From Spider-Verse to Monkey King, the animated action movie has arrived

2023’s most exciting and successful animated movies all share one big thing: They all have unusually daring, innovative, exciting fight sequences.

There’s Spider-Man Across the Spider-VerseWith its groundbreaking visuals and web-slinging actions,. It was a great start to the year. Puss in Boots – The Last Wish This summer, the season is ending with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Netflix’s The Monkey King. The fights in these films are visually exciting and make the most of animated media.

For years, American animated films were assumed to be mainly musicals or comedies. Slowly, however, the trend has shifted, with animated action films finally gaining a place of prominence. Animation movies have historically had a hard time embracing science fiction, action adventures and other quirkier stories. Audience tastes change, so in 2023 action-oriented animation movies finally find mainstream success.

DreamWorks

Paramount Pictures

You can thank Spider-Man Into the Spider-Man Spider-VerseThe American animation industry has been able to expand its genre options thanks to the emergence of anime in the United States. Additionally, the growing popularity of anime in America — particularly punchy shonen anime — means that it’s less jarring for audiences to see intense fight sequences on screen. Puss in Boots – The Last WishIncluded is a major Attack on TitanIn homage to, Mutant MayhemReferences to anime from multiple sources.

It’s not that previous animated movies were bereft of action. In America, other movies with action have become hits. Kung-Fu Panda The following are some examples of how to use Big Hero 6. Animation is increasingly the norm, not the exception. These movies don’t rely on realistic visuals but instead play around with styles, evolving the fighting sequences beyond live action.

Image: Netflix

The Spider-chase is a great example. Across the Spider-VerseThe scene, which features hundreds of Spider-people pursuing Miles Morales in a futuristic metropolis in a variety of animation styles, is unlike any other in either live action or animated form. Puss in Boots’ lush oil-painting-esque animation and the punchy frames make for particularly captivating fight sequences. In Mutant Mayhem, an implied series of fight sequences condense into one liquid montage that shifts seamlessly back and forth in time, all set to “No Diggity.” And in the opening act of The Monkey King, the titular character’s demon-slaying exploits are told via a gorgeously rendered montage, which shifts the visuals into an inklike style.

Time will tell if this genre shift lasts. But what’s exciting You can learn more about it here. that the genre isIt could mean that American viewers are beginning to accept that animation, and not genre, is an art form. The genres of animated movies shouldn’t be limited to musicals and comedies. This wave of action films will hopefully only be the start.