And The Academy Award Goes to…
Growing up, I have always loved watching the Oscars. Ever since 2013, when Frozen won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, I have been looking forward to this moment of the awards. Every year I put my best bet on the movies that I think should win, counting the minutes to see when the winner is revealed. Last Tuesday, the Academy announced the official Oscar nominees for animation. I am very excited to see that a few of my favorite movies are part of the list. I share my opinion on each Animated Feature Film Nominee in this article.
Encanto:
This film is nominated for multiple awards, not just Animated Feature Film. It is present in the list of nominees for Music (Original Song) with “Dos Oruguitas” and Music (Original Score). The various nominations give Encanto a high chance of winning at least one of the awards. Its beautiful animation, heartwarming plot, and catchy music make it a solid competitor. In addition to this, the Hispanic representation and diversity present within this animated film, including the cast and crew that made this movie possible, are some of the main reasons why this movie should definitely win.
Raya and The Last Dragon:
This movie has a powerful message regarding trust and friendship. Unfortunately, since this film was released in theaters when the world was still going through the hardships of the pandemic without most of the population being vaccinated, it didn’t get the Box Office numbers that I believe it deserved. However, the film’s very detailed animation and aesthetics make it a solid competitor. Surprisingly this Disney movie is not a musical which also provides some exciting and unique aspects to the style, making it more serious and an epic animated action film. Therefore, I am thrilled that it is part of the list of nominees. Hopefully, this nomination will also provide more exposure, so more people get to experience the fantastic movie of Raya.
Luca:
This Pixar animated film has a very endearing and engaging story about the friendship of Luca and Alberto. The plot reaches out to a younger audience sharing the power of friendship and the power of following dreams. The lighting and detail within the animation style and effects provide this movie potential into winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. However, I believe that the plot is a small cliche and not as profound as one would expect from Pixar’s movies. Encanto and Raya and The Last Dragon are big rivals regarding the story. Overall, I am happy that this Pixar film made the list of nominees for Best Animated Feature Film. We will see if Luca reaches the ultimate goal of winning the Oscar.
Mitchell Vs The Machines:
This 3D animated film has a very unique and beautiful animated style. It has both three and two dimensions present within the film making its different styles stand out. Plot-wise, it has a very strong message of family, and it is also a significant critique of society’s behavior and obsession with technology. Even though the main moral is an excellent and important one, I believe that the delivery of multiple scenes was odd and maybe unnecessary. Maybe this peculiar delivery was to keep the creativity flowing, mainly present in the protagonist’s personality since she is an artist, or to catch the eye of a younger audience. However, that uniqueness might be the factor that could make Mitchell Vs The Machines the winner of this award. Yet, it is unlikely to win when comparing it to the other strong movies that got nominated. We will see where this movie will stand at the end.
Flee
This Danish Animated Documentary narrates for the first time the hidden story of Anim Nawabi and how he flees his country. It has been praised for its beautiful 2D animated style combined with some real footage, LGBTQ representation, story, and content. Unfortunately, I have not seen this animated film yet; I didn’t even hear of it before the nominations announcements. Hopefully, I will be able to do so before the big event because it sounds promising.
The Oscars will be live on March 27, 2022. We will see which of these animated films win the ultimate and prestigious recognition! You cannot miss it! If you want to read more of the nominations within different Academy Branches, you can check them out here on the official site: