Nominees:How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Dreamworks - Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold), I Lost My Body (Netflix - Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice), Klaus (Netflix - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román), Missing Link (United Artists Releasing - Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight), Toy Story 4 (Pixar - Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera)
Will Win: Toy Story 4 (Pixar - Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera)
Runners-up: Missing Link (United Artists Releasing - Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight)
Should Win: Klaus (Netflix - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román)
Runners-up: Toy Story 4 (Pixar - Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera), I Lost My Body (Netflix - Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice)
My Choice: Klaus (Netflix - Sergio Pablos, Jinko Gotoh and Marisa Román)
My Nominees: Toy Story 4 (Pixar - Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera), Missing Link (United Artists Releasing - Chris Butler, Arianne Sutner and Travis Knight), I Lost My Body (Netflix - Jérémy Clapin and Marc du Pontavice), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Dreamworks - Dean DeBlois, Bradford Lewis and Bonnie Arnold)
Runners-up: Frozen 2 (Disney - Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee)
I loved the Toy Story trilogy, and I think that Toy Story 4 is a finely made animated film. Do I think it is necessary, however? No, definitely not. In many ways, Toy Story 3 (2010) provided the perfect ending to the story of Woody and Buzz as they were gifted to a sweet young girl--and symbolically to younger generations of playful kids--by their college-bound owner Andy. Though its production is once again awe-inspiring in animation and story, this newest iteration of the series feels more motivated by Disney/Pixar's corporate financial aspirations than for story purposes.
Klaus on the other hand feels fresh and independently creative in its re-imagining of the classic Christmas tale of Santa Claus. The film is magical, heart-warming, and consciously precise in its classic approach to hand-drawn animation. The traditional animation effects here work wonderfully to underscore the classic feel of a story we all think we know yet perhaps have misinterpreted all these years.