By Elizabeth Cosio ’16
Since its premiere in early November, the animated film Big Hero 6 has amassed nearly $180 million at the box office and captured overwhelmingly positive reviews, including many from Immaculate Heart students. But what is it about animation that brings such enjoyment to so many?
Animation often has a profound impact on people, regardless of age or gender. Films from studios such as Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks offer everyone a sense of imagination and creativity brought to life.
For example, IH math teacher Colin Turcotte said animation taught him “to value creativity a lot more, as well as art in general.” Turcotte grew up with his father working in the animation industry, and this exposure, he said, taught him to be “more open-minded” about life’s possibilities. “The animation industry taught me to always follow what I am passionate about in life,” he said.
IH art teacher Camille Villanueva agrees. A fan of such animated films as Tekkonkinkreet, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, and Paprika, Ms. Villanueva finds “animation to be an amazing, creative form of art that stimulates our own imagination.” The art of animation, she said, “can stretch in so many directions visually – the sky is truly the limit!” That art, she explained, is also capable of capturing the attention of the audience in ways that “allow the viewer to experience so much more than a live action film.”
While many look forward to the imagination and creativity of these films, others enjoy them for their moral lessons that often focus on a character’s goals and search for fulfillment.
Meanwhile, these films continue to sell millions of tickets around the world. For example, Shrek 2 by Dreamworks earned nearly $920 million worldwide, and Pixar’s Toy Story 3 took in more than $1 billion.
And a bunch of animated movies are coming out in the next couple of years, including Dreamworks’ Home (2015), Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016) and How to Train Your Dragon 3 (2017), as well as Pixar’s Toy Story 4 (2017).
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The Bamboo 
Love this!