Animated characters have for long been part of our growing-up days. Remember some of our favourite cartoons having peculiar characteristics and traits like the iconic, cute Mickey- Mouse (first synchronised sound cartoon and first voiced by Walt Disney, himself), the funny and complacent Bugs Bunny or the spineless Scooby-Doo or even the Simpsons’ characters for that matter. Imbibing these emotional elements the creators always sought to bring out the qualities of love, family and friendship through these characters.
Over the years the popularity of animated characters made the producers explore the endless possibilities of animated content in greater depth. Almost 20 years ago the world witnessed its first fully computerised 3D animated feature film, the Toy Story produced by the newly-wed Pixar and Walt Disney studios back in 1995. Ever since then, the collaboration of creators’ novelty has been personified through innumerous computer animations, giving the world beautiful character creations underlined with deeply explored human qualities.
In the first of the series of ‘Best of Animation’, we at AnimationXpress.com bring to you our top 10 ‘Best Friendships’, the cinematic world of 3D animation has given us to cherish!
Toy Story – Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear
The brotherhood forged between the world’s first-ever on-screen 3D characters Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) is indeed iconic. What starts off as a feeling off jealousy for Andy Davis’ favorite cowboy toy in the room, Woody towards the new spaceman ends up as one of the best friendships animated sagas have witnessed with one saving the other in a wonderfully articulated plot.
It all starts when Andy plans to take only one of his toys for a family outing at Pizza Planet. Woody fears losing to Buzz in the popularity quotient and plans to trap Buzz behind a desk, but it backfires when he accidentally knocks Buzz out the window. This surely widens the differences between the two initially but then everything falls into place and things take a better turn when both of them land up at Andy’s toy-abusing neighbor, Sid Phillips’ house and together join hands in the endeavor of escaping. In the process reconciling their difference and forging a friendship that forms the crux of the successive sequels.
With three installments having already made a mark in the industry grossing nearly $2 billion globally Pixar has given its fans something to look forward to with the announcement of a another sequel up its sleeve around summer 2017. Also reportedly Toy Story 4 will see a new love interest for Buzz Lightyear or Woody and it has been confirmed that Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will return to reprise their friendship on screen.
How to Train Your Dragon – Toothless and Hiccup
Speaking about friendship, one surely can’t miss out on the love shared between the ill-fated Viking kid Hiccup and Toothless, the adorable and cuddly dragon. Loosely adapted from the children books’ series of the same name authored by Cressida Cowell, How to Train your dragon (2003) sets up the stage on the island of ‘Berk’ during the Norse era. Facing a fierce battle with the cattle-thieving dragons, the Vikings are trained young to kill dragons mercilessly and defend the village from them. In the midst of all of this, the young hapless and feeble Hiccup lands up shooting down the Night Fury, a rare dangerous dragon but instead of heartlessly killing it, he sets the crippled dragon free. However the dragon’s flight is hindered owing to its crippled tail fin to which our young hero brandishes a makeshift harness and prosthetic fin that allows him to guide Toothless, the name he fashions for the lovable dragon with retractable teeth. This gives both of them an escape route to happiness and build their friendship. Their well synchronized chemistry is a marveling trait to witness as that builds the strong relationship holding the premise for the plot.
The scene where Hiccup almost drowns trying to break Toothless free of a sinking ship is heartwarming and the way how, against all odds they fight alongside in the grand cinematic climax to destroy the gigantic evil dragon Red Death, teaching everyone in the Norse village that dragons and Vikings can truly be besties!
The second installment to the franchise tested the duo’s friendships’ to deeper lengths when a possessed Toothless kills Hiccups’ father. However not losing faith it their love, the duo strengthen their bond and defeat the villain Drago and his hypnotic dragon “Bewilderbeast”.
With two successful outings on the big screen, the third installment from DreamWorks Animations hits theatres in 2018 and promises an emotionally satisfying end to the saga.
Shrek – Shrek and Donkey
From the house of DreamWorks Animations comes our ill-mannered but kind-hearted green ogre, Shrek (Mike Myers) and his non-stop chattering side-kick Donkey (Eddie Murphy). Their on-screen chemistry may not be an expressive lovey-dovey one like many others; but the two in their own way implicitly express their friendship. Feared as the man-eating Ogre, Shrek loved the quiet life in his swamp only until his lonely world is disrupted by the fairytale-hating Lord Farquaad. Where all others fear the man-eater ogre, it is to Shrek’s great annoyance that the talking Donkey sees a friend in him. Together they embark on rescuing the princess in order to win back the swamp for Shrek and end up in fairy tale bond of brotherhood.
