Best Animated Film: 2002

[OscarGuy]

I said in the 2005 thread that it was the first year I saw all of the films. I stand corrected. This one is. It's really easy to dump two of these titles fast. Ice Age and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron aren't good. Spirit is worse, but both of them are so meaningless. Kids films often dumb down their material for younger viewers, but I can't even imagine any kid finding something of consequence in these films other than just to laugh at them.

I think people can be a bit down on Treasure Planet and while it's probably third on my list, it's such an inventive and fun little film. While I generally see The Princess and the Frog as the modern reinvigoration of the Disney brand, Treasure Planet and Lilo & Stitch were nice little films that made the doldrums not seem so awful.

That said, there's absolutely nothing in this year or most of the other Animated Slates that have been to date given out that stands up to Spirited Away. It's such a delightful, soulful little film. It, along with Princess Mononoke, brought me around on anime as an art form. Prior to this (and most every non-Miyazaki film I've ever seen), I utterly despised anime. I hated its oversexualization, shitty voice work, and dull animation work. Miyazaki made me realize the medium was a lot more capable of creativity and innovation than I thought. Unfortunately, not much of what I've seen since has reached this level of brilliance.

[Sabin]

There have been a few moments over the years where I've either voted or been tempted to vote not having seen all the five nominees. I think a case can be made that there's no instance that stretches this rule more than not being able to vote for Spirited Away because I haven't seen Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. I think we can safely chalk this up to the most forgotten nominee in the history of this category and probably the best argument against ever doing five nominees.

Spirited Away is a very deserving winner in this category. There's something about Hayao Miyazaki's screenwriting that keeps me a tiny bit at bay, but Spirited Away is as close as he's come to a work of pure imagination and expression so it fares the best as a work of artistry. Its win was an evening highlight, although like my other favorite win of the evening (Eminem for "Lost Yourself") the winner was not present. Nor were clips.

Lilo & Stitch would be my runner up; not a closer runner up, but maybe closer than many on this board. Although I have some major problems with the third act (it's ultimately a fun cartoon), I think it's close to being an excellent film that reveals a more complex film than we might have initially guessed of native Hawaiians living in a tourist city. A search online reveals deleted scenes of Lilo fucking with white tourists for no-ass reason, demonstrating a prickly sensibility that pops up here and there: in the power dynamic tug of war between two sisters, in an overworked older sister who doesn't have time to date and consistently rebukes a perfectly acceptable suitor, and in an irritable, galaxy-destroying monster that just needs a family but will also fuck someone up for you without a second though. Its love of Elvis music is a real charmer as well. There's no denying that throughout most of the decade, Walt Disney Animation was completely out of step with the times except for Lilo & Stitch which feels like the kind of winner when you throw your hands up, ignore focus groups, and just make something personal that you think will be good.

I have no idea why I watched Treasure Planet in theaters in 2003 and I have very little memory of it beyond having a perfectly fine time. I was a cheaper date back then but it didn't deserve to be the enormous flop that it was.

Would it astonish you to learn that Ice Age movies were still being made up and were lucrative until the last year of the Obama administration? Like many, I found the first Ice Age to be a worrisome sign of things to come. I remember enjoying it mostly because back then I enjoyed watching anything 3D animated (I still mostly do). It gets no consideration from me but Oscar voters should be praised for ignoring it.

[Big Magilla]

I only remember seeing Lilo and Stich and Spirited Away. The former was well done but the latter was a masterpiece. I don't need to see the others to vote for it.

[Mister Tee]

It's not I don't trust you, but I had to go look up to reassure myself there were, indeed, 5 nominees this year. It was the only time prior to 2010 -- the entire first decade of this award -- that there were more than 3 contenders. They were so determined to make sure Treasure Planet was cited?

I can't vote because I've never felt the need to watch either Treasure Planet or Spirit. Obviously my Oscar-completeness standards were lower back then.

Ice Age was a sign of what was coming as the animation renaissance went corporate: lots of famous voices, jokiness -- making cartoons as drearily assembly-line as live-action summer movies.

Lilo and Stitch was a pleasant enough thing, but not close to the Disney movies that had been getting people excited from The Little Mermaid on.

Spirited Away was playing in a different league from any of these others. It was children's literature stacked next to comic books. Graceful and gorgeous; one of the year's best movies.

I doubted its win right to the envelope-opening (I'd forgotten, how early in the show it came). Maybe having 5 nominees split the hometown-crowd vote just enough for it to win. Or maybe excellence was the simple reason for its victory. Ether way, it was my highlight of the evening.

[Okri]

This category is a quite wan and I don’t feel that passionately about the majority of the candidates. Taking a look at the animated films released this year, I’ve only seen Metropolis. I’d probably nominate it, but my memory is vague. The first and fifth place films are quite easy to suss out, though.

Flashing back to the 2002 box office for a minute, it’s a little shocking to see Ice Age as the highest grossing animated film of the year. I recall Entertainment Weekly citing the head of animation for 20th Century Fox (I think he was the head. He might have been a random producer or director of the film) in the yearly round-up. I hadn’t remembered the film as a massive hit, but checking the sequels, it did very well for quite a while. It’s my fifth choice, though. Bizarre in the way that kids movies can be; a voice cast that prefers the side of “too much,” bland in the way corporate animation can be. A quick glance has it on the AFI’s ballot (of 50 films) for best animated film of all time (upto 2006?) which…. What?

Treasure Planet, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and Lilo and Stitch all exist in that B-/C+ range for me. Each have things I enjoy. The character design and warmth of Lilo and Stitch (the former got singled out by the LA critics, I’ve just relearned). Treasure Planet’s energy. Stallion’s attempt at a vast canvas. But I don’t feel the need to revisit any. That said, Lilo and Stitch is VERY popular amongst my peers – for many it’s a top two-three Disney movie of all time. And all of us grew up with the Disney Renaissance, fwiw. Their enthusiasm makes me curious, but they also pushed me to watch Despicable Me… so no.

Remember how happy we were Spirited Away was announced as best animated film? It was the first award. I think I was predicting it in hope, rather than expectation. But it won! It was by far my favourite of the nominees. Imaginative and thoughtful. It was about kids but didn’t feel childish. I’ve seen it a half dozen times and every time I can’t be helped but be surprised anew and the turns it takes. It’s arguably a little too overstuffed (sorry), but there’s so much visual wit and delight throughout. It’s an easy victor for me.