Pretentious snob and director of Cosmopolis (2012), David Cronenberg, gave The Dark Knight Rises (2012) a bad review that gained momentum while it was still in theaters not only insulting its fans with curse words but added “I don’t think they are making them an elevated art form. I think it’s still Batman running around in a stupid cape… A superhero movie, by definition, you know, it’s comic book. It’s for kids. It’s adolescent in its core.”
Never mind that the esteemed Dark Knight Rises is not a kid’s movie. That is self-evident. Cronenberg also managed to insult both the graphic novel medium and anything made for kids. It only takes one word such as Watchmen, Sandman, or Persepolis to demonstrate that not only are many graphic novels not made for kids, but can be explicitly for adults only. Additionally, there are several examples of Batman comics unequivocally for adults such as The Dark Knight Returns. Instead, here I will demonstrate that entertainment made for and targeting kids can be an elevated art form that Cronenberg claims it cannot be by citing specific cases. All of these examples are animated.
The top 100 children’s films list by the New York Times is unsuitable to make such a case because it chooses anything suitable for kids rather than made for kids. The list even includes Casablanca, equipped with Nazis, alcohol, gambling, smoking, complex adult situations, and all.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast is famed as the only animated feature to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture until the number of available nominations doubled to 10 in 2009 following the infamous snub to The Dark Knight (2008) where Up (2009) earned the nomination. The film’s recognition for an animated feature is unprecedented -winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, 5 total Oscar nominations, becoming the first animated feature to be adopted into a Broadway Musical, and being selected into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Aside from recognition, Beauty and the Beast demonstrates itself to be an elevated art form in its own right. The film’s hand-drawn and painted imagery is incredible throughout. Combined with the music and score, mood is conveyed flawlessly from the peril of the woods and persecution of the Beast to the romantic ballroom scene. Beauty and the Beast is also only the second animated film to use the Computer Animation Production System simulating multiplane effects panning across the ballroom. The Song “Beauty and the Beast” sung during the ballroom scene became the eventual winner of the Academy Award and is merely a highlight in the superb vocals and cinematics across the film. Voice acting proved strong and charming throughout.
The story heralds back to old Hollywood magic and mysticism brought to life with new energy from Disney. Diverting from the original French tale from which it gets its name, the changes are for the better. Disney’s version begins transforming the Prince into a beast to reflect his inner self through stained glass panels setting up the style of animation and architecture of the castle. His imprisonment of the beauty and awkward misunderstandings of social interaction reveal his still spoiled princely adolescent tendencies. The Beast’s transition into learning to be civilized and fall in love is a fine example of three-dimensional character pieces this film boasts. The film’s refined visual, audio, and story art truly elevate it above its peers in Hollywood.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Representing Pixar’s strong run and various Best Animated Picture Academy Award winners, Toy Story 2 is the defining moment in Pixar’s history of art. In the documentary The Pixar Story (2007), it reveals that Toy Story 2 originally targeted a straight-to-DVD release with a lackluster story Pixar determined did not live up to the standard it wanted to set. Pixar restarted from scratch with a seemingly impossible timeline, but ended up producing a visually stunning, musically captivating, and meaningful film.
This sequel to the first full length computer animated feature begins where it left off following Woody the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear the space ranger, toys that come alive when people aren’t looking and desire more than anything to be adored and played with. When Woody is stolen and being sold to a Japanese toy museum, he faces a choice. He could escape and go back to his owner, Andy, who will eventually grow too old to play with him anymore or he could go to the museum and live forever behind glass. He may live a full life that will eventually end or live half a life where he will be adored but never played with and will last for ages. This parallels classical tales of weighing the choice of living without the joys of it eternally instead of living a full, terminal life. As Pixar puts it, when the song “When She Loved Me” plays over a montage of a toy’s abandonment, the audience feels and realizes that this is more than just a kid’s story about toys.
The Iron Giant (1999)
Instantly familiar but distinct, The Iron Giant is a charming tale of a giant metal robot that fell from space, lost his memory and develops a friendship with a boy named Hogarth in 1957 Maine. Once the government learns of the iron giant, they believe him to be a weapon of the Soviet Union and Hogarth must keep his new friend safe. The theme of the story is revealed in the Hogarth’s comic books where the robot admires Superman. However, the nemesis in comics is a giant destructive robot. Hogarth assures the iron giant that he can choose who to be –the hero or the weapon.
