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n o v e m b e r . d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 6 c g w 2 9 VFX support, some of the more impressive digital work involved the destruction of Cairo. The film did well at the box office, and the effects were good, but it's doubtful it will strike gold. Animation ANGRY BIRDS A super-successful mobile game prop- erty, Angry Birds was transformed into an animated feature film this year, thanks to the watchful eyes of executives and artists at Rovio and Sony, respectfully. Transforming simplistic cartoon characters into complex film leads required a great deal of ingenuity and technology, yet the digital artists carried out the task brilliantly. Not likely to hold water against Dory or Kubo, however. FINDING DORY In 2003's popular Finding Nemo, audi- ences fell in love with the forgetful blue tang named Dory. It took a number of years, but Pixar and Disney finally went back to the sea and gave Dory her own movie. Audiences appreciated the effort, making Finding Dory the top film for the year as of this writing. Effects artists know how challenging it is to generate CG water, and the crew on the film had to create an ocean full of it. The technol- ogy needed for this feat is outstanding, just like the lovable fish herself. Expect Finding Dory to be one of the top films to beat in the Animated Feature category. KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Laika has been charming theater-goers for a decade now with its amazing stop-motion animated films. None, though, have been as ambitious as Kubo, a stop-motion epic rooted in Japanese culture. Achieving the hard-edged designs for a few of the film's characters re- quired new techniques in 3D printing, and the effort indeed paid off. From the designs to the final animation, the movie is a showcase of animation talent and technique. Expect this movie to be on all the short lists. KUNG FU PANDA 3 The beautifully animated Kung Fu Panda series stands out for its unique graphic visual language, colorful animated action, humor, and one of the most improbable heroes to star in a major movie. In this third installment, eight years since the first film, the artists took the visual language and ani- mation style that made the first two movies successful, and added advances in technol- ogy while keeping the imagery in the same world that audiences have loved. MOANA Disney princesses have been getting a whole new look lately. The most recent is Moana, from Motunui Island. A born naviga- tor, she sets sail in search of a fabled island with mysterious secrets. On the journey, she teams up with her hero and legendary demigod Maui. For months prior to the film's release, it was generating buzz for its amaz- ing imagery and the tremendous effects, especially hair and water. This one should be a contender. STORKS The movie has been described as the unlikely love child of Chuck Jones and Ter- rence Malick, fusing the legendary anima- tor's loose-cannon style with the ethereal yet tangible reality of the famed director. Throughout the production, animators adhered to the structured exaggerated style, resulting in a film that is wildly wonderful and entertaining. THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS What happens when humans leave their pets at home for the day? More than you think! In this highly rated film, the quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray that Max in- stantly does not like. Illumination has proven its talent before with the popular Despicable Me franchise. Here, the aesthetic again is cute and the characters uniquely designed. But, it's not a top dog. TROLLS Music makes the world go 'round. Add to that a bright, colorful world inhabited by bright, colorful trolls, and you have Trolls, about a young, optimistic leader of the troll village who sets out to rescue trolls captured by Bergen monsters who eat them. This animated musical comedy is charming and addicting. A bright spot in terms of animation. ZOOTOPIA Who can resist an entire movie populated by anthropomorphic animals? Not many, according to the film's box-office numbers. In the movie, the city of Zootopia is filled with animals acting like humans. Here, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con-artist fox work together to uncover a conspiracy. There are many funny, diverse animated characters in the movie, making it comical and visually interesting. The animators really pushed the limits with the wide variety of characters. A contender, for sure. ANIMATED FEATURES WERE POPULAR THIS YEAR, INCLUDING (TOP LEFT) THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS AND (TOP RIGHT) ANGRY BIRDS. Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of CGW.