Annie, are you okay? The Annie Awards, which are handed out by animators to animators, gave what by almost any measure is the most highly-regarded film of the year (animated or otherwise) the cold shoulder, instead showering the cute-but-no-cigar Kung-Fu Panda with a record-setting haul. Sorta makes you wonder whether animators might be a tad tired of hearing the standard mantra people tend to repeat whenever a new Pixar movie is released: “It’s more than just a cartoon.” That, or they really are just a bunch of furries that have lucked into a harmonious vocation. I’ve heard a few people explain WALL-E’s Annie shutout is testament to animators’ affinity for traditional cartoon-character renderings, that it’s far more difficult for animators to get excited about what registers as cinematic to your average layman film-fan. Thus, they can naturally be expected to endorse Panda’s motley selection from the animal kingdom over WALL-E’s movie-movie pleasures (WALL-E dipping his metal claw into a streak of stardust). Never mind. Oscar voters are strictly fans when it comes to this category, and with Waltz with Bashir and its tempting political pull out of the running in favor of the potentially vote-splitting traditional character animation of Bolt, WALL-E won’t be going home empty-clawed here.
Will Win: WALL-E
Should Win: WALL-E
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