Top Animated Movies

Must Watch Films

#100: An American Tail (1986)

For decades, Disney dominated family-friendly feature animation in the U.S. market. Even as Disney hit hard times, few saw reason to compete. That was until former Disney animator Don Bluth threw his hat into the ring. Teaming with executive producer Steven Spielberg, Bluth’s second feature became the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film for a period, proving there was room for another juggernaut. To an extent, Bluth’s journey mirrored Fievel Mousekewitz’s immigration from Russia to America. Both left everything behind to pursue a better future. That better future isn’t easily earned with new challenges around every corner. It’s worth powering through those hardships to arrive at the happy ending. The beginning of Fievel’s new life in America coincided with Bluth’s solidification as an animation legend.

#99: Despicable Me (2010)

Some would argue that there’s a difference between an animated feature and a cartoon. Illumination’s debut provided the missing link, as well as the best of both worlds. Despicable Me possessed the first-rate animation and A-list voice cast you’d expect from a feature, but the humor consisted of slapstick usually reserved for seven-minute shorts. While much of the plot is an excuse for jokes, Despicable Me doesn’t overstay its welcome. In fact, it had remarkable staying power, spawning the highest-grossing animated film franchise thanks to Gru and especially his scene-stealing Minions. Not bad. With enough heartfelt moments to balance the laughs, Illumination found its niche as the people’s animation studio, maybe not breaking new technical or thematic ground, but always entertaining the masses with glee.

#98: Nimona (2023)

With Disney’s acquisition of Fox, it wasn’t long until the sun prematurely set on Blue Sky Studios. Nimona, which was reportedly around 75% completed, seemed like collateral damage. Through Annapurna, Netflix, and DNEG Animation, though, directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane brought Nimona to the finish line, giving Blue Sky a proper bookend. Like its titular antihero, the film is anything but conventional. That might be why Disney didn’t want it, but audiences celebrated Nimona’s rebelliousness. As edgy as the film can be, it also seeks to normalize aspects of life that shouldn’t be seen as taboo. What’s different isn’t monstrous until society labels it as so. Rather than force every person into a box, Nimona encourages us to explore everything we can be.

#97: The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)

A certain movie about a princess and seven dwarfs is often cited as the first animated feature. While that was the first cel animated feature, as well as the first made in the U.S., several filmmakers took a crack at this ambitious idea beforehand. Many predecessors were sadly lost, but The Adventures of Prince Achmed has been preserved almost a century later. The oldest surviving animated feature, Prince Achmed is distinguished by director Lotte Reiniger’s cutout animation, which continues to inspire modern animators like Rebecca Sugar. Just as integral was the cinematography courtesy of Reiniger’s husband Carl Koch, who operated an early version of the multiplane camera. Ahead of her time in more ways than one, Reiniger’s silhouettes opened a door to infinite wonder.

#96: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Upon release, Disney hadn’t produced an animated feature quite like One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Its setting, sound, and look were considerably more modern with a UPA influence. The film embraced modern technology as well, going all in on the Xerox process that allowed animators to transfer drawings straight to cels, no longer having to ink by hand. This proved especially practical in a production consisting of 6,469,952 spots. As contemporary as the film was in these respects, it was equally timeless with characters we remember decades later. Few villains are more memorable than Cruella De Vil, an ideal marriage between Betty Lou Gerson’s eccentric voiceover performance and animation by Marc Davis, who reminds us that animators are actors in their own right.

#95: The Simpsons Movie (2007)

What makes you feel older, that The Simpsons Movie took 18 years to reach theaters or that it’s been almost another 18 years since the film’s release? Either way, the hype was astronomical, and not only due to the buildup. Matt Groening’s creation remained the yellow standard for primetime animation even with the rockier modern seasons. The movie recaptured that classic Simpsons spark, bringing back several key writers and veteran director David Silverman. The story raised the physical and emotional stakes. For a film featuring Bart skateboard streaking, it’s surprisingly emotional with Julie Kavner recording a particular scene over 100 times. The dome might’ve added a cinematic element, but Marge’s tear-jerking video message elevated this from a long episode to a movie.

#94: Fritz the Cat (1972)

Decades before The Simpsons broke new ground for adult animation on TV, Ralph Bakshi pulled off a similar feat theatrically. Of course, where The Simpsons has its family values, Fritz the Cat is strictly for the grown-up crowd. So much so that it was the first U.S. animated feature to warrant an X rating. While never skimping on sex, drugs, swearing, violence, and animal nudity, it also tackled timely subjects like race, counterculture, and free love, mirroring the era with gritty surrealism. The film was just as influential for independent animation, grossing nearly $90 million on a $700,000 budget. Although based on R. Crumb’s underground comix, a film this bold, unhinged, and appropriately all over the map could only stem from Ralph Bakshi.

#93: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)

For a franchise infused with 80s and 90s culture, Ninja Turtles has proven surprisingly timeless, adapting to every era with a twist. Mutant Mayhem is classic Turtles, but it also manages to be something more. Director Jeff Rowe brings a fresh aesthetic to the series with the rough edges of notebook doodles brought to life through state-of-the-art animation. The film overflows with top-tier voice talent, including Jackie Chan as Splinter and producer Seth Rogen as Bebop. Yet, it’s the playful camaraderie between the four central voice actors that captures the theme of brotherhood and the teenage experience. Echoing John Hughes, this is a coming-of-age story that reflects how every teenager feels like a reptilian mutant at some point.

#92: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

A buddy road trip comedy with the spirit of a Looney Tune, The Emperor’s New Groove couldn’t have been more different than the musical epic that Disney initially envisioned. Given its turbulent production, the film had no right being even remotely good. Yet, this new direction didn’t just work. Mark Dindal delivered one of the funniest and most unique entries in the Disney library, showing a capacity for slapstick and self-aware humor that few realized the studio had. The voice cast took every joke to the next level with Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton making for one of our favorite villainous duos. Whenever we’re in a funk, we can always rely on this film to put a smile on our faces.

#91: Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (2021)

Gege Akutami’s best-selling manga, Jujutsu Kaisen, paved the way for an anime series that premiered in 2020. That story’s prologue, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, was also supposed to be covered on the small screen. Seeing the potential to flesh out the story, studio MAPPA chose to pursue the theatrical feature route. The increased budget is evident in the film’s haunting backgrounds, detailed character designs, and the most intense action the franchise has seen. It’s a welcome instruction for newcomers, plunging them into a world where talking pandas and guys who speak in spice bowl ingredients are the norm. As absurd as that sounds, there’s more to the story than meets the eye with themes of loss, trauma, and turning our curses into gifts.

#90: Big Hero 6 (2014)
After Marvel’s acquisition in 2009, some feared the comic book juggernaut would undergo Disneyfication. The MCU proved otherwise, but what happens when you combine Disney’s heart, humor, and first-rate animation with Marvel’s superhero action? You get the Oscar-winning Big Hero 6. Just as the backdrop blends elements of San Francisco and Tokyo into a dazzling urban fusion, this film seamlessly merges two entertainment giants into one. While the film feels 50% Marvel and 50% Disney, it isn’t like anything either brand has attempted before or since. Adding to its one-of-a-kind nature is a clear appreciation of anime, unlocking the best of the Eastern and Western worlds. It also gave us an instant animation icon in Baymax, a robot with limited expressions, but all the feels.

#89: The Land Before Time (1988)

The Land Before Time is a 1988 theatrical animated film, directed by Don Bluth (with production based around his Ireland-based studio), and executive-produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Originally released by Universal Studios and Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, it features anthropomorphic dinosaurs living in a somewhat fantasy-based version of prehistoric earth. The plot concerns a young Longneck named Littlefoot, who is lost when his mother is killed by a Sharptooth. Littlefoot flees famine and upheaval to search for the "Great Valley", an area which has been spared devastation. On his journey, he meets four young companions: Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike. The film explores issues of prejudice between the different species and the hardships they endure in their journey as they are guided by the spirit of Littlefoot's mother.

#88: The Princess and the Frog (2009)
The Princess and the Frog is a 2009 American animated film loosely inspired by E.D. Baker's novel The Frog Princess and the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale The Frog Prince. The film opened in limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on November 25, 2009, followed by its wide release on December 11, 2009. It is the 49th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, and the first to be traditionally-animated since 2004's Home on the Range. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (best known for The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), with songs and score composed by Randy Newman. Tiana, the main character, is also notable as Disney's first African-American princess.

#87: Happy Feet (2006)
Happy Feet is a 2006 Australian-American computer-animated musical family film, directed and co-written by George Miller. It was produced at Sydney-based visual effects and animation studio Animal Logic for Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures and Kingdom Feature Productions and was released in North American theaters on November 17, 2006. It is the first animated film produced by Kennedy Miller in association with visual effects/design company Animal Logic.

#86: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Wreck-It Ralph is the titular protagonist of the Wreck-It Ralph film series. Standing at 9ft tall and weighing 643 pounds (291.6 kilograms), Ralph is a heavyweight, heavy-handed wrecker who acts as the villain (or "bad-guy") of Fix-It Felix Jr., a video game in Litwak's Arcade. True to his name, Ralph is depicted as a large, middle-aged man whose temper and unbridled strength are typically the impetus for destruction. In an affront to his programming, Ralph longed to be appreciated by his peers, which manifested in a roguish dream to become a "good guy".

