Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers, we’re counting down our favorite movies that are a hybrid of animation and live action! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
When I was little, Winnie the Pooh was my favorite character. I read all the books, had all the movies, and watched the shows. So when it was announced that Winnie the Pooh would get the Disney live action treatment, I was beyond excited. I expected a live action movie similar to the famous book, but what we got was even better than could have been expected. Christopher Robin tells the story of an adult Christopher (Ewan McGregor), who now has a wife and daughter, Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) and Madeline (Bronte Carmichael). After being bogged down with work, he decides to take a family trip back to his family’s old cottage, only to send his family there before him. Once he finds himself alone at home thinking what to do, Pooh in all his live action glory returns to help Christopher again. This movie takes the animals being the kid’s stuffed animals to an 11, because the animation making stuffed animals move and talk is phenomenal. The other great thing this movie has is bringing back Jim Cummings, the original voice actor of Pooh and Tigger, to reprise his iconic role. This movie was probably set out to be a lighthearted family movie, but as always, Pooh still had some lessons to teach me, even at 26, getting to see this in the theater with mom. I highly recommend this movie, and remember, “doing nothing often leads to the very best kind of something.” (Austen Terry)
When a TV show is on the air for 20 years, it can either grow stale or maintain a level of average that keeps them coming back. When this happens, people tend to forget that these shows usually had a peak level of greatness early on, which solidified their future longevity. SpongeBob Squarepants in definitely one of those shows. It started back in 1999 and had an incredibly good first two seasons, followed up with a third season that was to this day one of their best. After their third season ended in 2003, they followed it up with their first movie, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, which at the time was rumored to be the end of the show. The success of the movie made way for it to be renewed, and the show has been on the air ever since. I remember seeing the movie in theaters opening weekend with my then-girlfriend, now wife, which proves that if she will see a SpongeBob movie with you, she’s a keeper. The SpongeBob Movie is, in my opinion, an underrated classic as we approach its 20th anniversary. One of the funniest parts of the movie was the sheer surprise that occurred during the live action scene when SpongeBob and Patrick are saved by David Hasslehoff, who turns into a speedboat to return the two to Bikini Bottom. Fun Fact, they made a fake Hasselhoff “boat” to film it! The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie is definitely worth checking out if you like laughing. (Nick Ferro)
Every Friday night, my family does family movie night. We went through a spree where we went through all the Disney princess movies. Once we went through most of the possible suggestions, I asked one of my friends what else we could watch. I got two suggestions for Disney princess movies I missed: The Black Cauldron (technically does have a princess movie; however, there is no way I was letting my then three-and-a-half-year-old watch that movie) and Enchanted. When she suggested Enchanted, I was like, “no duh,” and it quickly became a family favorite. The movie is about an animated Giselle (Amy Adams), who’s about to be married to Prince Edward (James Marsden). His step mother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), banishes Giselle to the mysterious 3D land of New York City, and Giselle finds herself in a whole new world. Enchanted sports great performances from Adams and Patrick Dempsey, who plays Robert, the man who helps Giselle when she comes to New York. Enchanted also has great music and great animation. The thing that makes Enchanted one of a kind is that it balances both paying homage to Disney’s past and finding ways to make fun of it too. For Disney to look at its past princess movies and poke some fun at them is an achievement within itself. For the movie to be great is just icing on the cake. (Mike Hilty)
It’s amazing that The Mask is almost 30 years old. I still remember sitting in a packed theater as the then-still-unknown Jim Carrey dominated the screen. It’s still one of the greatest screenings I’ve ever been to, as the audience were laughing and cheering in awe at the on screen magic presented (for 1994) before us, and blowing our collective minds. Mixing animation with live action, The Mask still manages to blaze off the screen like those early Loony Tunes cartoons you saw as a kid. Speaking of blazing off screen, The Mask not only helped to launch Carrey, but Cameron Diaz as well. Not to give too much away, but being introduced to Diaz in Coco Bongo as a 16-year-old will forever remain an iconic memory burned in my mind. On one side, I’d like to tell you not to expect Shakespeare or Aaron Sorkin levels of dialogue or plot, but do expect a total escape, filled with fun protagonists, villainous villains, and bumbling cops. Basically an extended live-action cartoon, and no one, absolutely no one, before or since, could’ve pulled this off other than Carrey. Together, The Mask made Carrey iconic, and Carrey made The Mask iconic to those of us that grew up in the ‘90s. (Adam Ritchie)
