The chickens on Mrs. Tweedy's farm are having a hard time.
For each of these unfortunate birds, any, even the finest morning, can be the last: in the blink of an eye, they can end up in soup or become stuffing for a pie.
Resigned domestic birds live in constant fear in terrible chicken coops, reminiscent of concentration camp barracks.
All attempts to escape from the terrible farm into the wild end in failure. But one day, the cheerful American rooster Rocky appears on the farm ...
Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
The annual giant vegetable contest is approaching, and the "vegetables" are all over Wallace and Gromit's neighbors.
Two enterprising friends decided to make money on the fight against rodents, using their invention "Anti-Pesto".
But suddenly a huge mysterious animal began to terrorize the area, destroying vegetables that could qualify for the main prize of the competition.
In desperation, trying to save the event, its organizer, Lady Tottington, promises royal honors to whoever catches the beast and saves the holiday.
Coraline in Nightmareland (2009)
Who would have thought that one door could hold so many secrets?
Entering through this door, Coraline finds herself in a parallel world, where all life is just wonderful.
But she learns that in the old world her parents were in trouble and now the girl has to return to her old home.
Pirates! Gang of Losers (2012)
This is an exciting cartoon about a real pirate team, about their new journeys and adventures.
Their team flees and ends up in London, where they immediately meet an unusual scientist and his constantly cheerful and able to talk monkey.
But the chase is close, whether you can escape from the pirates, you can find out from this bright and funny cartoon.
Corpse Bride (2005)
The action takes place in a European village of the 19th century.
The main character - a young man Victor - is dragged by the forces of darkness into the underworld and married there to the mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride Victoria is waiting for her groom in the world of the living.
Despite the fact that living in the Kingdom of the Dead turns out to be much more interesting than his usual Victorian lifestyle, Victor understands that he will not exchange his only love for anything in any of the alternative worlds...
Family of Monsters (2014)
He was not lucky to be born in a luxurious castle. Together with a family of funny monsters, the young man settled right under the pavement.
Exquisite costumes were replaced by an ordinary box. But every night he could walk the dark streets in search of new adventures.
But one day he met a charming girl from high society - and the world around him changed forever.
Paranorman, or How to Train Your Zombies (2012)
Paranormal Norman is a cartoon about a boy named Norman.
He lived in his city, went to school regularly, played games. But with all this, he does not even suspect that a special task awaits him.
One night, while on the roof of his house, he met with a ghost, who told him that in the near future the Earth would be captured by alien creatures.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
The wily fox has long been a nuisance to local farmers by stealing their poultry.
Therefore, the owners decide to end this at any cost.
Isle of Dogs (2018)
The story of a 12-year-old boy, Atari Kobayashi, who is under the tutelage of the corrupt Mayor Kobayashi. When, by the Decree of the latter, all domestic dogs of the city of Megasaki are expelled to a huge dump.
Atari travels alone in a miniature flying machine to a garbage island to find his faithful dog, Spots.
There on the island, along with a pack of new mongrel friends, he will begin an epic journey that will decide the future fate of the entire Prefecture.
Shaun the Sheep (2015)
"Thanks" to Shonu the lamb, the farmer acquires several llamas at the country fair.
Sean, of course, is happy with such an acquisition - after all, reckless llamas become his friends ...
The Little Prince (2015)
The world is impossible without fantasy and adventure. At least this is what the good-natured old aviator believes, next door to whom a very pedantic mother recently settled with her diligent daughter.
The girl's life is subject to a strict curriculum, in which time for friends is provided only next summer.
However, this carefully crafted plan comes apart at the seams when a strange neighbor bursts into the girl's life with his incredible tales of the Little Prince and distant stars. It remains only to fix the plane, and go! Thus begins the big journey of the girl - full of dangers, magic, humor and true friendship.
Frankenweenie (2012)
Adored by the boy Victor, the dog Sparky dies in an accident. The boy, not wanting to put up with the loss of a friend, calls on science to help and ... brings the pet back to life!
Everything seems to be not so bad, but when Sparky escapes from Victor, his friends, parents, teachers and residents of the town learn that the return to the life of a pet can lead to unexpected and even terrible consequences!
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The cartoon tells about the realm of Halloween, the realm of fears and nightmares, where the dead, freaks, monsters live, led by the king of horrors Jack Skellington.
