I miss the days when CG animation was respected for having its own style and was able to exist alongside traditional cel animation without replacing it. Growing up I had three CG animated series that I loved dearly, and I appreciated the way they were stylistically different from the traditional stuff that I also loved. I didn't believe that these series were better because they were computer animated. I just enjoyed the look and feel they offered.
Those series were Reboot, Beast Wars: Transformers, and Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles. These shows had such charm and a sort of clunkiness to them, but I found them endearing. I still watch them to this day, as they are both enjoyable and also a form of time travel for me as I indulge in nostalgia seeking whenever things feel rough in life.
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| Reboot - a tale of guardians and the world inside the computer |
There was just something special about early CG animation that has been lost as CG has been developed to be overly and obsessively used by Hollywood, mostly as a crutch or a cost-cutting option. Instead of standing on its own as another form of animation, it has been made to replace traditional work and effects. Its misuse, I feel, has really robbed movies of the craft and realism they used to possess.
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| Beast Wars - a beloved Transformers spin-off |
We'll never see animation or an appreciation for animation like that displayed through these series again, and that makes me very sad. I'm glad that they're accessible, though, because I can at least revisit them whenever I'm looking for the joys of yesterday.
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| Roughnecks - science fiction military action, based on Heinlein |
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