Hi, everyone! I should be posting more, and I will blame no one but myself for my lack of communication with the comic book world.
First, how has the animated cartoon evolved, both in television and in the movie realm? Let's take a look at several top-notch animated films:
1) [i]Persepolis[/i]- Based on Marjane Satrapi's wonderful graphic novel, Marjane shows us her life as an Iranian teenager, first trying to outsmart conservative Iranian police and then finding her identity in Vienna. It doesn't offer any new material from the graphic novel, but the animation, combined with the story, make for a powerful, funny and bittersweet film. Every teenager should watch it.
2)[i]Wall-E[/i]- If Pixar had decided to go with a grim ending, this film would have been perfect. Despite the overly optimistic ending, this dark science fiction film with the endearing title robot and his love interest EVE.
3) [i]Kung Fu Panda [/i]- It's not going to win any awards for deep material, but [i]KFP[/i] gets kudos for giving the viewer what it promised: an action comedy film, complete with a dangerous villain, plausibility (as to how a fat panda can defeat an agile leopard), and kung fu fighting. What's there not to love?
And a possible topnotch: [i]Coraline[/i]- I haven't seen it, but I've read the book and as a Neil Gaiman fan, I can't wait to see how Edward Selick handles this plucky heroine, who discovers a much more exciting lifestyle than her own, but then has to save her parents and herself from it.
What do these films have in common? Well, people put genuine effort into the projects. Second, the directors and screenwriters knew what direction they were going in. Thirdly, these films were not made to sell toys, comics, or merchandise related to the movie. They were made to tell a story.
Now here are the good and recent animated television shows:
1) Total Drama Island- sick of reality shows, and their predictability? Well, this show makes fun of reality TV, gets away with crude humor (that for the most part is not for shock value), and also has three-dimensional characters that suffer elimination, one by one. No mercy, and no fairness. Only fun for the viewer.
2) Secret Saturdays- Much like [i]Kung Fu Panda[/i] is the perfect action comedy film, [i]Secret Saturdays[/i] is for those who miss the old animated action hero shows. Evil villain with mysterious plan? Check. Likable but imperfect protagonist? Check. Awesome fighting scenes? Check.
3) Ben 10: Alien Force- after going away from Teen Titans with Ben 10, about two cousins who bicker while fighting aliens with their grandpa, the producers decided to let Ben and Gwen grow up, unite with an old enemy, and fight more aliens. But with cool fighting sequences (you cannot go wrong with these), great storytelling and animation to make artists squeal with glee, and inspiration for aspiring sci-fi writers.
In short, here's what this happy viewer likes:
1)Good storytelling and stories.
2)No stupid humor, or at least keep it to a minimum.
3)Action sequences.
4)Three-dimensional characters.
So producers, keep this viewer happy (as she will not have time to spare for another month or so) and keep producing what she asks for.
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