Magic: Ages 3 to 7

[quasimodo1384]

I've notice a lot of people are interested in the possibility of Disney taking a more grown-up twist on some of it's movies. I'm not really sure how I feel about this, and I thought I'd try to see both sides of the argument (or however it works out). Basically how would you react is Disney came out with a more adult (although hopefully not TOO adult...) animated film? Do you think they'd be successful? Would you see it? And anything else you wanna say about it that I forgot...

[Michelle]

Wasn't this the goal of Atlantis, which in my opinion, was unwatchable?

Like I said in another thread, I'd really like to see an animated Les Miserables; basically, the whole musical, but I think it would be a difficult one to make "cute", unless they spent enormous amounts of time on Cosette as a child. :insertmuchneededbarfingsmiley:

[IndyJn511]

hmmmm we need a theme for that one.... how about Les Miserables with penguins? Penguins are cute...

[Reaver]

I'm not sure the US is ready for an adult animated full-length feature film. Unlike, say, Japan, who has an entertainment indutry dominated by Anime. In Japan, anime shows are Prime-time. And not shows like the Simpsons, but serious dramatical (albeit fantastical) shows. I think that we may reach that point, as many of us whose first real cartoon addition were shows such as Robotech and Transformers become a major demographic in adult-themed animated films. These were shows with continuing story arcs that were not very childish in nature. If any of you saw the fantastic "Animatrix" series of animated stories, you'll understand where I'm going. They could have made "The Second Renaissance" peices into a full-length film, and it would have made money. I'd have seen it. If disney can manage to tell stories like that, I could see it happening.

The problem with animation these days is twofold:
1) Computer generated movies are infringing on the animation crowd. Partially because of video games becoming so advanced, many of us are used to watching rendered character models, and seeing them almost on the same level as actors. Playboy magazine had an issue last year that had a section with girls from video games, for crying out loud. These girls aren't real, and yet they're doing spreads in Playboy. Thus is one horseman of the apocolypse set loose upon the world...
2) Special effects in live action are becoming so good and so cheap that you can create a live action film with all the aspects, action and drama of an animated feature in half the time for less money.

I think there will always be a place for animated films (or at least I hope there will be!), but attaining mainstream adult status in the US and keeping it in the face techological cinematic progression is only going to get harder...

[cellarhound]

Playboy magazine had an issue last year that had a section with girls from video games, for crying out loud.

That isn't even the half of it, you can now purchase a copy of "playboy: the mansion" videogame.

[desertdweller]

In the thread about Hunchback issues I posted a response and wrote "Why can’t we have more animated films made for a more mature audience?"

This question was pondered at Disney Studios 70 years ago and it resulted in Fantasia. I think that following the release of the film and its failure at the box office the idea of an adult audience supporting an animated feature film was shelved. The audience that eventually rediscovered Fantasia in the 70s was a good sign that things might change. Fritz The Cat. Yellow Submarine and Pink Floyd: The Wall was what we got in the form of more adult friendly animation.

Considering the enormous amount of money animated feature films cost and the Disney family friendly image, it's no surprise that they are reluctant to venture into this area of film making. It appears they dipped a toe in the water with The Black Cauldron and sections of Hunchback and Mulan. While we all know the reputation of the former, I don't think the latter ones performed as well as expected at the box office either.

Watching Jean Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast just a few weeks ago made me think about what a different film Disney could've made with that material if they'd targeted a more mature audience. It probably would have earned them a fraction of its b.o. and then we'd never have seen a stage production out of it or have a teapot of Mrs. Potts sitting on a shelf in our hutch.

Disney has always sanitized the stable of fairy tale characters. Kevin Yee wrote a wonderful piece a few years ago that looked into the original versions of those "childrens' stories" and Stephen Sondheim returned to some of them when he wrote "Into The Woods." I think with Disney playing it totally safe and constantly worried about the return on their investment, we won't be seeing anything daring or experimental in animation and especially since they dismantled its 2D animation division.

We'll have to look for Miyazaki to provide us with something with more of an edge, or watch that wonderfully wacky and quirky The Triplets of Belleville!

[quasimodo1384]

I personally think I like the classic family friendly Disney musical...granted there are a few exceptions

[yensid98]

I would love to see more adult oriented animation, but if you're specifically talking about films like AKIRA and GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, then no I don't want Disney to make films like that - ever.

Once upon a time Disney made films that didn't talk down to their audience. PINOCCHIO, BAMBI and FANTASIA to name the most obvious. These were films that were definitely not children's films although children could get much enjoyment out of them. I'd like to see Disney do more stories the vein of those classics and keep away from films like POOH'S HEFFALUMP MOVIE and PETER PAN II.

Leave the grittier, violent, heavy drama stories to other studios. That's not what Disney does, nor should they.