The Fascinating World of Warner Bros. Feature Animation

The 1990s was the beginning of a new era for theatrical animation. The Disney Renaissance was in full swing, seeing a level of success both in the box office and amongst the critics that animation had never seen before. Other studios were eager to profit from this new demand for theatrical animated films and the era saw the establishment of Dreamworks Animation, Fox Animation and many others. However, to me, one of the more interesting studios that was established in this era was Warner Bros. Feature Animation. This studio created many fascinating feature animation films and I thought it would be worth taking a look at some of these films, the general apathy of the world towards this new studio and why Warner Bros. ended up shutting this studio down.

The first film that was produced by this studio was a live-action/animation hybrid à la Who Framed Roger Rabbit called Space Jam. Released in 1996, this film saw revered American basketballer Michael Jordan end up in the world of the Looney Tunes where they have to play and win a basketball match against Swackhammer, tycoon and owner of the intergalactic theme park Moron Mountain and his team of Monstars. The film was a big box office success and became the highest grossing basketball movie of all time. However, critical reception was mixed and, when I look back at it now, the film focuses too heavily on Michael Jordan himself to the detriment of the Looney Tunes cast although I do confess that I was quite a fan of the film as a child.

The next entry in Warner Bros. Feature Animation is debatable. Following the character of Danny, a cat that travels to Hollywood to start an acting career there, the film Cats Don’t Dance was actually developed by Turner Feature Animation rather than Warner Bros. Feature Animation. However, Turner Feature Animation was merged into Warner Bros. Feature Animation when Turner Entertainment was acquired by Warner Bros. in 1995 and actually did see Warner Bros. assist with post-production on the film. Despite being much more positively received by critics than Space Jam when it was released in 1997, the film was a box office bomb with many blaming the subpar marketing campaign around the film.

The second film to be fully developed by Warner Bros. Feature Animation themselves was Quest for Camelot. Released in 1998, the movie follows Kayley, daughter of Sir Lionel, who goes on a journey to save the kingdom of Camelot and defeat the villainous Ruber, a former knight of Camelot. The film went through a troubled production and, when the movie was finally released, the film had a mixed reception from critics and went on to lose approximately $40 million for Warner Bros.

However, perhaps Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s greatest legacy to the medium of animation lay in their next film The Iron Giant. Directed by Brad Bird who would later go on to direct The Incredibles and Ratatouille, The Iron Giant follows a 9 year old boy called Hogarth Hughes who discovers and befriends a giant robot from outer space. Set during the Cold War, the film does a surprisingly good job of exploring the fears and concerns of the time period and proves to be quite emotional. The film was released in 1999 to widespread critical acclaim but was a failure in the box office due to a substandard marketing campaign.

Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s penultimate film went back to the idea of mixing live-action and animated footage although it’s worth noting that at no point throughout the film do they interact with each other. Osmosis Jones follows a live-action man named Frank DeTorre, played by Bill Murray, who is quite unfit and unhygienic. Within his body, where the animation takes place, lives the city of Frank, a representation of his internal organs, germs, bodily functions etc. Osmosis Jones himself is a white blood cell policeman who must pair up with a cold pill named Drixenol Koldreliff to face off against a virus named Thrax. The film was released in 2001 and received a mixed critical reception, although I confess that I myself quite like the film, but was particularly notable for being a massive box office bomb with a mere gross of $14 million compared to a budget of $70 million.

Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s final film would be an attempt to recapture the success of their one and only box office hit. Looney Tunes: Back in Action revisited the style of Space Jam, combining live-action actors with 2D animated characters who interacted with each other. The film opens up with Daffy Duck being fired by Warner Bros. and running into Damian Drake Jr., an aspiring stuntman. Damian soon discovers that his father, who is known for playing a spy in a series of films, is actually a spy who has been captured by the nefarious Mr. Chairman and must set out with Daffy on an adventure to rescue him. The film received a mixed reception when it was released in 2003 although many, including myself, acknowledge it as a superior film to Space Jam. However, its failure in the box office spelled an end to Warner Bros. Feature Animation and they were soon closed afterwards.

While many of Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s films were of questionable quality and, excluding Space Jam, consistently failed in the box office, I, nonetheless, continue to look back fondly on their legacy. Let me know your thoughts on the fascinating world of feature animation from Warner Bros., your thoughts on any of the films, what their legacy means today and any additional information you might have on the topic.

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