Dr. Toon: The Animation Critic’s Art: Taking the Heat
One of the favorite pastimes of my early college days was reading what other critics had to say. Since I aspired to be one, it was always interesting to read their reviews on a variety of arts, because there is nothing like learning from professionals. There was no Internet in 1974, so I spent hours at the university library magazine archives pulling stacks of back issues and rifling through them for music, film, and theater reviews. Each one gave me some idea of how I was developing as a critic by allowing me to compare my opinions and tastes to others while I strove to develop a style of my own.
On one cold day in November, I came across an incredible music review from 1967. Although I disagreed with it wholeheartedly, it taught me a very important lesson about becoming a critic. The review was memorable, but the reviewer, alas, was not. I can’t recall the gentleman’s name, but he stood alone against the most popular and transformational band in history. In fact, he handed down a scathing review of perhaps their most important album, one that radically changed the development of rock music. This man totally trashed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. I repeat: gave two big thumbs down to Sgt. Pepper.
So, what can aspiring animation critics learn from this? One, you must have considerable courage to do what you do. Thousands (millions in the digital age) may well call you an idiot, a fool, or even (as I was of late), “a demented monkey”. Someone out there is going to disagree with you so vehemently it will sound as if you murdered their firstborn. I can tell you only one thing with certainty about the music critic described above – even with the judgment of history against him, he never regretted that review. He may draw snickers of disdain to this day, but he did what he believed in and what he was paid for. This, my aspiring critics, is your job.
In the summer of 2003 I was asked by animation historian Jerry Beck to join his team of five contributors in writing The Animated Movie Guide. Jerry asked me to evaluate and critique the Disney films from Snow White through Home on the Range, a plum assignment indeed. When the book finally went to print, it stirred some controversies among animation fans. The one I was involved in was an instructive experience and a milestone in my career as a critic. You see, if one looks at all the Disney films in retrospective, one of them has to finish at the bottom of the pile. One did.
I have never liked the question (and neither will you), “What do you think was the worst animated feature ever made? Like Tolstoy’s families, each unhappy one is unhappy in its own way. Not only that, any feature released after your choice has the potential to surpass it. The best I can give is a list of candidates, and I may not even feel the same way about that list from month to month. When asked to give readers and audiences my opinions about the Disney manifest, I put Robin Hood (1973) in the birdcage-lining category.
Let me stress that I do not hate Robin Hood, at least not in the way that I hate the unquestioned Disney stinker Chicken Little. Robin Hood is simply an incompetent film by Disney standards, flawed in far too many places to work as an animated feature. I came to this conclusion after multiple viewings, comparison with other features both contemporary and past, and examination of the movie using critical skills I worked hard to develop over forty years of watching animation of all stripes. That, after all, is what will allow you to make your stand, unpopular though it may be. It is never enough to say that a movie sucks; anyone who buys a ticket can do that. Your job will be to articulate your opinions and back them up in a learned and observant way based on your knowledge and experience. It’s how you learn to take the heat.
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Martin, critical skills and analysis are important. But what first sets it off is instinct. Something just doesn't "seem right" about a film. I've always felt that a critic senses this first, then tries to analyze what causes this feeling.
This happened to me when I went to see the theatrical film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the pilot for Cartoon Network's CGI series. Like so many who loved Lucasfilm projects, I went in with high hopes and came out disappointed. The focal point for me was the beards on the character; in a time when even basic CGI allows some movement of hair, why did the male characters have beards that seemed to be carved out of wood?
After churning it around in my Sunbeam Mixmaster brain, I realized why; these weren't full animated characters, they were toys. They weren't representatives of characters, philosophy, a story, a meaning. They were toys being used to sell toys. Lucasfilm and Lucas himself had been presumed to have something more than just commercialism, and that presumption turned out to be wishful thinking.
That intuition operates on the subconscious level. But that only makes it an opinion. It only becomes a valid critique when you reinforce it with your knowledge of the animation arts. Which is, of course, what you said in this wonderful article.
At first I was really annoyed that you would say such things about Robin Hood, but the more I read, the more I realized I probably haven't seen this movie in ten years. Now, I'll have to go back and watch it again to see if all this is true.
But, I would like to propose The Black Cauldron as a contender for the worst Disney animation movie. I had a hard time believing it was made by Walt Disney after I watched it. It is poorly animated and very forgettable.
Robin Hood was one of my favorite movies growing up... even going so far as to purchase the vhs and dvd versions... I think it was when I watched the VHS after obtaining it that there was a sour taste in my mouth... it wasn't as good as i remembered.... then when I finally got the dvd I realized what the critic pointed out: it's not a very good movie. The animation is ok but the story is piecemeal and they reused too many voice actors. I take it out sometimes and watch it as a "what not to do" exercise.....
I adored Robin Hood as a child and still do as of this day, but I completely agree with everything said here. The importance of art criticism is not so much to tell you how it is but suggest to you what could have been, and hopefully to elevate the medium as a whole.
I can't watch many CG animation features today (with few exceptions like the work of Pixar, ILM, Rhythm & Hues, etc) without the desire to pull my hair out but I'm sure children growing up watching these will still adore the unfunny toilet humor & not notice all the lazy, re-pluggable animation - but the job of a critic is to point out the factual and quantifiable truth - that we should expect better.
I find Critics are easy to find just check 4chan. I find Animation for robin fox was on pair for this movie when it came out in 1974. Back in the 30's to 40's was the golden age of animation Disney but soon start going down hill. 50 60 70 80 was the sliver age 80's and 90's had to be the bronze and anything made in 2000 and after was just made so Disney could make a quick buck and had a crap sequence too. I'm not going to be a ass about you jumping on one of my fav Disney movie when i was a kid but come on I think The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad was way worst but that just me. There are a lot of an disney shorts and movie but i don't think robin is one of than. Sorry for all the bad grammar and spelling error it late and i need to go some sleep,
snore
You know, Robin Hood is one of my favorite films but you are completely right. Even Milt Kahl who worked on this film was not satisfied. I think the work of a critic is to guide us through the creative process of a piece of art in order to understand how to improve. In this case, how to make better stories. Thank you for the article.
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