The Best Animated Feature Film: According to Me
Posted on March 7, 2022
The Oscars have recently released all the film nominees including those in the Animated Feature Film Catagory. Being a huge animation fan, I took it upon myself to watch all the nominees in the Best Animated Feature Film Category. This is not a ranking, but more so a review of these films to see if the Oscars’ picks are worth it.
Encanto
Image Credit: Distractify
A new Disney classic, and are we surprised? I loved this movie; the music, the animation, the story, everything was so expertly done. Encanto follows Mirabel, one of the daughters of the reliable and magical Madrigal family where each member is blessed with a magical gift, except her. When the family’s magic seems to be at risk, Mirabel takes it upon herself to try and save it and her family from falling apart. The story is so fun to watch, and the emotional moments land (that flashback sequence with the grandma had me sniffling). Yeah, there’s a good reason the soundtrack has been all over the internet lately.
Raya and the Last Dragon
Image Credit: Polygon
Yeah, so this is probably only nominated because it’s from Disney. The movie itself isn’t horrible, it’s just fine. Some of the story points are messy, the attempt at a redemption arc is so weak it’s frustrating, and this may just be just my opinion, but oh my god Sisu is so annoying. That being said, the animation is of course incredibly well done and I was a big fan of the world design and the character design (Except for Sisu…She literally looks like a My Little Pony). Raya and the Last Dragon is the story of a world divided, where Raya the daughter of one of the nation’s leaders, accidentally discovers the last dragon and works with her to help reunite the world.
Luca
Image Credit: Wanted in Milan
This one is a personal favourite. A very simple and sweet narrative told with a few characters within a very small setting that doesn’t bog down the story and instead lets the themes and characters shine. If you’re fond of the found family trope, as I am, this is a great pick. Luca presents the coming of age story of a young sea monster and his friends in a small Italian seaside village. I don’t imagine it’ll win this category, unfortunately, but it’s worth the watch all the same. I also highly recommend the accompanying short, “Ciao Alberto,” to extend on the sweetness.
Flee
Image Credit: IMDb
Frankly, this film is so drastically different from any other movie nominated in this category, it’s almost bizarre to include them on the same list. That being said, it really is a beautiful story. Flee uses a very simple but effective 2-D hand-drawn animation style along with the occasional live footage interlay that gives this film a distinct tone and feel, especially compared to the other 3-D animated nominees on this list. This docu-drama chronicles the story of Amin Nawabi as he finally bears a secret that has weighed on him for most of his life.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Image Credit: The Globe and Mail
I’ve already discussed this movie before but I’ll do it again. This movie is super enjoyable and high energy and the animation is also incredibly well done, as to be expected from the same studio that brought us Spiderverse. This movie is primarily about familial connection as it follows the Mitchells, the only family not yet captured by the technology apocalypse. Through their trials and tribulations, they aim to save the world from evil technology but maybe also save their own relationship along the way.
And there you go, my reviews of each of the nominees in the Animated Feature Film category. For the most part, these are all really great stories but I highly encourage you to watch them yourself and form your own opinions. In regards to the Oscars, I think an Encanto win is most likely but frankly, I’d be happy to see any of these take home the trophy…except Raya. Never Raya.
