emwee609

The Fox and the Bird is a hyper-realistic animated short about a hungry fox who stumbles upon a helpless hatchling. Instead of eating it, the fox begins feeding it and soon steps into the role of a parent. The story is heartfelt and uplifting, told entirely without dialogue since all characters are animals. The tall, slim design of the two protagonists is striking, especially in contrast to the rounder shapes of the story's villains. Once again, the animation and visual quality are stellar-something that keeps you fully engaged from start to finish.

Mechanical is an animated short about two robots working in a junkyard-until they decide to escape after a tyrannical crane becomes obsessed with control and power. It's clearly influenced by WALL·E, but not in a bad way; the robots are relatable, and their expressions and intentions come across well. The short also leans into retro-futuristic aesthetics, especially in the design of the domineering crane, which borders on steampunk. It's a nice story about friendship and sacrifice, though I'm generally not too fond of cliffhanger endings.

A battle droid from a long-gone war wakes up in a peaceful, vibrant new world-but is there still a place or purpose for it? That's essentially the plot of this animated short. While the story isn't particularly unique, the visuals are absolutely stunning: richly colorful, top-tier quality, especially in the nature scenes. The way the robot slowly realizes that the war-torn world it once knew no longer exists-yet continues to act according to its old programming-is surprisingly heartfelt.