This Year's Animated Feature Oscar Is "Up" For Grabs #film #animation

"Up" is one of Pixar Animation's best animated offerings yet -- some say it tops "Wall-E," though I'll have to get back to you on that. Anyway, "Up" is so far the third-biggest movie of 2009, only behind "Transformers 2" and "Harry Potter 6." Everybody's thinking it's going to run away with the next Animated Feature Oscar -- but I don't think it's going to be that simple.

Image credit: Pixar Animation Studios

The Oscar for Best Animated Feature has seen slim pickings in recent years. But next year, it's likely we're going to have five nominees for the first time in a long while. It's been a great year for animated feature films, and we may see as many as sixteen vying for the five nominee slots. My picks?

#1 - "Up." Hands down, one of the best animated films ever made. Pixar always shines the brightest when it tells fun, original, out-of-this-world stories. You can't get any crazier than an old groan with a flying house, a clumsy but determined Boy Scout, and a talking dog, but at the same time, you can't help but get teary-eyed after the montage of Carl's life with Elly comes to an end. Brilliant.

#2 - "9" by David Acker. What started as a dark, mysterious short film about living puppets trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world has evolved into a full-length feature film, thanks to the discerning eye of Tim Burton. The original short film had caught my eye after being nominated for Best Animated Short a few years ago, and I definitely think it has what it takes to get the top prize.

#3 - "Coraline." Alice in Wonderland gone wrong? "Coraline" shows that stop-motion can still hold its ground against bigger-budgeted 3-D animated films by simply telling one of the most engaging stories told all year.

#4 - "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs." This one's probably my least favorite of the bunch, but I've always liked the Ice Age movies. I always thought they deserved an Oscar if only for bringing us the most hilarious squirrel in history. The first "Ice Age" almost won the 2002 Animated Feature Oscar, only to be upset by "Spirited Away" by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki...

#5 - ...who happens to be back with "Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea." I think "Ponyo" is the underdog of the bunch, being drawn traditionally (with crayon, at that). But with his brand of magic, Miyazaki stands poised to upset the guys behind "Ice Age" once again.

So ultimately I think it's Pete Docter's "Up" vs. Hayao Miyazaki's "Ponyo," although "9" winning the Oscar would be pretty cool too. My money's still with "Up," though an upset won't upset me in the least.