas in that department, but never let us actually think about it too long. That’s a shame.
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vaidya
December 2, 2014
I was telling a friend the other day that I watch Japanese Animes, and got a snigger in return. Turns out that many believe that Japanese animes are nothing but porn. Sad part is she had actually rejected a suitor earlier thinking he was a pervert, for watching Japanese Anime.
Had to give a list of movies – mainly Miyazaki – to watch and dispel some notions.
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