Why aren't more realistic and serious animated movies being made?

[Spongebobdickpants]

Why do you have such an inflammatory title that is clearly incorrct? Im sure you'll know half of these posts will be butthurt toy story fanboys flaming you when you are actually pro animation as an artistic medium

OT: Mary and max, yes its claymation but it still counts. That was a great film and isnt an anime so suck it japan you arent the only one making serious animations.

 

[gorfias]

American Pop.
Fake History of family, from poor Russian Immigrant to Successful Great Grandson, experiencing America and the development of American popular music.

 

[New Vegas Samurai]

"If you were making a realistic movie why on earth choose animation as a medium!" Because animation that's realistic has a unique beauty.

I see where you're coming from, but on the other hand, animation was never really meant to mimic reality. It was always more about metaphors. Thusly, films like Ghost in the shell and toy story pop up.

As far as beauty goes, the perfect mimicry of the human body is stunning, however, titles like that are hard to come by...
The disappearance of haruhi suzumiya has gorgeous animation (besides the anime eyes), and Jin roh just as good. However, Haruhi is more of a kiddy anime, while as Jin roh is alternate history.

 

[TelHybrid]

Hahahahaha.

Women at Work...

 

[monkey_man]

IF they aren't for adults, then I don wanna be old!

 

[soes757]

Any time people say animated movies are for kids I smack them with Spirited Away.

 

[Doitpow]

Waking life, awesome adult animated film

 

[IndianaJonny]

As a quick answer for an adult cartoon (animated film take your pick)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN-KdPBhyjc

Those Winsor McCay animations are extraordinary! Thanks for posting.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

Redline.

Seven years to make. Entirely hand drawn. Think of it as The Fast and the Furious in Space.

It's not "mature", but in no way is it suitable for children.

I fucking loved Redline! Saw it in the Cinema at a one off showing. Thing is, I'd think of it as way more Wacky Races than Fast and the Furious.

Thing is OP, once you've cut out Sci-fis, got it to look realistic, and cut out any fantastical ridiculous elements (has to be possible to be based on a true story), you're left with...

Basically a live action film. Why would anyone waste money on expensive animation when you could make the same film much cheaper, and accessible (if it has to be so realistic) just standardly? Anyway, there are a load out there. One I watched recently (which is Sci-Fi, so it won't count) was Mardock Scramble. Pt II this year, woop!

 

[cookyy2k]

Violence jack...

1. Realistic plot and look; after the fall of society survivors form into gangs, some raiders some peaceful and the world is set around this with some groups trying to rebuild and others being the very worst humanity can be. I'd call that realistic (true the apocalypse has to happen but hey, lots of films and games need that). As for the look Jack himself is extremely muscular but nothing that couldn't happen without steroids, everything else looks as should be.

2. Swearing; absolutely full of it.

3. Kid's movie plot; oh it really isn't you have rape gangs and a full sex slave industry established in the wastes which Jack fights against. Not for kids...

4. Comedy; Nope, not a comedy. Moderately disturbing to be honest since you could imagine the world becoming this very easily.

5. Ok not possible to be based on a true story now, however since it has to be theoretically possible, it is theoretically possible, if the apocalypse had happened.

EDIT: or just you know http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz_with_Bashir since that is an animated documentory film.

 

[JustOrdinary]

Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Not a movie, I know, but it's hilarious to see how flimsy the OP's criteria is for judging 'mature content'.

 

[Queen Michael]

Hahahahaha.

Women at Work...

I think this actually qualifies
Edit: Nope, the eyes are too big. Dang.

 

[Shadu]

I agree with many people above me when they say that sci-fi can be adult oriented. How many shows have we had that have been sci-fi and not for kids. Outcasts, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Torchwood, Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits etcetera. None of those are really for kids, but they are sci-fi. Granted, none of them are animated, but I'm showing that sci-fi should not be a disqualification. In fact, sci-fi was, when it started out, the best way for writers to express very sensitive and controversial themes. Saying that is not for adults is completely asinine.

Really, what should constitute and "adult movie" is more of the theme rather than the surface thing. So, okay, Toy Story does seem childish, but some other animated movies, such as the Lion King, as previously mentioned, are very grown up in its themes.

The "for kids" movies, such as the Great Mouse Detective and most other Disney films are, yes, a bit childish in their presentation maybe, but it's dual-layered. However, others, such as Princess Mononoke should not be disqualified simply because they don't fit into your "realistic" view.

Am I long-windedly saying that all animated movies should be thought of as "adult movies?" Well, no, not really. I am saying the good ones have varying levels. But am I saying that your rules are right? Definitely not. The worst one on there is thinking that an adult movie has to be completely realistic.

 

[Divine Miss Bee]

getting some classic disney up in here: pocahontas is NOT a kid's movie at its core, thus why they had to add the comedic-relief animals and the songs because the whole native-american-genocide thing is way too heavy for kids.

