The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn

Studio: Paramount
Director: Steven Spielberg
Release Date: December 23
Pros: Spielberg. Jackson. Hergé. What more can you want out of a budget-busting, performance-capture CG 3-D spectacular (which, fingers crossed, will launch a trilogy)? Critics were mighty impressed with what they saw at a European press screening this month, praising the film’s scope, action and realistic-yet-stylized animation. One French writer even said the movie might be Spielberg’s masterpiece!
Cons: Any time a beloved character is dropped into a new medium, there will be grumbling. We heard it with the Smurfs. We heard it with Alvin and the Chipmunks. Don’t even get us started on what we heard about Garfield, OK? Some will be turned off no matter what! Others are still debating over the fact that performance capture technology should not really be judged in the same category as totally animated movies.

Alois Nebel

Studio: Negativ in assoc. with Czech TV, Tobogang, Pallas Film
Director: Tomás Lunák
Release Date: TBA
Pros: Widely hailed as one of the most striking films of the year, this dramatic rotoscoped effort is based on the comic trilogy by Jaroslav Rudiš and Jaromír 99 about a Czech train dispatcher living in a small village in the 1980s who begins to suffer hallucinations linked to the post WWII expulsion of Germans from the country. Czech Rep. has even tossed this hat into the Best Foreign Language Film ring—if nominated, it will be the first toon in that category since 2008′s Waltz with Bashir.
Cons: While the artistry and atmosphere of Alois are not lacking in praise, critics have pointed out that the film may be too particularly Czech—too specific to the country’s history and a central European world view. Academy members might be hard pressed to truly identify with this dramatic work.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked

Studio: Fox
Director: Mike Mitchell
Release Date: December 16
Pros: The new CG/live-action hybrid adventure finds the Chipmunks (and the Chipettes) stranded on a not-so-deserted isle after a cruise ship mishap. Mitchell, the director of Shrek Forever After, gets to exercise his comedy muscles with Jason Lee as Dave Seville and Arrested Development‘s David Cross in this third installment
Cons: The Chipmunks films have done quite well for themselves at the box office, so rest assured that some of your friends (especially the ones with tots in tow) will be psyched for this holiday release—but so far critics haven’t been too kind to the little rodents. And there is the eternal question of whether hybrid flicks should qualify as animated features.

Arthur Christmas

Studios: Aardman/Sony
Directors: Sarah Smith; co-director Barry Cook
Release Date: November 23
Pros: We don’t know any toon fans who don’t squeal with glee at the announcement of a new Aardman project, and those in the know are curious how to see how their first effort under their new agreement with Sony turns out. The 3-D CG, sci-fi holiday story stars James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Ashley Jensen.
Cons: Please forgive us, O Grand Creators of Wallace & Gromit, but it’s gotta be said: A Christmas flick (or any holiday film) may be a tough sell for the older Academy voters, and truth be told, die-hard Aardman fans seem to be more excited about next spring’s real stop-motion movie, The Pirates! Band of Misits. If memory serves, Aardman’s last CG-animated movie Flushed Away didn’t take the big Oscar home either.

Cars 2

Studio: Disney-Pixar
Director: John Lasseter; co-director Brad Lewis
Release Date: June 24
Box Office to Date: $551 million [$190 million]
Pros: Disney-Pixar has had an unadulterated four-year run of claiming the Best Feature prize, and the second Cars outing hit the right notes at the box office thanks to the popularity of the characters, globe-trotting (driving?) storyline and impeccable as ever animation.
Cons: Critics were somewhat disappointed by the sequel, noting that the heartfelt emotion and animated artistry that’s come to be expected of Pixar flicks was overwhelmed by the go-go action. While it had plenty of enthusiastic fans, it seems doubtful that this will be the Disney-Pixar offering to cross the finish line this year.

A Cat in Paris

Studios: Folimage/France 3/Rhône-Alpes/GKIDS
Directors: Alain Gagnol, Jean-Loup Felicioli
Release Date: TBA
Box Office to Date: $1.2 million [France]
Pros: This graphically distinct 2D tale of a Parisian cat whose double lives puts his owner in peril when the girl decides to follow him on his night-time adventures has won over critics and festival audiences the world over. Long-time collaborators Gagnol and Felicioli have been honored with nominations at the European Film and César Awards—the Oscar nod can’t be much of a stretch!
Cons: With a release date yet to be set, Cat might get caught up in the clutter of late-season entrants vying for qualifying runs for a shot at Oscar glory. For an indie film from a foreign producer, the frantic pace might keep Academy members from savoring this offering enough to remember it come ballot time. At the least, it will have to out-do Spanish production Chico & Rita for the token foreign nomination slot.

