With the rise of CGI animation, we’ve seen other forms of animation struggle to be made in the West, something which I personally find to be quite sad. However, a form of animation that I don’t often bring up on this blog, certainly not as often as traditional or CGI, is stop motion. Some of my favourite animated works are stop motion and, so, I thought it might be interesting to highlight some in particular that I love and that I’d recommend to any fan of animation.
1. Robot Chicken – Snail Rides A Turtle
Robot Chicken is a show that is often quite reliant on pop culture references and, when you don’t know what they’re referencing, it can take some of the humour from the sketch. However, there are quite a few that don’t and one of my favourites is a mere three second sketch where a snail rides on the back of a turtle and exclaiming in delight about how fast they’re going. It’s a very simple joke, particularly in regards to Robot Chicken, but it’s one of several from the show that has stuck with me throughout these years.
2. Loves Me, Loves Me Not
I’m pretty confident that Aardman Animations is one of the first companies people think of when stop motion is brought up. Their catalogue of works is extensive with easily their most popular creation being Wallace and Gromit but I do admit that some of their recent work has left me wanting. Nonetheless, many of their titles are deserving of the critical acclaim they receive with one of my favourites being Loves Me, Loves Me Not. Running for almost eight minutes, the short follows a man playing loves me, loves me not with a flower but, for every petal that is removed, reality shifts into either greater paradise or worsening hell. The short is rife with imagination, black comedy and even a humorous twist and it stands as a startling testament to the power of animation.
3. Coraline
As a fan of horror, I was surprised by how well Coraline managed to capture the same feelings of wonder and anxiety that I often find in horror fiction. Following the titular Coraline as she and her family move into a new house with her discovering a world that is both incredible and terrifying. The visuals on display are simply outstanding with some of the most creative visuals I’ve ever seen in a work of stop-motion. As far as I’m concerned, Coraline is a masterpiece that has to be seen to be believed and the success of it’s 2023 American rerelease in cinema where it grossed over $7 million in four days shows how beloved it is.
4. My Life as a Courgette
My Life as a Courgette, or My Life as a Zucchini to American audiences, is a powerful and heartfelt work that manages to blend the beauty and trauma of childhood together in harmony. The main character, Courgette, real name Icare, ends up going to an orphanage, due to reasons best seen in the film rather than discussed here, and befriending the other kids after some turmoil. It’s a superb film and, particularly given the small size of the Swiss animation industry, deserves to be supported by many more people.
Stop motion can produce incredible media that deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as the very best traditional or CGI animated films. Let me know your thoughts on these stop motion animated works that I love, which you’ve seen yourself and, if you have, whether you liked or disliked them, other stop motion animated works that you love and wish others to see and any additional information you might have on the topic.
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk and amazon.com for all of your needs!