Looks like Disney needs Pixar, maybe this will show Disney that it needs to cough up the bucks/compromises to Pixar.


Valiant only does $6,090,000 in it's opening weekend.

All the reviews have been very average, but I was not going to see it because the way Disney treated Pixar, no Pixar no money from my pocket.

"Valiant" is the first film in a multi-picture deal between Walt Disney Pictures and Vanguard Animation. It feels like an audition. The pitch is that Vanguard could take a computer-animated feature from drawing board to multiplex in just two years, far quicker than Pixar, which recently announced it would be flying the Disney coop after practically reinventing the medium with hits like "Toy Story."

http://www.freep.com/entertainment/m...e_20050819.htm

Vanguard Animation is trying to become the next Pixar - Strike One!

This is awesome news. I am glad Disney is finally learning it's not CGI people are looking for and it's not CGI that will automatically make $$$ at the box office. But will they learn that people want stories with a lot of humanity and heart in it? GOOD STORIES? They piss away opportunity after opportunity to pull themselves up and make them great. They had something great with Lilo and Stitch, with rivaled the best Pixar flicks, IMO, but they half assed supported that movie because they had already made the decision 2-D animation was dead. I wonder how many more flops it will take before they realize people will see an animated movie if it's good, not based on what computer software was used to make it.

And I also think that this is just bad karma coming back to bite them where it hurts.

Errr...

Disney's first CG Animated film without PIXAR was Dinosaur...

You know?

The film which had a $100 million "secret lab" created for it?

You know, the same film which also then closed said secret lab?

Anyone?

I have a hard time calling this movie a Disney film, not to mention if Disney had any hope for the film they wouldn't have released it in late August. I doubt this means much for Disney animation or for Pixar.

And yet it still managed to outgross the titanically expensive Polar Express in the worldwide boxoffice. Interesting how that works.

Considering that Disney is only distributing this film in the US (it's been released already by other distrib), and they paid a pittance to distribute it, it hardly is a "bomb". I think its opening week probably already recouped the distrib rights for Disney.

Why isn't this in the other box office this week thread?

This film also had almost no advertising. I'm not suprised in the least that it bombed. Disney obviously had little faith in it. I wouldn't be betting on a Pixar-Disney reunion quite yet.

That's not surprising, this movie looks bad. Like it was made 5 years ago.

Well, I tried to explain the situation there, and nobody listens...

Maybe people are sick of CGI cartoons and, like me, are screaming for cell-animation to return.

This movie is currently out in the theaters? I have never heard any mention of it before this thread.

Ironically the movie that pretty much "killed" Disney cel animation, Treasure Planet, was the one that probably featured the most CG stuff mixed in. Regardless, this IS Disney after all, and I'm sure once CG movies really become old hat they'll trumpet the return of traditional cel animation like it's the second coming. "The studio that invented animation proudly returns with an all new traditionally animated adventure!!!" It's just like their moratorium release strategy, just applied to an entire form of animation.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

I hadn't even heard about this film until yesterday when I was at the movie theater and saw that is was playing.

FWIW, I've been seeing trailers for Valiant for about six months, or longer.

However, I wasn't aware that it was released yet.

Then again, I really don't pay attention to release dates nowadays. I used to look forward to it, but any more, Friday is just another day of the week.

Valiant was, by all means, a pickup by Disney and hardly the measure of success of their CG department. That movie will be Chicken Little. Nobody expected this film to turn Pixar, or even Ice Age, or even Robots types numbers. The marketing push just wasn't there and surely the late August release date should clearly show that Disney had no such preconceptions. I doubt they're impressed with the numbers, but we'll have to wait for Chicken Little before we can pronounce Disney CG as junk.

Though...I wouldn't say this means anything about CG animation. This subgenre in animation is still a cash cow. One low grosser doesn't erase the numerous massive hits that have been churned out.

I personally am looking for a good story, I don't care in which medium it is told.

exactly. CGI or not. If the story is good, it could be a stick figure animation and I'll still watch it.

really? why don't we just go back to Black and White films, Movies with no sound, and piano players in the Theaters while we're at it?

There's room for CGi and Cell stuff in the same world. Like others have said, if the story is good people don't care how it's presented. Especially when you target kids. They couldn't care less.

Besides, most recent cell stuff is still CGI enhanced anyway. Look at the beautiful Sinbad animated movie that came out a couple years ago. It had it all.

Still cant decide if its worth seeing or not.

When I saw the trailer some time ago I had zero interest... which is unusual since I'm an animation fan.

Hopefully Chicken Little will do well for them. I'm not as big a Disney-hater as others are.

agreed this is hardly a disney title in the sense that any pixar title was. they have spent little on advertising, and this isn't an in house project. Just something to add to a theater schedule.

I think the thing that has helped many of the pixar titles is the great teaser trailers a good year before the movie ever hits.

I hope chicken little does well myself. I thought it strange when they started running the commercials with the classic gang in cg, and then twice upon a xmas....just looked funny. I hope it does well...i hope cel animation returns...i hope people let them live side by side.

yep and thats why disney needs pixar. while their movies look stunning on screen, they also know how to tell a good story in the process.