In 1935, Walt Disney released the “first” animated feature film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” It really wasn’t.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences responded by giving the film a “special” Oscar.
“Snow White” was indeed a masterpiece and the first American, first commercially viable, animated feature. But others had been made earlier, most notably “Prince Achmed,” a German film directed by Lotte Reiniger in 1926. Prints of this and other feature animations prior to “Snow White” are all but extinct, and it’s a real shame.
It wasn’t until 1995 that the Academy once again decided to honor a feature length animated film with a “special” Oscar. In that case it was Pixar’s groundbreaking computer-animated “Toy Story,” a film that heralded a new era in animation.
Finally, in 2001, the Oscar folks caved in and created a category to accommodate the increasing number of animated features. The first Oscar in the category went to “Shrek,” a great film that had some stiff competition that year from “Monsters, Inc.”
Most recently, “The Incredibles” (a fitting title) walked away with the award.
With the release of “Robots,” Blue Sky Studios – the people who gave us “Ice Age” – is the first contender for the Oscar this year.
Mixing elements of films as diverse as “Braveheart,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Star Wars,” “Metropolis” and “The Jetsons,” “Robots” proves once again that even with visual razzle dazzle – and this film is loaded with it – the true measure of a movie always comes down to the writing. Baby boom era cartoon lovers will remember the crude animation of “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.” It’s amazing how well that series stands up today, even in the age of state of the art animation techniques. It’s in the writing. “South Park,” love it or hate it, actually uses computer animation to make its style look primitive. They do a wonderful job and again it’s the writing (love it or hate it) that drives the show.
“Robots” producers/writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel (“Splash,” “Parent-hood,” “A League of Their Own”) have crafted a classic story that is filled with familiar, universal themes. Directors Chris Wedge and Carlos Saldanha (“Ice Age”) and their team of animators have honed a visually stunning universe in which this story unfolds. The depth of the background scenes and the cast of thousands (really 50 actors’ voices) is overwhelming at times and the milieu is a cross between “retro-future” – you know, the way the incredible world of the 1980s was presented in short films made in the 1940s – and a Rube Goldberg drawing.
The film opens in Rivet Town where Herb Copperbottom and his wife have just had a baby delivered – literally. But, as Mrs. Copperbottom says, the most fun is in “making the baby,” which they do – again, literally. They put Rodney together right out of the box he was delivered in. There are many adult-oriented jokes like this in “Robots” that will go over the heads of youngsters. Have no fear, though; there is plenty of the old standby, flatulence humor, to keep the kids laughing.
Rodney proves to be a bright lad with a knack for inventing things. Inspired by Big Weld (Mel Brooks) – a cross between Howard Hughes and the Wizard of Oz – Rodney heads off to Robot City. He wants to meet Big Weld, show him his latest invention and work at his company.
Upon his arrival in the huge metropolis, Rodney encounters a shady street hustler named Fender. Voiced by Robin Williams, Fender is to Rodney what Donkey is to Shrek. He’s a fast-talking comic relief character who is always working an angle.
When Rodney tries to get in to see Big Weld he finds the tycoon’s company has all but been taken over by Phineas T. Ratchet. Ratchet, whose strings are being pulled by his evil mother, has a devious plan. He wants to stop making spare robot parts and force the population to either upgrade or be deemed “outmoded” and sent to his mom’s scrap metal factory.
The story, while filled with clichés, presents a timeless lesson. The characters and their dialogue are snappy enough to engage young and old alike.
The look of the film is marvelous. The colors and styles remind one of the art deco period. The universe created in “Robots,” while fantastic, also has a great deal of continuity. Somehow it just feels right.
“Robots” is pleasurable escapism. If you have kids, you’ll no doubt be seeing it. But even if you don’t, don’t overlook this entertaining and visually marvelous movie.
Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.
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