If I make an animated movie where all characters and animation is mine, right? but I use video game music that's straight out of video games throughout the whole movie and show it in theaters worldwide. Is it illegal?
"VGM" is pretty vague and pretty much covers every genre. That'd be like saying you only like music that are in movies or whatever else.
Generaly "cartoonists" aren't the ones who manage the music either so you wouldn't really have to worry about that. There are animators who just animate the whole thing, the storyboard artists that pretty much just lay down the outline, the storyboard writers that write out the story, and then a musician or two that handle all the background music.
Ditto. I really enjoy the creepy Metroid music. Like Tourian. Ever since I defeated MB on Zero Mission and gained Power Bombs, I've gone down to Tourian and paused the game. The without-a-dent part, of course. I don't exactly like the post-boss music too much. Though I'll sometimes run down to places like Kraid's Lair or that room with the Super Missile door in the Mother Ship. (You know, the one that you pass by in the Zero Suit?) Then I'll pause the game there. I seriously hate the Zero Suit sequence. I hate having to hide. But it's interesting. Anyway, yes. It's illegal to just TAKE video game music and call it your own. Just ask the company who made it if you can use it. Then in the credits, say that they supplied you with the music. That way it's not illegal. But only if you do that.