Jim On Film
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(c) Disney

The Emperor’s New Groove, 2000--This film was released in December, closer to the glory dates of the films that relaunched the Disney animation empire. Cursed with a tempestuous road to completion, The Emperor’s New Groove was originally meant to be a completely different film. When it wasn’t working, Disney executives shut down production even though many scenes had already been animated and colored. What was finally released had the potential to be a true Disney blockbuster. But the film received only a fraction of the marketing the previous films had (perhaps because, as rumors claimed, Michael Eisner despised the film). Commercials were scarce on television, there was no tie-in merchandise available, and the McDonald’s cross-promotional Happy Meal toys didn’t arrive until an astounding two weeks after the film opened! The Emperor’s New Groove never really had a chance to be blockbuster. The people who did see the film were delighted. In its second week in release, it grossed more than it did the week earlier, evidence of strong word of mouth. In my high school English classes, teens told me how hard they had laughed. The film had an audience! But with minimal marketing and high competition, the word of mouth traveled a little too late, and Disney did nothing to capitalize on it. In the end, the $89 million it did make was truly a testament to the quality of the film and the power of Disney animation.

(c) Disney

Atlantis: The Lost Empire, 2001--Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it must be said, is probably one of the less-satisfying of the Disney features (though still entertaining). While it was better than most other films of the action-adventure genre of recent release, critics jumped on its two crucial flaws--being full of new age philosophy and, as mentioned earlier, short on character development (the later probably was why the action figure toys were so unpopular--the characters didn’t connect much with the audience). The excellent commercials had to combat many strongly negative reviews in many of the major publications, and its PG-rating probably didn’t help with parents. It also didn’t help that it opened against some strong summer competition--Tomb Raider, Dr. Dolittle 2, Cats and Dogs, and Pearl Harbor, to name a few. This said, the film made $84 million, a credit to the strong Disney following and brand name. It takes a lot for films that are almost universally panned to earn a fourth of this intake, especially with such competition. And since the film was less-satisfying, word-of-mouth was not as strong. But instead of considering all these factors, including why the film was short on character development, Hollywood "insiders" used this film to proclaim the death of traditional animation.

Even though Dinosaur was not created by the Feature Animation department, its $133 million take has weighed heavily in the future of Disney animation, and a word must be said. Simply put, a marketing campaign that focuses on the marvels of lifelike dinosaur characters might have been an effective approach had there not been two films called Jurassic Park and The Lost World.

So, Disney executives, Jane Smith in Nowheresville who is loading up the grocery-getter for an afternoon at the movies doesn’t care about Hollywood speculation or marketing experts. She just knows that she’s going to spend a lot of money to make her kids happy for a few hours. She doesn’t care whether the film has characters singing (Oh, cry out the insiders, that’s so 1994!), whether there are explosions (Oh, cry out the insiders, her kids will think it’s cool!), or whether the animation is traditional or computer generated (Oh, cry out the insiders, it’s what’s new!); she wants to take her kids to a movie that is family-friendly and very good. The teenager and adult don’t care if the quality animation is completed by hand or by computer (even I see little difference between the visual terms 3D or 2D). They want to see a good film. It doesn’t matter what the film has; it matters what it needs.

Listen to the artists, the ones who make Disney animation the multi-billion dollar franchise it is. Trust the story to tell you what is needed, whether songs or no songs, more explosions or fewer explosions, or whether computers or no computers. Hire and maintain executives who know and love animation. Successful film-making is built on strong character development, a great story, and wise marketing choices. It’s why Disney has always been so successful.

Walt Disney Feature Animation, at its worst, has provided us with some of the most memorable and fun characters and situations, and at its best, is an emotional and moving art form that can be experienced only through the magic of traditional hand-drawn animation. There’s a reason why films like Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland have survived far past their contemporaries, and with proper direction and vision, Walt Disney Feature Animation will continue to wow audiences and propel the profits of Walt Disney Enterprises. Just as we no longer remember the feminists who once set Disney executives on their toes, in the future, we will no longer remember the words of supposed insiders. And what will be left is a canon of magical, memorable movies.

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-- Jim Miles (Copyright Jim Miles)

-- Posted February 7, 2002