Top Ten Pretty Animated Shots Vol.02

It is time for another set of animated pictures that is easy on the eyes.  Making this top ten is a little like trying to become an actor.  Many try, but few make the cut.

We liked the visually hard edged rendering of the Enchantress Amora in Hulk Vs Thor.

While this painting featured in the credits looks nothing like that hard edged version, it is still pretty.

Chun Li remains a crowd favorite – if the crowd hangs out huddled around an arcade Street Fighter machine.    Here she is from Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind.

How does she keep that face so pretty after all those nose-crushing, lip-bashing fights?

Princess Aurora from Disney’s true classic Sleeping Beauty has time-tested stylized good looks.  Below she is dressed as the forest maiden “Briar Rose”.  We like that edged style.

Naruto Shippuuden went downhill faster than Balloon Boy’s ill-fated, non-existent flight to nowhere.  Never-the-less, while it is no longer worth a take, it did have a purdy enemy ninja.

What is her deadly secret? Uhh, you do not want to see her without make-up...

Our takes on Winx Club remain top hitters.  The latest is season 4 part 1.  In honor of that popularity we could not pass up including a picture of Flora. If you do not know who Flora is, step back from the Street Fighter machine for a minute or give Naruto Shippuuden a rest for a half hour.

Jerrica Benton…  How we would like to see your Jem & The Holograms storyline with your deceived but true boyfriend Rio resolved.  We have been waiting since 1988…, so it is overdue.

At least Jerrica and Rio reaffirmed their love in this final season trip to Greece. Hmm Jerrica, do you dress native like this for every destination? We want to travel with you!

Ariel, the little mermaid’s mother was Queen Athena.  A lot of people seem to be searching for her online.  She was quite pretty as seen depicted here from The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.

Mom's everywhere, let Queen Athena be an inspiration to you to keep in shape.

Huntik: Secrets and Seekers is pleasantly surprising most who watch it – including us!  So enough with the sad face Huntik Star Sophie Casterwill, you made the cut for this Top Ten.

Did all of Sophie's training include how to look good scuba diving? Ahh, we think it must have.

Zhalia from Huntik is not giving us a long face below, that is her usual stern expression.  But inside she had a soft heart.  Awww.

Bonus Poll Picture:

There was a singer in Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman who caught our eye.  She seemed to get a disproportionally large amount of close ups and screen time for a nameless background character.

Is this supposed to resemble somebody in particular? If so comment who please.

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind [2009]

This short animated film is more or less a sequel to the highly regarded Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie [1994].  That film tour de force is a hard act to follow.  Its quality was high, the fighting outstanding and the art direction so well received that it in turn changed the game franchise.  SF4: TTTB did not equal its predecessor in these qualities (honestly, what could?) but it is still good and well worth checking out.

Cammy is back with her twin braids a flyin’ and her behind a posin’.

The cast is smaller.  M. Bison and his goons are off the stage for the moment.  You only spend time with classic characters Ryu, Ken, Guile, Cammy, Chin Li, and Sakura (I know, Sakura is not really a classic SF II character).  You get introduced to two new losers Crimson Viper and Seth.  You see more of Crimson Viper than most of the other characters combined, and that is too bad because she is annoying.

Nobody wants to see their favorite SF characters mistreated by someone of her calibre, especially since she is the goon for Seth.  He is okay as a villain.  He spends most of his time saying cryptic things in front of a monitor in extreme close up.  He does not have the screen presence of M. Bison, but makes for a decent fight scene at the end.

Ken thankfully shows Crimson Viper who the real heavy hitters of the Street Fighter franchise are.

Speaking of the fight scenes, I found them disappointing.  They really went all out in the 1994 film to make the fighting exciting, filled with signature moves and… special.  This included consultation by professional fighters.  SF4: TTTB missed the mark in this area more than any other.  The fights are typical.  They are not unlike something you might see in an episode of a good quality anime.

Where the 1994 film’s story went out of its way to set up head-to-head matches between the fighters, SF4: TTTB seemed to stumble into disorganized fights of less interest.  If you saw the 1994 film’s epic fight between Chun Li and Vega you know what I mean.  Even so it was nice to see the characters out and about again, going on with their lives but not forgetting their friends.

Chun Li dons her iconic outfit and proceeds to kick this guy’s butt and the butts of his 30 nearby friends.

The art direction was well done.  Character designer Ikeno came in after SF II, but people have grown accustomed to his stylization since then and it is pleasing.  The animation quality could have been better though, to show off his designs.  The music at times hinted back to the 1994 film’s memorable soundtrack.  Aside from that I have to say it is not nearly as memorable.

Guile and Chun Li got little in the way of fighting scenes.  Chun only got to beat some security guard heads and Guile only fired a single sonic boom.  Ken threw one punch.  Cammy got some action, but the single scene was unsatisfying.  However she did sport her famous posterior pose, and was voiced enticingly well.

Fighting Ryu at any time is a bad idea, but getting him this mad makes him hell on Earth.

The film tried and partially succeeded in having some heart.  Ken with his wife Eliza.  Sakura and her idolization of Ryu.  Ken and Ryu’s deep friendship.  These plot points gave the film some needed emotional buy-in.  If you are a Street Fighter fan, you do not really need emotional buy-in to see SF4: TTTB.  For those who are not this film is still a fun way to spend 65 minutes.

See another cute pic of Chun in Top Ten Animated Pics Vol. 2.

Check out our Street Fighter

& martial combat related takes:

Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind [2009]

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li [2009]

Naruto Shippuden [2007] Season 1. 26 Episodes

Rurouni Kenshin [1996-1998] 95 Episodes

Transporter 3 [2008]