Just before Christmas, Jack accidentally finds himself in the city of Christmas, where he learns that somewhere there is joy, goodness and fun.
He really wanted to experience this feeling - to give people happiness - and he kidnapped Santa Claus and took his place. The results were, however, the most deplorable, and no one, to put it mildly, liked his gifts. But he understood everything and corrected his mistake.
Kubo. Legend of the Samurai (2016)
Kubo is the heir to a great family, but when the spirits of the past returned, thirsting for revenge, only a strange couple of guardians dared to defend him.
And now for Kubo the only chance for salvation is to find the magical armor of his father, the legendary samurai.
Wild Ancestors (2018)
The Stone Age and even later civilizations are still wild ancestors, but how similar they were to us.
They also had too many relatives, and men fought for the woman they loved.
They also adored jewelry, played with a leather ball, and everyone aspired to be the first ...
It is puppet animation that makes you believe and immerse yourself not in part, but completely in the world that you see in front of you. It's simple, because what we see really exists, all these characters and models, they were created, which means they were born into the world. Of course, there are a lot of cartoons created with the help of dolls, but only a few managed to go down in history as masterpieces, in the worlds of which you really want to get into.
The nightmare before christmas
And we will begin our acquaintance with puppet projects immediately from the most popular cartoon. The Nightmare Before Christmas was directed by Tim Burton in his signature style. And thanks to his unique talent, the cartoon is filled with unimaginable charm. And thanks to the same dolls that designers have been making for decades, we believe in what is happening on the screen. Burton takes us to an unusual city called Halloween, and this is where our story develops. It all starts after the next end of this terrible holiday, ghouls, vampires, ghosts and other monsters receive a well-deserved reward from their favorite measure - Two-Face. But the pumpkin lord himself, Jack Skellington, is not very happy with what is happening around him. For a good hundred years of scaring children and adults, he got bored and wanted something new, something unusual, something that would return a smile to his pumpkin head. And wandering through the endless forest, Jack unexpectedly finds himself in a city called Christmas. And seeing what is happening there, he just falls in love with this holiday. After that, Jack lights up with the idea to arrange it himself. He begins to sew costumes, create toys and even replace Santa Claus himself.
Can you tell me what is so amazing about this? And the answer to this question will be the world itself in which this story takes place. Look at the terrible Halloween weirdos from a different angle. After all, each of the heroes, made by hand, will give you the same aesthetic pleasure. You will admire not only the heroes and characters of the picture, but the scenery in which it all happens, and please the eye with every movement of the next doll. And you can feel each of Jack's emotions as your own, because you know that the doll just played it especially for you, and this is not just another movement of the graphic designer's mouse. The Nightmare Before Christmas is not just a cartoon, it is a masterpiece of puppet animation, after which even the air in your house will be filled with the atmosphere of the city
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjLvC3rqt6c
Coraline
The next project directed by Henry Selick is no less iconic. Henry was able to do the unbelievable with the help of seemingly ordinary dolls. Emotions of the face, expression of anger and even streams of rain and water will delight you every time, because all this is done by human hands. The main character of the story - Coraline, you will remember for a very long time, because she is so natural and alive that you will not even doubt the authenticity of her actions and desires. After watching Coraline in the Land of Nightmares, you will not think that you have watched another good cartoon. You will feel like you have just been on an extraordinary journey. Every minute of the animation, you will believe in what is happening on the screen. After all, both the real world of Coraline and the parallel one make you immerse yourself in yourself 100%.
Every time Coraline meets a new neighbor, you will do the same. It is just as interesting and scary for each viewer to travel through the portal to the world where the new mom and dad with button eyes. Is it worth it? Is he that good? You will ask such questions, and suddenly you will notice that Coraline thinks so too. Try your luck traveling with her and find out that things are not as rosy as they seem at first glance. Coraline's story is not only interesting and fascinating. It will make you literally stick to the screen and do not leave it until the very end. And even when the credits roll, you will want more, because all her neighbors, and Coraline herself, have become more than just cartoon characters for you. She is now your friend, her neighbors are now your neighbors, and when you have to close the tab with the cartoon, you will have the feeling that you are saying goodbye to your loved one. This is exactly what animated dolls are capable of, and if you want a storm of emotions and a sense of adventure, check out Coraline in Nightmareland.
frankenweenie
Another project by Tim Burton, which is made using stop motion technology. And this project of his was no less interesting. We all know the world-famous story of Victor Frankenstein. Burton gives us the opportunity to look at it from a new angle. Now in the center of events we have a little boy, Victor Frankenstein, who so far only goes to school. It so happens that his best friend is his dog named Sparky. During an accident, he dies under the wheels of a car. Victor does not want to put up with this loss, and using all his knowledge, he resurrects his dog. Others find out about his successful experiment, and the situation with the resurrection of animals gets out of control.
