Summary
Action movies work by delivering a visceral impact, so it’s difficult to marry this concept with the medium of animation. Over the years, filmmakers have adopted vastly different approaches to animated action. Some have tried to create hyperrealistic animations to dissolve the line between fiction and reality, while others have leaned even further into the stylistic beauty that animation offers.
Action doesn’t always have to be realistic to create a lasting impact, even in live-action. The most important thing, in both animation and live-action, is for the action scenes to serve the story. If audiences are emotionally invested in characters and the stakes of their journeys, they will feel every punch in a fight scene, whether that character is a live-action human or an animated turtle.
10 Animated Comic Book Movies That Seriously Outdid Live-Action
From Marvel to DC to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, lots of animated films have managed to adapt certain comic stories far better than live-action.
Ruben Brandt, Collectorfollows an art therapist and a gang of his patients as they travel the world stealing the famous artworks which haunt his dreams. The story is about the power of art to both heal and harm, so it makes sense that every frame is bursting with creative visual touches and homages to significant artists. The characters are inspired by the cubist movement, and Pablo Picasso in particular, but there are other influences tucked into every corner.
Ruben Brandt, Collectormakes the most of its quirky visual style, and the animation also informs the action sequences.
Ruben Brandt, Collectoris abrilliant heist movie. It combines the sleek style of movies likeOcean’s Elevenwith the hard-hitting action ofHeat.The opening chase scene is a scene of what’s in store, as a cat burglar leads a detective on a wild chase over the rooftops and through the streets of Paris.Ruben Brandt, Collectormakes the most of its quirky visual style, and the animation also informs the action sequences.
Kubo and the Two Stringswas a box office failure, but it has slowly started to develop the audience it deserves in the years since its release. LAIKA is famous as the studio that producedCoralineandParaNorman,soKubo and the Two Stringsrepresented a bold leap forward for the company. Inspired by Japanese mythology and culture,Kubo and the Two Stringsdraws on origami and other traditional Japanese art forms to create its beautiful stop-motion animation.
Kubo and the Two Stringsdraws on origami and other traditional Japanese art forms to create its beautiful stop-motion animation.
Kubo and the Two Stringsis a gripping adventure, andits inventive action scenes give each character an opportunity to shine. Monkey and Beetle have completely different fighting styles, but the real stars are the two sinister villains, Kubo’s faceless twin aunts. They inject the movie with an eerie supernatural atmosphere, that makes the fights feel especially dangerous.
Kung Fu Pandais a hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy, as giant panda Po is suddenly heralded as the “Dragon Warrior” who is destined to bring peace to the land. Unlike the Furious Five, Po has no martial arts training, but he has enough passion and determination to eventually take Master Shifu’s teachings on board. Po and Shifu’s unconventional master-student relationship is at the heart of the story.
The first movie remains the pinnacle of theKung Fu Pandafranchise. It’s here that the wuxia influences are most concentrated.
The first movie remains the pinnacle of theKung Fu Pandafranchise. It’s here that the wuxia influences are most concentrated.Kung Fu Pandaalso benefits from the presence of Tai Lung. The violent snow leopard may not be as visually interesting as some other franchise villains, but his personal connection to Master Shifu raises the stakes, andhis prison escape is a masterpiece of creative animated action.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis leading the latest wave of creative, boundary-pushing animated movies. With its vibrant, hand-sketched style,Mutant Mayhemexudes youthful joy, and this extends beyond just the animation. The story and the action sequences all prioritize fun and excitement. The result isa breath of fresh air for theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,after plenty of movies which missed the mark.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis leading the latest wave of creative, boundary-pushing animated movies.
After the success of the first movie, it has been confirmed thatTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemis getting a sequel. It will be a tall order to surpass the intense action of the original movie, and part of the key will be finding another villain as interesting as Ice Cube’s Superfly. While it’s great to see the turtles with their signature weapons, Superfly makes a huge contribution to the movie’s best fight scenes.
DreamWorks has always had a flair for animated action. TheShrekfranchise and theMadagascarmovies both have thrilling moments, but neither can truly be considered action movies.How to Train Your Dragonis just as focused on action as it is on its fantastical adventure plot. The story and the action scenes go hand-in-hand, each one making the other more intense and exciting.
The story and the action scenes go hand-in-hand, each one making the other more intense and exciting.
