Most years, there is a pretty clear winner in the Animated Feature category, and this year is truly no different. Coco, which may also go down as 2017's most charming film (Paddington 2 is going to have to wait until the end of this year for that title), might as well stand unopposed. As they do in their craft and specialty, Pixar has the emotional wallop on its side. Thematically and visually, Coco is simply astounding from beginning to end and deserves its award on Oscar night.
Now, I say that confidently, but that doesn't mean its competitors have their own equally worthy merits. For example, The Breadwinner is, socially, the most conscientious film of the bunch, and its animation style is worth talking about. What it does not have (and it really shouldn't matter) is attention. The film hasn't been talked about very much, nor has it seem much of the light of day when it comes to critics' awards bodies. Put a pin in it; the animation voters need to be fairer.
Then there's The Boss Baby...well, what is there to say? We live in a country where this is an Academy Award-nominated film. That is just that. I won't pretend it has much of a chance of winning: logistically it's been an occasional nominee, never a winner. It does not have the thematic sustenance to compete with Coco. Or The Breadwinner. Or even...
Ferdinand. I stand by it, it truly does have more heft than The Boss Baby. Overall, it simply seems like a more liked film. The problem is that it seems to have been all but forgotten. Slow campaigning? Too much time between its release and the awards show? Who knows. Simply, though, Coco is just too tough a competitor no matter what.
Lastly, Loving Vincent does have memorability on its side. Narratively weaker, but the film's strengths lie in its groundbreaking fusion of studio art and film. The colors, the movement, the images overall - it's an exciting piece to be a part of. It's also more independently driven than, say, Coco, and the Academy hasn't yet warmed up to smaller animated films. Ergo, no trophies will be collected by Loving Vincent.
Prediction: Coco
Runner-Up: The Breadwinner
Preference: Coco
Missing: The LEGO Batman Movie
