Listen now (17 mins) | While some of these films are suitable for children, they take their story in a directions that you would never see in Disney films.
Glad to hear you give a shout out to Watership Down. This movie was remarkably mature for its time. There was a part that was pure nightmare fuel, at least to 10-year old me which I won't spoil here. The Plague Dogs from the same director is one of the most depressing animated movies I've ever seen.
The Last Unicorn really made an impact on me. Very melancholy and somber.
Trivia: The Secret of NIMH director Don Bluth also did the animation for Dragon's Lair & Space Ace, along with an animated segment in Xanadu.
Was just talking to my wife and she mentioned recommending Flow to her sister, who was going to see it without her kids, fearing they might get sad from it. Just don’t get that. We grew up on The Secret of NIMH and even The Rescuers was pretty scary and dark. They were intense but they didn’t talk down to us, as you said, and feeling that respect really went a long way. I really don’t understand this desire to sugar coat everything for kids nowadays. I think it does more harm pigeon holing them as “children”… let them only order from the adult menu and develop that palate. Flow too is this generations version of deeply human emotional topics presented through the animated art form, and worth exploring, building upon this fine lineage. Pixar certainly has its moments too, like the beginnings of WALL·E and intro to Up.
I agree. I found these movies challenging, but the very think that would hold people back from seeing them is exactly why I kept watching. They made me uncomfortable, because I didn't know how to process what I was seeing on the screen. Not for shock value, the themes in these films were respectful, I just didn't know how to process because I lacked exposure. Repeated viewing didn't diminish what I was seeing, but deepened my understanding and appreciation of the film.
They still get me after all these years. Like you note, Pixar can do the same thing.
Of the four, Heavy Metal is the one I am the least familiar. I've only seen it once or twice. Rock N Rule has some of the same vibe but is less adult.
The other three are ones that I have a deep love for - especially Watership Down because it's my favorite book. I'm pretty sure I showed to at least one of my kids way too early.
Very few recent animated films compare well against these by combining out-of-mainstream animation style, deep themes, and some (but not total) darkness.
Ghibli and Miyazaki films are in their own class, but outside of those the only other films that come to mind are The Wild Robot, The Secret of Kells, and maybe The Iron Giant.
I'm glad you shared these for people who maybe haven't seen them.
I do hope more people watch them and show some of the other animation to kids. I am not sure if I was too young to watch some of these, they scared me or made me feel, but I think my repeated viewing helped me to understand and really appreciate the full story. I like a light fun story, but its nice when animation can serve to tell different stories.
The Secret of NIMH was a huge deal in my childhood and at my elementary school when it came out. The dark overtones were an early inspiration for my creative work when I was starting out. Thanks for calling attention to these films.
Glad to hear you give a shout out to Watership Down. This movie was remarkably mature for its time. There was a part that was pure nightmare fuel, at least to 10-year old me which I won't spoil here. The Plague Dogs from the same director is one of the most depressing animated movies I've ever seen.
The Last Unicorn really made an impact on me. Very melancholy and somber.
Trivia: The Secret of NIMH director Don Bluth also did the animation for Dragon's Lair & Space Ace, along with an animated segment in Xanadu.
Plague Dogs is rough. I have watched it only twice and both times it was very impactful.
Was just talking to my wife and she mentioned recommending Flow to her sister, who was going to see it without her kids, fearing they might get sad from it. Just don’t get that. We grew up on The Secret of NIMH and even The Rescuers was pretty scary and dark. They were intense but they didn’t talk down to us, as you said, and feeling that respect really went a long way. I really don’t understand this desire to sugar coat everything for kids nowadays. I think it does more harm pigeon holing them as “children”… let them only order from the adult menu and develop that palate. Flow too is this generations version of deeply human emotional topics presented through the animated art form, and worth exploring, building upon this fine lineage. Pixar certainly has its moments too, like the beginnings of WALL·E and intro to Up.
I agree. I found these movies challenging, but the very think that would hold people back from seeing them is exactly why I kept watching. They made me uncomfortable, because I didn't know how to process what I was seeing on the screen. Not for shock value, the themes in these films were respectful, I just didn't know how to process because I lacked exposure. Repeated viewing didn't diminish what I was seeing, but deepened my understanding and appreciation of the film.
They still get me after all these years. Like you note, Pixar can do the same thing.
Of the four, Heavy Metal is the one I am the least familiar. I've only seen it once or twice. Rock N Rule has some of the same vibe but is less adult.
The other three are ones that I have a deep love for - especially Watership Down because it's my favorite book. I'm pretty sure I showed to at least one of my kids way too early.
Very few recent animated films compare well against these by combining out-of-mainstream animation style, deep themes, and some (but not total) darkness.
Ghibli and Miyazaki films are in their own class, but outside of those the only other films that come to mind are The Wild Robot, The Secret of Kells, and maybe The Iron Giant.
I'm glad you shared these for people who maybe haven't seen them.
I do hope more people watch them and show some of the other animation to kids. I am not sure if I was too young to watch some of these, they scared me or made me feel, but I think my repeated viewing helped me to understand and really appreciate the full story. I like a light fun story, but its nice when animation can serve to tell different stories.
The Secret of NIMH was a huge deal in my childhood and at my elementary school when it came out. The dark overtones were an early inspiration for my creative work when I was starting out. Thanks for calling attention to these films.
We watched NIMH in school over the course of two days. I had seen it already, but many hadn't and I was surprised when a few got upset.