#85: Yellow Submarine (1968)

This animated jukebox musical was conceived as a way for the Beatles to fulfill a contract obligation without appearing on screen. While the Fab Four do show up for a live-action cameo, their animated counterparts are voiced by other performers. Considering its background, Yellow Submarine could’ve been phoned in. The results were revolutionary, however. Heinz Edelmann’s art direction changed how various people viewed animation, calling to mind what you’d find in a museum of modern art. Although younger fans could appreciate the music and visuals, Yellow Submarine was truly for an older audience who could grasp the psychedelic overtones and undertones. Just as the Beatles awakened many musically, Yellow Submarine opened numerous eyes to what animation could be in this new age of experimentation.

#84: Cats Don’t Dance (1997)
Cats Don't Dance is a 1997 American animated musical comedy film distributed by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment & notable as the only fully animated feature produced by Turner Feature Animation. This studio was merged during the post-production of Cats Don't Dance into Warner Bros. Animation after the merger of Time Warner with Turner Broadcasting System in 1996. Turner Feature Animation had also produced the animated portions of Turner's The Pagemaster (1994). The film was the directorial debut of former Disney animator Mark Dindal and stars the voices of Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, Matthew Herried, Ashley Peldon, John Rhys-Davies, Kathy Najimy, Don Knotts, Hal Holbrook, Betty Lou Gerson (in her final film role), René Auberjonois, George Kennedy, and Dindal. Its musical numbers were written by Randy Newman and includes Gene Kelly's contributions as choreographer, before his death in 1996. The film was Kelly's final film project which is dedicated to him.

#83: Meet the Robinsons (2007)
Meet the Robinsons is a 2007 computer-animated film and the 47th film in the Disney Animated Canon. It is loosely based on the 1990 children's book A Day with Wilbur Robinson by William Joyce, who also worked on the film's art design and executive produced with John Lasseter and Clark Spencer. The film was preceded by the 1953 short film Working for Peanuts in theatrical 3D screenings, and with the 1938 short film Boat Builders in theatrical standard screenings.

#82: A Goofy Movie (1995)
A Goofy Movie is a 1995 animated musical adventure comedy-drama film, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and released to theaters by Walt Disney Pictures. It features the characters from The Disney Afternoon television series Goof Troop and is explicitly part of the show's canon. It can also be considered a road trip movie. The film's plot revolves around the father-son relationship between Goofy and Max heading for disaster as they struggle to find common ground. Max is persistent in having his own life and winning the girl of his dreams, Roxanne. Meanwhile, Goofy worries that Max is headed for a life of delinquency. As a result, they go on a road trip across the United States so both can strengthen their bond. A direct-to-video sequel, titled An Extremely Goofy Movie, was released in 2000.

#81: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut is the first South Park feature film. It was released in the United States and Canada on June 30, 1999, a direct two years after the series' broadcast, becoming the fastest TV-to-film adaptation in history. It received positive reviews, stating it is "brilliant in its own twisted way." Though it amassed $83.1 million at the box office, this is commendable considering that it was, for its time, the highest-grossing animated movie to be rated "R". The film, a musical, contrasting the Disney Renaissance, containing memorable songs, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song for "Blame Canada".

#80: The Lego Movie (2014)

The Lego Movie can call itself an Oscar nominee thanks to the infinitely catchy Everything Is Awesome. As far as Best Animated Feature goes, though, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s audience favorite may be the most gaping omission in the category’s history. Much like how protagonist Emmet is initially written off as an average construction worker, some refuse to see the film as anything more than a toy commercial. The story takes advantage of the Lego name, however, using every building block to construct an imaginative, funny, and heartwarming story that embraces individuality over conformity. It may be simple on the surface, but behind the yellow plastic is something truly special. Plus, who doesn’t love Lego Batman?

#79: Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated adventure-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is co-directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush, and produced by Clark Spencer. It is the 55th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon. It was released on March 4, 2016 in the United States and Canada, and February 13, 2016 in Belgium. The film received widespread critical acclaim, with a lot of praise directed towards the film's animation, voice acting, characters, humor, screenplay, and themes about discrimination and social stereotypes. The film was also a massive box office success, grossing $1.023 billion worldwide against its $150 million budget and ranked as the second highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios film at the time of release, after 2013's Frozen. A theme park attraction inspired by the film has been announced for Shanghai Disneyland, while a short series based on the film premiered on Disney+ in 2022.

#78: Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Lilo & Stitch is an American animated science fiction comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002. The 42nd animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, it was written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and features the voices of Chris Sanders, Daveigh Chase, Tia Carrere, David Ogden Stiers, Kevin McDonald, Ving Rhames, Jason Scott Lee, and Kevin Michael Richardson. Lilo & Stitch was the second of three Disney animated features produced primarily at the Florida animation studio located at Walt Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. Lilo & Stitch was nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, which ultimately went to Hayao Miyazaki's film Spirited Away, which was also distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and featured a voice-over performance by Chase and Stiers in the English dub. It is one of the few Disney Animated Canon films to have an original story. The film is a big blockbuster critical, financial and commercial success. The 2002 film eventually started a franchise: a direct-to-video sequel, Stitch! The Movie was released on August 26, 2003. This was followed by a television series, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, which ran from September 20, 2003, to July 29, 2006. A second direct-to-video sequel, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, was released on August 30, 2005. A third and final sequel, Leroy & Stitch, aired on June 23, 2006 on Disney Channel and released for DVD four days later on June 27, served as the conclusion to the TV series. A second television series, an anime titled Stitch!, was made for the Japanese market and ran in Japan from October 8, 2008, to June 19, 2011, with two post-series specials broadcast in 2012 and 2015. It was dubbed to English with an entirely different voice cast from the rest of the franchise, with said dub first airing in 2009. A third television series, a Chinese animated series called Stitch & Ai, was made for the People's Republic of China and had the production assistance of American animators. Stitch & Ai was produced in English first then dubbed into Mandarin Chinese. The thirteen episodes of the Mandarin dub aired in March 2017. The original English version of the Chinese series aired in February 2018, again with none of the original voice actors from the films or first TV series returning. Both of the latter two shows shift the tone of the franchise from "soft" science fiction to science fantasy and controversially remove franchise title character Lilo Pelekai as a main character; she is replaced by Yuna Kamihara in the anime and Wang Ai Ling in the Chinese series. A live-action imagining based on the 2002 animation, and directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, will be released in theaters on May 23, 2025.

#77: Metropolis (2001)

Metropolis is a 2001 anime film and loosely based on the 1949 Metropolis manga created by the late Osamu Tezuka, The Anime is based on the 1927 german silent film Metropolis. The 2 films do not share plot elements and some scenes are also shown in the film. The anime, however, does draw aspects of its storyline directly from the 1927 film. The anime had an all-star production team, including renowned anime director Rintaro, Akira creator Katsuhiro Otomo as script writer, and animation by Madhouse Studios with conceptual support from Tezuka Productions. In the United States, the anime was given a PG-13 rating by the MPAA for "violence and images of destruction" and TV-14-LV rating when it aired on Adult Swim.

#76: Klaus (2019)
Klaus is a 2019 English-language Spanish animated Christmas film written and directed by Sergio Pablos in his directorial debut,[2] produced by his company Sergio Pablos Animation Studios and distributed by Netflix. Co-written by Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney, and co-directed by Carlos Martinez Lopez, the traditionally animated film stars the voices of Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Sergio Pablos, Norm Macdonald, and Joan Cusack. Serving as an alternate origin story of Santa Claus independent from the historical take of Saint Nicholas of Myra and using a fictional 19th-century setting, the plot revolves around a postman stationed in an island town to the Far North who befriends a reclusive toymaker (Klaus). The film was nominated for an Oscar. Klaus was released on 8 November 2019 and received positive reviews for its animation, story, and vocal performances. It won seven awards at the 47th Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature, and also won Best Animated Film at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards. The film was also nominated at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, making it the first animated film from Netflix to be nominated for an Academy Award, as well as the first animated film from a streaming service to be nominated, alongside I Lost My Body,[3] but lost to Toy Story 4.

#75: James and the Giant Peach (1996)
This adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book may open in live-action, but even these scenes have an animated sentiment with storybook-esque production design. It isn’t long until James is given a stop-motion makeover alongside a cast of the most lovable insects you’re inclined to ever meet, each with a well-defined personality and design. The titular giant peach, while not sentient, also has a life of its own, making for one of the most atmospheric sets in stop-motion. This material was tailor-made for director Henry Selick, who crafts a dreamlike world that’s simultaneously eerie and whimsical. Like The Wizard of Oz, the film wasn’t a financial success upon release, but it’s gone on to be rediscovered as a classic that may even surpass the source material.

#74: Peter Pan (1953)

Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated musical fantasy-adventure film produced by Walt Disney and based on the play, Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie. It is the 14th film in the Disney Animated Canon, and was originally released on February 5, 1953 by RKO Radio Pictures. Peter Pan is the final Disney animated feature released through RKO; future animated features would be released by Walt Disney's own distribution company, Buena Vista Film Distribution. It is also the final Disney film in which all nine members of Disney's Nine Old Men worked together as directing animators. It is also the second Disney animated film, starring Kathryn Beaumont, Heather Angel, and Bill Thompson, after their roles in the animated feature Alice in Wonderland. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival. A sequel titled Return to Never Land was released in 2002, and a series of direct-to-DVD prequels focusing on Tinker Bell began in 2008. A Disney Jr. television series featuring some of the characters, Jake and the Never Land Pirates, premiered in 2011. While not a big hit at first, it is considered to be one of the most well known Disney films of all time.

