EPIC
RELEASE DATE: 24th May
STARRING: Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce Knowles, Pitbull
FIRST THOUGHTS: Whenever I see a film’s cast list full of rappers and singers, alarm bells start ringing. Okay, it’s an animation and the voice is all that matters but the cynic in my see’s it as a cheap marketing ploy. You certainly don’t see Pixar making a habit of casting rappers and flavour-of-the-month singers. Anyway, Epic is the tale of Mary, a young girl who see’s herself flung into a war between the good and evil forces of the forest. The plot sounds like a contemporary re-telling of FernGully, and it’s surely treading upon the same environmentalist themes. The trailer has some nice animation and the director gave us the first, and best, Ice Age but in my opinion, this will be a forgettable 2013 release.
VERDICT: WAIT FOR A DVD RELEASE
DESPICABLE ME 2
RELEASE DATE: 28th June
STARRING: Steve Carrell, Al Pacino, Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand
FIRST THOUGHTS: Illumination Entertainment are the only studio truly competing with the giants, Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks and after 2012’s favourably received The Lorax, they’re back to continue the Despicable Me storyline. The first film was a surprise smash-hit, taking 10x it’s initial budget, so the sequel has an in-built fan-base and expectations that need to be met. At the moment, the teaser trailers and leaked art-work focus upon Gru’s adorable little minions and haven’t revealed much about the plot. We do know that the original cast are back though, including all of the children. The only character to give way is Jason Segel’s villain, Dr Vector.
VERDICT: WAIT FOR MORE INFORMATION
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
RELEASE DATE: 12th July
STARRING: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi
FIRST THOUGHTS: I think most people hold Monster’s Inc as one of their favourite Pixar films. Mike and Sulley are a great double-act and the world behind the film is so magical, even for adults! In this highly anticipated sequel, we’re given an insight into Mike and Sulley’s lives before they were qualified ‘scarer’s’ and before they were inseparable friends. Pixar’s sequels blow hot and cold with Cars 2 universally considered a mistake and the worst film the studio has produced. On the other hand, you have the Toy Story franchise, which hasn’t seen such a dip in quality. Although most of the original cast are back, the director of the original, Pete Docter, decided against returning, which does raise some small concerns.
VERDICT: WAIT FOR MORE INFORMATION (you’ll probably watch it anyway!)
There’s strong competition amongst animated movies in 2013, which means I had to leave out some notable films. Did I miss out your most anticipated animated film? Or do you disagree with anything I’ve said? If so, drop a comment below.