Chico & Rita

Studios: Magic Light Pictures/Luma Films/GKIDS
Directors: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal
Release Date: TBA
Pros: This expertly crafted digital 2D film won over critics with its emotional story line, artisanal attention to detail in the locales and eras it spans and impeccable music laced with the rhythms of Cuba and free-wheeling jazz notes. It even took home the Goya Award for Best Animated Film this year.
Cons: While the cream of the foreign-produced indie crop is usually honored with a nomination come Oscar season, we have yet to see one take home the statuette. Chico may sadly join the ranks of The Illusionist, Persepolis, The Secret of Kells and other beautiful films that went home empty-handed.

Gnomeo & Juliet

Studios: Starz/Touchstone
Director: Kelly Asbury
Release Date: February 11
Box Office to Date: $190 million [$100 million domestic]
Pros: Disney’s “sleeper hit” of the year shows its toon pedigree, with Starz animation deftly sculpting the film under Asbury (Shrek 2). The film ranked well its opening weekend, and you can’t beat a soundtrack featuring an Elton John (who served as producer) and Lady Gaga duet.
Cons: While a fun romp and good family fare, critics found the film a bit too reliant on its gimmick. However, many found the central romance quite charming in a “You can tell everybody this is your song” kind of a way.

Happy Feet Two

Studios: Dr. D/Warner Bros.
Director: George Miller
Release Date: November 18
Pros: Who doesn’t love penguins? Especially plucky, adorable little ones that find a way to solve their problems through the magic of dance? Miller (who directed Oscar-winning Happy Feet as well) has a great cast lined up for this 3-D adventure—returning stars Elijah Wood and Robin Williams, plus Carlos Alazraqui, Jeffrey Garcia, Hugo Weaving, Sofia Vergara, Pink, even Brad Pitt and Matt Damon as (doubtlessly dreamy) krill.
Cons: Lightning rarely strikes twice at the Best Animated Feature racetrack. Perhaps the penguin crew will give Rio‘s parrots something to squawk about—or this encore performance might leave audiences disenchanted like most of the year’s sequel offerings. We’ll have to wait for the Holiday Season box office buzz to know!

Hoodwinked Too!: Hood Vs. Evil

Studio: Weinstein Co.
Director: Mike Disa
Release Date: April 29
Box Office to Date: $16.9 million [$10.1 million]
Pros: The sequel to 2005′s CG fairy tale spoof upped the animation ante with a broader world and more awesome action (in 3-D!) that paid tribute to top blockbusters from the live-action world. Hayden Panettiere lead a top notch cast—Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Joan Cusack, Martin Short, Brad Garrett, Cheech & Chong…the list goes on.
Cons: Despite pushing the action/animation envelope, most critics felt the sequel sacrificed the charm of the original outing. In the crowded nominations race, Red and her crew will probably sit this one out on the indie toon bench.

Kung Fu Panda 2

Studio: DreamWorks/Paramount
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Release Date: May 26
Box Office to Date: $663 million [$165 million]
Pros: Technology advances (and stereo 3-D) helped expand the magical ancient Chinese world of Po the panda and his Furious Five cohorts, and the film’s sweeping animated scale won nods of approval as did the star-powered voice cast (lead by Jack Black) and slightly dark tones attributed to exec producer Guillermo del Toro’s influence. Oh, and it’s the 49th highest grossing film of all time and top grossing woman-directed film!
Cons: While Po and his kung fu crew have a loyal fan base, the Academy is notoriously averse to giving the top honor to a sequel, tending to favor break-out original stories. Panda might have to wait for fond farewell Award a la Toy Story 3.

