By: Gene Rodriguez, III
Although some animation comedy is geared toward children, there has been a trend in recent decades to create material that appeals to adults as well. The most successful animation comedies are able to successfully bridge the age gap and appeal to a wide audience.
Comedies Your Children Will Enjoy
- Aladdin (1992) - Although Little Mermaid (1989) started Disney's trend of adding adult references to engage parents while entertaining their children, Aladdin perfected the concept. The casting of Robin Williams as Genie is nothing short of brilliant. His rapid-fire delivery and wide range of voices takes the film to another level, creating a comedy tour de force.
- Wallace and Gromit - Director Nick Park's masterful use of stop motion animation is used to great comedic effect in the Wallace and Gromit series of movies and shorts. A Grand Day Out (1989), The Wrong Trousers (1993) and A Close Shave (1995) lay the ground work for the eccentric inventor and his dog, while The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) gave this unique brand of comedy a feature-length treatment.
Animated Comedies With Broad Appeal
- Shrek (2001) - The story of a cranky ogre and his wisecracking donkey sidekick deftly blends fairy tale stereotypes with modern cultural references. The result is a hilarious movie that entertains on so many levels it is like an onion-no, not the smelly kind that turn nasty if you leave them in the back of the pantry.
- Monsters, Inc. (2001) - Although every Pixar movie has more than its share of great laughs, the teaming of John Goodman and Billy Crystal as monsters and co-workers is one of the best pairings in all of animated comedy. Full of sight gags, in-jokes and references just for adults, Monsters, Inc. is truly a comedy for all ages.
Animated Comedies For Adults
- Futurama - Although the original TV series lasted only four seasons, Futurama fans created enough demand to convince Matt Groening (creator of the Simpsons) to produce a series of direct to DVD movies. Bender's Big Score (2007), The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008), Bender's Game (2008) and Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009) are packed with sight gags, puns and enough science fiction references to keep fans laughing. Not to mention the dancing and singing robots!
- Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shio (Lupan III: The Castle of Cagliostro, 1979) - Although there are dozens of movies that tell the tale of this Japanese gentleman thief, Hayao Miyazaki's Castle of Cagliostro deftly combines slapstick, farce and a dash of James Bond to create a movie that is both laugh out loud funny and nail-bitingly exciting.
