Epic (2013 film)

Epic (stylized as epic) is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated action-adventure film directed by Chris Wedge and loosely based on the book The Leafmen and the Brave Good Bugs by William Joyce, who also wrote the screenplay. It was produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox, and was released on May 24, 2013.

Why It's Great

 * 1) It's need for a serious, more dramatic tone is a nice departure from the animated films that Blue Sky usually makes, which are mostly comedies
 * 2) It has a familiar story, but tries to do something different with it; despite having a plot and setting similar to FernGully or Avatar, it stands out by not having an environmental message or Man vs. Nature story and instead focusing on being a fun little fantasy adventure in a world where the forces of nature are at war with each other
 * 3) The animation is gorgeous, by far some of the best animation to come from Blue Sky Studios thus far and leaving the movie rich in atmosphere
 * 4) The action scenes are really fun to watch
 * 5) Because it's trying to be its own thing, it allows for some creative visuals, such as how it explains that the reason we can't see some things is because they live faster, like in another dimension, making larger creatures look like they are walking in slow motion.
 * 6) Because it's aiming for a more serious tone, it doesn't need to worry about risks as two of its supporting characters die very early on
 * 7) They bring out some nice, even sympathetic, moments such as with Ronin or Mandrake, or quiet moments such as the romance between M.K. and Nod
 * 8) It is well written, surprisingly well paced for a film that takes place over the course of one day, and all of the voice actors fit their respective roles