Mars Needs Moms

Studios: ImageMovers/Disney
Director: Simon Wells
Release Date: March 11
Box Office to Date: $38.9 million [$21.4 million]
Pros: Wells (The Time Machine, The Prince of Egypt) had a well honed cast to work with—Seth Green, Joan Cusack, Dee Bradley Baker, etc.—and used them well along with the digital might of producer Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers studio to bring Berkeley Breathed’s popular book to life. Not to mention a $150 million budget.
Cons: While many praised the cast performances, the film’s critical reception was largely, well, critical. Most felt the story had been neglected in favor of the 3-D performance-capture spectacle—which tipped too closely to the “uncanny valley” for some tastes. The disappointing BO performance sounded the death knell for ImageMovers, so don’t hold your breath for Polar Express 2 either.

Puss in Boots

Studios: DreamWorks/Paramount
Director: Chris Miller
Release Date: October 28
Pros: Antonio Banderas returns as the swashbuckling feline who, quite frankly, stole the show in Shrek 2. Giving the character his own vehicle to explore his roguish back story with a fresh look (in 3-D), new friends and foes and some sizzling Latin flair may be enough to perk up the Academy’s whiskers.
Cons: The franchise has been well represented at the Oscars, with Shrek winning in 2001 and its sequel nominated in 2004. Puss will have to really stand out from its mother-films for the Academy to grant one of its coveted nomination spots—especially with yet more Shrek films in the works.

Rango

Studios: ILM/Paramount
Director: Gore Verbinski
Release Date: March 4
Box Office to Date: $243 million [$123 million]
Pros: ILM’s first feature animation outing rightly wowed critics and audiences with its rich (if gritty) look, A-list cast and sly nods to classic Westerns. Johnny Depp proved his chops playing the titular lizard and earned a Teen Choice Award for his efforts—and teenagers know everything.
Cons: Some audiences (and critics) didn’t know what to make of a cartoon animal film in which few characters are fluffy and almost none are adorable. While a strong premiere effort, Verbinski’s cowboy homage might be swept aside in favor of franchise flicks.

Rio

Studios: Blue Sky/Fox
Director: Carlos Saldanha
Release Date: April 15
Box Office to Date: $484 million [$144 million]
Pros: The bright colors, festive sounds and sights of Carnival dazzled audiences and critics, who praised the animation and catchy music influenced by the film’s South American setting. The Blue Sky crew is old hat at creating visually enchanting family adventures, and this latest effort places another feather firmly in that cap.
Cons: As so often befalls those contenders not produced by Pixar, it seems the loudest complaint about the Fox flick is that it … isn’t from Pixar. Like a fussy child tasting an exotic dish, will the Academy spit this one out and demand a familiar flavor?

The Smurfs

Studio: Sony
Director: Raja Gosnell
Release Date: July 29
Box Office to Date: $533 million [$139 million]
Pros: Comedy vets Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria lead a celeb-packed cast which includes Jonathan Winters, Fred Armisen, Alan Cumming, George Lopez, Jeff Foxworthy, Kenan Thompson, Paul Reubens—and even pop star Katy Perry and Wolfgang Puck lend their voices to spunky Smurfs. The magic-meets-Manhattan story offered something for everyone, and won big at the box office.
Cons: Is it really an animated film? Did we love the film, or just seeing those cute little blue dudes on the big screen? Can a film starring Katy Perry ever truly deserve an Oscar? The debate rages on. While the bouncing baby crowd came out in droves to see it, a film that garners reviews like “not torturous” and “surprisingly tolerable” isn’t exactly a strong bet.

Winnie the Pooh

Studio: Disney
Directors: Stephen J. Anderson, Don Hall
Release Date: July 15
Box Office to Date: $33.2 million [$26.7 million]
Pros: Viewers raved about the gentle, nostalgic charm of this film, and applauded Disney’s return to hand-drawn animation lovingly crafted by Disney vet Burny Mattinson, who lead a team of top artists as key animator. The sweet family fare was well received and made for a very refreshing summer treat.

Cons: While Pooh was a calm stroll down memory lane for so many, the soft story that so perfectly matched the soft animators’ touch might lack the necessary “edge” that separates a good film from an Oscar-worthy film—but a nomination nod would still be fitting.