#73: The End of Evangelion (1997)
The End of EvangelionWP is the second film in the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, and the last anime release for the series until the Rebuild of Evangelion tetralogy. The film is an alternate ending to the TV series, taking place after Episode 24. The film was released on 19 July 1997. The film is divided into two approximately 45-minute episodes, each given a secondary English title by GAINAX just as with the TV series' episodes: "Episode 25': Air" and "Episode 26': Sincerely Yours". They are regarded by the producers as either an alternate ending to the TV series or a more detailed "real world" account of the TV series' original ending in Episodes 25 and 26, which takes place almost completely in the minds of the main characters (the style being largely shaped by time and budget restraints).

#72: I Lost My Body (2019)
The French animated fantasy drama “I Lost My Body” is one of the quirkiest features to come out of 2019. It’s consists of two fascinating halves that make up an interesting but not quite cohesive whole. It’s a movie that not only marches to its own beat but demands that viewers embrace it on its own terms. While I found that to be easier said than done, I can’t help but commend it for sticking to its visions and convictions. “I Lost My Body” received a strong reception after screening at the Cannes Film Festival and was picked up by Netflix. It’s an adaptation of Guillaume Laurant’s novel “Happy Hand” that sees director Jérémy Clapin (who co-write the screenplay with Laurant) taking two narratives which seem unrelated on the surface but are clearly working their way together. It makes for one oddly braided story.

#71: A Silent Voice (2016)
A Silent Voice is a 2016 Japanese animated drama film based on the manga of the same name by Yoshitoki Ōima. The film was produced by Kyoto Animation, directed by Naoko Yamada and written by Reiko Yoshida, featuring character designs by Futoshi Nishiya and music by Kensuke Ushio. Plans for an animated film adaptation were announced back in November 2014, Kyoto Animation was confirmed to produce the film in November 2015. Miyu Irino and Saori Hayami signed on as voice casting in May 2016 and the theatrical release poster and official trailer were released in July 2016. The film covers elements of coming of age and psychological drama, dealing with themes of bullying, disability, forgiveness, mental health, suicide, and friendship of opposite sexes. It follows the story of a former bully turned social outcast, who decides to reconnect and befriend the deaf girl he had bullied years prior. The film premiered at Tokyo on August 24, 2016. It was released in Japan on September 17, 2016, and worldwide between February and June 2017. The film received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise going to the direction, animation, voice acting, musical score and the psychological complexity of the characters. It has grossed over $30.5 million worldwide.

#70: Perfect Blue (1997)

Director Satoshi Kon blended reality and fantasy to the point that they felt interchangeable. While most of his films blurred the line between the two, each came with a distinct signature. In Perfect Blue, Kon tapped into the psychological thriller genre. The arresting story follows Mima Kirigoe, a singer-turned-actress embroiled in a murder plot and identity crisis as a stalker draws closer. The world becomes Mima’s stage, leaving us to guess whether she’s descending into madness, manipulation, or the performance of a lifetime. Despite denying claims that Perfect Blue inspired Black Swan, Darren Aronofsky eulogized Kon following his passing in 2010. Although Kon lost his life tragically young, he left behind a prolific body of work capped off with his swan song, Paprika.

#69: It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
It's Such a Beautiful Day is a 2012 American experimental animated drama film written, directed, animated, photographed, produced, and narrated by Don Hertzfeldt. It follows Bill, a stick figure who struggles with memory loss and surreal visions, among other symptoms of an unknown neurological problem. The film employs offbeat humor with its philosophical musings. It mostly consists of stick figures with stylized real-life footage sometimes appearing in split-screen windows that are photographed through multiple exposures. The film is divided into three chapters, all of which were originally released in theaters as animated short films: Everything Will Be OK (2006), I Am So Proud of You (2008), and It's Such a Beautiful Day (2011). The three short films collectively received over 90 film festival awards upon their original releases, including the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Prize for Everything Will Be OK. In 2012, the three chapters were combined and released as a new feature film. It's Such a Beautiful Day received widespread critical acclaim, with its experimental storytelling and surreal elements being singled out for praise. Many listed it as one of the best films of 2012, and it has since come to be widely regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time.

#68: The Secret of NIMH (1982)

The Secret of NIMH (alternatively spelled The Secret of N.I.M.H.) is a American 1982 animated action-fantasy film adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 book Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The title of the movie was later used for newer editions of the book. It was directed by Don Bluth as the first feature film he directed, produced by Aurora Pictures, and released by United Artists in the summer of 1982. It was followed in 1998 by a direct-to-video Bluthless sequel called The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, which was made without Don Bluth's input or consent. NIMH 2 has been and still is widely panned by fans of the first film (this film), due to its inaccuracy and changes of the first film's elements, which has made the sequel have a more juvenile tone and appearance.

#67: Mary and Max (2009)
A 2009 Australian clay-animated film written and directed by Adam Elliot. The emotionally powerful Mary and Max appears to have been overshadowed by such recent, better-known stop motions as Coraline and The Fantastic Mr. Fox, as well as the fact that it falls smack bang into the middle of the Animation Age Ghetto. Set in the 1970-90's, and supposedly Very Loosely Based on a True Story, Mary and Max tells the story of a friendship between two unlikely pen pals: Mary, a lonely 8-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, and Max, an obese 44-year old man living in New York City who is eventually diagnosed as having Asperger's Syndrome. The movie follows the story of their life and friendship over the course of Mary's childhood and adulthood. What appears to start out as a solely blackly humourous story soon turns into something quite dark and often very depressing, dealing with everything from parental neglect, to insecurity, to bullying, to suicide.

#66: Castle in the Sky (1986)

Castle in the Sky is the 2nd film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Tokuma Shoten. It is the first film created by Studio Ghibli and released on August 2, 1986, although it is considered the second by some, as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind was created by the founding members two years prior. During its theatrical release, it was screened alongside two compilation movies for Sherlock Hound, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, and Treasure Under the Sea. Miyazaki, who was forced to raise funds due to delays in the production of Isao Takahata's film The Story of Yanagawa's Canals, proposed this film after consulting Toshio Suzuki, who worked for Tokuma Shoten. Additionally, this was the first film that featured the profile of Totoro in the opening, despite being released before My Neighbor Totoro (1988).

#65: Loving Vincent (2017)

Every movie is technically a work of art, but rarely has that been more apparent than in Loving Vincent. Dorota Kobiela came from a painting background, setting out to make a seven-minute short after becoming enamored by Vincent van Gogh’s letters. During production, she married fellow filmmaker Hugh Welchman, who came on as a co-director after encouraging her to produce a feature. With the aid of 125 professional painters, they spent six years developing 65,000 oil frames. The outcome was the first painted animated feature, bringing van Gogh’s works to life. To those who don’t view animation as high art, every still from Loving Vincent could be displayed in a museum. Craft aside, it celebrates van Gogh in ways a live-action biopic never can.

#64: Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Alice in Wonderland is the 13th animated feature film produced by Walt Disney Productions in the Disney Animated Canon and was released to theaters on July 26, 1951 by RKO Radio Pictures. Lewis Carroll's books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass had only a few adaptations before this movie; this adaptation solved the problems of the setting by using animation (the next adaptation wouldn't come until 1972, two decades later). The film features the voices of Kathryn Beaumont as Alice (also the voice of Wendy Darling in the later Disney feature film, Peter Pan) and Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter. Made under the supervision of Walt Disney himself, this film and its animation are often regarded as some of the finest work in Disney studio history, despite the lackluster, even hostile, reviews it originally received, especially in the UK. Even many people behind the film, including Walt Disney himself, were unhappy with the final result, though it did receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. It gained popularity in the 1970s due to the "drug" culture fandom at the time, it was released in 1974, and then again in 1981. By the 1980s, the initial consensus proved to be outdated. One of the biggest cult classics in the animation medium, the film gained critical praise and became one of the most popular Disney films of all time, as well as one of the most commercially successful Disney films (ironically considering it's initial disappointment). Today it is not only universally considered the best film adaptation of Lewis Carrol's novel, but one of Disney's greatest classics.

#63: Hercules (1997)
Hercules is a 1997 animated musical comedy fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 35th film in the Disney Animated Canon and the eighth entry of the Disney Renaissance, Hercules was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The movie is based on Ancient Greco-Roman mythology, more specifically the adventures of Heracles (known in the movie by his Roman name, Hercules), the son of Zeus. Released on June 27, 1997, Hercules underperformed expectations during its theatrical release, only taking $252,712,101 at the box office worldwide. This was mainly due to competition from other studios. Though Hercules did not match its predecessors, it did receive positive reviews.

#62: The Red Turtle (2016)

The Red Turtle is a 2016 animated fantasy drama film directed by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit who co-wrote the film with French screenwriter Pascale Ferran. The film is an international co-production between Japanese anime company Studio Ghibli and several French companies, including Wild Bunch and Belvision. The film, which has no dialogue, tells the story of a man who becomes shipwrecked on an uninhabited island where his attempts at escape are repeatedly thwarted by a red turtle. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 69th Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2016. The film was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film for the 89th Academy Awards.

