I recently saw the CGI animated film Over the Hedge. I'd not read the comic strip upon which it is based, but like any good adaptation, it didn't seem necessary to enjoy the film.
And enjoy it I did! Like most good animated films, it had plenty of content aimed at kids and adults alike. It was fun to pick out the well-known actors' voices, especially those not typically associated with animation, such as Bruce Willis and Avril Lavigne. Of course, one of the dangers of such top-tier talent is the difficulty disassociating them from their images. They played to William Shatner's and Eugene Levy's nicely, but I had a hard time not seeing "The Verminator" character, played by Thomas Haden Church, as akin to Lowell from Wings (or perhaps even Spider-Man 3's Sandman?).
I was a bit disappointed the film didn't have a stronger moral, though. Wikipedia suggests that, unlike the 1994 animated Japanese film Pom Poko, Over the Hedge "does not… develop the themes of environmentalism or anti-urbanization." OTOH, perhaps that's my own political beliefs viewing a missed opportunity; such may've been misplaced in "just a cartoon" (as some felt it was in Happy Feet).
In November, when I expressed a conflict between seeing Casino Royale or Happy Feet, a group of "adults" mocked me for even considering the latter, especially since I have no grandchildren with whom to see it. I'm disappointed that people are willing to judge, and thus limit themselves, art based on the medium. Something being animated does not necessarily make it a "cartoon"; just watch Richard Adams' Watership Down or Plague Dogs — as a friend of mine recently did, commenting, "I can't believe anyone would let their kids watch this!" (which she thought they would, since it's "just a cartoon", right?) Comic books, video games, Dungeons & Dragons — they too have been criticized by outsiders. Until they learn, I'll happily continue enjoying these media, while the critics don't even know what they're missing…
My wife and I have always treated animated movies as just another style of movie-making. If anything, there is a greater chance we will go to see an animated movie.
For a while, Disney made the majority of animated movies. Unfortunately, towards the end of that era they were losing some of their sparkle as they became a little too formulaic, and a little TOO cautious (aka "family friendly").
But in recent times, initially inspired by Pixar, the genre has taken on a whole new life. It's no coincidence that some of the highest grossing movies have been animated – they were simply very enjoyable entertainment events!
Does this mean EVERY animated movie is a success? Of course not, no more than every live action movie is successful. And in both cases, that can be despite impeccable production and cast pedigrees.
Finally, certainly not all animated movies are for kids. My wife still regrets seeing Watership Down, and Fritz the Cat (1972) was MOST certainly not for children! :-)
I just remembered one of my favorite parts of Over the Hedge: the dog! Most films, such as Watership Down, hint at a very dangerous dog, before it finally arrives with glowing red eyes and dripping fangs. The hints here are the same, but the dog is much more akin to my actual experiences with canines, and is more appropriate for the setting in which Hedge finds itself. What a fun character! :-)