1.
The events leading up to the sword fighting cat's meeting with Shrek and his friends. (90 mins.)
“ This mixture of the fairy tale and the western successfully flushed the memory of Shrek the TurdThird, rediscovering the heart, charm, and wit of the first two movies. Suave Puss (Antonio Banderas) was paired with Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) against Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) in this tale of what the notorious fighter, lover and outlaw did before he met Shrek. Probably the greatest piece of cat cinema since Mr. Bigglesworth in Austen Powers. ” - askhassam
2.
“ Baffling how Spielberg’s knack for character has so comprehensively deserted him over the course of the last decade or so, as his sense of jeunesse has metamorphosed into an almost pitiful childishness – exemplified by the endless chases, scrambles and scrapes that wearyingly dominate this first instalment in he and Peter Jackson’s proposed Tintin trilogy.Perversely, it is the oft-maligned mo-cap animation which actually proves to be the saving grace ofSecret of the Unicorn, with the Beard delivering some individually magnificent shots, such as when Tintin and Captain Haddock’s ocean rowing transmutes into a puddle on the street down which Thomson and Thompson are bumbling. ” - askhassam
3.
Rio (2011)
When Blu, a domesticated macaw from small-town Minnesota, meets the fiercely independent Jewel, he takes off on an adventure to Rio de Janeiro with the bird of his dreams. (96 mins.)
“ The makers of Ice Age this year delivered another anthropomorphic animal – a macaw voiced by Mark Zuckerberg. Is this a good thing? Really, is it?! ” - askhassam
4.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)Po and his friends fight to stop a peacock villain from conquering China with a deadly new weapon, but first the Dragon Warrior must come to terms with his past. (91 mins.)
“ Whisper it quietly but after so many years of trailing hopelessly in Pixar’s dust, DreamWorks Animation is now hot on the trail of the current leaders of the cartoon pack.While last year’s How to Train Your Dragon amply demonstrated that DreamWorks could deliver the cute characters and the spectacular showpiece scenes, Kung Fu Panda 2 was even better – with a touching origin tale for Jack Black’s Po, and top-notch baddies in the shape of the nefarious Lord Shen (voiced by Gary Oldman) and his awesomely block-headed gorilla henchmen. ” - askhassam
5.
Rango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff. (107 mins.)
“ After Zack Snyder delivered the owl-trocity of The Legend of the Guardians last year, this desert creature western was a much happier animated outing for a big-name live-action director – in this case, Pirates of the Caribbean’s Gore Verbinski. Any animation which features the legendary Harry Dean Stanton is more than okay in my book. ” - askhassam
6.
Happy Feet 2 (2011)Mumble's son, Erik, is struggling to realize his talents in the Emperor Penguin world. Meanwhile, Mumble and his family and friends discover a new threat their home - one that will take everyone working together to save them. (100 mins.)
“ Happy Feet Two returns audiences to the magnificent landscape of Antarctica in superb 3D. Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven-a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model. But things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik learns of his father’s “guts and grit” as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of fabulous creatures-from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals-to put things right. ” - askhassam
7.
Star race car Lightning McQueen and his pal Mater 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 intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. (106 mins.)
“ The critics might worship the likes of WALL-E, but Pixar are smart enough to know that sometimes the li’l uns who form the core audience of any cartoon movie just want a bunch of really cute characters and some madcap antics – which is roughly what they got from the second Cars, an improvement on the original thanks to a dose of espionage-spoofery. ” - askhassam
8.
Gnomeo et Juliette (2011)The neighboring gardens of Montague and Capulet are at war, but the gnomes, Gnomeo and Juliet, are in love. (84 mins.)
“ The greatest love story ever told, starring…garden gnomes? “Gnomeo & Juliet, ” Shakespeare’s revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (“Shrek 2″) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet, who have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. ” - askhassam
9.
Arrietty: Le petit monde des chapardeurs (2010)The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their daughter, Arrietty, is discovered. (94 mins.)
“ If Studio Ghibli seems to be treading water to an extent following the start-of-the-century triple-headed enchantment of Spirited Away, The Cat Returns and Howl’s Moving Castle, then this lush-looking take on enduring kids’ fave The Borrowers was still a bewitching animated treat. ” - askhassam
