Originally Posted By Darkbeer <a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-07-27T064133Z_01_N26230144_RTRIDST_0_FILM-DISNEY-TREASURE-DC.XML" target="_blank">http://today.reuters.com/news/ newsArticle.aspx?type=filmNews&storyID=2006-07-27T064133Z_01_N26230144_RTRIDST_0_FILM-DISNEY-TREASURE-DC.XML</a> >>Walt Disney Studios has reunited with the directors of its box office disaster "Treasure Planet" as part of a plan to get back into the decidedly unfashionable business of traditional animation. The new project, "Frog Princess," will put a female spin on the classic fairy tale, according to sources. It will be overseen by John Musker and Ron Clements, who left the studio shortly after "Treasure Planet" bombed at the end of 2002, grossing just $38 million domestically. In their heyday at Disney, they demonstrated their ability to spin a popular tale around a female protagonist with 1989's "The Little Mermaid." They also worked on such traditionally animated Disney musicals as "Aladdin" and "Hercules." But traditional animation no longer draws the crowd, thanks in part the innovative computer-animation purveyed by Pixar Animation Studios, which Disney now owns. Pixar principals Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, who now run Disney's feature animation operations, are interested in exploring Disney's pioneering 2-D tradition. One of Lasseter's first initiatives following Disney's acquisition of Pixar this year was to woo Musker and Clements back into the fold.<<
Originally Posted By jdub Well, all hail John Lasseter. I was at the movie theater this week, and I found preview after preview of 3-D style computer-rendered animation to be just boring & depressing. For variety's sake, I say at least SOME of those unamusing, trite "family" movies should be rendered in the traditional-style manner!
Originally Posted By tonyanton jdub...I agree. There were so many CGI previews before "Cars" that all looked the same. Only "Meet the Robinsons" had a very different look, and "Ratatouille" stood out as I was expecting to see it (the trailer).
Originally Posted By trekkeruss <<But traditional animation no longer draws the crowd>> Sizzle works for a while, but you really want the steak. So while many have jumped on the coattails of Pixar and tried to capture the hearts of the public, there have been few successes (Shrek and Ice Age.) It really comes down to the story more than anything else. It doesn't matter if it's CGI or traditional.
Originally Posted By stagemomx3 "It really comes down to the story more than anything else. It doesn't matter if it's CGI or traditional." I agree, a good story is the most important element. I for one am looking forward to another film with traditional animation.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 The return of Lassiter to Disney I believe may be looked at in 20 years as one of the keys to their continued longevity....
Originally Posted By cstephens trekkeruss wrote: > It really comes down to the story more than anything else. It doesn't matter if it's CGI or traditional. Yep, that's me. I don't understand the constant lamenting about traditional animation. There are some styles done in traditional animation that I don't care for just as there are some styles done in CGI that I don't care for. And just because a movie is done with traditional animation doesn't mean it's guaranteed to be a good movie. /cs
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I agree as well. I remember seeing all those trailers before 'Cars' with look-alike animation and storylines. A lot of these have no doubt been in the works for sometime. The problem is that whatever the next traditional animated movie is will be played up in the press as "2-D's Last Hope." Kind of like how every few years, a new western is released and the entertainment press plays it as "Can this movie revive the western?" I'd like to see some more experimentation done in the computer animated movies -- instead of the hyper-realiztic stuff, it'd be fun to see something a little more loose and cartoony, or very stylized and design-y. Or a big Disney-style musical.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORWEN: Well, us Cauldron girls are all for traditional animation to make a welcome 'come back'. But why do they have to fracture a fairy tale to do it? The idea of a frog princess instead of a frog prince just does not seem right! ORGOCH: I'll be the judge a that, sister! All frogs taste good--no matter what the sex! ORWEN: Are you allowed to say that word here?
Originally Posted By Sapphire Actually, "The Frog Princess" is a different fairy tale of Russian origin. (The news item at IMDb even mentioned this.) Here's a condensed version of it. <a href="http://www.lacquerbox.com/frogprincess-short.htm" target="_blank">http://www.lacquerbox.com/frog princess-short.htm</a>
Originally Posted By Liberty Belle I'm all for it as long as the storyline's good! I'm another one who's getting kind of sick of seeing so many CG previews - it looks like every studio's rushing out and doing them...
Originally Posted By FiveBearRugs So Chicken Little counts as one of the full-length feature films... does The Wild count as well?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 This can't be possible. Michael Eisner said traditional animation was dead. Something's wrong ... the Force has changed, I can feel it.
Originally Posted By mawnck Next on Entertainment Tonight. Frog joins Princess Collection. Aurora quoted as saying "Eww."
Originally Posted By leemac <<So Chicken Little counts as one of the full-length feature films... does The Wild count as well?>> The Wild wasn't produced by WDFA so it doesn't count. Disney only ponied up some of the cash for the movie (and anything above a cent was a waste).
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Something's wrong ... the Force has changed, I can feel it. < yes, a man with a vision and passion for animation and story telling has returned home and was put in a position to make a difference...as I have siad before, I believe 20 years from now the price paid for PIXAR will look like a bargain just for Lasseter alone.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Menken and Slater also did the music for "Home on the Range." However, the only "broadway-style" song similar to the glory days of Ashman and Menken was the Yodel song the bad guy sings. I really hope they have the characters sing, and that they lose the montage, backup singer style for this one.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Menken and Slater also did the music for "Home on the Range." However, the only "broadway-style" song similar to the glory days of Ashman and Menken was the Yodel song the bad guy sings. I really hope they have the characters sing, and that they lose the montage, backup singer style for this one.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA The music, like much of 'Home on the Range' was pretty much instantly forgettable. Unless you were a Disneyland Cast Member who had to endure kd Lang singing 'Patch of Heaven' every 7 minutes at the Disneyland petting zoo. Then you'll remember it for the rest of your life. Ugh! And those poor cast members who worked in that Frontierland gift store where the only music that played was a continuous loop of 'Colors of the Wind' from Pocahontas. Yikes! That was cruel and unusual punishment. And people say 'it's a small world' gets on your nerves.