Wrinkles (Arrugas)

Studio: Perro Verde Films
Director: Ignacio Ferreras
Release Date: TBA
Pros: Another brilliant animated take on a gripping graphic novel! This one is based on the tale by Paco Roca about the friendship between two elderly men living in a retirement home, one of whom is suffering the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Perro Verde has delivered a moving, poignant exploration of a very difficult topic and the film has been well received by festival audiences around the world.
Cons: Wrinkles faces stiff competition from another Spanish production, Chico & Rita, to nab a coveted nomination spot. One can never say how far the Academy will go in wanting to acknowledge more serious animated stories. It could be the difficult subject matter pushes this film to the finish line, or Oscar might prefer to go home with a pair of doomed jazz-loving lovers.

Big Bang Big Boom

Director: Blu [Italy]
Synopsis: Argentine artist Blu’s trademark stop-motion graffiti technique depicts an “unscientific” perspective on the beginning, evolution and probable end of life.
Qualifying Win: Special Jury Award (Annecy Festival Int’l du Cinéma d’Animation)

Bottle

Director: Kirsten Lepore (U.S.)
Synopsis: Shot on location, Lepore’s latest stop-motion effort tells the bittersweet story of two characters—a lump of sand and a pile of snow—who form a transoceanic friendship trading objects in a bottle.
Qualifying Wins: Best Animated Short (Florida Film Festival); Sparky Award for Best Animated Short (Slamdance Film Festival)

Brick Novax’s Diary, Pt. 1 & 2

Director: Matt Piedmont [U.S.]
Synopsis: The first two parts of Piedmont’s four-parter puppet miniseries for HBO’s Funny or Die Presents find Brick Novax preserving his tales of adventure to secure his reputation as the coolest guy in the world.
Qualifying Win: Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking (Sundance Film Festival)

La Bruxa

Director: Pedro Solís García [Spain]
Synopsis: In 3D artist García’s directorial debut, an old witch searches for love at any cost.
Qualifying Win: Goya Award for Best Short Animation (Academia de las Artes y Ciencias Cinematograficas de España)

Correspondence

Director: Zach Hyer [Pratt Inst., NY]
Synopsis: A CG-animated tale set in an undefined war, the film explores issues of power abuse and control as the main character risks his life for a frivolous cause.
Qualifying Win: Student Academy Award – Gold Medal (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences)

Dragonboy

Directors: Bernardo Warman, Shaofu Zhang, Lisa Allen [Academy of Art Univ., CA]
Synopsis: An epic battle for love and honor unfolds as three children become a princess, knight and dragon in their school play.
Qualifying Win: Student Academy Award – Gold Medal (Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences)

The Eagleman Stag

Director: Michael Please (U.K.)
Synopsis: This darkly comic stop-motion piece explores a man’s obsession with the quickening of time that faces us as we age, and his attempts to counter this effect.
Qualifying Wins: Best Short Animation (British Academy of Film and Television Arts); Best Animated Short Film (Los Angeles Film Festival); Grand Jury Prize – Animation (Seattle Int’l Film Festival)

Enrique Wrecks the World

Director: David Chai [U.S.]
Synopsis: Chai, an assistant professor at San Jose State University, lends a refreshingly hand-crafted feel to his 2D short in which Enrique learns that “actions speak louder than birds.”
Qualifying Win: First Place – Animation (USA Film Festival)

The External World

Director: David O’Reilly [Ireland/Germany/U.S.]
Synopsis: A menagerie of characters in a series of bizarre vignettes are woven together in this trippy CG critique of life and its inherent futility. At least, that’s our best guess.
Qualifying Wins: Yoram Gross Award for Best Animation (FlickerFest); Best Short Animation (Guanajuato Int’l Film Festival); Golden Gate Award – Animated Short (San Francisco Int’l Film Festival); Grand Prix – Int’l Competition (Stuttgart Int’l Animation Festival)

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Directors: William Joyce, Brandon Oldenburg (U.S.)
Synopsis: After a violent storm carries off his home, Mr. Morris Lessmore discovers a magical library full of very animated volumes in this CG charmer.
Qualifying Wins: Best Animated Short (Cinequest Film Festival); Best Animated Short Film (Cleveland Int’l Film Festival); Best of Show (SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival)

Hand Soap

Director: Kei Oyama [Japan]
Synopsis: An adolescent boy’s insecurity, body obsession and ill-at-ease family are reflected in details and objects that occasionally take on a life of their own.
Qualifying Win: Chris Frayne Award for Best Animated Film (Ann Arbor Film Festival)

