This weekend I went to see WALL-E, the latest from Disney/Pixar. Just like most reviewers, I found it pretty fantastic, and so did my female companions. ”Contrary to what you might think, this is not just a robot movie,” the film presenter told us before the curtain was raised and he was indeed right. Within 5 minutes the animated tin can protagonist and his cockroach sidekick had moved our hearts and thwarted any sceptic get-ups.

Having the protagonists being mute – or of very few words at least – is just one of the brilliant choices Pixar has made. It brings a silent film quality to it where expressive acting speaks louder than words. This is of course even more impressive since it’s an animated movie and every turn of mechanical limbs has been breathed life into by countless animators.

What I’m trying to say here, and it might be a pretty lame observation I know, is that it’s amazing what stories and feelings can be conveyed by today’s digital animation, by computer generated moving pictures.

My mother-in-law was quick to turn down a ticket, when we offered it to her: “Cartoons don’t interest me.” Well, anyone with that opinion should take it up for revision. These aren’t “just” cartoons (though the short animation, Presto, being shown before the feature actually is – and it’s hilarious!), they are works of art, movies of high quality and engagement and some of the best stuff being churned out of Hollywood at the moment. Yes, they are 100% digital animation, but in the skilled hands of Pixar we forget that it’s primarily a kid’s magnet and emerge from the cinema with a great movie experience.

Enough praise for Disney vessels with huge budgets. WALL-E made me think of animation achievements in general and of new Danish animation in particular. We’re a small country, but we have some great animation talent and don’t flinch at daring scripts. Let me run you through some of the upcoming premieres on the Danish animation scene.

In one month Denmark launches it’s first manned space flight in Journey to Saturn. Even though the mock-Hollywood trailer might trick you, this is not your regular Armageddon-type sci-fi caper. It is based on Claus Deleuran’s classic comic book from 1977 – a delightfully insane space adventure, heavily pointing fingers at the welfare state. Animating the odd space crew is A. Film, the company that brought us the politically incorrect Terkel in Trouble, and I know they’ve wanted to do this particular piece for a long time, so expect some true-to-source planetary provocation.

For the autumn holidays we’re getting something slightly more aimed at kids, but it’s still throwing those who remember the 70’s a bone or two. Sunshine Barry and The Disco Worms is the English title denoting a cast of cute earthworms with a case of Saturday night fever. Even though this is Radar Film’s first venture into feature length animation, their earlier work shows real promise and the director, Thomas Borch Nielsen, and co-producers, Crone Film, have made successful children’s movies before. Toronto Film Festival has also taken a liking to Barry & Co. and handpicked it for their Family programme. Exciting – and congrats to the crew! (Btw, there’s an interactive Disco Worms web page and a Facebook-group too.)

Showing up in the horizon is Anders Morgenthaler’s The Apple and The Worm. It’s been pushed to a spring 2009 release and the web isn’t exactly brimming with information on the title, but it looks like something of a different direction from the director that gave adults a rough animation ride with the critically acclaimed Princess. This time it’s a story of a proud apple that has a wormy visitor and learns some philosophies of life in the process of trying to get rid of it again. It has previously been performed as a children’s play with some success. Observing Morgenthaler’s satirical comments in everything else he does, I expect some surprises in the fruit salad.

The blog moral: Go watch some digital animation, whether Danish or Disney, box office or on-line, there’s plenty of brilliant stuff out there! You can always bring a kid if you feel a little insecure among animated characters. Just don’t be a Bob Hoskins… (too(ns) subtle?)

More inspiration?

The current issue of EKKO comes with a DVD-selection of short animation from the National Film School of Denmark.
Users contribute own animation to a weekly episode of Channel Frederator.
A personal favorite: David Lynch on virtual acid = We Are The Strange.