This Year in Animated Film: 1999

The turn of the millennium — an exciting yet tumultuous time for many — was met with several incredible works and innovations: It brought us the deeply philosophical yet action-packed thrills of “The Matrix,” the enigmatic romance of “American Beauty,” the return of the blockbuster space-opera series "Star Wars” with “Episode I - The Phantom Menace," and the intensely moving tale “Boys Don’t Cry.” However, it’s important to remember the significant — and substantial — work produced in 1999 in the world of animated film, a domain that was expanding more rapidly than ever before, concurrent with the advent of many digital technologies.

“Tarzan”

This adaptation of the story “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs — the first animated film version ever — was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, meeting with commercial success and critical acclaim for its music (a combination of Phil Collins’ songs and Mark Mancina’s orchestration) and its animation (which was so precise that Tarzan became the first Disney character with properly portrayed human musculature) in particular. In fact, Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert called “Tarzan” a movie which pushed the “envelope of animation,” citing a freedom of movement unimaginable in live action.

“The Iron Giant”

Telling the story of a boy who befriends a large robot during the Cold War, “The Iron Giant” marked Brad Bird’s directorial debut. Bird went on to direct other universally acclaimed animated films, including “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille.” Though the movie did not succeed at the box office (making back less than half its budget), critics praised it highly for its beautiful animation and for its thoughtful, delicate portrayal of human relations.

“Fantasia 2000”

A sequel to Disney’s original “Fantasia” (1940), this film is comprised of a series of animated vignettes set to pieces of classical music, featuring world-class musicians like Angela Lansbury, Itzhak Perlman, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The animation used for the film was created by juxtaposing traditional methods with computer-generated imaging and designed to be compatible with IMAX theatres, making it the first animated feature-length film to have this format.

“Toy Story 2”

“Toy Story 2,” produced by Pixar Animation Studios, was originally intended to be a small-scale, home-released sequel to the wildly popular 1995 film “Toy Story.” However, the story — of a group of anthropomorphic toys attempting to rescue their toy-cowboy friend tempted by the prospect of eternal life — grew too promising to limit to the living-room television. It was released in theaters to widespread acclaim for its innovative storytelling that carries powerful themes through an equally powerful allegory, being one of the only sequels to ever, arguably, surpass the original. In fact, it is one of the only films to receive a 100 percent from Rotten Tomatoes, serving to show that animated films — often brushed aside from the limelight of live-action movies — can be of equal, if not superior, quality.

— Ian Chan can be reached at ian.chan@thecrimson.com.