Doesn't look like a very interesting story, does it? And there were so many projects about Frankenstein that it’s not even interesting. But it is the puppet animation that makes it stand out from all the others. Now this is not just a scientist's struggle with death, but the story of a boy who, due to strong love, was able to do the impossible. It is here that Burton shows us pure, not fake friendly feelings. We are not just watching a drawing of a boy saving his dog. The dolls convey to us his zeal, his efforts and difficulties before he can resurrect Sparky. And, of course, a moment of joy when it happens. No animation is able to show you this for real, except as a puppet. While watching, I wanted Victor to succeed, and I was very worried when Sparky was not accepted in the form of a resurrected dog. Victor, like Coraline, will become your friend, and together you will try to return the friendship that was unfairly taken from him.
Corpse Bride
Again amazing cartoon puppet animation and again Tim Burton. In his new project, we will again plunge into an unusual world, and now it is the world of the dead. The plot takes place in a European province, at the height of the Victorian era. Victor and Victoria are about to get married, and they realize at a glance that they are made for each other. But during the rehearsal for the wedding, Victor mixes up the words and runs out of shame into the forest. Having gone deep into the thicket, he was still able to pronounce his oath from beginning to end, and even pathetically put his bride's ring on some bitch that looked like a finger. But as it turned out, this was the finger of the dead bride, who came to life from the words and actions of Victor. Now they are bound by an oath, and Victor enters the world of the dead, where everyone begins to prepare for his wedding with the Corpse Bride, who has her own story.
To say that the cartoon is filled with its amazing charm is to say nothing. Tim Burton has outdone himself again and created new characters that, just like in Nightmare, cut into your memory forever. The design of characters, and especially those that live in the world of the dead, dancing skeletons, a talking worm from the Bride's eye socket or a separate bartender's head can definitely surprise you. Don't be scared, it just sounds bad. In fact, all the characters carry something special. You will be able to see that dozens of hands have been trying on each of them, in order for you to see this magic of the movement of the lips or eyelashes of the doll. Burton's characters really act out love, you can literally see it in the frame and fill your own heart with it. The corpse of the bride is not just another puppet animation, it is a story that these little puppet characters told each of us personally. And it seems that they specially came to life for this hour and a half in order to be able to reveal to us their secrets and stories, about which they have been silent for many years.
Nevertheless, secretly revives the genre of puppet horror, in which many masters of the screen worked enthusiastically, realizing their most intimate fantasies - from the erotomaniac Valerian Borovchik to the visionary Terry Gilliam. To us, shell-shocked by Soviet puppet animation, which frightened more than one generation of citizens to death, this topic is especially close. Apparently, there is something about dolls that attracts all sorts of strange types and damned geniuses. To explore the issue, we have collected ten of the most striking examples of puppet perversions in world cinema. The decadent puppet cartoon is back on horseback.
Guard Dog (Stille Nacht V: Dog Door, dir. Kuay Brothers, 2001)
Convinced decadent Kuai brothers are twin Americans who moved to the Old World in the late 60s and quickly became unsurpassed classics of the decadent puppet cartoon genre. There are no number of epigones of the brothers, but they themselves were inspired by the works of Starevich, Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Stravinsky, Borovchik, and later Shvankmayer, whom Western Europe discovered not at once. In popular culture, the brothers registered thanks to Peter Gabriel, for whom they filmed a video for the song Sledgehammer. A dog drooling to the infernal wheezing of Tom Waits is also a clip, although no television has dared to show it. Monstrous horror.
"Show half-wits" / Meet the Feebles / (1989) (dir. Peter Jackson, 1989)
When the new Middle Ages come and they begin to burn the classics, the top twenty martyrs will definitely include Jackson's "Show of the Fools", which, without any exception, can be put in our review almost completely. The only thing that reassures us is that manuscripts do not burn, and at least the immortal “Song of the Sodomite” will certainly be preserved for posterity. Classic.
