Turbo
Release date: July 17 Oscar prospects: Slight It wouldn't be the month of July without at least two releases of animated features. I don't have any kids myself, but I guess parents must really have the need to silence their urchins for an hour or so during the sweltering summer months, because the season is always chock-full of family friendly films. Turbo, the latest offering from Dreamworks Animation Studios, tells the tale of the titular Turbo, your typical garden snail until a freak accident gives the laborious creature the oxymoronic power of speed. This new found fleetness allows Turbo a realistic shot at achieving his life-long dream: winning the Indy 500. The film includes the voice work of an obligatorily starry cast, including Ryan Reynolds (pulling double duty at multiplexes that weekend), Paul Giamatti, Michael Pena, Luiz Guzman, and of course, Samuel L. Jackson. In terms of the awards season, the film obliviously only has a shot in one category: Best Animated Feature. Even in this category though, I don't think its prospects are all that strong. You have to figure that Pixar's annual release, this year the sequel Monsters University, Disney's other animated movie, Frozen, and Universal's Despicable Me 2 all rank ahead of Turbo in the race for Best Animated Feature. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Turbo ends up behind Dreakworks Studios' own The Croods in the positioning for Oscars, which would mean even if the category ends up with five slots this year, Turbo will most likely not be one of the chosen few. Possible nominations: Best Animated Feature