Williams in Robots
Robots
Robots
is one of the two huge players for this year's animated audience. The film
hones a cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Greg
Kinnear, Drew Carey, Jim Broadbent, and the hilarious Robin Williams. The
story for Robots is simple-- An adventure is created when Rodney [McGregor]
leaves home to head to the big city in order to make it a better place.
However, Rodney undermines the complexities of the big city corporate machine
and must find help in characters such as Fender [Robin Williams].
Robots, from the same people that brought you Ice Age,
has already begun the marketing machine [20th Century Fox] to ensure they
get us into the theatres. I should have no doubt that they will succeed.
But how much of the comedy will Williams have to carry on his shoulders?
Robots comes out on March 11.
Madagascar
Dreamworks takes a stab at Madagascar after a failing Father
of the Pride TV series.
The voices involved with Madagascar include Ben Stiller, Chris
Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Gwen
Stefani, Andy Richter. While the film may not have Robin Williams, it does
more than make up for his absense with tons of smaller comedic actors. One
of the reasons Madagascar should work is the perfect combination
of cast and story.
Madagascar is about a bunch of zoo animals that were bred in captivity
and have no real understanding of what it is to be wild. Most of the animals
appreciate their zoo and would rather be nowhere else. However, thanks to
the idea of psychotic penguins, the crew ends up escaping from the zoo and
getting captured. Upon capture, the animals are boarded up and shipped to
another location. However, during the trip over seas their containers fall
over board and wash them up to a deserted island. Now the animals must stick
together and learn how to survive and be wild.
Another aspect to Madagascar that could make or break its success
is the use of CG animation for the film. While most animated films are trying
to look more and more real, Madagascar purposely uses sharp corners to not
only maintain the animation aspect of the film but to also create a whole
new sense of depth [literally] on the characters.
Madagascar will come to theatres on May 27, 2005.
Chicken Little
Chicken Little is a Disney animation with NO Pixar.
Chicken Little picks up after the 'sky is falling' incident. Chicken
Little is the laughing stock of his town up until he hits the game winning
home run for his local baseball team. Over night Chicken Little goes from
laughing stock to local hero. But, soon enough, Chicken Little is hit over
the head again and this time he is sure the sky is really falling.
Not wanting to create hysteria, Chicken Little confides in his closest friends
as he attempts to figure out what is going on and uncover an evil plot.
Chicken Little will feature a cast that includes Zach Braff, Joan
Cusack, Katie Fnneran, Don Knotts, Garry Marshall, Steve Zahn, and Jeremy
Shada.
Chicken Little should be an interesting stepping stone, as it is
the first Disney CG animation without the presence of Pixar.
Chicken Little comes out to theatres on November 4, 2005
A Scanner Darkly
Keanu Reeves as a narc with split personality.
Here is a brief synopsis for A Scanner Darkly [try to find spots
that could me this a good candidate for an animated film]-- About a future
where drugs have become king and even cops are known to take a hit called
Substance D. The result is various cops, including undercover cop Fred [Reeves],
developing split personalities. While Fred works as a cop, his alter-ego
works as a man named Bob, a top level drug dealer. Fred must find a way
to catch Bob.
This animation is the MOST unique for the year. The movie was first filmed
in a story board style. Afterwords, the production crew hired [and is still
hiring] tons of drawing artists to draw an entire animated film. So,
A Scanner Darkly will not be CG, nor will it be your standard drawn
animation; this animated film is entirely different. The drawings will be
extremely detailed and extremely life like.
The actors to 'play' in A Scanner Darkly include Keanu Reeves,
Woody Harrelson, Robert Downey Jr, Winona Ryder, Christopher Ryan, and Rory
Cochran. I would say 'voice,' but the drawn characters look exactly like
the actors that perform their voices.
This animation plans to drop all conventions and convince adults that a
market does exist for adult-only animated films.
A Scanner Darkly is an adaptation off of the Philip K. Dick and
hits theatres on September 16th, 2005.
That is your animated preview for 2005. Stay tuned for updates. |
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