The Gruffalo, Jakob Schuh and Max Lange
Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage, Bastien Dubois
Let's Pollute, Geefwee Boedoe
The Lost Thing, Andrew Ruhemann and Shaun Tan
Day & Night, Teddy Newton
It's time again for the nominees for Short Film (Animated and Live Action). This year's nominees in the Animated category are even worse than last year, and I thought last year represented a very poor showing. Most are simple and in-your-face with a decided lack of subtlety. Only one was truly intriguing.
"The Gruffalo" This one's got big name stars doing the voices, with Helena Bonham Carter, John Hurt, and Tom Wilkinson. It also has a nice fairy tale quality about it. What it doesn't have is very much originality, nor much in the way of surprises. Nice to look at. Good for the kiddies. Twice as long as it should have been. 
"Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage" A man is invited to a joyous and ritual funeral in Madagascar. Original in look, with sweeping drawings and colors, it never quite evokes any strong emotions or feelings. Held my attention, though, and in this group, that's nothing to sneeze at. 
"Let's Pollute" A mildly clever, one joke view of pollution as being something we should all aspire to is happily only six minutes in length. A couple of funny moments, but after you have been sledge-hammered a few times, even six minutes seems like more than enough for this piece. 
"The Lost Thing" It really is lost. It is the hidden gem lost among the rest of the show. It tells the story of a young man who discovers a very odd looking thing that is alive, although its look is one of machine more than animal. He takes it home and eventually finds a place for it in a refuge of sorts for things don't quite belong anywhere. Oddly touching, with some very creative and unusual animation. The best animation works for adults and children. This is the only nominee that qualifies. 
"Day & Night" Pixar has an entry. Anyone surprised by this? It portrays a battle between day and night as to who is more exciting and important. It's quite possibly the worst piece of garbage I have ever seen come out of Pixar's animation factory. Not funny or exciting to look at. 
| Movie title | 2010 Oscar Nominees for Short Film (Animated) |
|---|---|
| Release year | 2010 |
| MPAA Rating | NR |
| Our rating | |
| Summary | This year's Oscar nominees for Short Film (Animation) are even worse than last year. I didn't think that was possible. One is great, however, so it might still be worth a view. |