 

[Queen Michael]

Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Not a movie, I know, but it's hilarious to see how flimsy the OP's criteria is for judging 'mature content'.

It's not really for judging mature content, though I guess it seems that way. It's for judging whether the movie resembles movies like Three Colors: Red and Match Point. You know, the kind of movies that it seems are only made live-action.

 

[Queen Michael]

I agree with many people above me when they say that sci-fi can't be adult oriented. How many shows have we had that have been sci-fi and not for kids. Outcasts, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Torchwood, Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits etcetera. None of those are really for kids, but they are sci-fi. Granted, none of them are animated, but I'm showing that sci-fi should not be a disqualification. In fact, sci-fi was, when it started out, the best way for writers to express very sensitive and controversial themes. Saying that is not for adults is completely asinine.

Really, what should constitute and "adult movie" is more of the theme rather than the surface thing. So, okay, Toy Story does seem childish, but some other animated movies, such as the Lion King, as previously mentioned, are very grown up in its themes.

The "for kids" movies, such as the Great Mouse Detective and most other Disney films are, yes, a bit childish in their presentation maybe, but it's dual-layered. However, others, such as Princess Mononoke should not be disqualified simply because they don't fit into your "realistic" view.

Am I long-windedly saying that all animated movies should be thought of as "adult movies?" Well, no, not really. I am saying the good ones have varying levels. But am I saying that your rules are right? Definitely not. The worst one on there is thinking that an adult movie has to be completely realistic.

First, the rules aren't really for judging mature content, though I guess it seems that way. It's for judging whether the movie resembles movies like Three Colors: Red and Match Point. You know, the kind of movies that it seems are only made live-action. Secondly, I'm pretty sure the "cant" in your first sentence should be "can".

 

[Ramanthes]

Someone else allready said it but yeah,anything by Satoshi Kon (good God that man was a genious),Waltz with Bashir,Persepolis,The Triplets of Belleville (its a comedy but it's French,so expect some melancholic tones) and just to indulge yourself a bit,Porco Rosso.

 

[IndianaJonny]

15. American Pop

This is kind of a double post [//www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.314649-Why-wont-you-accept-that-animated-movies-are-only-for-kids?page=2#12768056] but if you're gonna accept American Pop then you really want to look into the rest of Bakshi's [//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Bakshi] past work as well.

 

[Shadu]

I agree with many people above me when they say that sci-fi can't be adult oriented. How many shows have we had that have been sci-fi and not for kids. Outcasts, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Torchwood, Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits etcetera. None of those are really for kids, but they are sci-fi. Granted, none of them are animated, but I'm showing that sci-fi should not be a disqualification. In fact, sci-fi was, when it started out, the best way for writers to express very sensitive and controversial themes. Saying that is not for adults is completely asinine.

Really, what should constitute and "adult movie" is more of the theme rather than the surface thing. So, okay, Toy Story does seem childish, but some other animated movies, such as the Lion King, as previously mentioned, are very grown up in its themes.

The "for kids" movies, such as the Great Mouse Detective and most other Disney films are, yes, a bit childish in their presentation maybe, but it's dual-layered. However, others, such as Princess Mononoke should not be disqualified simply because they don't fit into your "realistic" view.

Am I long-windedly saying that all animated movies should be thought of as "adult movies?" Well, no, not really. I am saying the good ones have varying levels. But am I saying that your rules are right? Definitely not. The worst one on there is thinking that an adult movie has to be completely realistic.

First, the rules aren't really for judging mature content, though I guess it seems that way. It's for judging whether the movie resembles movies like Three Colors: Red and Match Point. You know, the kind of movies that it seems are only made live-action. Secondly, I'm pretty sure the "cant" in your first sentence should be "can".

Yes, you were right about the can't/can thing. Fingers getting ahead of my brain again. It happens. And spell-checker won't pick that up.

So what if it doesn't look or act exactly like it? Why couldn't a movie like your example work, but animated with maybe a supernatural or sci-fi twist? Would it really change the story all that much? It would still be the same story, but in a slightly different medium.

You'll call an animated movie childish if it has one sci-fi element in it? Metropolis by Osamu Tezuka is a gritty, unhappy story. But oh wait. It doesn't fit your requirements because not only is it sci-fi, but it has no swearing and disproportionate bodies.

And as far as the describing a plot bit, I can make even the most serious movie sound silly when relating a plot. It's all in the choice of words and how you look at it. That is a bad requirement.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I remember there being this french indie film with this black and white style that looked like it was in the same artistic style as the Flobots No handlebars music video.

Though for the life of me I cant remember what its called. I think something with an r, like re-something.

...

then again I may have completely missed the point of this thread. Why this bothers you so much tat you need a list though, I dont understand. if you want to see these movies then thats all well in good, but a google search would probably give you more results then the escapist (just by law of averages or something) and if you want to go show this off to someone who thinks differently then you, then they'll probably only look at the list and say yeah, but what about all the others that arent like that.

Of course none of that is meant to be a crack at anyone, just musing outloud I suppose.