Film Study: Disney Animated Movies (CGI Era)

In 1995 Disney released the groundbreaking movie of Toy Story, which was the first ever fully computer generated animated film. This essentially marked the transition away from standard 2d animation and towards the future of CGI animations. This concept of CGI animation became relevant nearly 20 years before it's major debut of Toy Story. The Pixar Animation Studio was founded in 1979 and began as a sub-division of Lucasfilm. However by 1986 it spun off into it's own independent company and began to demonstrate new cutting edge CGI graphics.

By the early 1990s Disney had begun to collaborate with Pixar on various projects which paved the way for the production of Toy Story. It was a major $26 million deal intended to be a trilogy, and after it's release completely changed the animation industry. It marked a turning point for Disney's Renaissance that was flying high after it's release of Lion King in 1994. The CGI of Toy Story had now raised the bar for much more depth and quality to animated films. This would eventually become the norm for animated films.

By 2006 Disney bought Pixar outright and began releasing CGI films on a regular basis. They still however maintained their original Disney animated studios and continued to release standard 2d animated films such as Princess and the Frog, while also producing their own CGI animated films such as Tangled, Moana, and Frozen.

It's no question that since the release of Toy Story in 1995 we have entered a new era of animated movies. As per usual Disney has still dominated the animation market, now with 2 major studios working for it (Pixar Animation and Disney Animation). The question is whether this current age can be considered a golden era. While their major theatrical releases continue to perform well at the box office and receive critical acclaim, it's still too early to consider these iconic classics. This is simply the age we are living in now and to be fair there have been some really good Disney CGI films but I honestly prefer the classics.


Toy Story

Year Released:  1995
Running Time: 81 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Osaar Special Achievement Winner for first ever computer animated film
• Oscar Nominee for Original Screenplay
• Oscar Nominee for Music Score by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nominee for Original Song, "You've Got a Friend in Me" by Randy Newman

Songs:

• You've Got a Friend in Me

My Review: Obviously the movie was very significant and ushered in the new era of CGI animated films. I remember watching Toy Story as a kid and being very impressed with the latest and greatest technology. Everything about this movie was great from the story, the voice actors of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, to the graphics, and the music provided by Randy Newman. The film did not have the classical Disney musical essence, but Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" has become quite iconic. All-in-all for it's massive impact on the animation industry yet also it's very enjoyable story I would give this film a strong rating of 8 out of 10. (It has to be the most significant of the CGI films, but personally I would not have it in my top ten all time favorites).


A Bug's Life

Year Released: 1998
Running Time: 95 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Nominated for Music Score by Randy Newman

Songs:

• Time of Your Life

My Review: I enjoyed this film when it was released loving everything about it. I thought the premise was quite clever taking viewers inside the day to day dealings of insects. The story was good, the voice acting was good, the graphics were cutting edge, and once again Randy Newman delivered with the musical soundtrack. I would give this a favorable rating of 6 out of 10.


Toy Story 2

Year Released: 1999
Running Time: 92 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nominated for Original Song "When She Loved Me" by Randy Newman

Songs:

• When She Loved Me

My Review: This movie was released around the time I was making the transition into high school, and began to lose track of the latest animated releases. I did not really watch the full story until just recently and for the most part I found it enjoyable. The story was nowhere near as good as the first one, however the animation and voice characters were still as impressive. I would give it a rating of 6 out of 10.


Monsters Inc

Year Released: 2001
Running Time: 92 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Original Song "If I Didn't Have You" by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nominee for Music Score
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Editing
• Oscar Nominee for Best Animated Feature

Songs:

• If I Didn't Have You

My Review: Once again a movie released during my high school years where I completely skipped out on the hype. The movie does however remind me of my days at the BACA, and one kid in particular who was very obsessed with this movie. After recently watching it all the way thru I found the movie slightly above average. The animation is good and Billy Crystal and John Goodman make a great pair for voice acting, however the story and music are kinda weak. I would give this a rating of 6 out of 10.


Finding Nemo

Year Released: 2003
Running Time: 100 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature (1st Disney film to win this award established in 2001)
• Oscar Nominee For Original Screenplay
• Oscar Nominee for Music Score by Thomas Newman
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Editing

My Review: I remember this film had some major hype to it, even during my high school senior years. I believe it was one of the few animated films I caught during this time and I found it to be very enjoyable. The underwater CGI animation was quite incredible and the story was also very original. It began with the familiar Disney early parental tragedy, however Nemo still had his father looking after him (until he lost him). The story is a great mixture of humor, adventure, and drama and perhaps the one thing it is lacking is a better musical soundtrack. All-in-all I would give it a strong rating of 7 out of 10.


