Imagine sitting in the famous theater of the Academy of Motion Pictures for a Panel Discussion. The audience cheers as the best animation directors step on stage. When I heard I would be attending the Oscar panel discussion I was overjoyed. I had been to the prominent Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts, and Sciences once before for the Student Oscars. There were intricately engraved pictures of the legendary Oscar awards on frosted glass to greet us. Inside there were press and filmmakers chatting and people setting up their cameras. My mom and my TV producer friend Stephanie Sullivan, cameraman Brandon Weiberg shot videos of me reporting and interviewing the directors.  Below are my Oscar predictions!

I know a lot of my friends and fans have been waiting for my best list of 2010 films for a while.  The year 2010 has been a “Perrific!” year for G/PG-rated films, especially animation and thought-provoking documentary.  Mom (Zhu Shen) & I saw not only impressive major studio releases, but also amazing indie films at film festivals.

 

In Happy Feet 2, Mumble the emperor penguin from Happy Feet has a chick of his own, whose name is Erik. But Erik just can’t get the right rhythm in dancing. At the same time global warming has caused a huge iceberg to seal off all the entrances to Emperor Land. Mumble must find a way to help get the emperor penguins out safely and at the same time dealing with his parental issues. Also, the film incorporates several new characters, such as elephant seals like Bryan the Beachmaster, new chicks, a puffin named Sven, and Will and Bill, the two krill.

 

I give this film 3.5 starfish. I enjoyed the story and I liked the messages about global warming and “thinking outside the swarm.”  I especially liked Will and Bill’s story because it shows how Will wants to understand and explore the world and take risks in the pursuit of adventure. Bill is very cautious and is more of a voice of reason to Will’s actions.

 

 

The Pirates is a fantastic laugh-out-loud action-adventure film for the whole family to enjoy! I loved the humor, there is plenty of physical comedy for younger children, and funny pop cultural references that adults enjoy, including the four “Pirate of the Year” nominees waiting in the wings, anxious for the winner announcement, just like at the Oscars. I thought that the claymation was done skillfully, all characters have such lively expressions and personality.

 

 

Of all Comic-Con panels and events, my #1 favorite was the “Phineas and Ferb” panel, it was “Perrific!”!  I attended a similar panel at Comic-Con in 2010 for the first time, and asked questions during the Q&A.  This year, I got invited to a special one-on-one press interview with the creators and voice talents of my favorite TV show! On the panel, there were the two creators of the show, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh; as well as voice talents Vincent Martella (Phineas), Ashley Tisdale (Candace), Dee Bradley Baker (Perry the Platypus). 

 

 

Which type of films do you like better, animation or live action?  If you are an adult, you’ll probably say live action, but “Animation: The Illusion of Life” aims to change that!  It has much of the same themes as live action films, except with more humor, clever storyline, imagination, and fantastic music to match.

At the 11th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival which ended last night (Oct 28, 2010), I went to see “Animation: The Illusion of Life” for the second time, after seeing it the night before.  It is THAT good!  Sam Chen, a prominent animator and filmmaker from San Diego, has been the curator of the festival’s animation program since ten years ago.  Since he and I share the same family name, I thought we probably shared the same ancestor, hundreds of years ago ; ).  Sam hosted the screenings and answered questions from the audience.

 

 

In this sequel to Cars, after winning the Piston Cup, Lightening McQueen, professional racecar champion, invites his best friend Mater (a rusty tow truck who tries to be funny but ends up looking dumb) to help him in winning the World Grand Prix.  Along the way, Mater gets himself into tons of trouble and makes Lightening McQueen lose his first race.  Lightening McQueen gets into a fight with Mater and tells Mater he is no longer needed.  Mater is on the slow side, and doesn’t realize that he is mistaken for a secret agent by the enemy and the British intelligence.

 

Brave is a ravishing film full of humor, action, and stunning imagery. This movie is the first Pixar film with a girl as the main character. The film is a feast for the eyes, especially the scenes of Merida in the woods with the cryptic blue wisps. One of the flaws I noticed is that King Fergus didn’t notice that his three little boys (Merida’s younger brothers) had been changed into something unexpected for more than a day. Also, I thought that almost all of the characters are remarkably shallow. Fergus is impulsive, using his strength to solve what his reason couldn’t. Merida only cares about getting her way, having freedom, and staying single for as long as possible. Only Queen Elinor has a more complex character, showing traits of diplomacy, assertion, and caring.

Have you ever wondered how Santa delivers millions of presents in a single night?  The 3D animation film Arthur Christmas (Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation) will reveal exactly how things work in Santa’s mysterious Arctic Headquarters. In this movie the clever idea of multiple generations of Santa Clauses is introduced for the first time. In a busy underground snow fortress, countess elves operate advanced technology to calculate how many presents are given, children’s locations, and how naughty or nice they have been, while the Claus family is busy as well, managing the letters and elf teams.

 

 

Most people know and love Puss in Boots, the charismatic feline companion of Shrek, but who knows his mysterious past? Puss in Boots, a new animation from DreamWorks reveals the thrilling adventures the swashbuckling orange tabby went on before he met the ogre. The film is a clever mash-up of many well-known nursery rhymes and fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Mother Goose, and Humpty Dumpty.