The problem is that every time people have deviated from the Disney playbook in hand-drawn animation, they've done so with staff that are nowhere near Disney-level talent or Disney-level budgets.
Brad BirdLook, it's a mainstream animated movie, and how often are those considered thought provoking? It's meant to be a great time at the theater, but it's also designed to work on more than one level
Brad BirdBut I don't just see the movie when I see the movie, I see all the great people who worked on it and all their hard work, because they could not have worked any harder.
Brad Bird