Anthomation Assesses The Top 5 Blue Sky Films

Howdy guys, Anthomaton here. Today I shall review the top 5 animated feature films that came from Blue Sky.

In February 2021, Disney announced that Blue Sky would shut down in April 2021, due to economic issues that have come from COVID-19. Personally, I think it had more to do with the fact that Disney already owns Walt Disney Animation and Pixar, and operating 3 animation studios, even for a company of Disney’s stature, would become a challenge in the long run. Blue Sky was purchased in the Fox acquisition just to beef up Disney’s already lengthy array of content. COVID just served as the straw that broke the camel’s back. With that said, Blue Sky produced 13 feature films, its last being Spies in Disguise, released December 25, 2019. Ice Age and Rio films were the studio’s most successful films, while Horton Hears a Who! and The Peanuts Movie were its most critically praised films. Here is my top 5 list, so let’s get rolling.

5. Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Based on the Dr. Seuss book of the same name, Horton the elephant hears a cry from help coming from a speck of dust. Even though he can’t see anyone on the speck, he decides to help it. As it turns out, the speck of dust is home to the Whos, who live in their city of Whoville. Horton agrees to help protect the Whos and their home, but this gives him nothing but torment from his neighbors, who refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands by the motto that, “After all, a person is a person, no matter how small.” While the film may contain low-brow jokes, lame pop-cultural references, and moments that make wonder as to how they made the final cut, the film offers animation faithful to the original source material and message heart-warming enough to keep the film afloat.

Score:

6.5/10

4. Epic (2013)

Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried), or M.K., is a headstrong, spirited teenager who has a strained relationship with her father (Jason Sudeikis). She loses patience with her dad’s tales of unseen people who live in the woods, but when she is magically transported to that mythic realm, she gains a new perspective. M.K. joins a race of beings known as the Leafmen in their battle to protect their queen (Beyoncé Knowles) from their enemies, evil Mandrake (Christoph Waltz) and his crew of Boggans. The film is adapted loosely on William Joyce’s 1996 children’s book The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs. While the story and characters are a bit predictable, the film features some of the best animation the studio has put out and presents an environment that the audience will want to delve into.

Score:

7/10

3. Rio (2011)

Captured by smugglers when he was just a hatchling, a macaw named Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) never learned to fly and lives a happily domesticated life in Minnesota with his human friend, Linda. Blu is thought to be the last of his kind, but when word comes that Jewel (Anne Hathaway), a lone female, lives in Rio de Janeiro, Blu and Linda go to meet her. Animal smugglers kidnap Blu and Jewel, but the pair soon escape and begin a perilous adventure back to freedom — and Linda. With colorful visuals, catchy songs, and a nice atmosphere, this film is one that people should check out if they haven’t already watched it.

Score:

7.5/10

2. The Peanuts Movie (2015)

Life always seems complicated for good ol’ Charlie Brown (Noah Schnapp), the boy who always tries his best against seemingly impossible odds. When the Little Red-Haired Girl moves into his neighborhood, Charlie Brown develops a crush on her. Meanwhile, his best friend Snoopy embarks on an epic adventure in a fantasy world. As a World War I flying ace, the lovable beagle pursues his nemesis, the Red Baron, while also trying to win the heart of a beautiful poodle named Fifi (Kristin Chenoweth). The film is based on Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts. With fantastic visuals, great characters, and simple, yet heartfelt story, this is adaptation that treats its source material with respect and dignity.

Score:

8/10

1.Ice Age (2002)

On Earth 20,000 years ago, everything was covered in ice. A group of friends, Manny, a mammoth, Diego, a saber tooth tiger, and Sid, a sloth encounter an Eskimo human baby. They must try to return the baby back to his tribe before a group of saber tooth tigers find him and eat him. Also, a saber-toothed squirrel named Scrat tries to find a safe-haven for his pesky acorn. Just like Toy Story for Pixar or Shrek for DreamWorks, this is the film that put Blue Sky on the map. With well-done animation, intriguing characters, and an amusing adventure, it’s only fair to call it the best Blue Sky film ever made!

Score:

8/10