Animation movies are popular these days and enjoyed as much by adults as by kids. In fact I have observed that these movies challenge ideologies and inspire the lighter way. The small and big animated characters bring the screen alive and teach us life lessons. Below are 10 such movies and what I could learn from them – my hidden takeaways
Kung Fu Panda
This is a story of a Panda learning Kung Fu. For me this is one movie that powerfully exhibits that your structure or weight does not define your abilities and skills. The secret message is “Nothing” – you believe in yourself and you create magic. Our light hearted Po – The Panda in the movie, is able to learn the methods of Kung Fu only after he drops all self- inhibitions and believes that he can. There he goes!! On to become one of the ferocious and tactful Kung Fu warriors.
Jungle Book
One of my favorite movies, Jungle Book stands for ‘facing the fear in its face’. Throughout the flick Mowgli escapes, dodges, hides from Sher Khan, his enemy since birth. This endless running comes to a standstill when Mowgli decides to fight back. What led him to this point? I think self -realization and preparedness to accept the worst.
Up
The old man in the movie, a little irritable and fussy wants to build his dream house at the tip of the mountain and fulfill the dream of his deceased wife. The track is super fictitious but the message is clear – age is no bar for life goals. Many a times we hear people saying that now the time has passed or there are a set of people who mock at an elderly person trying to bring a change in their life style. The movie puts forth the thought – One should live till one meets death.
Ratatouille
The world that we live in has unstated parameters of judging a person. A saree clad simple lady, she does not look the party types; a man with a tilak, he seems strictly traditional. The little rat chef in the movie is symbolic of the less privileged in the society. He has numerous weak moments in the movie where he feels worthless and used. Nevertheless his passion – cooking keeps calling on to him, and one fine day the world recognizes. So no matter what the failures are, one should chase his dreams.
Smurfs
Smurfs is a movie that shows the power of togetherness. A fine detail of the movie – that the audience may skip noticing is how the Smurfs keep singing along as they work. Through hardships and happiness they sing “La, la, la, la, la, la, sing a happy song La, la, la, la, la, la, Smurf the whole day long.” We think while one is working one should only work, why keep humming. But we miss on the small joys that lie in singing along as you lead your day.
How to train your dragon
The plot in this movie is that a teenager named Hiccup is tossed into a dragon fighting school but his basic nature is that of non-enmity. So he befriends an injured dragon, Toothless. Defies the social norms of ‘survival of the strongest’ and in the end the dragon turns influential in rescuing the entire com of Hiccup. Fresh thought – Trust and play by each other’s strengths.
Inside out
Riley Anderson, the central character in the movie lives by 5 basic emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger. When she shifts to a new city – San Francisco, she takes every change very heavily erasing all her happy memories, and filling her with remorse. What i took from the movie? Do not overthink at the time of life changing events – be it shifting or marriage or baby or a new job, that is the time when we should feel open and enthusiastic.
Lion King
Lion King, an epic creation of vigor and valor. A prominent character Sarabi, the wife of Mufasa, the King and mother to Simba, the cub. Throughout I was impressed by the way Sarabi emerges as the true lioness after the plotted murder of her husband. Rooted single parenting and self empowerment at its best. So womanhood itself is about core courage – no other way out.
Finding Nemo
I may sound cliché’ but somehow the experience and wisdom of the elderly is always underrated by the younger generation. I do not want to challenge the plot, but Nemo’s father Marlin constantly warned him about the dangers of the ocean, still Nemo followed his fancy idea of exploring and got lost. Marlin was not a possessive father, he was waiting for Nemo to attain the ideal age, to spend some time learning the tricks of the ocean. In the garb of being rebellious, youngsters get themselves into difficult situations and poor parents have no option but to save them.
Ballerina
This is a dance movie, where Felicie, a poor orphan girl wants to learn ball dance, a privileged form of dance usually for the rich. She gets help from Odette, a mysterious cleaning woman and a former prime ballerina. Amidst the pressure to perform Odette helps Felicie learn the dance form right and trains her secretly. A person’s standard or designation does not decide how well he can train, the ruling factor is knowledge. Knowledge.
So here you go ten movies to catch up with in your free time… Do watch all of them….