by Swetha Ramachandran
[box]Get ready, as Swetha Ramachandran takes you on a journey to the fantastic world of animation movies. We hope you will decide on watching at least one of these ten movies, thereby waking up the child in you! :)[/box]Adorable ogres, talking toys, beautiful princesses, undercover superheroes, life saving robots, cute little Nemos and active Stuart Littles! Do any of these sound familiar? I am sure they do! In case they don’t, let me introduce you to the world of animated movies that has given birth to many an unforgettable creature! From ‘Toy Story’ to ‘How to Train your Dragon’, Hollywood has given us a number of blockbuster animated movies which have created a niche for themselves in the film industry! Their charm has constantly attracted the young and old alike, and I definitely am one of those who has been bewitched by this genre ever since childhood! Watching the bright imagery, endearing creatures, crisp narratives and happy endings of these movies is like undertaking fascinating journeys to magical worlds!
And trust me; these flights of fantasy are worth it! They awaken the child in you.
So, are you ready to become a child once again for a while? Yes? Then, here is my list of must-watch animation films that include some of my personal favourites too! You may have watched some or all of them. But if you haven’t, then please do!
Ice Age
With the name already hinting what the movie could be, Ice Age indeed takes everybody back in time, to an era when the world was covered in snow. The movie starts off with a bunch of pre-historic animals trying to return a human infant they chance upon, to his family. The movie is a delight to watch right from the first frame. Be it the creatures or the landscape, everything from a blade of grass to a ball of snow seems so realistic, that halfway into the movie, one wonders if it is in fact only an animated movie! Not just the first installment of Ice Age, but its sequels, ‘Ice Age: The Meltdown’ and ‘Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ are equally interesting and are definitely worth a watch. From wanting to put some sense into the reckless sloth, Sid’s head, to crying in joy along with the wooly mammoth duo (Manny and Ellie) on the birth of their daughter ‘Peaches’, this is one of those movies that will cast a spell on you and leave behind its magic long after its end. As talks are on to release the next in the series, ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’ in 2012, I excitedly wait to watch the creatures back in action! After all, who wouldn’t want to?
Shrek
Welcome aboard the ogre universe. If you had imagined this ogre to be dirty and monstrous, you are in for a shock because ‘Shrek’ is an adorable ogre with a lovable heart! But all is not happy in his world as various fairytale beings have started making their way into his land! On going to Prince Farquaad for a solution, Shrek wins a tournament that would enable him to rescue Princess Fiona, whom the king is to be wedded to! The lovely Princess Fiona makes an entry, locked up in a palace, facing the wrath of a spell and as expected, ‘Shrek’ saves the Princess.
But what follows this is an unpredictable twist in the tale. This story was followed up with sequels as charming as the first part! With the oh-so-cute ogre babies, Shrek’s constant companion, Donkey, and characters out of fairy tales, none would have the mind to refuse this ogre offering and I wouldn’t mind asking for another helping!
Finding Nemo
An enthusiastic, motherless clown fish explores the deep seas and gets lost within its boundless blue and the father fish sets out to find his son. This is what ‘Finding Nemo’ is all about. This undersea adventure would surely strike a chord with everybody! A movie that I can watch for any number of times, it made me sit at the edge of my seat, praying for the reunion of the father and the son, the first time I watched it! And so would you, when you watch the little Nemo struggle his way through in the deep waters.
Up
A house ballooning its way into the wilds of South America; doesn’t that sound interesting? ‘Up’, the story about old Mr. Carl Fredricksen wanting to fulfill his life long dream is a heart warming movie! It made me realize my addiction for animated movies, yet again! Watch it for the picturesque beauty and emotional storyline it offers.
Ratatouille
Ever heard of rats that have a flair for cooking? Ratatouille is all about Remy, the rat who is passionate about cooking and his association with a restaurant’s newly appointed kitchen cleaner, Alfredo Linguini. Remy fulfills his desires of becoming a cook in his idol, late Gusteau’s restaurant, whilst Linguini, who is completely alien to the cuisine world, bears the cruel treatments of Skinner, the head chef (and antagonist). This movie not just explores cuisines and the art of cooking but also the continual war of hatred raging between rats and humans! After watching this movie and getting to view the world from a rat’s perspective, one would start empathizing with the rats (but only until one’s own house is invaded by one of these squeaky species!)
Anastasia
“Dancing bears, painted wings, things I almost remember,” sings Anastasia, the protagonist of the movie hailing from a royal Russian lineage. With romance and revenge being the main elements in the story, this is a movie that is apt to be watched on a lovely, rainy, afternoon. Anastasia, who survives an attack on the palace when she is eight years old, forgets all about her past after the incident and is estranged from her grandmother (who is the only other person to have survived the attack) What follows this is a riveting tale about Anastasia trying to recollect her past, meeting the handsome Dmitri and finally reuniting with her grandmother. Though predictable in parts, the movie has been made very beautifully! The film is a must watch for those who have a weakness for fairy tales and old world romance!
Tarzan
He is tall, he is handsome and he is a skilled fighter. Tarzan sure is every girl’s dream man, but wait…he is uncivilized. Tarzan lives in the wilds, is alien to the human race and speaks the language of animals. After his parents are killed by a leopardess, orphaned Tarzan is raised by a group of gorillas headed by Kala. But Tarzan’s life takes a turn after Jane, the daughter of a professor visiting the jungles for an exploration, enters his life. Will Jane help Tarzan become humane? Will the explorers capture Kala and the other gorillas? One should watch this movie and its entertaining sequels to know that!
Aladdin
Enchanting Arabian fortresses, magical lamps, genies et al! Aladdin, a tale straight out of the ‘Thousand and One Nights’ was adapted into a movie and brought alive the characters of Aladdin, the poor street urchin, Jasmine, the beautiful princess, and the ever cheerful genie. An enjoyable movie with magical elements thrown in, like the genie and the magic carpet, Aladdin takes the audiences completely into the Arabian streets and palaces. A tale revolving around the evil Jafar wanting a magical lamp and the blossoming love between Jasmine and Aladdin, one should definitely watch this movie for a whiff of the ‘Arabian nights and Arabian days’!
Kung Fu Panda
Valley of Peace, Kung Fu championships, obese pandas; Kung Fu Panda is a delightful movie, bringing to light the ancient art of Kung Fu. A Dragon Warrior is to be chosen in the Valley of Peace to protect the people from a monstrous snow leopard ‘Tai Lung’, the most talented Kung Fu student of ‘Master Shifu’. While contestants prove their prowess in the tournament, a fat panda, ‘Po’, owner of a noodle shop, lands in the middle of the field, and accidentally gets chosen as the Dragon Warrior by the old tortoise sage ‘Oogway’! How can Po, untrained in Kung Fu be able to fight the powerful Tai Lung? How can the job of saving the valley be entrusted to Po, one wonders. But once the training of Po begins and Tai Lung makes his escape from prison, the movie is such a delight, laced with Po’s humour, Oogway’s wisdom and Shifu’s breathtaking Kung Fu kicks!
Cars
Ever imagined cars talking and falling in love? Cars is a movie that gives life to this vehicle and starts with a car race where the protagonist ‘Lightning McQueen’ has to take part in a tiebreaker contest with the veteran ‘Strip Weathers’ and ‘Chick Hicks’. The feelings of jealousy and revenge don’t elude the world of cars too, and Lightning McQueen’s competitors plot against him, resulting in him ending up at ‘Radiator Springs’, a rundown town! The movie completely captures the attention of the viewers, making them empathize with McQueen and praying for him during the final race! Watch this movie and you are sure to be bowled over by its imaginative script and creative screenplay!
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