Jon Favreau’s Jungle Book may be created almost entirely through CGI, but at some points, it’s hard to tell. It’s made even better by the fact that prestigious actors such as Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, and so many others deliver performances that are able to shine through the digital animal skins. I also have to mention Neel Sethi, the young actor who plays Mowgli, who has to interact with so many things that aren’t physically there. His reactions and empathy make him a standout in a film chock-full of stars, which just makes me more excited that he’ll be making a return to acting next year. But to the point: I actually prefer 2016’s Jungle Book to the original 1967 film. Favreau has a deep understanding of navigating through CG environments, enhanced by years of experience with films that are heavy on visual effects. He wasn’t able to capture the same magic with 2019’s The Lion King, but The Jungle Book remains an engaging display of how the wonders of technology can successfully bring a photorealistic version of an animated classic to life. (Rowan Wood)
Let’s be real here; a lot of the movies on this list are basically live action movies that have a single animated entity who acts as sort of a companion character to the lead. Okja isn’t necessarily any different in that sense, but most other films that adhere to that description have some sort of lovable alien, or otherwise otherworldly being, who speaks with a funny voice or something along those lines. Okja, though, features an overgrown animal, genetically engineered to combat the issue with farming efforts for a growing population, who subsequently has his caretaker get too attached and refuses to give the animal up. Into its central creature, the movie concentrates a lot of problems in the cattle industry, and the way we look at and treat certain animals, while others are so generously allowed to be our pets. The movie wrestles with themes about the way we feed the population and what room there is for respecting the natural order, and the creatures with which we share this world. It’s a lot gloomier than most of the entries on this list, but it’s no less profound for it. (Chris Bakker)
If you’re producing a sendup of Walt Disney’s Fantasia and it doesn’t end in the line between live action and animation being blurred, are you even satire-ing correctly? Thankfully, Allegro Non Troppo doesn’t force us to ask such a hypothetical. The Italian production, whose title roughly translates to, “fast, but not overly so”, was a not-so-subtle jab at the House of Mouse, featuring a dictatorial maestro, the labor of elderly orchestra members kept like cattle, and a “liberated artist” literally in chains. The film starts as a simple parody — intercutting the creative process (in live-action) with animated shorts set to classical music. However, as the movie-making process gets further and further off the rails, the artist’s creations start appearing and influencing what’s happening in the “real” world. It’s a film with its feet planted firmly in the absurd, and the hybridization of the styles is just one manifestation of it. It’s worth giving a shot — whether you hold the Disney classic in high regard, or found it was not quite your tempo. (Jake Bourgeois)
From the moment the opening cartoon segment pulls back to reveal they were acting in a real-world set, you will never stop being blown away by the seamless integration of 2D animation into live action. With CGI, the uncanny valley inevitably rears its ugly head. The seams stand out and range from “obviously fake” to “close, but not quite.” The beauty of Who Framed Roger Rabbit is that it is deliberately fake by nature, so it feels right at home. The juxtaposition of the clearly cartoony with real life blends well. Whether Bob Haskins is shooting a cartoon gun, riding in an animated cab, or bumping into the bosom of Jessica Rabbit, it looks believable. Acting opposite non-existent screen partners was rare in 1988, but you wouldn’t know it from their performances. Speaking of Jessica’s bosom, this is a surprisingly adult PG movie. “Greed, sex, and murder” is a line spoken, and you can add infidelity, gruesome violence, womanizing, and blue humor. Enjoy, kids! Where the typical animated movie layers adult humor subtly beneath the surface, this movie shines a spotlight on it. In a year overloaded with multiverse crossovers, it’s a fun throwback featuring Disney and Warner Bros. characters. The dueling piano battle between Donald Duck and Daffy Duck is an early highlight. The noir story isn’t overly complex, but still keeps you guessing until the end. Christopher Lloyd provides a terrifying, menacing villain just three years after playing the wacky and charismatic Doc Brown in Back to the Future. (Jason Mack)
Are you ready for a jolly ‘oliday with Mary? Mary Poppins is one of the great stalwarts of the live action Disney brand. The state-of-the-art production value is top notch, and so is the revolutionary mixing of live action performers and animation. There is an endless list of iconic cinematic moments that makes this one of the most beloved musicals of all time. Bert the chimney sweep dancing along with animated penguins is absolute magic. The most music number between Mary and Bert at the animated races is just… supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! The sweeps and their big number, “Step-in Time”, is a wonderful blast. Mary Poppins also taught us the valuable lesson of how important a spoonful of sugar could be. Julie Andrews is nearly perfect in every way, and is a revelation as the titular Mary Poppins. Horrible accent aside, Dick Van Dyke is one of the great entertainers… period. This Disney hybrid film set the stage for so many more and the magic is still alive all of these years later. (Shane Conto)
