What Wall-E Is Up Against

By Emily McDonald: 2008-11-11 19:02:15

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With Pixar being an almost immovable force, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the 13 animated features submitted for the Academy’s approval that aren’t Wall-E. Only 3 films will get nominations, due to the small number of submissions. The 14 flicks all have adventures too great to turn into blurbs and lessons too important to be boiled down to one line.

Pixar is almost synonymous with the phrase “Oscar winner.” Any film that has gone up against one of its summer tent-poles has lost in the past (except for the year Cars came out). So it's looking like Wall-E’s chance at Animated Feature dominance is extremely high. If Oscars were handed out based on cuteness of the protagonist, there wouldn’t even be a point to this whole discussion. We could just hand Pixar the golden man and be done with it. Nonetheless, here is a breakdown of the Animated Features gunning for noms, announced yesterday at Oscar.com, in order of release date:

Sword of the Stranger (released September 29, 2007) is a Japanese Samurai tale. It is classic-style anime and follows a young man named Kataro and his dog. They happen upon a retired great warrior. The young man must then come to terms with a destiny that even he could not have dreamed to be possible. What we're supposed to learn: the bond of master and student has to be unbreakable if both are to defeat the worst of enemies.

The Russian film, Dragon Hunters (released March 20, 2008), is the story of two wannabe dragon hunters. It documents the tribulations of a land where dragons come to wreak havoc every thirty years and leave no survivors. The two protagonists decide to hatch and raise a mythical creature that can supposedly defeat a dragon. What we're supposed to learn: even the smallest of schemes can be successful if you are not faint of heart.

Fox’s Dr. Suess’ Horton Hears a Who! (released March 14, 2008) is based on the Dr. Suess children’s book of the same title and recounts the story of a giant elephant who finds life on a tiny speck in his backyard. What we're supposed to learn: no matter how small they are, people deserve to be stood up for.

Dreamwork’s summer tent-pole, Kung Fu Panda (released June 6, 2008) is about a chubby panda who discovers that his fate is as big as he is. He enters into Kung Fu training to fulfill a prophecy. What we're supposed to learn: sometimes, what we see as faults in ourselves turn out to be our greatest strengths.

Pixar’s controversially themed Wall-E (released June 27, 2008) follows a tiny trash collecting robot who is much more than just a machine. He has been left on earth for many years and has been getting by with a little help from a cockroach buddy and a collector’s interest when his world is rocked by an intruding Apple-looking robot named EVE. What we're supposed to learn: no matter how bleak things may look, always have hope and you may just find love and save the world all at once.

The Japanese fantasy flick, The Sky Crawlers (released August 2, 2008) is about a race of adolescents who are destined to die in the ring for the entertainment of adult spectators. They could be taken into the ongoing war among themselves at any moment, and so must live each day as if it were their last. What we're supposed to learn: live each moment to the last drop.

The 3-D animated Fly Me to the Moon (released August 15, 2008) concerns the lives of three flies who want to get to the moon, and hitch a ride on the Apollo 11. Movie features an actual 3-D version of the Apollo 11. The spaceship in the flick is based on the real blueprints of the original! What we're supposed to learn: no matter how insignificant you are, you can still make it really far.

Australia put out the stop motion flick, $9.99 (released at the Toronto Film Festival on September 4, 2008), that follows the inhabitants of one apartment complex who are all looking for a little more meaning in their lives. What we're supposed to learn: nothing compares to the knowledge that you can get for free.

Igor (released September 19, 2008) is about a hunchback man born into a world of evil scientists. Due to his physical stature, he is forced to be an assistant, when all he really wants in life is to be in charge and be a mad scientist himself. The results of his scientific attempt aren’t exactly what he expected. What we 're supposed to learn: there is no prototype for the role of hero.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (released November 7, 2008) is the sequel to the original Dreamworks flick, Madagascar. All the old pals are back. After getting stranded in Africa, they are attempting to return to their homeland, the zoo of Central Park in New York. What we're supposed to learn: no matter how cool the place you are is, home will always be where your heart is.

Bolt (in theaters November 21, 2008) is about a little doggy that plays a super-dog on TV. He escapes his sound stage but thinks he still has super-powers. He gains a few friends in a hamster fan and a stray cat and they have many adventures as Bolt tries to find his TV owner. What we're supposed to learn: you don’t have to be super to be a hero.

Delgo (in theaters December 12, 2008) is a sci-fi action adventure tale about a young creature named Delgo. In a land that has been split into two warring races, Delgo has thoughts of peace and believes he has the wherewithal to achieve his dreams of a better land. What we're supposed to learn: no matter how hard against the grain you must go, always stand up for what you think is right.

Universal’s The Tale of Despereaux (in theaters December 19, 2008) follows the trials and tribulations of a tiny mouse who gets imprisoned for speaking to a human. Once the Princess Pea, a human, is kidnapped, it is up to little Despereaux to save her. He must hatch out of prison and form a plan. What we're supposed to learn: you size can never measure the strength of your heart.

The Israeli Waltz With Bashir (in theaters December 25, 2008) concerns the happenings within the imagination and memories of a former soldier. It is animated but it is also a documentary. The feature film re-creates a conversation had between Bashir and an old comrade. The comrade listens to the telling of Bashir’s nightmares and then decides that they are a response to a battle they both fought together in the 80’s. The rest of the film dissolves into fantasy as the filmmaker falls deeper and deeper into the memories of that fateful battle. What we're supposed to learn: War is horrifying to an extent that baffles the imagination.

Bolt, Delgo, Dragon Hunters, $9.99, The Sky Crawlers, The Tale of Desperaux and Waltz With Bashir are all technically ineligible for nomination. The three nominations will be announced January 22, 2009. May the best films, and not the most strictly qualified, get the nod.

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