March Animation Preview

Is March coming in like a lion? Or more like a zombie rabbit? Let's see...

In Theaters

We start March off with a bang, as Night of the Zoopocalypse comes to the big screen on March 7. The latest release from Viva, this one sounds like a lot of fun. A meteor crashes into a zoo and unleashes a virus that leads to the animals turning into gummi-like zombies, led by Bunny Zero (obsessed already). A young wolf named Gracie and gruff mountain lion named Dan team up to fight back and find a cure. I always wonder when Viva is going to have a true breakout hit -- last year, I though it might be Hitpig! -- but I think theatrical is ultimately not the main thrust of their success. I think a lot of their movies break out more on VOD/streaming. But hey, maybe this one will pop off.

Night of the Zoopocalypse

Next up, on March 14, is the first fully-animated Looney Tunes movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up. Yes, again. I've written about this movie a few times -- first when I saw it at Animation is Film in October, then when it got an Oscar-qualifying release in December, then when it was supposed to open in February. But it got delayed, so here we are again. And it's a movie worth talking about a lot, because it's so much fun! And I hope it finds an audience after being dumped by Warner Bros.

On March 16 (yes, a Sunday? Idk why), GKIDS releases Witch Watch: Watch Party, which is a theatrical package that includes the first three episodes of the new anime Witch Watch, which is based on the Shonen Jump manga by Kenta Shinohara. I like when GKIDS (and other companies) do these releases, because it's a nice way to sample an anime, and it's fun to watch on the big screen, often with people who are diehard fans. Is it technically a movie? I guess not, but I'll still count it, anyways.

Witch Watch: Watch Party

At Home

Listen, I want to try to remain optimistic about any animated movie coming my way, but I don't have high hopes for Plankton: The Movie, which hits Netflix on March 7. Last year, we got a SpongeBob spinoff about Sandy Cheeks, and it was awful. Like, truly horrible. So I can't way I'm expecting much from this one. Plus, it leaked online last year, and from what I can tell, the people who have watched it aren't very high on it. But, Plankton is such a fun character, and it might be fun to watch him team up with SpongeBob to stop Karen after she tries to take over. We'll see.

Plankton: The Movie

March 12 brings Disney's mega-hit Moana 2 to Disney+. I think this movie is representative of everything that's wrong with Disney at the moment. It's a pale imitation of its predecessor, bringing nothing new to the table, recycling songs and story beats to create something that is pure product. But if you haven't seen it and want to, it'll be there for you.

On March 18, we get a cool-sounding anime superhero movie: Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League. This is a sequel to 2018's Batman Ninja, which I'll need to check out before this drops. Here, Batman returns from the past (I'm guessing that's what the first movie is about) to find that Japan is gone, the Justice League no longer exists, and yakuza enemies are falling from the sky. Sounds pretty sweet. It'll be on VOD on the 18th, then hit Blu-ray in April.

Overseas

I want to highlight two movies that are opening in Japan in March, because I want to see both. First up is the newest Doraemon movie (I reviewed the most recent one after watching it on my flight to Japan), Doraemon: Nobita's Art World Tales, in which Doraemon, Nobita, and friends jump into a painting and go on an adventure. These movies don't seem to make it to the US usually, so I don't know when I'll get to see it, but in Japan, it hits theaters on March 7. (This is the 44th Doraemon movie!!)

On March 14, Mononoke Second Chapter: Hinezumi opens in Japanese theaters. I reviewed the first film at Animation is Film (it's on Netflix for those curious). It was trippy, a little hard to follow, but very cool. I'll definitely need to rewatch it before seeing this one, which continues the adventures of the mysterious medicine man. If it follows the previous film's release pattern, we will hopefully see it on Netflix in a few months.

Mononoke Second Chapter: Hinezumi

Awards

March 2 is the Oscars! Both of the animation categories are a bit tough to predict. Popular wisdom says The Wild Robot will win on the Feature side, but Flow is so popular and beloved that it could pull out a win (I'm cheering, of couse, for Memoir of a Snail). For the shorts, I really don't know what to expect. My favorite is Wander to Wonder, which could win but might be a little too bleak. Beautiful Men could be the one to beat.

Festivals

I want to mention two festivals that are starting right at the end of February and going into March. First is the New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF), which always has a killer lineup of both animated and live-action films. I think the timing of the fest helps -- far enough into the year but a few months before Annecy -- so I'm always impressed by what they bring. This year, some highlights include Opening Night selection Hola, Frida, an animated film about Frida Kahlo; Michel Gondry's return to animation, Maya, Give Me a Title; and Savages, from Claude Barras (My Life as a Zucchini). I'll be doing some coverage from afar, but if you're in NYC, try to make it to the fest, which runs through March 16.

Hola, Frida

Already going in Brussels is Anima, which runs through March 9. They have a really amazing program, as well, including a lot of titles I've been fortunate enough to review here already, like Living Large, Flow, and Black Butterflies. They also have a lot I want to see, like Into the Wonderwoods and Fureru. I'm trying to see if I can get any screeners from this fest to review, but it's always a little trickier with overseas festivals.

Into the Wonderwoods