The Incredibles

Year Released: 2004
Running Time: 115 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Winner for Sound Editing
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Mixing
• Oscar Nominee for Original Screenplay

My Review: This was another animated film I actually do recall the hype for during my college years just like Finding Nemo it lived up to the hype. The story of a family of superheros was quite original and made for great action and comedy. The CGI animation was also ideal for this type of action movie and provided a heightened since of suspense to the film. While the film hit a homerun on the visuals and the sound effects, once again it was definitely lacking in the musical department. Overall I would give the film another strong rating of 7 out of 10.


Cars

Year Released: 2006
Running Time: 116 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nomination for Original Song, "Our Town" by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nomination for Best Animated Feature 

My Review: Once again another animated film that was released during my college years which I missed out on the hype. Also it's premise of talking race cars never quite appealed to me. I recently watched it all the way thru and wasn't all that impressed. The film stars one of my favorite comedic actors, Owen Wilson who does well as the hot rod Lightning McQueen. However it's premise is a bit dry and lacking the magic demonstrated in Finding Nemo and Incredibes. The film does provide a decent soundtrack, however not in the usual character/musical fashion. All-in-all I'd give this film a slightly favorable rating for it's CGI graphics of 6 out of 10.


Ratatouille

Year Released: 2007
Running Time: 111 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Nominee for Original Screenplay
• Oscar Nominee for Music Score
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Mixing
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Editing

My Review: This film was once again another home run for the Disney/Pixar partnership in the likes of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and the Incredibles. The setting returned once again to talking animals and the beautiful city of Paris (the third time Disney has presented this beautiful city after the Aristocats and the Hunchback of Notre Dame). The star character is a likable mouse named Remy who longs to be a master chef. He is able to partner with a dimwitted young man named Linguini and cooks sensational meals for a classy restaurant. The story is quite original and the setting of Paris makes it all the more visually appealing. The music provides more of a score rather than a musical soundtrack, perhaps fitting for the classy setting. The ironic comedy of this film is about mice catering to the snooty elite. For it's animation and it's story I give this film a strong rating of 7 out of 10.


Wall-E

Year Released: 2008
Running Time: 97 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Nominee for Best Original Screenplay
• Oscar Nominee for Music Score by Thomas Newman
• Oscar Nominee for Original Song, "Down to Earth" by Thomas Newman
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Mixing
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Editing

My Review: This film was critically acclaimed and garnished more Academy nominations than any Disney animated film before it. Like most Pixar films, the CGI animations were very impressive and this time took the viewers on a futuristic Sci-Fi journey. The story was very original of an old robot working with a new robot to save humanity from living in a very lazy and obese age. While I enjoyed the message of this story I still think the film lacked the usual Disney flair and music, and for that I give it a 6 out of 10 rating.


Up

Year Released: 2009
Running Time: 96 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Winner for Music Score by Michael Giacchino
• Oscar Nominee for Best Motion Picture of the Year
• Oscar Nominee for Original Screenplay
• Oscar Nominee for Sound Editing

My Review: Once again another very critically acclaimed and successful Pixar film. It went on to win the Oscar for best animated film, yet was also nominated for Best Picture which is quite rare for animated films (It was only the 2nd time a Disney animation had been nominated for best picture after Beauty in the Beast in 1991). The film was enjoyable and had a good mix of comedy and adult drama. The opening segment begins with the emotional loss of a loved one and how the elder protagonist chooses to cope with it. His stubbornness takes him on an adventure where he is able to reconnect with people and find the joy in life once again. The film does not have a soundtrack but has an iconic theme song. For it's animation, story, and melodic score I give it a 7 out of 10.


Princess and the Frog

Year Released: 2009
Running Time: 97 minutes
Animation Studios: Walt Disney Animation
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nomination for Original Song, "Almost There" by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nomination for Original Song, "Down in New Orleans" by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nomination for Best Animated Feature

Songs:

• Never Knew I Needed
• Down in New Orleans
• Almost There
• Friends on the Other Side
• When We're Human

My Review: After nearly a decade of successful digital CGI films, it was good to see Disney return to it's roots with a standard animated/musical film. Since the emergence of Pixar, Disney animation has also begun to shift towards CGI animations. After several sub-par films such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, and Lilo and Stitch it almost seemed as if Disney animation was handing the torch over to Pixar. However at the turn of the decade they reemerged with significant titles of their own, beginning with the release of Princess and the Frog. This was a familiar return to the classic Disney fairy tale/musical setting yet also provided a new cultural portrayal. For the first time ever, Disney produced a major film with African Americans as the central characters. My favorite part of the movie was the musical soundtrack provided by Mr. Disney/Louisiana himself, Randy Newman. For it's return to colorful animation and a good musical soundtrack I give the film a 6 out of 10.