#61: Bambi (1942)
Bambi is a 1942 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi: A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten. The fifth film in the Disney Animated Canon, it was released by RKO Radio Pictures on August 21, 1942, during World War II. It is the last Disney animated film to be in a single-narrative format until nearly eight years later with Cinderella due to the decrease of resources in World War II causing the studio to make "package features" to stay the studio afloat for financial reasons. The main characters are Bambi, his parents (the Great Prince of the Forest and his unnamed mother), his friends, Thumper and Flower, his childhood friend, Faline, and the villain of the story, Man. The plot centers around Bambi learning to grow up in the forest after his mother is shot by Man. For the film, Disney took the liberty of changing Bambi's species into a white-tailed deer from his original species of roe deer, since roe deer do not inhabit the United States, and the white-tailed deer is more familiar to Americans. The film received three Academy Award nominations for Best Sound, Best Song for "Love is a Song" and Original Music Score. The film was a major catalyst in what people now see as "environmental films", as well as Walt Disney's favorite of his animated films, alongside Dumbo. In June 2008, the American Film Institute presented a list of its "10 Top 10", the best ten films in each of ten "classic" American film genres. After polling over 1,500 people from the creative community, the film placed third in animation. In December 2011, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant".

#60: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

The Great Hayao Miyazaki has given us numerous inventive characters, outdoing himself with this film’s titular castle. Nature and machinery are two of the most prominent themes in Miyazaki’s filmography. The moving castle encompasses both on a gigantic scale, roaming the countryside in all its magical, mechanical wonder. Although based on Diana Wynne Jones’ novel, Miyazaki was influenced more by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, touching upon war and pacifism. On a more personal level, protagonist Sophie embarks on a journey of self-discovery. She seeks out the wizard Howl to lift the curse on her, but Sophie truly saves him. Miyazaki has called this his favorite work and while we’d place a few of his films higher, Howl’s Moving Castle is an all-around astounding achievement.

#59: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (時をかける少女, Toki o Kakeru Shōjo) is a 2006 an animated science fiction romance film produced by Madhouse, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, and written by Satoko Okudera. Although the movie was not produced by Studio Chizu officially, it served as a foundation for the company's future.

#58: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 American animated musical comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released to theaters on June 21, 1996 by Walt Disney Pictures. The 34th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, the film is loosely based on Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, but changed most of its substance to make it more family-friendly. The plot centers on Esmeralda, a Romani dancer; Claude Frollo, a powerful and ruthless Minister of Justice who lusts after her and plans to commit genocide by killing all of the Roma that live in Paris; Quasimodo, the protagonist, Notre Dame's kindhearted and deformed bell-ringer, who adores Esmeralda; and Phoebus, the chivalrous but irreverent military captain, who holds affections for Esmeralda. The film was directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, directors of Beauty and the Beast, and produced by Don Hahn, producer of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. The animation screenplay was written by Irene Mecchi and Jonathan Roberts, who had previously worked on The Lion King, and Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker, and Noni White, who would go on to write the screenplay for Tarzan. For The songs for the musical film were composed by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz and the film featured the voices of Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers, Tony Jay, and Mary Wickes (in her final film role). It belongs to the era known as the Disney Renaissance. The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered on June 19, 1996 at the New Orleans Superdome and was released worldwide on June 21, 1996. It received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, earning over $325 million worldwide. A direct-to-video sequel The Hunchback of Notre Dame II was released in 2002. A darker, Gothic stage adaption of the film was re-written and directed by James Lapine and produced by Walt Disney Theatrical in Berlin, Germany as Der Glöckner von Notre Dame that ran from 1999 to 2002.

#57: Mulan (1998)
Mulan is a 1998 animated musical comedy-adventure drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures on June 19, 1998. The 36th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon and the ninth film in the Disney Renaissance, the film is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, and was the first of three produced primarily at the animation studio at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida. It was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with the story by Robert D. San Souci and Rita Hsiao, among others. While the film today is very popular among the millennial generation, many of which praise it for being the most progressive Disney Princess film, the film did only modestly well at the box office; its success did not quite reach the standards of previous Disney Renaissance movies, such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.

#56: The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

The Triplets of Belleville (Template:Lang-fr) is a 2003 animated comedy film written and directed by Sylvain Chomet. It was released as Belleville Rendez-vous in the United Kingdom. The film is Chomet's first feature film and was an international co-production among companies in France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Canada. The film features the voices of Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Michel Robin, and Monica Viegas; there is little dialogue, the majority of the film story being told through song and pantomime. It tells the story of Madame Souza, an elderly woman who goes on a quest to rescue her grandson Champion, a Tour de France cyclist, who has been kidnapped by the French mafia for gambling purposes and taken to the city of Belleville. She is joined by the Triplets of Belleville, music hall singers from the 1930s, whom she meets in the city, and her obese hound, Bruno. The film was highly praised by audiences and critics for its unique style of animation. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards — Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Belleville Rendez-vous". It was also screened out of competition (hors concours) at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

#55: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

No U.S. animation house is doing more exciting things with stop-motion today than the Oregon-based Laika, a successor to Will Vinton Studios. Laika co-founder Travis Knight made his feature directorial debut with Kubo and the Two Strings, which marries the studio’s signature stop-motion with the essence of an anime. It achieves this with an art style that draws from origami, ink-wash painting, and woodblock printing. These ancient techniques go hand in hand with cutting-edge effects, earning the team one of two Oscar nominations. The original story feels as if it could’ve been passed down through generations, creating a layered lore that doesn’t overshadow the endearing characters. Winning the BAFTA, Kubo is the kind of epic we only get once in a blue moon.

#54: The Breadwinner (2017)
The Breadwinner is a 2017 animated drama film from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon directed by Nora Twomey. Based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, the film was an international co-production among Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg, and received a limited release on 17 November 2017. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The Breadwinner received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards, but lost to Coco.

#53: Millennium Actress (2001)

Millennium Actress (千年女優 Sennen Joyū) is a 2001 Japanese anime by director Satoshi Kon and animated by the Studio Madhouse. It tells the story of a documentary filmmaker investigating the life of an elderly actress in which reality and cinema become blurred. It is based on the life of Setsuko Hara.

#52: Tarzan (1999)
Tarzan is a 1999 film animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. The 37th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, it's based upon the Tarzan of the Apes novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and is the only major motion picture version of the Tarzan property to be animated. Tarzan is considered by many to be the last major box office success of the Disney Renaissance before the studio's decline in the early to mid 2000s (sometimes known as Disney's "Second Dark Age"). When it was released on June 18, 1999, its production budget of $130 million made it the most expensive animated film ever made until it was topped by Disney's own $140 million Treasure Planet in 2002. It was also the first Disney animated feature to open at first place at the North American box office since Pocahontas (1995).

#51: Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy-drama martial arts film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by John Stevenson and Mark Osborne and produced by Melissa Cobb, and stars the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, and Michael Clarke Duncan. It is the ninety-seventh movie overall to be created by DreamWorks. The idea for the film was conceived by Michael Lachance, a DreamWorks Animation executive. The film was originally going to be a parody, but director Stevenson decided instead to shoot an action-comedy wuxia film that incorporates the hero's journey narrative archetype for the lead character. The computer animation in the film was more complex than anything DreamWorks had done before. As with most DreamWorks animated films, Hans Zimmer (collaborating with John Powell this time) scored Kung Fu Panda. He visited China to absorb the culture and get to know the China National Symphony Orchestra as part of his preparation. This was the third film to be a part of the Madagascar Comedy Animated Films team. A sequel, Kung Fu Panda 2, was released on May 26, 2011, along with a television series, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness later that same year as a part of a franchise. The third instalment called Kung Fu Panda 3 was debuted on January 29, 2016 with two more television series Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny and Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight being released in 2018 and 2022. The fourth film, Kung Fu Panda 4, premiered on March 8, 2024. Kung Fu Panda premiered in the United States on June 6, 2008 and has since received positive reviews from critics and much of the movie-going public. The film garners an 87% "Certified Fresh" approval rating from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Kung Fu Panda opened in 4,114 theatres, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend, resulting in the number one position at the box office. The film became DreamWorks' biggest opening for a non-sequel film, the highest grossing animated film of the year worldwide, and also had the fourth-largest opening weekend for a DreamWorks animated film at the American and Canadian box office, behind Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, and Shrek Forever After. It is also the second DreamWorks Animation film to star Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, the ones being in Shark Tale (2004).

#50: Frozen (2013)

Entering a new golden age in the 2010s, Disney animation was on a hot streak that reached its boiling point with Frozen. The most successful Disney films are often the ones that evolve the familiar into something game-changing. Frozen may be a fairytale with princesses, comedic relief, and music. Yet, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s film didn’t just reinvent Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Disney reinvented itself, awakening sleeping beauty like never before. Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez’s songs turned Frozen into a phenomenon, elevating a profound story about sisterhood and the varied facets of true love. Modern and nostalgic in all the right ways, Frozen resonated with generations new and old, winning Disney Animation Studios their first Best Animated Feature Oscar.

