Disney News and Cartoon Saloon Review Roundup! - Renegade Animation #3

Happy Holidays, everyone, and welcome to the third installment of the show formerly known as Tooned Up! Yes, Mike, Cameron, and Jacob are back with another episode of Renegade Animation! This time, they discuss all the news from the Disney Investor Day showcase, as well as some animation news from the Game Awards (of all places) and, of course, a round up of Cartoon Saloon reviews! All this and so much more awaits as you press that play button!

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Let’s start off with the weirdest announcement, which wasn’t actually on Disney’s slate. At Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards, Studio Wildcard shocked us by showcasing not only a sequel to the first-person survival game ARK: Survival Evolved, but also an animated series based on the property. Starring such voice talents as Michelle Yeoh, Vin Diesel, Alan Tudyk, David Tennant, and Elliot Page, the series is produced by Warner Bros. Animation veteran Jay Oliva, as well as ARK creators Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak. The animation style definitely looks cool and seems in line with Oliva’s DC animated film work. I’m liking what I’m seeing out of the ARK franchise of late, though the sight of Vin Diesel as a character in that universe left me scratching my head a bit. We’ll see how it turns out when the show premieres in 2022.

In other news, Disney had a ton of announcements to cover as a result of their Investor Day showcase, including (but not limited to) an anime studio-produced anthology called Star Wars: Visions, a Baymax series, a Tiana series spinning out of The Princess and the Frog, a Moana series, a sequel series to Zootopia called Zootopia+, a hybrid animated and live action take on Chip ‘n Dale’s Rescue Rangers, a new Cars series, a series based on the dog from Up called Dug Days, a spin-off of the Clone Wars called Star Wars: The Bad Batch, which follows a squad of Clone troopers who’ve developed individual personalities much like the ones featured in the old Republic Commando video game (kudos to Cameron for that shout out; I loved that game!), a Buzz Lightyear origin story series appropriately titled Lightyear, the first-ever longform Pixar animated series called Win or Lose, a new installment in the Ice Age franchise, the upcoming premium VOD release of Raya and the Last Dragon in March 2021, a collaboration with African entertainment company Kugali called Iwájú, which rougly translates to “The Future” and is set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria (the key art is pictured above, and it looks fantastic!), and finally, the MCU-centered, CGI-animated What If? series, which takes our favorite Marvel movie characters and places them in unfamiliar and surprising scenarios. Whew! That was a lot, and it wasn’t even all of the stuff they announced!

For me, the standouts there have to be the What If? series, even if I think the CG style isn’t the greatest; Raya and the Last Dragon looks very cool, but I don’t know if I’ll spend the extra $30 on it; Tiana sounds very cool and is a character I enjoy seeing on screen (and yes, I liked the Princess and the Frog); and Iwájú, which looks like 37 different flavors of cool and is clearly the most pleasant surprise of the bunch. Gotta love Peggy Carter as Captain Britain in that What If? trailer, as well. I want that as a live action movie already!

Moving on, the Guru, the Demon, and the Captain all had their say on the films of an animation studio called Cartoon Saloon, based in Ireland and formed by Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey. The studio has produced four feature films in the past ten years, several of which have been nominated for BAFTAs and Academy Awards. Let’s take a look, shall we?

First up is the Secret of Kells, which is Jacob’s favorite animated film of 2010 and an all-time classic. Per the studio’s own synopsis:

“In the remote Irish woods, Cellach (Brendan Gleeson) prepares a fortress for an impending attack by a Viking war party. Unbeknown to Cellach, his young nephew Brendan (Evan McGuire) — who has no taste for battle — works secretly as an apprentice in the scriptorium of the local monastery, learning the ancient art of calligraphy. As the Vikings approach, revered illuminator Aidan (Mick Lally) arrives at the monastery and recruits Brendan to complete a series of dangerous, magical tasks.”

Here’s the Captain’s take on the film:

“This is an excellent feature film debut, one that’s overflowing with about as much passion and creativity as a seasoned veteran of the medium. My main takeaway from the film was the repetition of the line “turning darkness into light.” I would recommendation anyone who is feeling like all hope is lost, especially in 2020, to see this film. The animation is gorgeous, the story is simple, yet effective, and the voice cast is fantastic. If there was one thing I had to criticize, it would be Brendan Gleeson’s character Abbot Cellach. I’ve seen the stern, yet loving parental figure far too many times, and while he may be one of the better examples, there’s not much else new he brings to the table. I also think we could have spent a little more time in the forest, but that isn’t so much a criticism as it is wanting more of a thing I really like. The Secret of Kells lays a great foundation for the future of Cartoon Saloon.”

