Oscar nominated shorts: Animated

I have seen all the films in this category, so I'll offer short reviews of each followed by my prediction in the category.

Day & Night

This is the short seen more than all the rest combined, as this is the short which played in front of Toy Story 3. Pixar strikes again. It's a rare combination of inventive animation and inspired storytelling, with a logic that is hard to describe but very entertaining. Grade: A+

The Gruffalo

The longest short at about half an hour, this is a straight forward telling of a children's book, with great voice work. Helena Bonham Carter voices the mother squirrel telling the story. It's cute, but not exactly groundbreaking. Grade A-

Let's Pollute

A very funny contrarian short, advising people of all the ways they can wreck the atmosphere. The animation is king of standard, though. Grade: A-

The Lost Thing

A quirky Australian short about a boy who finds a creature who doesn't fit in and tries to find a place where it does. Lots of great details in the animation, I want to see this again to catch it all (and maybe freeze some frames) A true delight. Grade: A

Madagascar, carnet de voyage

Probably the most inventive use of animation, which many switching styles, but the story is a standard travelogue. I'm glad I saw it for the animation, but eligible short The Cow who Wanted to Be a Hamburger would have been a more deserving nominee. Grade: B+

Oscar chances: It's hard to bet against Pixar. So I won't. I see the race going to Night & Day. I would also believe it is the best of the five nominees.