#49: Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (formerly Wallace & Gromit: The Great Vegetable Plot, and released in some countries as Wallace & Gromit: The Battle of the Vegetables) is a 2005 British stop-motion animated buddy comedy-drama horror mystery film starring Wallace and Gromit. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation and Aardman Animations, and released by DreamWorks Pictures. It was the final DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Nick Park and Steve Box. In the film, Wallace and Gromit solve the mystery of a dangerous garden-guzzling rabbit-like beast while conducting pest control. This was the second animated film from Aardman to be released by DreamWorks. The first was Chicken Run (which was also distributed by European studio Pathé). It was also the second animated film from DreamWorks to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first being Shrek (2001). Additionally, it was the only Wallace & Gromit feature film released until Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024.

#48: Tangled (2010)
Tangled is a 2010 American computer-animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, based on the story "Rapunzel" by the Brothers Grimm. It stars Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, and is the 50th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, and was released on November 24, 2010 in North America. The film is telling the story of the long-lost princess Rapunzel, who yearns to leave the confines of her secluded tower for an adventure. Against her foster mother's wishes, she accepts the aid of a handsome intruder, Flynn Rider, to take her out into the world which she has never seen. Before the film's release, its title was changed from Rapunzel to Tangled, reportedly to market the film as gender-neutral. Tangled spent six years in production at a cost that has been estimated at $260 million which, if accurate, would make it the most expensive animated film ever made at that time. Composer Alan Menken, who had worked on prior Disney animated features, returned to score Tangled. Tangled premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on November 14, 2010, and went into general release on November 24. The film earned $591 million in worldwide box office revenue, $200 million of which was earned in the United States and Canada; it was well-received by critics and audiences alike. Tangled was nominated for a number of awards, including Best Original Song at the 83rd Academy Awards. Tangled would go on to become the most successful Disney animated feature film since The Lion King in 1994, both critically and commercially, beginning a new style of marketing and aesthetics for the following computer-animated films from the studio, similarly to how The Little Mermaid impacted the Disney Renaissance. An animated short sequel, Tangled Ever After, was released in 2012. In 2017, a made-for-television sequel film Tangled: Before Ever After premiered as a pilot for an animated spin-off series centering on Rapunzel and Eugene's adventures after the film. In 2024, a live-action remake was announced.

#47: Up (2009)
Up is a 2009 American 3D computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Pete Docter. It is the tenth animated feature film produced by Pixar. The film centers on an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Edward Asner) and an earnest young Wilderness Explorer named Russell (Jordan Nagai). By tying thousands of balloons to his home, 78-year-old Carl sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America and to complete a promise made to his childhood sweetheart and beloved wife, Ellie. The film was co-directed by Bob Peterson, with music composed by Michael Giacchino. It was the second film, after Finding Nemo, to be released in May. Docter began working on the story in 2004, which was based on fantasies of escaping from life when it becomes too irritating. He and eleven other Pixar artists spent three days in Venezuela gathering research and inspiration. The designs of the characters were caricatured and stylized considerably, and animators were challenged with creating realistic cloth. The floating house is attached by a varying number between 10-20,000 balloons in the film's sequences. Up was Pixar's first film to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D. Up was released on May 29, 2009 and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film to do so. The film became a great financial success, accumulating over $731,342,744 in its theatrical release. This made it at the time of its release the 33rd highest-grossing film of all time and the sixth highest-grossing animated film of all time (behind Shrek 2, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Finding Nemo, Shrek the Third, and The Lion King). Up received critical acclaim, with most reviewers commending the humor and heart of the film. Edward Asner was praised for his portrayal of Carl, and a montage of Carl and his wife Ellie aging together was widely lauded. The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, making it the second animated film in history to receive such a nomination, following Beauty and the Beast.

#46: Ghost in the Shell (1995)
Ghost in the Shell (Japanese : 攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai, i.e. Mobile Armoured Riot Police) is a 1995 anime film adaptation of the manga comic Ghost in the Shell by Masamune Shirow, directed by Mamoru Oshii. A sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in 2004.

#45: Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies seems like an anti-war film at first glance, presenting World War II from the perspectives of a Japanese boy named Seita and his little sister Setsuko. While it doesn’t portray war positively, director Isao Takahata had another message in mind. Although the siblings are victims of the wartorn backdrop, Seita doesn’t make the wisest choices, despite his best efforts to keep himself and Setsuko alive. It may be a period piece, but Takahata made the film for a young modern audience, wishing to evoke empathy. However you interpret the story, Roger Ebert perfectly summed up Grave of the Fireflies as an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation… a powerful dramatic film that happens to be animated.

#44: Persepolis (2007)
Persepolis is a 2007 adult animated biographical drama film based upon Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. It was written and directed by Satrapi in collaboration with Vincent Paronnaud. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. The title references the historical city of Persepolis. The film was an international co-production made by companies in France and Iran. It premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, where it co-won the Jury Prize, alongside Silent Light. In her acceptance speech, Satrapi said "Although this film is universal, I wish to dedicate the prize to all Iranians." It was released in France and Belgium on 27 June 2007, earning universal praise from critics, and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 80th Academy Awards.

#43: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a 1977 American animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Released in theatres on March 11, 1977, This is the 22nd animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon and the first movie in Disney's Winnie The Pooh franchise. It is based upon the children's stories about the titular bear written by A.A. Milne, as well as the final chapter of the second story, The House at Pooh Corner. The film is actually composed of material from three previously released animated shorts: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974), The film and its characters have spawned an industry of sequels, television programs, clothing, books, and toys. The film also inspired an attraction of the same name at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. A much more elaborate attraction, also based on the film, opened in Tokyo Disneyland as "Pooh's Hunny Hunt".

#42: Toy Story 2 (1999)
Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer-animated adventure comedy film, which was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by John Lasseter. Co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon, the film is a sequel to Toy Story and the first of any Pixar film and the third movie made by Pixar, as well as Pixar's first sequel film. In the film, while Andy is away at Cowboy Camp, Woody is stolen by a greedy toy collector named Al McWhiggin, prompting Buzz Lightyear and his friends to rescue him. However, Woody finds the idea of immortality in a museum tempting. The film returns many of the original characters from Toy Story, with their respective actors reprising their roles, and introduces several new characters, including Jessie, Bullseye, Stinky Pete, Barbie, Zurg, and Mrs. Potato Head, although Zurg and Mrs. Potato Head were only mentioned in the first Toy Story movie. Toy Story 2 is the last Toy Story film in which Jim Varney, who provides Slinky Dog's voice, appears before his death from lung cancer in 2000. Disney initially envisioned the film as a direct-to-video sequel and Toy Story 2 began production in a building separated from Pixar and was much smaller scale, with most of the main Pixar staff working on A Bug's Life (1998). When story reels proved promising, Disney upgraded the film to theatrical release, but Pixar was unhappy with the film's quality. Lasseter and the story team re-developed the entire plot in one weekend. Although most Pixar features take years to develop, the established release date could not be moved and the production schedule for Toy Story 2 was compressed into nine months. Despite production struggles, Toy Story 2 opened in theaters November 24, 1999 to wildly successful box office numbers, eventually grossing over $497 million, and highly positive critical reviews. Toy Story 2 has been considered by critics and audiences alike to be one of few sequels that outshine the original, and it continues to be featured frequently on lists of the greatest animated films ever. In honor of its 10th anniversary, the film saw and a 3-D re-release in 2009 along with the original movie. The film's success led to the production of a second sequel, Toy Story 3, which was released in theaters on June 18, 2010. After the third film's success, Toy Story 4 was released in theaters on June 21, 2019. After the fourth film's success, Toy Story 5 is slated for a theatrical release on June 19, 2026.

#41: Encanto (2021)

Encanto is an American animated musical fantasy comedy drama film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It was released on November 24, 2021 in the United States, and is the 60th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon. Directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, the film was written by Bush and Charise Castro Smith. Taking place in the mountains of Colombia, the film centers on the Madrigals, a multigenerational family whose members were each granted magical gifts—with the exception of one, Mirabel. The second animated Disney film released in 2021 (preceded by Raya and the Last Dragon), Encanto features original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose soundtrack received widespread acclaim and topped the US Billboard 200 in 2022. A massive critical success (earning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature among other accolades), the film went on to become the highest-grossing animated feature of 2021.

#40: Song of the Sea (2014)

With The Secret of Kells, Tomm Moore and the rest of Cartoon Saloon kicked off the Irish Folklore Trilogy, which 2020’s Wolfwalkers concluded. This trilogy’s best outing came in the middle. While more contemporary than the first or third chapters, Song of the Sea is every bit as timeless. The film isn’t just grounded in Celtic mythology, but also perennial themes of abandonment, reconciliation, and family. Nature is also at the story’s root with Adrien Merigeau’s art direction bringing out the beauty of Ireland in every soothing backdrop. Maintaining the trilogy’s signature medieval art aesthetic, the stunning hand-drawn animation breaks down each environment and character to their most basic components. Beneath every simple exterior is a wealth of depth and atmosphere.

