1. A Smart, Yet Not Cynical Family Movie
The idea of propping up an animated film with pop culture references and sight gags is a crutch that animated films are far too willing to exploit these days, especially when aimed at children. When the teaser trailer opened, it raised fears that they may be going the same route, with an extended reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, seconds in the music was cut and deliberately replaced with the classic Peanuts theme. It is almost as if the filmmakers knew what the Peanuts fans were fearing would come from a modern take on Peanuts, and they were keen on convincing the audience they had no intention of modernizing it. It was refreshing to see in the trailer the classic Peanuts embraced without any postmodern cynicism, a goal confirmed by numerous interviews with the filmmakers. And now to the more pessimistic part of the list...