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I have seen all three Academy Award nominated animated films, and they are good!  Usually there is a stinker in there that I pray won't win despite its popularity.  Something Like Shrek 2, or another mediocre computer animated mind-number.  This year, the animation is all retro!  We have clamation and cell animation.  No computer stuff.  I loved The Incredibles, but there is a lot of lame-o computer stuff out now.  This year, we get another great cell animated film from Myazaki, a Tim Burton stop-motion beauty and a full-length Wallace and Gromet claymation feature.          

Howl's Moving Castle is not Miyazaki's best work, but it is still pretty damn good.  The characters are quirky and the story unique, so if you like Miyazaki, give it a shot.  The only reason it looks like a lesser work is that Spirited Away was so well done.  Howl's Moving Castle is based on a Japanese children's book, and man does it look cool.  I have the region 2 japanese disc, but definately get the Disney release once it is available if you enjoy Miyazaki.

The Corpse Bride is quite possibly as well done as a claymation or stop-motion feature can get.  Technically, it is flawless.  The charcater designs are great and I love the color palette of the world of the living and the world of the dead.  It is far better animated than The Nightmare Before Christmas, but the songs are far superior in Nightmare.  Still, this is a great film and highly recommended for those who enjoy the Tim Burton look.

 Wallace and Gromet:The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is another very funny adventure of the mad-inventor team.   The log-suffering Gromet is the brains of the operation and Wallace quests for cheese.  In fact, in an earlier short, he goes to the moon to eat the cheese there!  The comedic timing and action pieces are great in all of Wallace and Gromet's adventures.  The Rube Goldberg devices used throughout are very clever and often laugh out loud funny.  The characters are very simple and not nearly as technically accomplished at The Corpse Bride, but when Wallace wears a cardboad box to hide his nakedness and the box is labeled, "May Contain Nuts"... It's hard not to blow milk out of your nose.  There are a lot of small sight gags like this throughout, so be alert and observant.

 All are great, so whichever one wins the Oscar.... GREAT!  Tim Burton's Corpse Bride is my personal fave, but wouldn't it be cool for Wallace and Gromet to get it!  Miyazaki has already got one.  I don't know who to root for, but you can't go wrong by renting any of these!  I wish all of life's choices were between three great options.