There is a great deal of competition this year for best animated film. Some would claim that now that Toy Story 3 has the lead for most $$$ brought in by an animated film, it should be the front runner for the Oscar, however, I wouldn’t be so sure on that assumption.
This year has seen movies such as ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs’, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and now, another nod for best animated feature, Despicable Me. This movie is worthy for a nod and to be quite honest, I don’t know which film will walk away with best animated picture. All four have a great story line and all four pull at the heart strings while making you laugh all during the film. Toy Story 3 is the most marketable of the four, and in my opinion, ‘Chance’ is the least marketable. You really have to admit that the ‘How to Train’ really missed the boat on getting Dragon toys out there, or if they did, they still didn’t let me know, as I am all over the toy market and what is and isn’t out there… that would be really flying under the radar if they exist.
‘Despicable’ was a really touching film, and the marketing out there for this is two-fold. They have the minions, which were marketing, but not to the full extent of what could be capitalized on all of this, and then there is there is the branding. On Facebook, the minions were used as an advertising scheme, where you could design your own minion. See example pictured of what I designed… it offers a good variety of selections to choose from, and in a lot of ways, is similar to what was offered for the ‘create your own Simpson’s character, when the Simpson’s movie came out.
The Movie is one of the best animated films this year, and probably one of the best years for animated films to date. When you add in the feature of 3D into the mix, there really hasn’t been a better time to see a movie, and I typically make my way out to see animated features, as that is my flavor. My wife loved this film and this is one we will purchase and let our children watch. As far as quotability, this is a quotable movie, so it sticks with you well after you see the film, and it is child friendly, not to mention that it carries a great message about family and sticking together. I give the movie an A.