Kahānikār (The Storyteller)

Director: Nandita Jain [U.K.]
Synopsis: Based on a myth from Southern India, the film explores Nirmala’s relationship with her grandfather, who struggles to recall the details of her favorite story, leading her to take on the role of storyteller.
Qualifying Win: Best Animation (LA Shorts Fest)

Lipsett Diaries (Les Journaux de Lipsett)

Director: Theodore Ushev [Canada]
Synopsis: The haunting hand-painted film explores the troubled life of Canadian experimental animator Arthur Lipsett, who committed suicide in 1986.
Qualifying Win: Genie Award for Best Animated Short (Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television)

The Little Boy and the Beast

Directors: Johannes Weiland, Uwe Heidschötter
Synopsis: In this sweet CG animated short from Studio Soi, a young boy deals with the tribulations of having one’s mother suddenly transformed into a monster. The project was commissioned by German kids channel KI.KA.
Qualifying Win: Special Jury Award – Animation (New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival)

The Lost Town of Switez

Director: Kamil Polak [Poland/Canada]
Synopsis: Inspired by art of the Middle Ages and 19th century Slavonic paintings, this epic tale of a man’s journey to heroism was crafted with a unique blend of CG techniques and traditional animation in oils.
Qualifying Win: Best Animation (Palm Springs Int’l Shortfest)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp [U.S.]
Synopsis: Equal parts adorable and semi-tragic, this stop-motion short takes us into the world of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (voiced by co-writer and former SNL member Jenny Slate) as he shares facts about his tiny existence.
Qualifying Win: Grand Prize Short (New York Int’l Children’s Film Festival)

Moxie

Director: Stephen Irwin [U.K.]
Synopsis: Irwin’s trademark smudgy, Noir-ish digital/traditional 2D technique brings us the tale of a pyromaniac bear who misses his mother.
Qualifying Win: Grand Prize for Best Independent Short Animation (Ottawa Int’l Animation Festival)

Nullarbor

Director: Alister Lockhart; co-director Patrick Sarell [Australia]
Synopsis: This CG tale from Aussie outfit The LampShade Collective packs the stresses of road rage, nicotine withdrawal and generational conflict into a journey along Australia’s longest, straightest desert road.
Qualifying Wins: Holmesglen Award for Best Animation Short Film (Melbourne Int’l Film Festival); Yoram Gross Animation Award (Sydney Film Festival)

Pixels

Director: Patrick Jean [France]
Synopsis: Old-school videogame characters wreak CG havoc on live footage of New York in this techno-retro animation and fx showpiece.
Qualifying Win: Le Cristal d’Annecy (Annecy Festival Int’l du Cinéma d’Animation)

The Renter

Director: Jason Carpenter
Synopsis: Carpenter’s digital 2D tale draws from his childhood daycare experiences, centering on a young boy left at his grandmother’s house where a strange man rents a room.
Qualifying Win: Best Animated Short (Atlanta Film Festival)

Something Left, Something Taken

Directors: Max Porter, Ru Kuwahata [U.S.]
Synopsis: This dark comedy from Porter/Kuwahata’s Tiny Inventions mixed-media animation team documents a vacationing couple’s chance encounter with a man they believe to be the Zodiac Killer.
Qualifying Win: Best Animated Short (Nashville Film Festival)

Specky Four-Eyes

Director: Jean-Claude Rozec [France]
Synopsis: When little Arnaud learns he has to wear a pair of hideous, painful glasses, he find he much prefers the vague world of his nearsightedness, populated with fanciful creatures from his imagination.
Qualifying Win: Best Animation (Aspen Shortsfest)

The Tannery

Director: Iain Gardner (U.K.)
Synopsis: When Fox encounters the ghost of a rabbit, they develop an usual relationship. But when a Hunter prepares a pelt for market, and Fox learns of his connection to The Tannery.
Qualifying Win: Best Animated Short (Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival)

The Wonder Hospital

Director: Beomsik Shimbe Shim [S. Korea/U.S.]
Synopsis: A blend of CG animation and puppetry weave the surreal tale of a mysterious hospital where a girl’s desire for beauty sends her chasing around the hospital only to find an irreversible end.
Qualifying Win: Best Animated Short (South By South West)