Toy Story 3

Year Released: 2010
Running Time: 103 minutes
Animation Studio: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Winner for Original Song, "We Belong Together" by Randy Newman
• Oscar Nomination for Best Picture
• Oscar Nomination for Sound Editing
• Oscar Nomination for Adapted Screenplay

My Review: I distinctively remember the hype of this animated film released during my tenure at the BACA. My first impression was "not another Toy Story movie" but when I finally saw it on video I was convinced it was the best Toy Story yet. The film was far superior to the sub-par Toy Story 2, and even better than the original which is a very rare thing in the movie sequel business. The reason being was the original story, that dealt with the coming-of-age teenager Andy, abandoning his toys and moving on to college life. The film demonstrated it's usual comedic flair yet also tackled realistic mature elements of life transitions. I found the voice acting to be as good as ever and the film had so many great comedic pop culture references to it. All-in-all it was a home run for Disney/Pixar and one of my favorite CGI animations of this modern era. I give it a spectacular rating of 8 out of 10.


Tangled

Year Released: 2010
Running Time: 100 minutes
Animation Studios: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nomination for Original Song, "I See the Light" by Alan Menken

Songs:

• When Will My Life Begin
• Mother Knows Best
• I've Got a Dream
• I see the Light

My Review: I hardly knew much about this film at all, until watching just recently during this Disney appreciation phase. This film was not a Pixar film, yet rather a 3d animation produced by Disney's Animation Studios. I recently watched it with my little nephews and parents and enjoyed the film for the most part. It had a very familiar Disney style to it, with it's fairy tale setting, comedic characters, and musical soundtrack. The story presents an interesting version of the Rapunzel tale and gives a new twist to it with her magical hair. I enjoyed the medieval setting of this film, and found the characters of Rapunzel, Flynn, and their spiteful horse to be quite humorous. I would give this film a favorable rating of 6 out of 10.


Brave

Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 93 minutes
Animation Studio: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature

My Review: I enjoyed the premise of this Pixar film immediately having a fond appreciation for history and especially Scottish culture as presented in the film Braveheart. In this Disney film we see yet another female heroine, Mirada, in the likes of Mulan. She fights to gain her independence as a young woman yet also restore the unity of her family. It's a comical movie with a powerful message of a young woman seeking to break the gender roles of old. I would give it a 6 out of 10 for its animation and good story.


Wreck-It-Ralph

Year Released: 2012
Running Time: 101 minutes
Animation Studios: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nomination for Best Animated Feature

My Review: I saw this one just a couple years at Philip and Shawnna's house with the kids and found it fairly entertaining. The premise is an original one, taking the viewers into the video gaming universe. The film is filled with pop culture, movie, and video game references which always make for additional laughs. I would say overall the film is a slightly above average comedy but does not take it to that next emotional level thus I give it a 6 out of 10.


Frozen

Year Released: 2013
Running Time: 102 minutes
Animation Studio: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Winner for Original Song, "Let it Go" by Robert and Kristen Lopez

Songs:

• Frozen Heart
• Do You Want to Build a Snowman
• For the First Time in Forever
• Love is an Open Door
• Let it Go
• In Summer
• Fixer Upper

My Review: This film had major hype to it and actually lived up to it. I did not watch it until about a year after it was released however remember seeing it at my brother and sister in-law's place with their kids. I enjoyed everything about this film, from its Nordic setting, the animation, the story, but mostly the soundtrack. I would venture to say that this was Disney's best soundtrack since Lion King, and no doubt in their top 10 best animated soundtracks. The hit song, "Let it Go" became quite mainstream, something we had not seen from a Disney film in a while. I would consider this film the crowning achievement of Disney's modern digital age, and give it a strong rating of 7 out of 10.


Big Hero 6

Year Released: 2014
Running Time: 102 minutes
Animation Studio: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature

My Review: After hitting a home run with Frozen, I consider this next Disney theatrical release to be very sub-par. The setting moves away from the female driven fairy-tale setting and reverts to a sci-fi genre, as demonstrated in Wall-E. This time the story is about robot fighting and a team of nerds who are able to become super heroes. While the animation and special effects were impressive, I just found this story to be somewhat flat. How it won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature is beyond me. I give it a very mediocre rating of 5 out of 10, perhaps the lowest of Disney's major theater releases.


Inside Out

Year Released: 2015
Running Time: 94 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Nominee for Original Screenplay

My Review: I remember watching this film several years ago at Philip and Shawnna's with the kids, and was not too impressed with it and it quickly lost my attention. However after watching it recently a 2nd time, I found it to be a bit more favorable. The setting gives a unique portrayal of human emotions and demonstrates a psychological story that surely goes beyond the comprehension of children. In turning the 5 emotions into characters, (joy, sadness, anger, fear, and guilt) Disney demonstrates that all emotions play a part in day-to-day life. Perhaps it's most powerful scene is towards the end when the young innocent girl must cope with change and give in to her sadness. This movie takes the viewers on a deep journey into the mysterious human sub-conscious yet does so with a light playful tone. I give the film a 6 out of 10 for it's very clever portrayal of human emotions.