The Iron Giant is simple in the best way. It does not dilute the story with unnecessary plot complications, yet is not so straightforward to be mindless. There are few other stories with as much heart or evokes as much pure emotion as The Iron Giant. Its 1950s environment is charming, but anything but bland. Fleshed out characters balance the story well and make it a piece of art to be remembered.
Avatar: The Last Airbender –Series (2005-2008)
Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Avatar is the epitome of art in animation, design, story, and substance. If there were ever moving pictures or paintings crafted with enough precision to be deemed an elevated form of art, Avatar is that picture. Avatar: The Last Airbender takes place in a fantastical world of four nations divided by the four classic elements Earth, Water, Fire, and Air where gifted people may control an element through Chinese Martial art movements. The Fire Nation’s 100 year war to conquer the world can only be stopped by the power of the Avatar, master of all 4 elements and reincarnating connection to the Spirit World, but he disappeared around the beginning of the war -trapped in an iceberg as a 12 year old boy named Aang. Once he is discovered by a South Water Tribe brother and sister, they must journey together to help Aang master all 4 elements and end the war.
The world established here uses various Asian influences to subtly make the nations and tribes distinct from each other. While the Fire Nation adornments and architecture resemble Mongolian societies, Water Nation tribes are fashioned after Inuit, Air Nomads after mountain Buddhist monks, and the Earth Kingdom after China with several small pockets representing other cultures. The fantastical animals are cleverly entertaining, often being a fusion between two real life species such as the “turtle-duck.” The spirits and the Spirit World offer a layered extension to the already expansive setting that conveys great significance and meaning.
The story fleshes out every nation with dozens of intelligently fully-developed and complex characters. The Fire Nation Prince, Zuko, is a determined teenager looking to redeem himself after exile by capturing the Avatar guided by his Uncle Iro. Zuko finds his identity as an anti-hero through a complex and trying journey of self-discovery helped by Iro’s subtle hand and heart. He questions the long-held assumption that the war was the Fire Nation’s way of spreading their unparalleled prosperity with the world. The Fire Nation’s power is gained through industry thanks to the help of fire benders. However, fire also leads to uncontrolled destruction, as Zuko learns to contain himself for the common good.
Avatar: The Last Airbender teaches that one should not lead an isolationist or xenophobic life. It is vital to understand the world and the balance thereof. Its craft in utilizing war strategy and character development make every single episode a must-watch. Comedy, action, and drama are all cleverly written and woven seamlessly to make the entire series wildly entertaining. This “kids show” is one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of television, and calling it elevated art is an understatement.
Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995)
What better a way to demonstrate that not only can kid’s stories or comic book derivatives be elevated art, but Batman stories can be with the 4 time winner and 13 time Emmy nominated Batman: The Animated Series. This dark deco style series is darker in tone than most American animation and featured serious, non-cartoony voices such as Kevin Conroy to deliver the caped crusader faithfully to animation. Though not every episode is golden, it builds up the Batman character over time defining him through his various foes that are dark reflections of him. Having risen from tragedy, Batman stands up for the weak while walking a precarious line outside the law.
Bruce Wayne’s development and complex character is strongly conveyed in this series. The series is highly praised for its sophistication and maturity, appealing to a wide range of audiences. Set ambiguously in the era of black and white television, it sometimes borrows modern technology, but the art of Gotham City and the surrounding environment is stylistically appealing. The anti-hero Bruce Wayne became is a reflection of the city and vice-versa. In Batman: The Animated Series, the Batman character is as complex and compelling as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and remains one of the greatest creations in all of fiction. Batman has not just had three Christopher Nolan movies, but has persisted for almost a century and has many works of art to his name.
Never mind the countless Dr. Seuss children’s books or the various Newbery Award winners, works of art targeting kids exist throughout film and television. Old Disney produced many worthy elevated art pieces such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Pixar has brought numerous masterpieces to computer animation. These films and television series show that mediums and categories do not define something as only being suitable for an unrefined audience. Such examples demonstrate that “kid’s stories” can be elevated works of art and to say that they cannot be is pure ignorance.
Leather Wing Media 