Western Animated Film Gems...

...that are not either from Disney or Computer Animated. I used to watch quite a lot of these when i was a kid. And most of them seemed to be quite forgotten or only admired by a cult following. And that is a shame really since some of them can really give a very distinctive Western fell almost as unique and mature as their counterparts in Asia. Completely different of the typical template mainstream studios have enforce of the genre, but characteristic of the culture on our side of the globe at the same time. 

Probably all understand the template I am referring to. The idea that the animation is a medium that is only for kids and even more that those kids movies must protect their audience by dumping down any really strong dramatic feel, keep things happy and simple. The changing,for example, of a bad ending and harsh imageries unlike the anime culture coming from japan that is much more brave and harsh(Maybe too much sometimes). Yet you can see that even in the mainstream when the creators became just a little bit braver with the story and the images they ended up with some really effective results (like Bambi and Lion King). And more than anything else the medium is quite capable of being unique and creative with mature stories made for adults. So here I remember some of these either kid or adult movies that had this unique feel for me.   

Just to take out this out of the way first:

Don Bluth films:

Quite mainstream these but really awesome. The 3 early works and his last are an immediate must watch. I mean of course The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Secret of NIMH and his last TITAN A.E. The first 3 especially I used to watch all the time when I was a kid. All of them have this unique feel that Don Bluth's animations have. Very fluid and spectacular. And although at first it seems to follow a Disney-like idea, it is not really for a very specific reason. It does not hold back in imagery or drama thinking it will scar its audience. From the on screen deaths of characters to the casino/booze locations and devil imagery in all dogs go to heaven and from the scary characters of the secret of NIMH to the death of human civilization in the start of Titan. And all this having impact and weight in the context of very well done stories with likable characters even when they behave like D-bags...Kids movies but with enough effort and context to be appreciated by all.

And now that that is being said...Let see some less known stuff...

Starchaser : The Legend of Orin

An 1986 sci-fi film about a young man trying to free his enslaved people that work the crystal mines completely oblivious of the world above. A really interesting premise that is completed by...well...An unrepresented Starwars rip off. Yeah it is no secret. From the first scene you can see the influence. The feel , the characters, the universe. All reek of Starwars. But this is actually a good thing. Because this movie recognizes everything that is good about the series it is ripping off and includes them in the movie. All the magic and awe of Sci-Fi epics are there, despite some flaws with the plot. Add to that the stellar animation and  you have something that any sci-fi fan can enjoy. As long as he is not an extreme fanboy and can get over the shameless "influences".   

Princes et princesses:

A French animation  by  Michel Ocelot. Simple story. Six animators are trying to make a shadow puppet theater show , each with one story from different time periods. Beautifully made, unique feel by the silhouetted animation and stories that may seem classical but in truth are not. Sweet and not so innocent...

Gandahar:

By René Laloux. 1000 years in the future and the beautiful and harmonious civilization of Gandahar is in danger. A evil force is trying to destroy this paradise on earth. The council sends the son of the Queen to destroy the enemy only to be shocked by what he finds out of the origin of the evil force. An imaginative and mature story bound to immerse you in its world.

La planète sauvage (The Phantastic Planet):

Lots of French stuff here. Not by chance really. French creators seem to have similar characteristics to their Asian colleagues. Unique inspiration and brave visuals. Very few stuff I have seen have accomplished this as good as La planète sauvage. Truly conceived by a talented mind, it creates a world that is truly different and deep taking you to a completely different place non other could imagine. The story is taking place in the world of Ygam. The Draags, that are advanced inhabitants of the planet, use small humans as pets, calling them Oms and thinking them nothing more than animals. But are they really unable to develop? And if they are able how much power could knowledge give them?

Zkrocený démon. Sedmá cesta námorníka Sindibáda(The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad): 

The last adventure of the great sailor as seen by the imagination of Karel Zeman. Lively still animation(oxymoron I know but trust me) and a story that has no real dialog besides the constant narration of Sinbad himself, as the remembers his journey. The look of the film is original and the stories of the adventure have the quality and dread of actual mythology. And all that with Jean Michael Jarre's music in the background. One of my dearest memories. 

Heavy Metal(1981):

The awesomeness and cheesiness of the 80s packed in one movie. A series of out-of-the world stories that uses a typical 80s mature animation style. The general plot...An astronaut bring his daughter a weird gift by mistake. An egg that within it lies the ultimate evil. In its attempt to brake the child it begins to narrate his accomplishments. A series of events that go from crazy and horrifying to outright cheesy awesomeness. And lets not forget the main beauty of the film. The greatest rock soundtrack of the decade!!!!!