The 2021 Animation Catch-Up Variety Hour! - Renegade Animation #46
Tonight, on a very illuminating episode of Renegade Animation, Captain Kaye and The Animation Guru catch up with the films they DIDN'T get to talk about before the clock struck midnight. This includes... GASP! Sing 2, and Belle!
How’s it going, fellow Renegades? ‘Tis I, THE DIRECTOR, back once again to give y’all the best of the best in the world of inks and paper with Animation! But in this case, we’re taking it back to the past… a whole MONTH IN THE PAST, to be exact!
It’s true that we do our best to be up to date with the output of animation, but sometimes we get a little too caught up, or some stories aren’t released until later on in the year on a broader scale. As such Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru have managed to get their eyes on some of the most anticipated and hyped animated films that… incidentally, might also make this an early Awards Contender episode! If you wanna see where both the Cap’n and the Guru lie on these films, check it out! It’s a fun listen.
But I’m talking too much. I’ll go ahead and kick it over to the Captain himself for his detailed thoughts!
SING 2 (2021)
“I said at the time that Sing was Illumination's best film, and up until today I honestly stood by that claim. Sing 2 is not only a great sequel, but its existence is probably the perfect argument in defense of the studio. Allow me to explain with two different characters and their respective roles in the narrative. First, we have Clay Calloway, voiced by Bono. He's a washed up rock star who secluded himself for the past 15 years after losing his wife. Bono could have easily phoned in this performance, for it's not hard to assume the only reason he was cast was so they could have the rights to U2's music. However, the fact that he actually creates a compelling character makes whatever it took to get him worth it. The other character that deserves a mention is Klaus Kickenklober, voiced by Adam Buxton. Klaus is the dance choreographer for the musical, and his role in Johnny's arc works on so many levels. Some people might see him as a representation of Illumination's harshest critics, particularly when compared to the likes of Disney Animation, Pixar, or Dreamworks. Lately I've found myself relating to Johnny the most in my personal life, feeling the pressure of measuring up to certain expectations. One line in particular that, while admittedly a little on the nose, makes this point perfectly clear is when Klaus tells Johnny ‘you will NEVER be great.’ I'm not saying this is the best animated movie of the year, nor is it even in the top 5. What I AM saying is that Sing 2 defies expectations for a studio generally looked down upon in many film circles, but that it exists at all means there is plenty of potential for greatness at Illumination Entertainment.” - Captain Kaye
FLEE (2021)
“I have been waiting for about a year to see this one, ever since it premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, and thanks to Neon I can finally cross it off my bucket list. There's something unique about the way this story is presented. I'm not suggesting this is the first animated documentary, but it's such a rarity within the medium that it could very well be someone's first. No, what's unique about this film is the perspective of its subject. While I don't necessarily love the limited animation approach, it's still effective in the way it frames the story Amin is telling, as if he was drawing his memories in a visual journal. The story itself is a harrowing tale of perseverance, doing whatever you can to survive these darkest days, and ultimately coming out on top. This would make a great double feature with a similar film I saw last year called Josep about the French artist Josep Bartolí. Movies like these push the medium of animation forward, and if you want to see a wider variety of stories beyond par for the course family fare, I highly encourage you to seek them out.” - Captain Kaye
THE SUMMIT OF THE GODS (2021)
“I won't lie, I was not prepared to love this movie as much as I did. On the surface, this is already such a unique production. While not necessarily based on a true story, the main MacGuffin is a camera that belonged to the real life mountaineer George Mallory, who died on the North Face of Mount Everest. Culturally, the film acts as the perfect bridge between the East and the West, and further proves my point that anime (the French word for animation btw) has become more of a globalized phenomenon. The animation is gorgeous from start to finish. Not every movie in the medium needs to have the same kinetic energy as The Mitchell's vs the Machines, but you know it's doing something right when animation is the only way to properly convey the emotional impact in a particular scene. It wasn't until the ending that what I loved about this movie became crystal clear: everyone has their own Everest to climb. I've known what mine is for at least half a decade, and no matter how long it takes, I am determined to see it through to the end. The Summit of the Gods is now streaming on Netflix, and it's certainly one of the best films of 2021. The story is incredibly compelling, the characters all have clearly defined motivations, and the cherry on top is the movie, both the score by Amine Bouhafa and Fukamachi's diegetic prog rock mixtapes.“ - Captain Kaye
JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH (2020)
“While I may not be the most familiar with the original source material, I've seen stories like this before. However, what Josee does differently is treat our two leads as equals. Yes, Josee may have a disability, but that doesn't mean she lacks agency as a character. As for Tsuneo, I never got the impression that he looked down at Josee, nor did he accept the caretaker position out of pity. Both of these characters are compelling in their own right, but also have amazing romantic chemistry. How they accomplished this is simple, they bonded over a common interest. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, an anime film revolving around the sea has some of the most stunning animated sequences I've seen all year, and when one of the characters also is pursuing a dream to become an artist, it's another excuse for the animators' imagination to run wild. If you missed your chance to see this in theaters, Josee, the Tiger and the Fish will be available on Blu-Ray and digital February 8th. It is honestly the perfect example of how to tell a compelling romance, complete with all the usual tropes, but making you care first and foremost for the main leads. This one comes highly recommended!” - Captain Kaye
BELLE (2021)
“To nobody's surprise, this is by far my favorite film of the year! I already knew I was going to love this from the premise alone, but what makes this film so special is that it more or less represents everything I love about the medium of animation. I'm aware how that sounds, so let me explain. First, a big thesis statement I made when I started Renegade Animation was that anime has become exponentially more of a global enterprise, and that is evident in the production of Belle. Studio Chizu brought aboard veteran Disney animator Jin Kim and Michael Camacho to design the titular character, while Cartoon Saloon helped bring the world of ‘U’ to life through background work. All of this helped to create a clear distinction between the real world and their virtual escape. Now, I may not have seen all of Momoru Hosoda's previous films, but I'm familiar enough with his narrative sensibilities, and I can tell that plays to ALL of his strengths. Hosoda seems like he's one of the few filmmakers to truly have his fingers on the pulse of youth culture, and he proves that here by putting his own modern spin on a tale as old as time. It has a little bit of everything that I love in a good animated feature, including an awesome action sequence that introduces Dragon, to one of my favorite musical numbers of the year, ‘Lend Me Your Voice.’ Belle opens nationwide on January 14th, if it's playing near you and you feel comfortable going to a theater, I HIGHLY recommend seeing this as soon as you can!” - Captain Kaye
Well, that’ll do it for this episode! Special thanks to Cameron for editing this episode! Keep an eye on the horizon, and you’ll see a new podcast episode very soon…