Up next, we have Song of the Sea, which features the same lush and colorful animation style as Kells did. Here’s the official synopsis:

“Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse – the last Seal-child – who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. The film takes inspiration from the mythological Selkies of Irish folklore, who live as seals in the sea but become humans on land.”

And now here’s the word from our Captain:

“Now that I’ve finally had a chance to see this movie, I can say with confidence that it should have won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film over Big Hero 6. But beyond that, Tomm Moore is one of those filmmakers who only gets better after each project, and this one in particular feels like a true labor of love. One thing that I love about all of Moore’s films, but particularly this one, is the balance between light and dark tones. I know I compare him to Don Bluth quite often, but the journey that Ben embarks on to save his sister really does feel cut from the same cloth as The Secret of NIMH. The animation is incredible, particularly the scenes that take place under water. The voice cast is fantastic, with Brendan Gleeson and Fionnula Flanagan standing out the most. What makes this movie so special is the way it deals with emotions. Macha, “The Owl Witch,” is set up to be the main antagonist, but all she’s really trying to do is help people by taking away their pain. However, the lesson to be learned is that pain is what helps us grow, and we must face it head on.”

The studio’s third film, The Breadwinner, sounds harrowing and haunting! Here’s the official synopsis:

“Based on the best-selling children’s novel by Deborah Ellis, The Breadwinner tells the story of 11 year old Parvana who gives up her identity to provide for her family and try to save her father’s life. Parvana’s father Nurullah had told stories about history and imagination to Parvana as she helped him in the marketplace of Taliban controlled Kabul in the year 2001. When he is arrested Parvana finds the courage to look for him when everyone else had given up hope. She becomes a storyteller, remembering a brother she has once known. Every day is a challenge as Parvana tries to bring home enough food and water to support her mother, sister and little brother. She meets a fellow girl in disguise called Shauzia and together, they form a bond that will give them the strength to endure the war that comes to their doorstep in the Fall of 2001. The Breadwinner is a celebration of children – for children, whatever their age, wherever they live.”

This is the Cartoon Saloon film that I’m most interested in watching. It seems like it could be a somewhat emotional and draining experience, but I can’t think of a better way for an animation studio to utilize their talents and tell a story that the world needs to hear and see. We need more animated films of this type, and just more movies like it, period.

Last, but certainly not least, here is the studio’s latest feature, WolfWalkers. Let’s look at the official synopsis:

“In a time of superstition and magic, a young apprentice hunter, Robyn Goodfellowe, journeys to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last wolf pack. While exploring the forbidden lands outside the city walls, Robyn befriends a free-spirited girl, Mebh, a member of a mysterious tribe rumored to have the ability to transform into wolves by night. As they search for Mebh’s missing mother, Robyn uncovers a secret that draws her further into the enchanted world of the WolfWalkers and risks turning into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.”

And I’ll let the Captain bring us home with his take:

“Wolfwalkers is the latest film from Cartoon Saloon, an Irish animation studio founded by Tomm Moore and Paul Young. Co-directed by Moore and Ross Stewart and written by Will Collins, our story revolves around A young apprentice hunter and her father, who journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack. But everything changes when she befriends a free-spirited girl from a mysterious tribe rumored to transform into wolves by night. This movie is as close to perfection as one can get when it comes to traditional animation. Every minute feels like it’s overflowing with a passionate sense of imagination. Watching this movie really took me back to the works of Don Bluth and Genndy Tartakovsky, treating the medium of animation with respect without talking down to its audience. The relationship between Robyn and her father Bill, voiced by the incredible Sean Bean, was quite reminiscent of Hiccup and Stoik’s relationship from How to Train Your Dragon. I highly recommend checking out Wolfwalkers on Apple TV+.”

There you have it, another episode of Renegade Animation is in the books! Hope you enjoyed your time with us, and we thank you so much for sticking with us this year! There’s one more episode on the horizon for 2020 and then we’ll be on our way into the new year, and thank goodness for that! As always, this episode was edited with the utmost of care by your friend and mine, Kawaii Kyle, who we thank for sharing his expertise! See you next time, Renegades, and remember to be safe out there!