With just about one month until the Academy Awards (airing February 24, 2013), get your family together to watch all five Animated Feature Film nominees.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Spring of 2012 brought the release of this swashbuckling adventure, similar in animation style to the beloved Wallace and Gromit movies and 2000’s Chicken Run. In an effort to win the Pirate of the Year Award, the Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz. This adventure takes him and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London, encountering various new adventure and mishaps along the way. Look for this one on DVD/Blu-ray.
Brave
Disney/Pixar’s latest (released in June 2012 in theaters, now available on DVD/Blu-ray) introduces us to Princess Merida, a fiery girl determined to make her own path in life. After a disagreement with her mother, Merida must rely on her to undo a beastly curse that has turned her mother into a bear (literally!). Already the recipient of the Golden Globe for Animated Feature Film, many are eager to see if Brave will also receive this high honor come Oscar night.
ParaNorman
In August 2012, ParaNorman was released (now available on DVD/Blu-ray) and viewers were old the tale of a misunderstood boy named Norman who can speak to the dead. No one but his friend Neil believes of his other-worldly abilities, and he finds himself taking on ghosts and zombies (as well as dis-believing grown-ups) to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Frankenweenie
Released in October just in time for Halloween 2012 (and now available to on DVD/Blu-ray), Frankenweenie tells the story of a young boy named Victor who figures out a way to bring his deceased dog Sparky back to life via a very intricate science experiment. However Victor quickly learns that while this experiment has re-united him with his best friend it has also brought along some monstrous consequences.
Wreck-It Ralph
Video game lovers and Disney lovers alike will fall in love with Ralph, the “bad” guy from popular arcade game Wreck It Ralph who yearns to finally get a chance to play the good guy for once. As he sets out to fulfill his dream, he brings turmoil to the whole arcade where he lives (but does find himself making new friends along the way). Look for cameos from popular video game characters such as Dr. Robotnik from Sonic, the ghosts from Pacman, and Q*Bert (who has rocketed back into popularity thanks to his brief scenes in this movie). Released in November 2012, this feature hasn’t made its way to DVD/Blu-ray yet but is still showing in many theaters due to its Oscar nod.
