How The Ogre Flattened Mickey

How The Ogre Flattened Mickey
From Disney's famous mouse to The Lion King, two-dimensional animation has had a long and prosperous life. Then came Toy Story and Shrek and the rules changed. So are traditional cartoon films dead, killed off by computer generated 3D movies? Edd McCracken asks: 2D or not 2D?

IN the battle between the lion and the Scottish ogre, there was only ever going to be one winner: the green beast just had that extra dimension. Last week Shrek 2, in all its three dimensional (3D) computer-generated glory, became the highest-grossing animated film of all time, knocking The Lion King from its throne. But in deposing Disney's Hamlet-in-furs, Shrek 2 may also have finally destroyed one of animation's most beloved and recently most embattled bastions - traditional two dimension (2D) animation. The figures don't lie. The animated graveyard is littered with recently failed 2D features. Anyone remember Titan AE, The Quest For Camelot, The Road To El Dorado, or Treasure Planet? Probably not. Even if you do, it is probably because your kid's Happy Meal was entombed beneath its branding. Combined, their budgets totalled $403 million, yet they made just $166m between them.
In contrast, Shrek 2's record-breaking run speaks for itself. As well as becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time, it took $104.3m in its first weekend, earnin