I always have the utmost respect for people who
are so dedicated to creating something with so much love and care, in any art
form. That is exactly how I feel about stop-motion movies. The effect is created
when an on-screen character or object is carefully manipulated one frame at a
time, leading to an illusion of movement during playback. It takes years of
dedication so I think this type of movie deserves to be in the spotlight. I
picked five great stop-motion movies (leaving out the obvious ones like “The
Nightmare Before Christmas”, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Coraline’ ) focusing on
the ones you might not no, the ones that are overlooked or maybe even
underrated.
Corpse Bride (2003)
In “Corpse Bride”, by Tim Burton, Victor and Victoria want to get married. But when the awkward Victor practices his vow outside in the dark and slips the ring on a twig, he is suddenly married to a fun-loving but unfortunately dead bride. The design and framing are fantastic. Heart-warming characters, witty jokes, fun songs and great references.
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
(2005)
After three short films, who of which won an Oscar, inventor Wallace and his silent dog Gromit have made it into a feature-length film. With success. Their struggles against a monstrous rabbit is as absurd as it is infectious. Kudos to the makes who did not opt for computer animation, but for the Claymation. The patience pays off.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
12-year-old Atari goes in search of his dog, who – like all the dogs of Megasaki City – has been exiled to an island. Wes Anderson’s second stop-motion animation is as dryly comic, quirky and melancholy as his first, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. And just as good. With a great sense of detail, Anderson creates a universe of his own that is so beautifully crafted that the film invites multiple viewings.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
In “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”, a clumsy pirate captain enters the Pirate of the Year election for the umpteenth time. His chances are once again nil, but then he stumbles upon Charles Darwin and his Beagle. What follows is a hilarious rollercoaster full of small, villainous jokes and anachronisms, absurdist situations and wonderful encounters. The stop-motion Claymation is great.
The Little Prince (2015)
Film adaptation of the world-famous book “The Little Prince” is successful precisely because it is not a literal film adaptation, but an ingenious frame story. In which an old pilot in an unimaginative, gray world is looking for someone to whom he can tell the story of the little prince. He finds them when a little girl and her mother come to live next door. Modern computer animation is interspersed with old-fashioned stop-motion, which works wonderful.
In “Corpse Bride”, by Tim Burton, Victor and Victoria want to get married. But when the awkward Victor practices his vow outside in the dark and slips the ring on a twig, he is suddenly married to a fun-loving but unfortunately dead bride. The design and framing are fantastic. Heart-warming characters, witty jokes, fun songs and great references.
After three short films, who of which won an Oscar, inventor Wallace and his silent dog Gromit have made it into a feature-length film. With success. Their struggles against a monstrous rabbit is as absurd as it is infectious. Kudos to the makes who did not opt for computer animation, but for the Claymation. The patience pays off.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
12-year-old Atari goes in search of his dog, who – like all the dogs of Megasaki City – has been exiled to an island. Wes Anderson’s second stop-motion animation is as dryly comic, quirky and melancholy as his first, “Fantastic Mr. Fox”. And just as good. With a great sense of detail, Anderson creates a universe of his own that is so beautifully crafted that the film invites multiple viewings.
In “The Pirates! Band of Misfits”, a clumsy pirate captain enters the Pirate of the Year election for the umpteenth time. His chances are once again nil, but then he stumbles upon Charles Darwin and his Beagle. What follows is a hilarious rollercoaster full of small, villainous jokes and anachronisms, absurdist situations and wonderful encounters. The stop-motion Claymation is great.
Film adaptation of the world-famous book “The Little Prince” is successful precisely because it is not a literal film adaptation, but an ingenious frame story. In which an old pilot in an unimaginative, gray world is looking for someone to whom he can tell the story of the little prince. He finds them when a little girl and her mother come to live next door. Modern computer animation is interspersed with old-fashioned stop-motion, which works wonderful.
