Welcome to Scribeing Cinema with Shane! What do cinephiles love to do most? Rank all things movies and that is what we will do in this series. Favorite actors… filmmakers… genres… narratives… you got it here! Time to highlight my top stop-motion animated films…
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
How wonderful is it to see Henry Selick bring Tim Burton’s imaginative world to life? This holiday mixing adventure is drenched in horror-esque and German expressionist visuals while also capturing the whimsy of the Christmas season. Packed to the gills with classic songs, including This is Halloween, What’s This?, Jack’s Lament, and The Oogie Boogie Song, this is a fantastic musical experience while offering up plenty of sharp and dark fantasy elements. The voice cast is superb as well. This will forever be a mainstay of both Halloween and Christmas viewing for years to come.
2. Kubo and the Two String
Is this peak Laika? It certainly may be. This sprawling epic has incredible Asian cultural trappings to mix with its fantastical action/adventure elements. Kubo and the Two String boasts a top-notch hero’s journey. But what makes the adventure that much better is the beautiful animation and the clever characters and how they add so much depth to this already moving and harrowing journey. The visuals are breathtaking, the music is serene, and the epic scale brings it all together in this perfect adventure.
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox
Did Wes Anderson perfect the Roald Dahl adaptation? Dahl was notoriously opposed to most of the adaptations of his works and that is understandable. His tone was challenging to balance as it balanced whimsical fantasy for kids with its moments that took things in darker directions. Fantastic Mr. Fox though…certainly one of the best. The visual stylings are pitch-perfect with symmetry and textures. The orange-tinged palette is striking. The tale is filled with sharp wit and twists and turns. The voice cast is one of the strongest you will find (in great Anderson fashion). This all comes together to deliver one of the most unique experiences on film.
4. ParaNorman
Laika is just filled with hits, isn’t it? This Halloween season delight is a perfect mix of both heart-warming and impactful themes and a morbid romp with zombies and witches. This is a film that captures the horrifying legacy of the witch trials while also telling an intimate story of a boy with a morbid disease that leaves him isolated. The creepy and fantastical elements of ParaNorman make for an eerie, moving, and clever reframing of zombie movie tropes and the legacy of the witch trials. This is a darkly sweet film so worth your time.
5. Chicken Run
How does Aardman make a reimagining of The Great Escape with chicken work? That is how good this British animation house really is. There are plenty of nods to this war classic in the opening scenes of the film, but things get kicked into gear with a brave and adventurous attempt by a farm’s chickens trying to make a break for it when a future as pot pies seems inevitable. The characters are quite charming (including a hammy and cocky performance by Mel Gibson). This is an adventurous romp that is worth every second of this charming claymation.
6. Mary and Max
What a strange little film Mary and Max is? There are so many animated films out there, but few are remotely like this oddball and quirky tale of friendship. Two pen pals, an eight-year-old Australian girl and a forty-something man from New York, have the strangest and most engaging of conversations that will wow you and engage you in a way that is so unexpected. Things can get dark but keep an incredibly sharp comedic sense. The visuals are grim, dark, and quirky all at once, which matches the strange and offbeat sensibilities of Adam Elliot’s creation. This is a bold and charming creation that will leave an impression.
7. Coraline
I promise this is the last one from Laika! Do you believe me? When you take a clever and morbid tale straight from the creative sphere of Neil Gaiman, you know you are in for a treat. Coraline has one of the most unnerving and twisted fantasy worlds in all animation. The black-button eyes are shocking and will make your skin crawl throughout. The animation is top-notch as it brings this both familiar and strange world to life. This is also a classic tale of young people and their struggle with their parents as well as finding their place. A crazy cast of characters is just the giant cherry on top of this Gaiman desert.
8. Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
Who needs words to create great animation? The Shaun the Sheep Movie was a pleasant surprise that sparked the imagination of many with its charming and adventurous feel. Netflix ran with that success and brought the world Farmageddon. The charming shenanigans of this crew of sheep are fun enough but now we have aliens! The inclusion of these science fiction creatures opens this beloved world to a new mixture of genres as well as some poignant themes about “the others” and prejudice. There is so much heart packed into this modern classic that takes such a unique approach that pays off tenfold.
9. The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Pirates AND scientists?! This is a crazy period romp on the high seas and in the great city of London. Peter Lord brings his expert talents and Aardman with him to pit a swashbuckling Hugh Grant and the analytical and cut-throat Charles Darwin played by David Tennant. There are so many fun and wonderful actors that bring these crazy and bonkers characters to enjoy in this riotous adventure for the whole family. The Pirates! Band of Misfits is a charming and funny experience that you will not find often. There is a classic air around the story that brings back great memories of classic adventures.
10. Mad God
What has Phil Tippett been working on for the last few decades? Apparently one of the most grotesque and fascinating animated films in the history of cinema, that’s what! Mad God landed on Shudder after 20+ years of Tippett’s efforts and it did not disappoint. If you are looking for narrative structure and cohesion, look elsewhere. If you want to go through an inventive fever dream and one man’s creative imagination, this is your ticket. You will be in awe of the craft and tension that emanates from every single frame.
