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Tag: Animation (1-10 of 258)

Oct 29 2012 12:30 PM ET
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'Mars Needs Moms' is the best 3-D movie since 'Avatar,' says Robert Zemeckis

by Hillary Busis
Tags: 3-D, Animation, Avatar, Disney, James Cameron, Mars Needs Moms, Robert Zemeckis, Space, Movies
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Image Credit: Disney

How badly did Mars Needs Moms flop? Badly enough to earn the number four spot on EW’s list of the biggest bombs in Hollywood history. The $150 million film earned just $39 million, making it Disney’s worst performer of all time. The box office was so poor that it inspired Disney execs to shorten John Carter of Mars‘ title, changing it to just John Carter. (Spoiler alert: Their gambit didn’t work.)

But even though critics and audiences around the globe shunned this animated film, Mars Needs Moms did have at least one champion. EW’s Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the move an A-, calling it “visually magnificent” and favorably comparing it to James Cameron’s Avatar. And apparently, Mars producer Robert Zemeckis agrees with her sentiment. READ FULL STORY »

Aug 29 2012 11:45 AM ET
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Imagining 'Space Jam 2' -- starring LeBron James

by Hillary Busis
Tags: 100% Pure Cheese, Animation, Apropos of Nothing, Basketball, I Love the '90s, LeBron James, Sports, Things We Are Doing Just To Amuse Ourselves, We Like Sports And We Don't Care Who Knows, Movies
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Image Credit: Everett Collection

On some level, every basketball player in the post-Jordan era wants to be like Mike — and LeBron James is no exception. Like Jordan, James snagged an incredibly lucrative contract with Nike and has starred in a series of iconic commercials. He’s also dabbled in acting and hosted Saturday Night Live, just like the former Chicago Bull — although Jordan never did a cameo on Entourage. Now the Heat’s superstar has set his sights on another Jordinian achievement: Starring in a sequel to everyone’s favorite aliens-vs.-Looney-Tunes adventure.

On Sunday, James was asked on Twitter if he loved the movie Space Jam. LeBron’s answer? “I love that movie. Wish I could do Space Jam 2!”

The idea really isn’t so crazy. Although movies starring NBA greats aren’t always slam dunks, Space Jam is an exception — the film was a financial success, grossing over $230 million worldwide. (And that’s in 1996 dollars!) Looney Tunes: Back in Action wasn’t nearly as big at the box office in 2003, but it didn’t focus on sports and tried to replace MJ with Brendan Fraser. A Space Jam sequel could be just what the franchise needs to get back in the game — especially if a lightning rod player like James is in the Jordan role.

So, what might the plot for Space Jam 2: It’s Good 2 Be the King entail? Picture this: READ FULL STORY »

Jul 17 2012 08:10 PM ET
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Tom Hanks' dystopian web series debuts on Yahoo

by Emily Rome
Tags: Animation, Electric City, Tom Hanks, Webisodes, Yahoo
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Image Credit: Playtone / Reliance

Creating content exclusively for the web is a growing area for mega TV and film personalities — just this week Larry King launched an online news network and Jerry Seinfeld‘s web series is also coming soon — but the latest to join in the interactive content game is Tom Hanks, whose new animated web series, Electric City, premiered on Yahoo! Screen Tuesday.

The series is set in a seemingly peaceful but troubled city, a settlement that has sprung up in the aftermath of a series of ecological and human-caused disasters. Hanks, who also wrote the series, voices Cleveland Carr, a mysterious man of mixed morals, in the dystopian city where there are two ways to access news and information: newspapers and radio, both easily controlled by the powers that be.

“The theme that drives the plot of every episode is ‘Who’s gonna control the information?’” Hanks explained to a group of reporters via conference call. “And are those people gonna be benevolent and tell the truth, or are they going to be proactively lying in order to promote their own agenda? That’s Electric City in a nutshell.” READ FULL STORY »

Jul 2 2012 03:15 PM ET
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Tom Hanks' 'Electric City' looks for light in the darkness

by Jeff Labrecque
Tags: Animation, Electric City, Tech, Tom Hanks
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Tom Hanks is heading to Electric City. No, Dunderheads, he’s not guesting on The Office, which is, of course, set in Scranton, Pa., a.k.a. Electric City. The two-time Oscar winner has created a new animated web series about a seeming oasis of idealistic possibility set amongst a dystopian, post-apocalyptic future. Hanks has been working on the idea for years, at one point contemplating bringing his characters to life with puppets. Instead, Yahoo will host a series of short five-to-seven-minute episodes, the first 10 of which will premiere on July 17. Additional episodes will follow on July 18-19, completing the 90-minute adventure.

