Oscar nominations are here, and now we wait until the March 2nd ceremony to see who will take home the awards. For Best Animated Feature, the race has come down to Flow, Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, and The Wild Robot. Of the five nominees, I don’t think there was a lousy pick among the group, as these films target all demographics and do exceptionally well, telling stories as emotionally potent as they are visually engrossing.
A film that maybe should have been nominated but wasn’t was Transformers One, a movie that wasn’t just one of the most surprising animated films of the year but also one of the best. Like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem of 2023, Transformers One took a worn-out property and invoked new life stylistically and told a story with genuine heart and depth dealing with issues like fake leaders who pose as god-like figures, body autonomy, and governments restricting one’s freedoms to claim control over the masses – all of which are pretty relevant today. It’s a blessing this film was made, but I wish it would have been given more love than it got on the awards circuit.
Here are my rankings of this year’s Best Animated Feature nominees!
5. Inside Out 2
I caught up to Inside Out 2, and while the animation and voice work are just as great as the original, the story itself was lackluster. Inside Out evoked a significant bit of emotion and pathos for childhood difficulties, and Inside Out 2 attempted to hit the same notes for puberty but, truthfully, barely scratched the surface. It was an oversimplification of one of the most difficult times in anyone’s life – a transition no one can see coming and one that people spend their lives figuring out – and the film allowed Riley to find self-acceptance in the fact that she isn’t just a good person and instead a flawed one, all in a matter of three days. Maybe I’m being too harsh on this film; the message is genuinely good, but you must be judged tough when you’re a sequel to such a beloved film as the original is. It’s not bad and nowhere near Pixar or even 2024’s worst, as there are some great moments; it just lacked the earned emotion captured in the original.
4. Memoir of a Snail
Having never seen Mary and Max or Oscar-winning Harvey Krumpet, this is my first time watching an Adam Elliot film; I was genuinely engrossed by the animation and the story he told. His script is the most substantial aspect of this film, as the characters, especially Sarah Snook’s Grace Pudel and Jackie Weaver’s Pinky, deliver heartbreaking monologue after monologue. Its structure reminded me a lot of 2007 Oscar nominee Persepolis in how the story was articulated to the audience, and the central theme of constantly moving forward like a snail was told in a difficult but beautifully poignant way. It’s not my favorite film of the nominees, but it’s one that I am happy received a nomination.
3. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
It’s baffling to think Vengeance Most Fowl is only the second Wallace & Gromit movie and the first in almost 20 years after 2005’s The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. However, its prominent creator and director, Nick Park, hasn’t lost a step as Vengeance Most Fowl is just as fun, energetic, whacky, and simple as ever. Wallace & Gromit, alongside spin-off Shaun the Sheep, excel in crafting a simple story that shines in entertainment. There is an element to the film that touches on the dangers of Artificial Intelligence, but, for the most part, Vengeance Most Fowl is about Wallace bumbling through life, Gromit cleaning up after him, and both coming together to stop the nefarious penguin Feathers McGraw. If you’re looking for something with more emotional depth, you’ll be disappointed, but if you’re looking for a fun time, which I was, you will enjoy this film.
2. The Wild Robot
There were few, if any, movies that made me cry more than The Wild Robot. DreamWorks needed a win on their plate, and with The Wild Robot, they picked up a massive one, telling a heartwarming tale of community and motherhood that can get surprisingly dark. The breathtaking animation seamlessly blends 3D and 2D scenes in colorful and emotional ways, and the story does enough to make you feel all these emotions without seeming like you were being manipulated or tricked into feeling such a way. The Oscar-nominated score from Kris Bowers helps build on the screen pageantry; even though this is not my favorite animated film of the year, it is the most complete regarding the visual beauty from start to finish. The voice work is also astounding, with the highlights coming from Lupita Nyong’o and Pedro Pascal. After first watching the movie, I was convinced it would be my favorite animated film of the year; in most years, it would be my favorite animated film of the year; however, my number one has slowly started to become one of my favorite films of all time.
1. Flow
This film is Flow, a masterpiece and my second favorite film of 2024 behind Anora (but the margin is thin). Flow’s beautiful score (by writer/director/producer/animator/composer Gints Zilbalodis) and breathtaking animation are some of the best I have seen from an animated film in years, but this film is magical because it’s one of a kind. Wordless with animation that looks similar to a video game cutscene, this film simply should not work to the extent it has; however, the exploration of survival, friendship, family, and loss, added in with Zilbalodis creating a visual spectacle to convey emotion through action rather than through dialogue leaves us with a movie that audiences resonate with because it is sure of itself every step of the way. Zilbalodis never panders to the audience; nothing in the film makes it easier to understand, providing an ambiguity that allows audiences to believe and feel what they want. It is a movie that is an experience and is so easy to watch; I have multiple times since its release on Max.
