Kids Animation

Not sure exactly why I'm writing about kids animation movies, but I recently saw two fantastic animated films, Pixar's "Up" and Dreamworks "Bee Movie".

I saw Up at the cinema here in Da Nang with my boyfriend, and by the end of it, we had both experienced emotions of happiness, sadness, relief, confusion and fear. How one movie can jampack so many ideals into one movie, I do not know.

(minor spoilers following!)

The opening sequence in the movie is completely script free, and chronicles the life of a boy who grows into a smart young man, and eventually a 78 year old man, Carl, who has loved his wife his entire life. After the death of his wife, the man decides to do what they had both wanted to do all their lives - visit Paradise Falls in an unknown part of South America (apparently Costa Rica according to Raphael). The entire movie depicts his journey from the modern city that he calls home, to a jungle of colour, exotic animals, and frightening heights.

On the way Carl makes many friends, including an 8 year old boy scout, Russell, a beautiful (ostrich/emu?) (that I thought was a peacock), and a very happy, tail wagging, tongue licking (talking) dog, Dug.
Oh! He also meets a bunch (more like hundreds) of talking dogs, who have amazing human abilities. Some are horribly scary, like the doberman, and some are just so cute, like Dug.

I cried, I laughed, I was worried, I was scared, and I empathised with the old man. What amazed me most about this movie was the very adult themes. Not adult content that children cannot view, but it taught messsages that we all need to remember, no matter how young or old we are. It tells us to be grateful of the people that we have relationships with, to do the things we want to do NOW, before it's to late and to treat people with respect, no matter how annoying or irritating they are.

What impressed me most about the movie, is that it isn't just for children. Think back to when Disney created Alladin, and the Lion King, and the Little Mermaid. They were great movies, but I don't think I would watch them again, unless I had kids under my care. But nowadays, kids movies create so much in just a couple of hours and provide entertainment for all.

If you haven't seen Up, go see it now, because it's absolutely brilliant.

I watched Bee Movie on HBO yesterday, and that was another excellent animation made for kids. It delved into the world of bees, and taught it's audience to take value in all the things you do, no matter how big or small. Even if it's a small job, it's important, and needs to be done with care. It shows us the amazing life of a bee, and how important their job is.

In the movie, one bee, Mr Barry Benson (voiced by Jerry Seinfeld), sees how humans eat honey and use honey in their daily lives. He sues the human race for taking their honey, and he thinks that by stopping human consumption, bees don't have to work so hard to produce honey. What he doesn't realise is, is that bees are not only important for honey, but for cross-pollination. Much of our natural world depends on bees to survive.

I did actually learn a lot about bees in the movie, and it teaches children an important message. Great movie also, very funny, and lots of colour. However, the length of the courtroom sequences are probably not so kid friendly.

One last thing I want to mention about the movies is how easy it is to depict what you want. For example, Carl in "Up" is obviously a grumpy old man who never smiles, because of the shape of his eyebrows and mouth. The scary doberman, is black and brown, and has incredibly pointy (almost sharp) ears, creating a very violent looking dog. In "Bee Movie", the process of how honey is made in the hive is shown. Nectar is transferred into a clear tub with "Nectar" written on it. It is clear it is an advertisement for Microsoft, as the same font and angle is used in its writing! I thought that was a very clever little ad in which made me laugh.

Although many kids watch real adult movies with their families, I think it is really important for a child to watch animation movies like these. They portray important morals and values and use colour, depth and size that is so important for a child's development.

It just goes to show how important colour and good visuals are important for children, no matter the age. It's so important in my teaching, where my classrooms are empty of colour and are very dull. I always try to introduce as much visuality into the activities, so students are kept interested. But it really is amazing how so little can do so much.

Sorry about the length of this blog, maybe it got a little boring for you!

Love.
Cat.