Hanks himself will lend his voice to the cast, along with Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Antoon, Chris Parnell, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Georg Stanford Brown. Hanks’ character is new to Electric City, and after the world nearly ended, safe housing is rare — and expensive. His only affordable option? Dressing in drag, and getting a job in a knitting factory… I kid. Watch a quick trailer here. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 26 2012 10:00 AM ET
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What is your damage, Princess Merida's hair?

by Annie Barrett
Tags: Animation, Brave, Disney, Food & Drink, Gay/Lesbian/Kathy Griffin, Grooming, Pixar, Ridiculata, Shenanigans!, Those Crazy Kids!, What Is Your Damage?, Movies
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spacer Welcome to ‘What Is Your Damage,’ Annie Barrett’s summer shop of all the melodrama and self-absorption she misses from springtime reality TV. Every Tuesday and Friday, she’ll rant about a current offense to her humanity, then assess readers’ damages via video replies. Don’t be shy about admitting what annoys or intrigues you. We’re all in this pop cult together!

spacer What is your damage, Princess Merida’s hair? I am going through some MAJOR HAIR ENVY this week and it’s all 1,500 of your individually animated CGI curls’  fault!

You’ve completely mesmerized me. I see you everywhere now — undulating and breathing fire over my bed, waving your honorary Independent Spirit award in front of my face and whispering with varying degrees of fierceness, “Look at all my different textures.” I want to buy a blanket of you that I could drape over my head while in public and prop up somewhere in my line of vision while resting in private, non-mirrored rooms. Since you came into my life, I’d mist you so bad. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 24 2012 11:17 AM ET
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Could the heroine of Pixar's 'Brave' be gay? (Warning: Spoilers!)

by Adam Markovitz
Tags: Animation, Brave, Gay/Lesbian/Kathy Griffin, Pixar, Movies
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Image Credit: Pixar/Disney

Today, crowds will line the streets of cities like New York and San Francisco for parades that mark the high point of LGBT Pride Month. At the same time, legions of kids will swarm into theaters to watch Pixar’s Brave, the animated story of a young Scottish princess named Merida who goes to extreme lengths to avoid having to marry one of the three noblemen that her parents have chosen for her. The two events don’t seem to have much in common at first glance.  But it’s quite possible that while watching Brave’s tomboyish heroine shoot arrows, fight like one of the boys, and squirm when her mother puts her in girly clothes, a thought might pop into the head of some viewers: Is Merida gay? READ FULL STORY »

Jun 20 2012 05:03 PM ET
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Melanie Lynskey and Ed O'Neill are leaving on a jet plane to New Zealand

by Emily Rome
Tags: Animation, Modern Family, Movies, TV
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spacer When was the last time you actually paid attention to an airline safety video? Been a while? Well, Air New Zealand is hoping to change that, thanks to some help from a couple of celebs.

Backed by some music from The Naked and Famous, your hosts for this new animated in-flight safety video are Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) and New Zealand-born actress Melanie Lynskey (Up in the Air). And Melanie seems a little… disappointed that her seatmate is the Married With Children veteran. “Oh… nice,” she says after he’s introduced himself. Whether she appears shocked/frightened to see him because he’s Ed O’Neill or because his head just appeared out of thin air is debatable.

READ FULL STORY »

Jun 17 2012 08:21 AM ET
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What's your go-to movie on Father's Day?

by Sandra Gonzalez
Tags: Animation, Things That Are Awesome!, Movies
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spacer There are any number of great movies out there meant to honor great dads in the world. Father of the Bride, National Lampoons Vacation, Parenthood. But if there’s one movie I’m going to watch on Father’s Day, it’s The Lion King.

I know that’s a pretty grim choice, considering the father at the center of the animated flick dies in the first third of the movie. (Though, if you watched it, you know he LIVES ON IN SIMBA!) But it’s my go-to movie because it’s one of my earliest theater-going memories with my dad. And before you ask: yes, watching Mufasa’s death for the first time while sitting next to your actual father is one of the most upsetting moments in the world when you’re seven years old. But one of the best? Realizing your dad does a mean impression of Mufasa and having him entertain your pleas for repeated performances. I may have even recorded one or two of these on my Talkboy. Oh, the ’90s.

Living here in New York, I’m about 2,000 miles from where my parents live in Texas, and on Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and even their birthdays, every mile between us feels like 100. They might as well be on the other side of the world. So once the customary phone call is made today, if I’m still looking to close the gap a li

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