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See, if you look at Mo-cap as really good animation, it works.

I'm a little surprised they went this far...they needed only 16 qualifiers and submitted 20? Makes me wonder if "Dolphin," will actually get released theatrically.

From Byob...Im hoping they go with Up, Fantastic Fox, Coraline, Ponyo and Princess and the Frog.

RE: LYT's comment that they'll sneak in Ice Age 3 or Monsters Vs. Aliens...I don't think so this year. If "Ponyo" or "Fantastic Fox" are too small, I don't see why they wouldn't slot in "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" instead. Either way I don't think that'll be an issue.

Anyone seen "Mary and Max."

Forgive my ignorance, but isn't Alvin and the Chipmunks live action with CGI characters? (I haven't seen the original).

If that's eligible, why weren't any of the Star Wars prequels, or heck, 2012, Transformers 2 or Watchmen?

The Tinker Bell movie played at the El Capitan the week before it went to DVD.

I was in France a couple of weeks ago, where Mary & Max is actually playing (it seems like it's available On Demand here? Maybe that was after a qualifying Los Angeles run?). So I went to see it, and it was quite good. Leans a little heavily on what I might unfairly describe as Australian grotesquerie, but very affecting with excellent vocal work all around, especially by Philip Seymour Hoffman (he actually does a character voice, rather than just using his familiar tone). It's a little narration-heavy -- in fact, just about all of it is told in narration, from third-person narration to Mary and Max narrating letters to each other -- but well worth seeing, especially for animation fans. The claymation stuff is quite expressive.

I actually saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on the same day, and I know I'm way late on this, but that movie was way better than it looked -- cartoony and a little busy, yes, but I laughed out loud a lot more than I did at Monsters vs. Aliens (which I even marginally enjoyed). I haven't yet seen Fox or Frog, but it seems like a pretty solid animation year even with the usual Ice Age/DreamWorks dross.

"Mary and Max" is on-demand...I noticed because I couldn't remember what the hell it was then remembered it was the opening night film for Sundance last year. From biggest U.S. festival opener to...PPV. Wheee....

At this point, am I the only one here bemoaning the futility that would be a qualifying run for LexG's magnum opus "Super Film Pals:Poland Vs. Wellz"? Damn those Oscar rules...

"Forgive my ignorance, but isn't Alvin and the Chipmunks live action with CGI characters? (I haven't seen the original)."

Yeah. I never knew how close that stupid feather in "Forrest Gump" came to nabbing it an animation nom back in the day (had the category existed yet).

I guess this scene here counts as Jason Lee's warm-up foray in the animated film field too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA57gysJSt4

That's a great point. Why the heck did Disney waste money making film for "Tinkerbell" when they just could have submitted "G-Force."

There's some rule about what percentage of the film has to be animated. Stuart Little 2 was ruled eligible a few years back.

Tinkerbell was released direct-to-DVD here a few weeks back. Random.

Mary & Max is a wonderful film and Adam Elliot is such a talent. His style isn't for everyone, but the movie is still great however you look at it. Hoffman truly does some of his best work here, and that it's voice work is wonderful stuff. The actress who plays the young Mary is better than Toni Collette who voices adult Mary though.

I've read that Adam Elliot plans to go see every member of the animation brand (of which I think he is a member since he won the Oscar for best animated short for Harvey Krumpet) in person to get votes.

It was recently nominated for Best Film, Best Original Screenplay and Best Production Design at the AFI Awards and Elliot won the top prize from the Australian Director's Guild.

I'm thinking Up and Coraline are locks. Princess and the Frog should get in if it's a hit, but the negativity around the project being a flop will be enough for them to pass. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs seems like a good bet too.

In regards to Fantastic Mr Fox, I wouldn't be sure on it. The animation branch might be dirty towards Wes Anderson for thinking he can just decide to make an animated movie on a whim (and by email if the rumours are true).

I reckon Mary & Max will compete against Ponyo for the international, more boutique votes. I so so sooo hope the former can make it, but history is not on its side. No film that has only had a qualifying run has ever been nominated here.

I can't foresee Christmas Carol doing any better than Polar or Beowulf, both of which were not nominated (does the animation branch have a thing against motion capture? sounds logical.) Some may like to think that 9 can get in, but I doubt it.

Ice Age's reward is being the highest grossing film of the year worldwide (right?) Everything else hasn't a hope of even being considered, surely.

And that is my analysis. Tada

{fin}

I can't foresee Christmas Carol doing any better than Polar or Beowulf, both of which were not nominated (does the animation branch have a thing against motion capture? sounds logical.)

Happy Feet and Monster House were mostly motion capture, but then Monster House was heavily stylized and Happy Feet had no major human characters. Plus Zemeckis himself denounced the studios' decisions to put Polar and Beowulf up for the animation category, which couldn't have helped.

There's some rule about what percentage of the film has to be animated.

Academy rules: "...a significant number of the major characters must be animated, and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture's running time."

Bob, I had forgotten about Monster House and Happy Feet, although wasn't it only the dancing in the latter that was motion capture. Not sure why they'd need to put actors in green suits just to get them waddling around.

I guess I just don't understand motion capture. I mean, when it costs $170mil or whatever why not just make the film as live action? Every time I've watched Monster House I've wished it were live action. It could've been a modern day Goonies if it had that sorta retro charm to it and wasn't overly CGI.

"...and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture's running time."

Yeah, but what does that mean? If a CGI chipmunk is taking up 10% of the frame, does that count toward the "animation running time?" Because if that's true, I can't believe Watchmen isn't being pushed for the award.

"Yeah, but what does that mean? If a CGI chipmunk is taking up 10% of the frame, does that count toward the "animation running time?" Because if that's true, I can't believe Watchmen isn't being pushed for the award."

Haha I was thinking the same thing. It seems like "Foreign Language Film" has much harsher standards. There have been Israeli and other worldwide films thrown out consistently because they have something like 15 minutes worth of English.

"Ice Age's reward is being the highest grossing film of the year worldwide (right?) Everything else hasn't a hope of even being considered, surely."

Harry Potter is number 1. This is off-topic, but what the hell is going on at the normall-reliable Box Office Mojo with their worldwide numbers?? "Up" has about $155 million more worldwide than it's listed at, and ditto regarding recent movies like "G-Force" (70 million more worldwide than its current figure), while other films like "This is It" are up to date.

This seriously tarnishes their credibility regarding worldwide box office figures in my mind. Even Ice Age 3 has about 7 million more than listed.

Maybe it makes a difference if the CGI character is the main character? Or more than one main character?

I suspect the Star Wars prequels might have been able to argue a good case, actually...but Lucas wouldn't likely go for it.

As for why mo-cap...it may cost more, but in some ways it's a lot easier for the director on the technical level. The entire environment can be lit at once, you don't have to worry too much about camera placement/movement, so really all you need to focus on during production is an actor's performance.

With the expansion of nominees in this and the Best Picture category, am I the only person wondering if its really a lot more about drumming up more money for Oscar season than its about recognizing more worthy films?

Calling a special effects live-action movie like Star Wars, let alone Alvin and the Chipmunks, an animated film is a big fuck you to all animators.