#39: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a 2022 American 3D computer animated adventure comedy film directed by Joel Crawford. It's the sequel to Puss in Boots (2011) and the sixth overall installment of the Shrek franchise. It is the studio's 43rd feature film. Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault reprised their roles from the first film with Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Anthony Mendez joining them voicing new characters. The film was released on December 21, 2022. The film received universal acclaim from critics, who praised the animation, themes, voice acting and humor, with many considering it even better than the first film. In addition one of the extra features in the Home Media release includes a four minute short known as "The Trident" which shows the story of how Puss lost one of his previous eight lives.

#38: Moana (2016)
Moana is a 2016 computer-animated musical-adventure-comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Released on November 23, 2016, it is the 56th film in the Disney animated feature canon. Originally described as a "mythic adventure set around 2,000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific", the film follows the journey of a spirited teenager named Moana as she embarks on a quest across the Pacific Ocean to save her people. The short film Inner Workings accompanied the film theatrically. The film has been a critical and commercial success. The world and characters of Moana have since been integrated in other films, video games, and Disney's theme parks around the world. A sequel following Moana's adventures after the film was released theatrically in 2024, while a live-action remake of the film is scheduled to be released in 2026.

#37: The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
The Mitchells vs. The Machines is an animated science fiction comedy produced by Sony Pictures Animation. It was directed by Mike Rianda, co-directed by Jeff Rowe (in their directorial debut) and written by Rianda and Rowe. It stars the voices of Abbi Jacobson, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman, Fred Armisen, Beck Bennett, John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Blake Griffin, and Conan O'Brien. The film was originally scheduled to be released theatrically, under the title Connected, on September 18, 2020, but was pushed to October 23, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sony eventually sold the main distribution rights to Netflix, and the film was released on the platform on April 30, 2021.

#36: Inside Out (2015)
Inside Out is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated adventure comedy-drama Disney•Pixar film which was released on June 19, 2015 as Pixar's 15th feature-length animated film. In keeping with Pixar tradition, a short film called Lava accompanied the movie. A sequel released on June 14, 2024 and became the second film installment in the franchise of the same name. Docter conceived Inside Out in October 2009 after observing changes in his daughter's personality as she grew older. The project was subsequently green-lit, and Docter and co-director Ronnie del Carmen developed the story, while consulting psychologists and neuroscientists in an effort to accurately portray the mind. Development took five and a half years on a budget of approximately $175 million. Significant changes to the film's story and characters delayed the film's production schedule.

#35: Waltz with Bashir (2008)

An animated documentary was nothing new in 2008. The concept can be traced back to Winsor McCay’s The Sinking of the Lusitania in 1918. Through Waltz with Bashir, though, director Ari Folman demonstrated how effective animation can be in nonfiction storytelling. A Lebanon War veteran, Folman also has recollections of the Sabra and Shatila massacre. Of course, memories are often full of holes and don’t always align with what actually happened. Rather than recreate experiences using live actors, animation cleverly plays into the larger theme. Memories aren’t set in stone like documentary footage. They change and fade over time, looking like a puzzle without all the right pieces. Animation is the ideal medium to convey this, taking us to the crossroads of reality and memory.

#34: The Iron Giant (1999)
The Iron Giant is a 1999 animated science fiction drama film using both traditional animation and computer animation made by Industrial Light & Magic, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, and based on the 1968 novel The Iron Man by Ted Hughes. The film is co-written and directed by Brad Bird, and features the voices of Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Vin Diesel, Eli Marienthal, Christopher McDonald, and John Mahoney. The film is about a lonely boy named Hogarth Hughes who is being raised by his mother, Annie Hughes (the widow of an Air Force pilot), who discovers an iron giant who fell from space. With the help of a beatnik named Dean, they have to stop the U.S. military and a federal agent (Kent Mansley) from finding and destroying the Giant. The Iron Giant takes place in the town of Rockwell, Maine, USA, during the height of the Cold War in October 1957. The film's development phase began around 1994, though the project finally started taking root once Bird signed on as director, and his hiring of Tim McCanlies to write the screenplay in 1996. The script was given approval by Ted Hughes, author of the original novel, and production struggled through difficulties (Bird even enlisted the aid of a group of students from CalArts). Upon its release, the film saw wide critical acclaim from critics and audiences. It was nominated for several awards, winning nine Annie Awards. Due to an unusually poor marketing campaign, the film significantly under-performed at the box office, making $31.3 million worldwide against a budget of $70–80 million. Through home video releases and television syndication, the film gathered a cult following and is now widely regarded as a modern animated classic. An extended, remastered version of the film was screened theatrically in 2015, preceding a release on Blu-ray Disc.

#33: Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Monsters, Inc. is a 2001 computer-animated film and the fourth feature-length buddy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It was directed by Pete Docter, co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman, and was written by Jack W. Bunting, Jill Culton, Pete Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Dan Gerson, Jeff Pidgeon, Rhett Reese, Jonathan Roberts, and Andrew Stanton. The film was released in theaters by Walt Disney Pictures in the United States on November 2, 2001. It was a commercial, box office, and critical success, grossing $562,816,256 worldwide. Rotten Tomatoes also reported positive reviews with a fresh 96% approval rating. The film was re-released in theaters in 3-D on December 19, 2012. A prequel titled Monsters University was released on June 21, 2013 and is also Pixar's only prequel film made to one of their original films. A television sequel/midquel spinoff series titled Monsters at Work was announced during a Disney press release on November 9, 2017. It was released on Disney+ in July 2021.

#32: Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便 Majo no Takkyūbin, lit. "Witch's Delivery Service") is the 5th animated fantasy film written, directed and produced by Hayao Miyazaki. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for publisher Tokuma Shoten, Yamato Transport Co. and the Nippon Television Network and distributed by the Toei Company. The film's theme song was the song by Yumi Arai. The film is based on the children's novel of the same name by Eiko Kadono. However, the film deviated from the original novel's story and themes, which upset Kadono during its production. She has since reconciled with Miyazaki. A more faithful live action film adaptation was released on March 1, 2014, featuring Kadono as the narrator. The film began production on April 1, 1988, and was released in Japan on July 29, 1989, and won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize. It was the first film released under a 15-year distribution partnership between The Walt Disney Company and Studio Ghibli; Buena Vista Home Video recorded an English dub in 1997, which premiered in United States theaters at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 23, 1998. The film was released on home video in the U.S. and Canada on September 15, 1998. The film is available for streaming on Max, and purchasable on most digital storefronts.

#31: Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin is a 1992 animated film produced at Walt Disney Feature Animation. It's the 31st animated feature film in the Disney Animated Canon and the fourth entry of the Disney Renaissance. Inspired by the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, the film is centered on a young "street rat" in the kingdom of Agrabah who uses the power of a shape-shifting genie to win the heart of Princess Jasmine. Unbeknownst to them, Jafar, adviser to the Sultan, plots to use the Genie to take over the kingdom. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, Aladdin was released at the peak stretch of the Disney renaissance era, beginning with The Little Mermaid. Released on November 25, 1992, it was the most successful film of 1992 with over $217 million in domestic revenues and $504 million worldwide. The success of the film led Disney to produce two direct-to-video sequels: The Return of Jafar (1994) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996). Additionally, Disney would produce Aladdin, an animated television series which was set between the two sequels and a series of video games for different platforms in 1993. In 2014, a stage adaptation premiered on Broadway, which would go on to win a Tony Award. In 2019, Walt Disney Pictures released a live-action adaptation of the 1992 film.

#30: Coco (2017)

Centered on a young Mexican musician whose family doesn’t approve of his passion, Coco sounds like a story we’ve heard before. Appearances can be deceiving, however. Your idol can be a fraud, a scoundrel can be a loving father, and a senseless dog can be a spirit guide. The titular Coco appears unreachable during her twilight years. There’s still a person behind her weary eyes, though, just waiting to be awakened. The way music ties into this tale of family and remembrance is nothing short of brilliant. Pixar is known for telling stories through witty dialogue and beautiful imagery, which Coco by no means lacks. Yet, some emotions can only be expressed through song. Lee Unkrich’s film takes Pixar to new places musically and culturally.

#29: Coraline (2009)
Coraline is a 2009 American 3D stop-motion dark fantasy horror film based on Neil Gaiman's 2002 novel of the same name. It was the first feature film produced by Laika and was distributed by Focus Features. The film depicts an adventurous girl called Coraline finding an idealized parallel world behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that the alternate world contains a dark and sinister secret. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film was made with Gaiman's approval and co-operation. The film was released in United States theaters on February 6, 2009, after a world premiere at the Portland International Film Festival, and received positive reviews from critics. The film made $16.85 million during opening weekend, ranking third at the box office. At the end of its box office run, the film had grossed over $124 million worldwide. Coraline won Annie Awards for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production, Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production and Best Production Design in an Animated Feature Production, and received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Animated Feature. In retrospective years, the film assumed a cult status. Coraline was re-released on August 15, 2024 in a remastered 3-D version.

