b r a v e c r e a t u r e s

Here is something kind of important you need to know about me - I love animation.

 And I particularly love well made kids animations. I know they are cliched, corney and obvious, but there is a reason that cliches mean something to us.

So imagine my sadness at the last decade of lack lustre work from the Disney Studios. Once a shining light, they fell into a sad decine over the last few years, lost in a quagmire of technical geekery, desperate avoidance of digital, trite plots and uninspiring cameo voices.  None of which is what I go to see an animation for.

I go to have my heart warmed.

At one time Disney ruled the animation roost and looked set to reinvent musical theatre on screen. And then in 1995, with the overly chesty Pocahontas, it all seemed to die leaving Pixar to struggle on to create beautiful stories. Stories that warmed the heart and lifted the spirit of the young at heart.

That seemed to be the thing that Disney forget - Its not about the technology, or the actors, or the effects or the marketing or the franchise - it is about the story. Nothing else REALLY matters.   

Last night for me things changed.

My mate P and I went to see "Meet the Robinsons". My heart was warmed, my faith restored.

At last Disney seems to have recovered their way. I am not going to go into plot details here, they are pretty obvious to be honest, but it was thoroughly enjoyable - even the added geekery of the 3D glasses didnt dampen the films glowing smile. Disney even managed to recover some of their music cred with a great tracksoundtrack from Danny Elfman (of course) including a corker from Rob Thomas (see below).

There is even an interesting lesson in the films villain; look to the reasons WHY someone does the things they do and seek to help the cause, not punish the symptoms. A lesson that comes straight from Americas growing awareness that they need to share the planet with the rest of us.

All of this in a kids film. 

If you are a child at heart, go see it. Trust me, speaking as the worlds largest 9 year old, you will love it. It wont expand your horizons, it wont challenge you, it wont provoke thought - but it will lift your spirits. Sometimes thats what we need.