The animated film is treated as a genre by Hollywood. Like the Hollywood romantic comedy, it has quite a strict structure applied to it, with plots needing to hit certain notes in every. single. film, almost irrespective of what studio is producing the films. This has started to really annoy me, and has almost killed any appeal I ever felt for seeing them.
The characters and settings in the films may vary, but the basic premise is exceptionally straight forward, and every Hollywood animated film must, I repeat, must have some moral, or message to impart on the audience. If there is no allegorical content it is not a Hollywood animated film. And this awful, awful mediocrity and uncreativity is seemingly rewarded by the American, and global, public, who just eat the same shit up year after year, and the industry gives awards to in truckloads.
I'm not saying there aren't exceptions, but they are rare. And I'm not saying the films can't have very touching, special moments (I defy anyone to not be in tears after the opening sequence of Up, scored by the brilliant Michael Giacchino), but they are hidden amongst the heavy-handed moralising, and predictable plots.
I cannot deny I have some favourites, that stick to the formula as much as any others: Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. (I must admit I have not watched Toy Story 2 or Toy Story 3, but feel they will join my favourites despite my current dislike of Hollywood animated films.)
Perhaps it is an inherited trait from pre-computer animated films, this need to moralise. Perhaps Disney set out how cartoon films should be structured.
Animated television shows on the other hand have much greater variety in the States, and some great adult-oriented programs, such as South Park and Family Guy. Hollywood should take some cues from these progressive programs. And I don't mean just make the film versions of them. Look at how they treat their audiences and utilise animation accordingly.
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