How to Train Your Dragonfeatures some gorgeous flying scenes, both as Hiccup and Toothless befriend one another, and later, as Hiccup leads his classmates on a mission to defeat the Red Death.How to Train Your Dragon’s live-action remakehas a lot to live up to. Taking away the beautiful animation - some of DreamWorks' most ambitious - already puts it at a disadvantage.
It has taken a while for Western animated action movies to catch up to the standards set by Japan. The manga adaptationGhost in the Shelldelivered an exhilarating cyberpunk thriller long before Western studios ever had such lofty ambitions. There have been a few otherGhost in the Shellmovies, including an ill-fated live-action remake starring Scarlett Johansson, but none have hit the heights of the original.
The manga adaptationGhost in the Shelldelivered an exhilarating cyberpunk thriller long before Western studios ever had such lofty ambitions.
Ghost in the Shellfollows a cyborg hunting a mysterious hacker across a sprawling high-tech cityscape. The themes and the visual design of the city seem to allude toBlade Runner,butGhost in the Shellhas become an influential sci-fi movie in its own right.The Wachowski sisters and James Cameron have both been vocal about their admiration forGhost in the Shell,and the action scenes have proven to be particularly influential.
Based on the seminal manga series,Akirais considered a masterpiece of Japanese animation. It’s hard to overstate the effect thatAkirahad on the animation industry, as well as the action and sci-fi genres.Akirasingle-handedly proved the viability of adult-oriented animated action movies, and it has retained a cult following throughout the decades. It remains nearly unbeatable when it comes to animated action.
Few animated movies have ever achieved such a level of visceral power.
The kinetic, punchy style of the animation makesAkira’s action scenes pop. Few animated movies have ever achieved such a level of visceral power. Another element that helpsAkiracreate the right atmosphere is the iconic music, which is inspired by Indonesian gamelan. The rapid beating of the drums makes some of the fight scenes feel like arena combat, as if Neo-Tokyo is the setting for some twisted bloodsport.
The Incredibleswas Pixar’s first movie starring human characters, but the stylized character designs gave the studio’s cutting-edge technology a timeless feel. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone look like they could each have been ripped from the pages of a classic comic book, and the movie’s retrofuturist aesthetic evokes classic superhero cartoons from decades earlier.
Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone look like they could each have been ripped from the pages of a classic comic book.
The Incrediblesadds more tension to its fast-paced fight scenes by including the rest of the Parr family. Even when the children aren’t present, their existence makes Bob’s fights on Nomanisan island more personal. These superheroes aren’t just flashy caped crusaders - Edna Mode forbids them to even wear capes - they are parents with jobs and domestic concerns. All this character development might be for nought without Syndrome, one ofPixar’s best vilains.
Hayao Miyazaki’s environmental fable is packed full of generous artistic touches. The mysterious natural landscapes don’t always provide easy explanations. Instead, they beckon the viewer in deeper, urging them to analyze and interpret the wilderness for themselves. LikeSpirited AwayorHowl’s Moving Castle,there are elements ofPrincess Mononoke’s story which seem geared toward children, but his approach is never so simple.
Miyazaki contrasts the enticing mystery of nature and the placid, painterly beauty of his landscapes with intense bursts of violence
Miyazaki contrasts the enticing mystery of nature and the placid, painterly beauty of his landscapes with intense bursts of violence. These acts of violence are often perpetrated by humans, but the creatures of the forest also reveal their beastly sides on occasion.Princess Mononoke’s endingsuggests that the balance of nature - between violence and serenity, or death and rebirth - is the only universal constant.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller already experimented with inventive animated action inCloudy With a Chance of MeatballsandThe LEGO Movie,but their firstSpider-Versemovie represented a bold leap forward for their generously creative style. At a time when every major animation studio had become stuck on the same homogenized look,Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versewas a shot of adrenaline.
Into the Spider-Verseand its equally impressive sequel mix and match different styles, drawing inspiration from comic books, Saturday-morning cartoons and street art.
Into the Spider-Verseand its equally impressive sequel mix and match different styles, drawing inspiration from comic books, Saturday-morning cartoons and street art. The result is an eclectic but somehow coherent visual appeal, and it makes the fight scenes distinct and captivating.Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verseis the next step, and fans will be hoping for the return of the amusing cast of Spider-Man variants, each drawn with their own unique flair.
