Day 8 - The Birth of Astroboy

Although I have heard of Astro Boy in the past, I had never watched an episode until class on Monday. I didn't think I'd like it, but I found myself intrigued by the end of the episode. Astro Boy's dark content and use of music with movement is a unique style in a world of sugar-coated orthodox animation.

I love the darkness in The Birth of Astro Boy; the death of a child is an emotional and heartbreaking time clearly demonstrated through the crazed scientist that Tobio's father becomes. I like that Astro Boy's creator, Osamu Tezuka, tried to create realistic moments in an animated and futuristic world. Most orthodox animations follow the conventions of portraying a semi-realistic world, but when it comes to the unpredictable life moments we all experience, they are sugar-coated; Tezuka breaks this typical convention with the death of Tobio.

My favorite scene from the original episode is the mad scientist scene where Astro Boy is brought to life. The use of Beethoven's popular Symphony No. 5 in this scene is reminiscent of old horror films and adds a sense of urgency and anxiety to the room. The animation is drawn to reflect the song; the professor's body moves in time to the song and the buttons on his electronic panel light up according to the notes and pitches of Symphony No. 5.

My Stop-Motion Animation

Day 7 - Up

Though I've seen almost all of the Disney-Pixar collaborations, not one has grabbed my attention like Up (2009) has. This family-oriented film is one of only two animated films ever nominated for a best picture Oscar; this achievement was only possible with this year's addition of five slots. Edward Asner's weathered voice was the only logical choice for the film and the grumpy yet lovable main character of Carl.

Up may follow many traditional conventions of orthodox animation, but its plot is unique to itself. It follows an unlikely main character past his prime on an extraordinary adventure of a lifetime. The beginning of the film starts like others with a young boy, Carl, imagining a life of adventure at Paradise Falls in South America. Yet within the next several minutes, you're whiplashed through his life stopping in his old age at a point after his wife has passed. Contractors are threatening to take his property, so after a lifetime of working in the balloon business, he takes the initiative to transform his home into a flying house and finally makes his way to Paradise Falls. However, an unlikely companion has made his way onto Carl's flying house, thus altering his straightforward plans.

The fact that Up's main character is an elderly man brings warmth and captivation to the film; it's not often that an elderly is portrayed in such a spotlight. In most modern blockbusters, the elderly are most often portrayed as cynical, obnoxious, or weak. Even as an animation and as a character with some extremely unrealistic feats, Carl is a breath of fresh air. The film demonstrates that life passes quickly, but you're never too old to do what you've always dreamed of accomplishing.