To call Paddington 2 anything but a miracle would be an understatement. Imagine having to follow up Paddington,a well received movie. How often do sequels get it right, let alone comedy/family sequels? Not that often. But Paddington 2 not only got it right, it surpassed the original, and let loose with its kindness mixed with a dash of silliness and a lot of marmalade. Everything from the first movie is back and gets expanded on, with a new villain, who is portrayed by surprisingly delightful Hugh Grant (I would argue this was the movie that started his career “revival” he’s experiencing now). But also, there is something else that couldn’t be underestimated — this film came at the right time. 2017 was not a great year for many reasons. Everything seemed bleaker, and suddenly, this film comes along and shows us a sense of community and kindness through a lens of this lovable and well-animated bear that you can’t help but fall in love with. And it does it effortlessly, without coming across as “fake”. Somehow a movie, where plenty of superb British actors talk to a CGI bear, comes across as one of the most genuine things you will ever see. I think especially with the state of the world as it is now, we all would want to live in this Paddington world, where all it takes is to show a bit of kindness to each other and everything will be better. It sounds so cheesy on paper (or a monitor screen), but this movie manages to pull it off. After all, marmalade and kindness can make a bunch of tough prisoners sing and dance! (Luke Burian)
Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog had a lot going against it even before it was released. Video game adaptations tend to be underwhelming at best, and downright insulting to the source material at worst. That paired with the infamously uncanny CGI that appeared in the first trailer had audiences patiently awaiting a laughable box office bomb. As someone who grew up playing the games, I was absolutely ecstatic when Jeff Fowler and company proved everyone wrong. They ended up delivering one of the best video game movies to hit screens to date. The film’s inventive and playful energy is palpable. Each character has plenty of moments to endear themselves to the audience, with Jim Carrey’s Robotnik being particularly electric. The titular character also made his silver screen debut in a very memorable way. They rounded out Sonic’s fantastical design and abilities with a childlike wonder that breathes life into the adaptation. That, coupled with the animation team’s dedication to righting their wrongs, lead to a hit that earned a worthy sequel. (Jack Grimme)
Detective Pikachu
Who woulda thought that a live action Pokémon movie — where the most infamous of characters, of creatures, was to be voiced by none other than Deadpool himself — would actually turn out to be decent? Not this fan — and that’s not just of Pokémon, but of Ryan Reynolds too! I so wanted Detective Pikachu to be good, to live up to my standards, but I was very worried that it would be less than, be mediocre, be a disappointment. Boy, was I happy I was wrong. A pre-Sonic world, this is a movie that crashed onto the screen with a fast talking animal side character, and a bumbling, down-on-his-luck human before the blue hedgehog. You could almost say it paved the way for decent video game movies set in reality. But I digress. This is just as entertaining as fun can get. If you’re a Pokémon fan, it’s as close as we’ll get to seeing them in a real-life setting, in a way that makes sense, and speaks to the nostalgia in all of us, If you’re not a Pokémon fan, it’s a fun fantasy buddy-copy movie with a cute little mouse creature as the star. Either way, it works — so you should go watch it, like now. (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
Peter Rabbit
James Corden aside, Peter Rabbit is a lot of fun. From director Will Gluck (yeah, the guy who did Easy A and Friends with Benefits), comes a fun, harmless children’s movie about an animated rabbit who steals vegetables from the garden of Mr. McGregor (Sam Neill), an old British curmudgeon. When the garden is take over by Mr. McGregor’s younger, but not much less curmudgeon-y, nephew Thomas (Domhnall Gleeson), Thomas and Peter begin what amounts to a turf war over this garden. But since this is a hybrid between animation and live action, there is enough whimsy, friendship, and lessons to spare. While not on the same level as the greats such as Paddington or Marry Poppins, there are much worse ways to spend your time than watching Peter Rabbit. (Robert Bouffard)
Space Jam
