The underwater world exposed: (Top) A scene from Finding Nemo. (Above) Oscar, Lenny and Angie in Shark Tale

Toy Story made the proverbial big bang at the box-office but Toy Story 2 did even better. Shrek was an instant hit, while Shrek 2 raked in the moolah by the multi-millions. Finding Nemo was a sell-out and Shark Tale is gobbling up competition in theatres. The Incredibles is giving big-budget Hollywood blockbusters a run for their money across the Atlantic.

Ants, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc, Ice Age ? animation has come a long way from Disney?s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Even 2D classics like Beauty and the Beast, Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado and Pocahontas ? long considered purely kiddie flicks ? are taking a backseat to the 3D kind.

But be it the Indian 2D film The Legend of Buddha, the Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, or the 3D digital computer-generated blockbusters from well-known Hollywood banners (Paramount, DreamWorks, Warner), the genre is now right up there, competing for Academy Awards by the bag fulls. They are even sharing screen space at film festivals like Venice, Sundance and London, often premiering with rave reviews.

It all began with Pixar?s Toy Story in 1995. This was the one that set the computerised animation brigade rolling, winning a special Oscar for a breakthrough film. But animation has since made major headway in filmdom, having captured the imagination of kids and grown-ups alike. Smart, sassy and sexy, they?re fun for the children but with enough subtle humour to appeal to the adults.

And boy, do they drag in the big names for the voiceovers! From Tom Hanks and Sharon Stone to Robert De Niro and Angelina Jolie. Even Bollywood biggies are jumping on the animation bandwagon, with Shah Rukh Khan lending his voice to Mr Incredible.

OSCAR RUN

• Toy Story, 1995: Three nominations. Won a special award for being a breakthrough film • Monsters Inc, 2001: Five nominations. Won Best Song. • Shrek, 2001: Two nominations. Won Best Animated Feature • Finding Nemo, 2003: Four nominations. Won Best Animated Feature • The Incredibles, 2004: Set to rock the Oscars next year

This winter, there are two more offerings on the big screen, with the Christmas special Polar Express and then SpongeBob SquarePants, based on the Nickelodeon cartoon, post-Rugrats and Jimmy Neutron success. Pixar Animation Studio, meanwhile, is working on its seventh venture, Cars.

From being on the sidelines, animation is now very much a part of the mainstream movie industry. Disney tried in 1992 to convince the Academy Awards to accept Robin Williams as a candidate for his voiceover as the genie in Aladdin to no avail, although he did get a special award at the Golden Globe. But now there are animation categories at most awards.

Although 2D animation is being pushed aside by 3D ? even India has taken the computerised route with the first film, X and I, currently under production in Bangalore, to be released next year ? there?s enough still to go around. But there?s no denying the big-bucks boom of 3D animation films and its huge influence on viewers. Robert De Niro?s portrayal of a mafia don yet again in, among other films, Shark Tale, drew criticism from Italian quarters.

As for the financial angle, there?s no stopping the box-office success. Toy Story earned over $400 million, making an indelible mark. Monsters Inc earned over $230 million in the US itself. Shrek 2 broke several records, earning nearly $12 million on the first day itself, and over $125 million before the first week was out, beating the Lord of the Rings record.

The Incredibles has knocked most films off the top spot so far, and Shark Tale is still going strong, having earned about $200 million internationally. Animation is here to stay.