A Brief Comment on the 2014 Oscar Shortlisted Animated Shorts

Dee 2022-01-29 08:10:05

I personally predict that the Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film and Short Film will be "Frozen" and "Mr. Hublow" respectively!
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"Nowhere in the World": animism and craftsman culture
Score: 4

This is a story about a Japanese god of death. The film obviously has its own name, called "Ninety-nine", and Fu Sangshen is also called "Ninety-nine Gods".

The film has nothing to do with the "Peach Blossom Spring"-like uniqueness, but a display of Japanese animistic culture and an interpretation of Japanese craftsman culture. The craftsman in the film is a craftsman, his parade itself is a craftsman's practice, his reconciliation is a craftsman's culture, and his unrequited help is a craftsman's quality, of course, his final core lines , to thank those things that are now garbage for helping human beings, and it is also a kind of mind of the workers.

The two-dimensional surface presentation of the film cannot conceal the texture of its three-dimensional model, especially the gorgeous cloth flying.

What I'm more puzzled is, as a craftsman, why a craftsman who should be very good at repairing things frequently pricks his hands when doing needlework. Does the film want to show a Rufu's attentiveness here? But he's not Luffy.

"Wild Child": Things that cannot be naturalized
Score: 4.5

From the beginning, the wild child has two endings, one is to be naturalized by humans, and the other is to return to the wild. But in fact, there is only one ending he can choose, and that is to return.

The gentleman's hat, clothing and bow tie cannot hide his wild way of perceiving the world with his sense of smell, nor can it smooth out his deep-seated fear of the human world. When the children surrounded him, he felt even more helpless than being surrounded by wolves. The windmill was broken, and so was his shackles. The building blocks of the human world are built up piece by piece, and finally collapsed piece by piece. Not even a father's love could make this wild child naturalized.

This makes me think: No matter how many civilizations human beings have created and how many creatures (such as chickens, pigs, etc.) have been naturalized, they cannot naturalize nature itself.

"Pony Run! ": Enjoy the form
Score: 3.5

"Pony Run! is a formal update to Disney's classic Mickey Mouse film. The contrast between Mickey Mouse in the era of black and white silent films and Mickey Mouse in the era of CG special effects shows the Disney company's heritage, with a sense of history and innovation.

Whether the form of the old version of Mickey Mouse still has vitality today, the film brings us the biggest thinking is this. The content and form of a classic was once fashionable and cutting-edge, but it certainly couldn't maintain that cutting-edge. What we consume today is actually some stylized settings in classic works and the psychology of respecting classics.

This Disney film is nothing more than an innovation in technology and form, but it has no depth at all in terms of content. Maybe it can make some Disney hardcore and technical control people scream and enjoy it, but I can't get any impression. If this hamburger-style work won an Oscar, it would undoubtedly be a disservice to the Oscars.

"Mr. Hublow": "Lost and Found"
score again : 5

This is an animated short film full of picture book feel, just like "Lost and Found" which won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Mechanism adds mystery to the film, but the mechanical shell does not conceal the fiery heart of the characters.

Hablo likes to wipe every ornament in his home, and it can be seen that he is full of enthusiasm for life; he also has three mechanical flowers on the balcony, which is undoubtedly a sign of his love. He just glanced at the puppy on the side of the road and developed a feeling for it. This simple sense of maintenance is really wonderful. The part where he worries about the puppy is delicate and moving. In fact, I have always been amazed at how the director and character design made the audience accept the characters and puppies in such a shape from the very beginning and did not feel any sense of disobedience.

A silent film and moving music, there is no doubt that this work has all the potential to win the Oscar.

"Home on a Broom"
score: 3.5

Based on a children's book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the short is more of a one-off show. The fairy tale-like plot and the completely green and safe story made this film very popular in the Western society during the Christmas period last year. The Gruffalo, also based on the children's book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, has also been nominated for an Oscar.

What we need to care about is how it got the Oscar judges' favor. A childlike innocence, a simple one, and a delicate portrayal of the expressions and movements of the characters. Dogs, green birds and frogs, three highly differentiated animals meet the needs of the diversity of the team, and this group overcomes dangerous stereotypes together, and it is not boring at all because of the cute character movements.

The entire film uses CG technology to simulate the texture of the clay animation. Pedal psychology and selfish fear are all things that the film wants the protagonists to overcome.

View more about Mr Hublot reviews

Extended Reading
  • Violette 2022-03-16 09:01:09

    IFC Center [I know you will disrupt my life, but I changed my life in the end] The story of the warm companionship between Mr. I like the cute characters and the exquisite picture style. The suspense is kept until the last second. It is a very complete and rhythmic sincerity work.

  • Sunny 2022-03-20 09:03:02

    Steampunk love. The plot is simple and general.