#28: Toy Story 3 (2010)
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American computer-animated adventure comedy-drama film, which was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. As the third film in the Toy Story franchise, the sequel to Toy Story 2, and the 11th movie made by Pixar, the film was released in theaters on June 18, 2010. Lee Unkrich, who edited the previous films and co-directed the second film, took over as director. Like the previous films, Toy Story 3 was widely acclaimed and a massive box office success, grossing $1.066 billion worldwide against a $200 million budget. This success made Toy Story 3 eventually become the fourth highest-grossing film of all time worldwide at the time of the film's release (behind Avatar, Titanic, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), the highest-grossing Disney film (surpassing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest), until it was surpassed by The Avengers in 2012, the highest-grossing animated film of all time worldwide (surpassing Shrek 2), until it was surpassed by Frozen in 2013 and the highest-grossing Pixar film (surpassing Finding Nemo) until it was surpassed by Incredibles 2 in 2018. The film earned five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, and won two for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for We Belong Together. The film was nominated for "Favorite Animated Movie" at the 2011 Kids' Choice Awards, but lost to Despicable Me. After the success of the third film, Toy Story 4 was released in theaters on June 21, 2019. After the fourth film's success, Toy Story 5 will be released in theaters June 19, 2026.

#27: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released to theaters on January 29, 1959, by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 16th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, it was the last animated feature produced by Walt Disney to be based upon a fairy tale (after his death, the studio returned to the genre with The Little Mermaid), as well as the last cel animated feature from Disney to be inked by hand before the studio switched to using the xerography process. It's also the first animated feature to be shot in Super Technirama 70, one of many large-format widescreen processes (only one more animated film, The Black Cauldron, has been shot in Super Technirama 70). It spent nearly the whole decade of the 1950s in production: the story work began in 1951, the dialogue was recorded in 1953, animation production took from the same year the dialogue was recorded until 1958, and the musical score by George Bruns, drawn almost entirely from the ballet Spyashchaya krasavitsa by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was recorded in the same year animation production finished. Due to a lengthy problematic production and high costs, the film was originally a box office failure and did not make up the huge cost of the film. Along with the mixed critical reception, it was also noted to be the film that caused Walt Disney to lose interest in the animation medium. However, the subsequent re-releases proved massively successful, and critics and audiences have since praised it as an artistically animated classic.

#26: Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio is an animated musical comedy fantasy adventure film. The second film in the Disney Animated Canon, it was produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on February 23, 1940. Pinocchio was made in response to the enormous worldwide success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Based on the Italian book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, which is the second most translated book in the world, with over 300 translations. The film stars a puppet - brought to life by a fairy - who tries to earn his right to become a real boy, as he faces the challenges and dangers of a dark, hostile world of crooks, villains, and monsters. It premiered in New York City on February 7 and in Los Angeles two days later. The film was then theatrically re-released in 1945, 1954, 1962, 1971, 1978, 1984, and 1992. The song "When You Wish Upon a Star", became a major hit and is still identified with the film, and later as a fanfare for Walt Disney Studios itself. Pinocchio also won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress in 1994 and was thus selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In the 2008 American Film Institute's "Top Ten Animated Feature Films of All Time" list, Pinocchio was ranked only behind Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the decades since its release, the film has been widely considered by many film historians, critics, and pundits to be one of the greatest animated motion pictures ever made.

#25: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Another stop-motion film based on a Roald Dahl book, Henry Selick nearly directed Fantastic Mr. Fox with Wes Anderson. As other projects caught Selick’s attention, Anderson took the helm in what would be his first animated feature. It was a natural transition given how animated Andeson’s live-action films are, making the mundane seem playful, even otherworldly. While the stop-motion is sophisticated, every character is given a scruffy edge that strangely makes them feel more alive. The central characters may be animals, but they have more humanity than the farmers living above the surface, tying into themes like class and identity. The autumn color pallet also complements the theme of change as our protagonist adapts to his surroundings, emerging as a better husband, father, and fox.

#24: The Prince of Egypt (1998)
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American traditionally-animated musical biblical epic semi-historical drama film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures, and DreamWorks' second animated film. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows Moses' life from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The film was directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner and Simon Wells. The film features songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. The voice cast features several major Hollywood actors in speaking roles with professional singers replacing them for songs, except for Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Ofra Haza (who sang her character's number "Deliver Us," in over seventeen languages, including her native Hebrew language [which was partially used in all dubs] for the film's dubbing), who sang their parts. Jeffrey Katzenberg had frequently suggested an animated adaptation of The Ten Commandments while working for The Walt Disney Company, and he decided to put the idea into production after founding DreamWorks in 1995. To make this inaugural project, DreamWorks Animation employed artists who had worked for Walt Disney Feature Animation and the recently disbanded Amblimation, totaling a crew of 350 people from 34 different nations. The film has a blend of traditional animation and computer-generated imagery, created using software from Toon Boom Animation and Silicon Graphics. The Prince of Egypt was released in theaters on December 18, 1998, and on home video on September 14, 1999. Reviews were positive, with critics praising the animation, music, and voice work. The film went on to gross $218,613,188 worldwide in theaters, making it the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time until The Simpsons Movie in July 2007. The film's success was the development of a stage adaptation. The song "When You Believe" became a commercially successful single in a pop version performed by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey and went on to win Best Original Song at the 1997 Academy Awards.

#23: The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation. It was first released on November 17, 1989 by Walt Disney Pictures, but returned to theaters on November 14, 1997. The 28th animated feature in the Disney Animated Canon, and the first to be released during the Disney Renaissance, the film is loosely based upon the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. The story centers on a young mermaid named Ariel, who is captivated by the world upon the surface. When she falls in love with a human prince, she makes a deal with a villainous sea witch to become human, herself, and must earn his love before the agreed time runs out. The Little Mermaid was an unmitigated success for the studio, being praised for its animation, storytelling, and music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The movie grossed over $100 million at the US box office upon its initial release and won two Academy Awards for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Original Music Score. It is credited as the film to have started the historic Disney Renaissance, an era that had breathed life back into the animated feature film medium after a string of competent, but only inexpensive successful animated films such as The Aristocats, The Rescuers, and The Great Mouse Detective. Following The Little Mermaid were a direct-to-video sequel in 2000 and a prequel in 2008 (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning) and an animated television series that ran from 1992 to 1994. A decade after the film's release, Ariel would be inaugurated into the Disney Princess media line, while Ursula would appear as a staple character in the Disney Villains franchise. In 2007, a stage adaptation of the film made its Broadway debut. A live-action reimagining based on the 1989 animation, and featuring the music of Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, was released on May 26, 2023. In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

#22: Princess Mononoke (1997)

Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫 , Mononoke Hime) is the 10th feature-length animated film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Dentsu, and distributed by Toho. It is considered one of Miyazaki's masterpieces, taking sixteen years to design and three years to produce, with a recorded box office revenue of ¥19.3 billion yen, breaking box office records in Japanese cinemas at that time. It is a jidaigeki (period drama) set in late Muromachi period of Japan, and centers on the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans who consume its resources, as seen by the outsider Ashitaka, who has been cursed by a boar demon and must find a way to heal it before it kills him. Mononoke (物の怪) is not a name, but a general term in Japanese for a spirit or monster.

#21: Finding Nemo (2003)

Finding Nemo is a 2003 American computer-animated comedy-drama adventure film written and directed by Andrew Stanton, released by Walt Disney Pictures on May 30, 2003, and the fifth film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It tells the story of an over-protective clownfish named Marlin (Albert Brooks) who, along with a regal tang named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), searches for his missing son Nemo (Alexander Gould), who has been abducted in Sydney Harbour. It is Pixar's first film to be released theatrically during the Northern Hemisphere summer. The film was re-released in 3-D on September 14, 2012 and it was released on Blu-ray for the first time on December 4, 2012.

#20: Cinderella (1950)

Marc Davis was the hand behind Cinderella’s dress transformation, which is said to be Walt Disney’s favorite piece of animation. That could be because it was symbolic of the studio. Following the hardships of World War II, Disney had virtually everything riding on Cinderella to prove that feature animation could be profitable. In true rags-to-riches fashion, Cinderella was Disney’s most successful film in more than a decade, winning over the masses with angelic music, delightful comedic relief, and an elegantly evil villain. Cinderella herself might not be as complex as some Disney princesses who followed, but she embodies a positive message that through hard work, perseverance, and kindheartedness, good things will eventually come your way. Such was the case for Disney after several difficult years.

#19: Chicken Run (2000)

Aardman Animations had already won three Oscars for short subjects by the time they produced their first feature. Chicken Run soared with the wit, charm, and ingenuity audiences had come to anticipate from stop-motion masters like Nick Park and Peter Lord. The story offered even more with a grim setting yet a hopeful message. Our feathered heroes find themselves imprisoned by Mrs. Tweedy, who’s cruel and intimidating enough to be a POW officer. The film is as funny as it is suspenseful, taking inspiration from The Great Escape. Whether you’re a vegetarian or meat-eater, it’s impossible not to become invested in the chicken’s plight as they attempt to take flight. Chicken Run flew the coop with the highest box office returns in stop-motion history.

#18: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

Conceived as a straight-to-video movie to hold over audiences between the first and second seasons of Batman: The Animated Series, Mask of the Phantasm was upgraded to a theatrical release. Although this came with a larger budget, Warner Bros.’ resources didn’t extend to marketing. Despite flopping, audiences discovered Mask of the Phantasm in time. With a tragic romance, enthralling mystery, and an emphasis on the man behind the mask, it’s come to be recognized as one of the finest superhero movies ever made (not just animated). While there have been some phenomenal live-action Batman movies, animation finds the character at his most natural with Art Deco backdrops and imposing shadows lending flawlessly to a film noir story about the past returning to haunt the present.