The only time I took an interest in basketball was while Michael Jordan played for the Bulls. So as a 10-year-old, when Space Jam came out, I was pretty excited to have the chance to see Jordan in a movie. As a kid, I never really noticed the wooden performance of the greatest basketball player ever. However, something I found harder to look past was the incredibly dumb premise. A group of aliens want to kidnap the Looney Tunes, so they challenge them to a basketball game and get Jordan to help them. It is as dumb as it sounds, yet it somehow still works. It manages to combine the humor of the Looney Tunes with the excitement of basketball. There is also a subplot with five NBA players dealing with the sudden loss of their ability to play basketball. I always thought this could be a movie on its own. Imagine being a superstar famous for being very good at something, and then one day, you can’t do it, for no apparent reason. You’ve built your whole life and career around doing something you now can’t do. What would you do with your life if something like that happened? I like how they incorporated Jordan’s time playing minor league baseball into the plot. I don’t know how true the opposing players trying to help him out are to Jordan’s real experience playing for the Birmingham Barons, but the idea the crowd was only there to see him is undoubtedly true. (John Tillyard)
Ted
Despite a ridiculous premise, Ted invests the viewer into its wacky world where a grown man can have a talking Teddy Bear as a best pal. The film itself feels like something ripped out of the ‘80s or ‘90s, and works incredibly well due to Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane’s chemistry. There is an abundance of hilarious moments with a tinge of heart tossed into the mix. Overall, this is a great story revolving around growing up and leaving your childhood behind. Ted as a character is really fun and brilliantly brought to life by MacFarlane; he can at times have a bad influence on John (Wahlberg). In spite of this, Ted’s little toy bear heart seems to always be in the right place. The main conflict in the film is John choosing whether to continue to stay friends with Ted or focus on his relationship with his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). The film does a great balancing act of making this premise commercial, but at the same time making it clear that John is failing at being a good boyfriend. Ted is a fun film with a lot of great laughs and heart as well. (Joe Vargas)
Pete’s Dragon
What a tale of childhood whimsy! What a fun time! What a shockingly good animation for 1977!!! This came out the same year my dad graduated the seventh grade, and the animation on Elliot the dragon is as good as any of the movies on this list from the 1990s. Incredible! Pete’s best friend looks like he could be right there in person. While I was watching this for the first time as an adult, I kept looking for mistakes, and I could not find any. That takes some doing, especially for animators in the 1970s. Then there are the musical numbers that catch your attention right away. Numbers like “Brazzle Dazzle Day” and “Bill of Sale” will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step. When you mix in a touching story about what makes a family, you can see why this movie has stood the test of time. But it’s Disney and this was the 1970s — they were in their A-game. What can you expect? They were kings then. Even more than they are now. (Sam Nichols)
Stuart Little
Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s or the aughts remembers watching a rotation of VHS tapes over and over again to their heart’s content. I was one of those children who worshiped the television, and one of the staples of my rotation was Stuart Little, the story of a young mouse who is adopted by a human family in New York City, based on the classic novel by E.B. White. The 1999 film, with a co-writing effort from Greg Brooker and the one and only M. Night Shyamalan, and helmed by The Lion King director Rob Minkoff, stars Michael J. Fox as the voice of the animated mouse, with Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie, and Jonathan Lipnicki portraying Stuart’s new family. George Little, son of Eleanor and Frederick, does not acknowledge his new brother at first. Stuart also almost gets eaten by the family cat, Snowbell (Nathan Lane), and has a near-death experience when he ends up in the washing machine. Just as Stuart is fitting in, his birth parents come along. Through a series of events after this, the Littles then realize that Stuart should be a part of their family. Also featuring the voices of Chazz Palminteri, Steve Zahn, David Alan Grier, Jennifer Tilly and Bruno Kirby, Stuart Little is a fun and charming film the whole family can enjoy. (Jacob Kinman)
Scooby-Doo
It’s amazing how I can remember where I was when Scooby-Doo came out 20 years ago. I was at the theater with friends and enjoyed this campy film. I’ve been a fan of Scooby-Doo since I was a teen. It was a given for me to go see the live action movie. The premise: Mystery Inc. reunite after their two-year disbandment to solve a mystery on a horror-themed resort. You know those films where it’s so bad that it’s good? Well this is one of them. My favorite part of Scooby-Doo isMatthew Lillard as Shaggy. If we wanted a real life version of Norville “Shaggy” Rogers, we got it in Lillard. Also, how many knew Shaggy’s real name? Anyways, as the cowardly slacker/detective, Shaggy, the man couldn’t have done it better. Lillard done Shaggy so well, he went on as the voice for the famous character after Casey Kasem’s retirement in 2009. I rewatched the movie recently and couldn’t stop saying how much I love Lillard because he is Shaggy. Scooby-Doo did have it moments where it was funny, especially the “Mary-Jane” joke. Even though Scooby-Doo was trying to be geared to be family-friendly, you can tell the movie wasn’t made for children. In 2002, my teen self found everything funny. It didn’t matter if it was corny, stupid, or just downright bad. It isn’t the best Scooby feature, but it was still fun. (Chantal Ashford)