Even in the sequel Shrek 2 (2004) the friendship continues to bloom as Donkey feels insecure when Shrek finds another side-kick in Puss in Boot; Shrek and Donkey may not be the most popular fairy-tale characters but their on-screen chemistry is in itself a tale better than many ‘Happily Ever Afters’. Shrek (2001) won the Oscars for the Best Animated feature.
Ice Age – Manny, Diego and Sid
20th Century Fox with their in-house Blue Sky Studios couldn’t have got it any better with a gruffly & agitated mammoth (Manny), a curt- natured saber-tooth cat with a soft spot (Diego) and a stupid, clumsy ground sloth (Sid) to portray the most hilarious friendship sagas on screen. In one of the most popular animated movie franchise, Ice Age sees three different creatures with different motives land up journeying together and in the process build a herd of their own based on trust, loyalty and friendship.
In Ice Age, Diego joins the duo Manny and Sid on the journey to return the chief’s baby to the human tribe with a deception in mind to betray his companions. However the events of the journey mold the hearts of the three together in a way that gives birth to a pure friendship running deeper than the calling of their own.
The franchise has spun off 4 installments grossing over $2.5 billion world-wide.
Madagascar – Alex and Marty
Another brainchild of the DreamWorks Animation, the all-out entertainer Madagascar (2005) which brings out the story of four Central Park Zoo animals that have spent their lives in blissful captivity in the confinements of the city.
While Alex (Ben Stiller) the lion and pride of the Central Park Zoo in New York is all satisfied with his life, his best pal oddly against nature is the Zebra, Marty (Chris Rock) who wants to run in open-wide spaces outside the limits of the zoo. Things go awry for Alex when they are unexpectedly shipped to Africa and shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar and he childishly blames Marty for their predicament. The lively animation of the characters in the back drop of the lush Madagascar creates just the right setting to test their friendship especially when a starved Alex nearly gives in to his animal instinct sees Marty as a slice of ham tickling his taste-buds.
Banished to the other side of the island by King Julien, a lemur, Alex is finally saved by none other than Marty himself who never gives up his buddy and in spite of warnings from others rushes to Alex’s aid when he finds a way out of the island. Alex burdened with the guilt of wanting to munch his pal comes around when he realises that Marty continues to believe in their friendship. In a hilarious climatic twist, the animated feature ends with all of them still being stuck on the island setting the premise for the subsequent sequels.
The Madagascar franchise has rolled out four installments minting over $2.25 billion worldwide and each entertaining its fans more than ever.
Finding Nemo – Marlin and Dory
Walt Disney’s Oscar winner Finding Nemo isn’t far behind in portraying one of the cutest under water friendship tales between a clownfish, Marlin (Albert Brooks) and a memory-impaired blue tang fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres).
After Marlin’s rebellious son, Nemo is abducted by a group of scuba divers, a nervous Marlins sets on a journey across the big-blue sea to Sydney to find Nemo. Along the way, he meets the talkative Dory, suffering from a peculiar short-term memory syndrome. Their hilarious conversations throughout the journey are filled with encounters with sharks, a school of jellyfish and finally making it to their destination along the East Australian Current with a group of sea turtles. Although irritated by Dory’s immature nature and her tendency of losing memory time and again Marlin’s loyalty and trust in Dory is evident especially when Marlin has to trust Dory speaking ‘Whale’ brings out the cute love the duo share on-screen.
There is good news for the fans, as Pixar has formally announced a sequel Finding Dory hitting theatres in the summer of 2016. “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long time,” quotes DeGeneres who reprises her voice over as Dory and has also hinted on the sequel being funnier and having a lot more heart in it.
UP – Mr. Carl Fredricksen and Dug
The 2009 ‘Best Animated Feature’ Oscar winner UP was an instant hit with the masses as it delves into a high emotional content. Of the many emotional angels portrayed in Pixar’s animated feature, the wonderfully articulated bonding between the widower Mr. Carl Fredricksen (Edward Asner) and the boy-scout, Russell (Jordan Nagai) is heart-touching.