Moana

Year Released: 2016
Running Time: 107 minutes
Animation Studios: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Nomination for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Nomination for Original Song, "How Far I'll Go" by Lin Manuel Miranda

Songs:

• Where You Are
• How Far I'll Go
• We Know the Way
• You're Welcome
• Shiny

My Review: I remember few years ago this one was all the rave with my little nephews and cousins. It was yet another recent musical/CGI production from Disney studios in the likes of Frozen. The story was so-so, and the setting of the Polynesian Islands was a familiar one demonstrated in Lilo & Stitch. However the soundtrack was very enjoyably most notably the hit song How Far I'll Go which garnished the up-and-comer screenwriter Lin Manuel Miranda his first academy nomination. I also personally really enjoyed the sea voyage song, We Know the Way. Dwayne Johnson also made for a good comical character of the demigod, Maui. I would give this film a 6 out of 10 rating for it's enjoyable soundtrack.


Coco

Year Released: 2017
Running Time: 105 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Winner for Remember Me by 

Songs:

• Remember Me
• Much Needed Advice
• Everyone Knows Juanita
• Poco Loco
• La Llorana
• The World Es Mi Familia
• Proud Corazan

My Review: I remember watching this movie at Philip and Shawnna's house with my parents and the kids and enjoyed it instantly. It was a completely originally story, with a great soundtrack, and a powerful celebration of Mexican culture. I learned quite a lot from this film regarding the Mexican customs of Dia de la Muertas, of which they celebrate their deceased family members. The film is also however a homage to music, as it's young protagonist Miguel must overcome all odds to follow his true passion. For me the film had a very optimistic message about life-and-death and there were several powerful emotional moments of sheer awe-inspiration. I found the scenes involving the bridge-way into the afterlife to be very philosophical and artistic. I also felt a sense of jubilation at the end of the film to see the family celebrating with their deceased family members. This is a concept that transcends most happily-ever-after movies and demonstrates the iconic magic that Walt Disney movies are known for. I consider this movie to be on par with Toy Story and Frozen as the most significant Disney films of the modern digital era. I give it a strong rating of 8 out of 10. 


Incredibles 2

Year Released: 2018
Running Time: 118 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Nominated for Best Animated Feature

My Review: I remember watching this at Philip and Shawnna's house with my parents and the kids and found it to be enjoyable. It seems quite shocking that Disney waited 14 years to release a sequel to the very popular original released in 2004. The story expands on the family of superheroes, by bringing their baby into the mix. It also flips the script on Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, by having Mr. Incredible stay at home and watch the kids while Elastigirl goes out and fights the crime. The movie is not quite as a good as the original however still provides great action, comedy, and animation. I would give it a 6 out of 10 rating.


Toy Story 4

Year Released: 2019
Running Time: 100 minutes
Animation Studios: Pixar
Academy Accolades:

• Oscar Winner for Best Animated Feature
• Oscar Nominee for Original Song, "I Can't Let you Throw Yourself Away" by Randy Newman

Songs:

• You've Got a Friend in Me
• I Can't Let you Throw Yourself Away
• The Ballad of a Lonesome Cowboy

My Review: I was shocked to hear Toy Story was releasing a 4th movie after the very successful 3rd one which I thought had a fitting closure. But I suppose money rules over content and this one for me was nothing more than a profit grabber. The story takes Woody and the gang on a new adventure, and reunites Woody with his love interest Bo Peep as they help other lost toys. While the movie offers a decent story and some comedy I don't think it was worthy of an Oscar for best animated feature. I also don't think it was near as good as the closure the 3rd movie provided. I'd put this movie on par with the 2nd one and give it a slightly above average rating of 6 out of 10.


Frozen 2

Year Released: 2019
Running Time: 103 minutes
Animation Studios: Walt Disney Animations
Academy Accolades:

• Nominated for Original Song, "Into the Unknown" by Robert and Kristen Lopez

Songs:

• All is Found
• Some Things Never Change
• Into the Unknown
• When I am Older
• Show Yourself
• The Next Right Thing

My Review: Disney has really gone heavy on the sequels the past few years, which to me becomes more about the profit rather then the content. Consider the last few major releases of Cars 3, The Incredibles, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Toy Story 4, and Frozen II all have which been quite sub par for Disney's standards. The setting of Frozen II is hardly that different than it's original, and the music is nowhere near as good. The film still somehow got an Oscar nod for Into the Unknown which I found to be a rather annoying song. I hope this brings perhaps an end to the sequel CGI age and perhaps we can get back into some golden quality. I give this film an above average rating of 6 out of 10.