Adventures of Mark Twain, The/ (1986) (dir. Will Winton, 1986)
In 1986, director Will Winton decided to make an educational puppet cartoon based on the works of Mark Twain. A completely harmless story came out - an American classic flies on a comet through space in the company of teenagers, teaching them the mind. Everything was going well until Twain and the kids flew to the planet where Satan lives. The producers prudently decided not to get involved with Satan - they cut it out. This is such a children's film.
Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb, The/ (1993) (dir. David Borthwick, 1993)
In a family of London alcoholics, an underdeveloped embryo with a degenerate face is born - Boy-with-a-finger. After the brutal death of his parents in a fire, the midget leaves to wander, gets into a factory of genetically modified products and raises an uprising of mutants. The end of the tale came out sad: for ten years the director Borthwick was not taken anywhere. In 2005, he signed the sweet Magic Roundabout, The/ (2005), and one can only guess what Borthwick had in mind when he filmed this kind but unremarkable family-friendly fantasy.
Katakuri Family Happiness /Katakuri-ke no kofuku/ (2001) (dir. Takashi Miike, 2001)
For the complete happiness of puppet animation, one talented person was missing - Takashi Miike. Transferred to Japanese soil, Shvankmayer, Borovchik and the Kuai brothers, under his perspicacious leadership, gave birth to a monster - the initial part of the musical comedy Katakuri Family Happiness / Katakuri-ke no kofuku / (2001) about a family of murderers attacked by zombies. An ogre angel and a deadly teddy bear with iron claws have registered here. Click on "play" or not click - decide for yourself.
Remembering the coolest failures of the Soviet child, she put Puppet cartoons in the first place - when the long-awaited cartoon (underlined in the program with a red pen) actually turned out to be "a wooden doll in the middle of artificial, devoid of sun, scenery." I can't help but agree with her. But were there really no good puppet cartoons in those days?
Were! And not only good, but even dispersed into quotes.
First of all, what comes to mind in this regard is a series of cartoons about the brownie Kuzya. “I’m not greedy, I’m homely”, “Nafanya! The chest was stolen! With fairy tales!”, “Oh, trouble, trouble, grief”, “From an early age I didn’t eat enough, slept without asking ... I didn’t get enough sleep, in general, I "," Where I want - I'm flying there! Where I want?! Where I'm flying ?!", and so on
Next, I want to recall a series of cartoons about the crocodile Gena and Cheburashka. Actually, Cheburashka generally became almost a symbol of Soviet animation. Well, and favorite quotes: "Whoever helps people is just wasting time. Ha ha! You can't become famous for good deeds!", "We built, built and finally built. Hooray!" will you take me?", "I'll show them how to offend Cheburasheks!"
You can say that the success of these cartoons was given by a good literary basis. But the "Adventures of the Dunno" and "The Wizard of the Emerald City" also had a good basis, but the puppet cartoons "didn't work"
The third series of puppet cartoons that even children liked is a cycle about the amusing relationships of four animals - the Monkey, the Elephant, the Parrot and the Boa constrictor. "I have a thought, and I think it!", "Let's! Let's ask me!", "I don't want to be, sorry, for example", "We won't name anyone, although it was a baby elephant"
Another series of puppet cartoons that did not cause disgust in childhood - about a woodsman named Uncle Au - "Ku-ku", "ku-ku" ... Cuckoo! I got bored ... I myself know without you that it's time to go to work ... "
You can also recall two cartoons about Devil No. 13 - "Love yourself, sneeze at everyone! And success awaits you in life!"
This is about cartoons. And there were also good single puppet cartoons - “The Wolf and the Calf” (“Children need cleanliness!
"Mitten" (here without quotes - there is not a single word in the cartoon),
"The kid who counted to ten" ("Well ... Now he counted you too! ..")
I may have missed something, but by and large, these are rather exceptions to the rule - we did not like puppet cartoons in childhood. But these examples show that the point is not that they are puppets, but the attitude of the creators towards these very puppets. If you set out to make a good cartoon - these examples say that it was possible. But, it seems that the overwhelming majority of puppeteers themselves played with dolls, for their own pleasure, not really thinking about the end result.
Sources
All videos taken from www.youtube.com