Building up on the premise of Mr. Fredricksen’s ardent wish of settling at the Paradise Falls, the stubborn widower tries to fly his entire home but to his shocking surprise Russell, an over enthusiastic boy-scout tags along.
Although the two don’t initially share an understanding chemistry as Mr. Fredricksen thinks of all possible ways to get rid of him but eventually as their journey unfolds, Russell’s presence and safety take priority over his dogged desire of settling at the falls. It’s only when Mr. Fredricksen lands up at the falls all alone, that he realizes the beauty of Russell’s company and the essence of selfless friendship and finds a new purpose in his life. Of what we know, the stone-hearted old man, Mr. Fredricksen let goes of his selfish dream only to save Russell, the talking pet dog, Dug and his rare birdy pal, Kevin from the antagonist Charles Muntz (Christopher Plummer).
Ratatouille – Remy and Alfredo Linguini
Another Oscar winner from Disney/Pixar makes it to our list featuring an odd buddying between Remy, an ambitious rat with an exceptional sense of taste and smell and the skinny garbage boy Alfredo Linguini.
When Remy lands up in the kitchen of the famous Gusteau’s restaurant and comes to Linguini’s rescue by cooking a soup to perfection, the two form a pact of understanding. Linguini going against Skinner’s direct order to kill Remy appreciates the rat’s help and the two formulate a way of communication where to the world Linguini has a commendable talent of cooking, but in disguise it is Remy who ghost directs the boy’s actions to cook.
The accomplishments of the duo make a fine combination of success in the kitchen only until a fall-out between them over a rat raid in the kitchen’s pantries makes Linguini kick his friend out. In spite of this Remy faces Skinner only to bring the evidence to light of Linguini being Gusteau’s illegitimate heir and owner of the restaurant. The two finally make peace and together cater to impress France’s top restaurant critic Anton Ego by cooking up the simple yet delicious dish – Ratatouille – earning the right to be called France’s finest dining place.
Cars – Lightning McQueen and Mater
The trick with animation is that friendship and love could be personified even through the most inanimate objects and Pixar Animation Studio strikes the right chord almost each time. Its 2006 animated feature Cars livens up an imaginary setting of a world with anthropomorphic vehicles where an ambitious race-car Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) accidently gets routed to a once popular stopover town, Radiator Springs but now long forgotten owing to the building of Interstate 40.
Speaking about friends, Lighting McQueen finds a best buddy in the rusty and friendly tow-truck named Mater (Larry, the cable guy). After Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) accidently ruins the approach road to the by-passed town of Radiator Springs, the hot-shot race car is made to re-pave the road. While his stay, McQueen learns the true meaning of friendship and family from the folks of the town. The friendship saga of McQueen and Mater is given taken further in the sequel Cars 2 (2011) where the duo head overseas to compete in the World Grand Prix race. But the road to the championship becomes rocky as Mater gets caught up in an international espionage.
Monsters University – Mike and James
The beauty of animation is that the essence of friendship doesn’t lose its charm even between monstrous characters and Pixar’s 2001 animated feature Monsters Inc. brought that out splendidly between the one-eyed puny green monster, Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and blue, beefy monstrous James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman).
The feature sets a back drop in the alternate city of Monstropolis inhabited by monsters where at Monsters. Inc. screamers collect the screams of human children by entering their bedrooms to scare them through closet doors as portals. While the chemistry between the two is visible, it is in the prequel Monsters University (2013) where we see how their friendship originally blooms.
When the young, aspiring screamer, Mike Wazowski, joins Monsters University, the one-eyed monster is over-shadowed by Sulley’s monstrous and scary personality. However an ego-tussle between the two lands them both expelled from the screamers’ program and their only way back is through the competition scare games. During the games, Mike & James team up with a bunch of wannabe-scarers calling themselves Oozma Kappa and face-off the big-baddies. As the competition grows tense, Mike and Sulley give in to their ego and both of them forge a wonderful friendship. Sulley actually breaks into the human world to save Mike and together they manage to scare not just children but even the human adults. This harnesses their faith in each other as a team and this we get to see in plenty in the original Monsters Inc.
So with the possibility of blooming friendship between some of the most bizarre creatures one could imagine, the world of 3D animation has truly spun some of the sweetest friendship tales witnessed in the animation cinematic universe.
