2012 Oscar nominated animated short films reviews

A simple style and simple story combine with a welcome wicked streak in this glimpse at a family’s Sunday routine—a trip to church, a visit to Grandma’s—as seen through the eyes of its youngest member. There’s not much to this dialogue-free exercise from director Patrick Doyon. It’s the weakest of the nominated shorts, with a muted color palette that does little to help it stand out from the competition. (Canada, 10 minutes)

According to the filmmakers, this surreal and sentimental vision was “inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books.” It follows a displaced book lover who finds refuge in a world of magical books—a narrative that perhaps fortuitously falls in line with the nostalgia themes of many of this year’s Best Picture nominees (“The Artist,” “Hugo,” “Midnight in Paris”). Although the animation spans multiple styles, it’s driven by slick, contemporary computer-generated images, representing highly polished imaginative work from industry veterans William Joyce (“Robots”) and Brandon Oldenburg (Reel FX Creative Studios). (U.S., 15 minutes)

With “Cars 2” out of the running for Animated Feature, this short from director Enrico Casaroasa (a storyboard artist on “Up” and “Ratatouille”) is Pixar’s lone shot at an Oscar this year. Focused on a young boy who spends an eventful night at sea learning a family trade from his father and grandfather, it’s guaranteed a wide audience when it plays in front of Pixar’s upcoming summer release “Brave.” Serving up the studio’s familiar mix of heart, humor and imaginative visuals, “La Luna” is suitably charming if a bit routine. (U.S., 7 minutes)

Proof that you don’t need much time to make an impression, this clever Sundance Festival winning short from Grant Orchard tells the same quick joke three times, but keeps it fresh by changing up the time period and visuals. A New York man crosses paths with a chicken on his morning stroll, first in 1959, then 2009, and finally 2059. From stick figures and jazz music to a post-apocalyptic zombie world, “Stroll” doesn’t carry much weight, but it’s lively and resourceful. (U.K., 7 minutes)

In the year’s designated “serious” nominee, co-directors Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby carefully etch the somber story of an Englishman who relocates to the Canadian frontier in 1909. He tells his parents he’s starting a ranch, but in reality is wildly lacking in the necessary survival skills. A comet metaphor is pretentiously utilized on title cards appearing throughout this lovingly drawn, minimalist exercise. (Canada, 13 minutes)