#17: Your Name (2016)

Summoning a storm of emotion in Weathering with You and giving life to a three-legged chair in Suzume, Makoto Shinkai has established himself as a modern master of animation. For many, his best film is still Your Name, which broke box office records while helping to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western animation fans. On that note, separation is a key theme in the tale of Taki and Mitsuha, two strangers who somehow switch bodies. They aren’t only separated by location, but by time as well. Despite this physical distance, Taki and Mitsuha feel spiritually connected, growing closer in a race against the clock. The story leaves you breathless around every turn, building to a finale that’s about as uplifting as love stories get.

#16: Ratatouille (2007)

They’ve yet to win a Best Picture Oscar, but Pixar has reached a pinnacle of storytelling that only a handful of filmmakers (animated or live-action)
have come close to touching. Something similar can be said about Remy. To some, Remy’s species discredits him as a chef. Once you’ve tasted his ratatouille, though, it’ll change the way you view food and the artists who prepare it. At its core, Brad Bird’s film is about pursuing one’s passion, no matter how far-fetched. Even if your work isn’t always showered with the rewards it deserves, there’s nothing more satisfying than sharing your creation with those who see its value. There isn’t a better chef in Paris than Remy and with Ratatouille, Pixar exemplifies why they’re Hollywood’s top chef.

#15: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

When Tim Burton arrived at Disney, the studio didn’t know what to do with the young animator. Burton soon moved on to other studios that did, resulting in multiple hits as audiences embraced his gothic artistry. Realizing they let a big fish get away, Disney sought to mend the relationship by adapting a poem that Burton wrote while at the studio. With Burton co-producing and Henry Selick making his feature directorial debut, The Nightmare Before Christmas was a turning point for stop-motion. Once defined by the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials, stop-motion soon gained a reputation for telling darker, most twisted stories. Nightmare unearthed the ideal middle ground between the joy of Christmas and the frights of Halloween, becoming a staple of more than one holiday.

#14: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

The setup for How to Train Your Dragon treaded on formulaic territory. With directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois at the forefront, however, it felt like we were hearing an age-old story for the first time. DeBlois flew solo on the sequel, which took the story to more mature and unexpected places. Unlike some other animated franchises where time never moves, DreamWorks allowed Hiccup and Toothless to grow with their audience. How to Train Your Dragon 2 thus surpasses its predecessor, expanding the action, lore, and dramatic tension. The plot places Hiccup in truly challenging situations that can’t always be resolved with peaceful negotiation. There comes a time when every leader needs to fight, and the battles here are as epic as they come.

#13: My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

My Neighbor Totoro is essentially a slice-of-life picture. Sure, that slice of life comes with mystical creatures like the Susuwatari, a cat bus, and of course Totoro. When you’re a child playing in the forest, though, the extraordinary can seem ordinary. The film is the epitome of what Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli do best, making Totoro a fitting mascot for the company. My Neighbor Totoro creates a world without venturing far beyond the characters’ backyard. Miyazaki captures a precise moment in childhood between those carefree days of escapism and when every young person grasps the notion of mortality. Nobody’s childhood lasts forever, but watching My Neighbor Totoro, we’re taken back to a simpler time that was more complex than we realized.

#12: Shrek (2001)

Shrek won the inaugural Oscar for Best Animated Feature, ushering in several new beginnings. It launched a billion-dollar franchise, bringing in even more green with its record-breaking sequel. It set a tone for DreamWorks as the edgy alternative to Disney, giving a whole new voice to animation. Speaking of voices, the casting here is so spot-on that the actors practically escape into their characters, most notably Eddie Murphy’s Donkey. The screenplay is a masterstroke of satire, taking shots at everything from fairy tales to Lord Farquaad’s shortcomings, pushing the family-friendly label to the limit. Underneath its cynical exterior is a surprisingly big heart and a message about what true beauty looks like, flipping the conventional happy ending on its head.

#11: WALL-E (2008)

Although Pixar pioneered computer animation into the mainstream, the studio perhaps had a more substantial impact on screenwriting, making the dialogue the star of every movie. While WALL-E isn’t devoid of dialogue, it tested Pixar’s ability to tell a story primarily through visuals, sound, and Thomas Newman’s score. Pixar pulled this off with a protagonist in the spirit of Chaplin or Keaton set against a futuristic backdrop worthy of Kubrick. Its vision of the 29th century is looking more like the 21st every day as humanity succumbs to corporate greed, unmanaged waste, and an overreliance on technology. Andrew Stanton’s film doesn’t condemn technology, though, showing its capacity to learn and love. WALL-E is a love story above all else, making us cry for a robot.

#10: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)
After over a decade in development hell, Guillermo del Toro completed his passion project with the late stop-motion wizard Mark Gustafson. Rather than try to recreate the Disney classic, del Toro took his Pinocchio in an entirely different direction. The film is just as much about Geppetto as he grieves one son while learning to unconditionally love another. As for Pinocchio, his arc goes beyond learning to be a real boy. Pinocchio learns what it means to be human against the bleak backdrop of Fascist Italy. The wooden puppet grows into a symbol of individuality, gaining empathy and a willingness to make sacrifices for those he loves. Pinocchio might not become human in this version, but that doesn’t mean he lacks a soul.

#9: Akira (1988)

Anime’s presence in North America stretches as far back as the early 60s. The modern anime boom as we know it, however, didn’t take off until distributor Streamline Pictures introduced Akira to the U.S. Based on his own manga, Katsuhiro Otomo’s magnum opus was a wake-up call for U.S. audiences who failed to realize how action-oriented and adult animation can be. Akira is uncompromisingly violent, but it isn’t senseless. Akira stimulates the mind with its themes and TMS Entertainment’s imagery, which is gorgeous even at its most grotesque. Neo-Tokyo is cinema’s definitive cyberpunk metropolis, rivaled only by Los Angeles in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner. Funny how both films take place in 2019, although we’re still waiting for manufacturers to build Kaneda’s motorbike.

#8: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Animation was overdue for a Best Picture nomination by 1991. Beauty and the Beast couldn’t have been more deserving of such a milestone. It was in the tradition of the Disney fairy tale, but Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, and their team took everything to the next step. Belle established herself as the most progressive Disney heroine yet while the central romance shattered the notion of love at first sight. Belle and the Beast must work through their differences, finding that beauty comes from within. This is exquisitely expressed through the Oscar-winning title song by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, the latter of whom gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul. Their influence on animated musicals is still felt decades later.

#7: The Incredibles (2004)

At a time when superhero movies were just starting to take over the industry, The Incredibles stood out for several reasons. The film had a more satirical edge, deriving comedy not only through superhero tropes, but family dynamics as well. The latter is where Brad Bird’s wonderful film excelled. Eight years before the Avengers assembled on the silver screen, Bird demonstrated the strength of a superhero team lies not in their powers, but in their personalities. The Parr family works off each other so naturally that watching them sit down to dinner is every bit as entertaining as watching them battle a robot. The film’s balance of action, humor, and relatability foreshadowed various superhero movies to come, although few have been more incredible.

#6: Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia is proof that animation can share the same artistic value as a classical piece of music. When combined, they create a new form of entertainment. Disney’s ambitious vision also innovated new technology like Fantasound, a forerunner to surround sound. Ahead of its time in every sense, Fantasia didn’t immediately win over audiences or critics, but its endurance is felt in each segment. No version of Mickey Mouse commands more gravitas than the one in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Never have the dinosaurs appeared more majestic or threatening than in Rite of Spring. Rarely has a film transitioned from haunting to inspiring more gracefully than in the finale Night on Bald Mountain and Ave Maria. Disney understood animation’s true power and everyone else was catching up.

#5: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Great animated films come out every year. Only once in a generation, though, does an animated film reach an uncharted frontier that leaves the medium forever changed. Into the Spider-Verse didn’t just swing to a new frontier. It took us to several new frontiers, overloading our senses one frame and comic book panel at a time. Miles Morales’ team-up with various Spider-People offers countless creative possibilities, but this setup also ties into a deeper message that anyone can wear the mask. Likewise, animation can be anything we imagine, although there are so many masks we’ve yet to try on. If you still don’t take animation or superheroes seriously, Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse are cinema evolving right before our eyes.

#4: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Even if it wasn’t the first animated feature ever, Snow White is the film that changed everything - and not just for Disney. Few other than Walt believed cartoons could be more than silly seven-minute segments. Could an animated character honestly conjure the same emotions that we feel for live actors on the screen? Hollywood assumed not, prematurely writing Snow White off as Disney’s Folly. People had a change of tune following its premiere at the Carthay Circle Theatre as audiences wept over Snow White’s apartment demise and rejoyced as her eyes awakened to the happiest of endings. Of course, this was only the beginning. In what could’ve been a trial run, Disney instead threw every resource into making the most magical movie imaginable.

#3: The Lion King (1994)

The apex of the Disney Renaissance, The Lion King showcased just how big animation can be. We’re not just talking about the film’s record-shattering box office or the ensuing media franchise that’s still making bank 30 years later. From the moment we hear the opening song’s first note against an all-encompassing sunrise, the audience is overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of nature and cinema. Every aspect of Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff’s film feels larger than life, from Hans Zimmer’s heart-pounding score, to the sweeping African landscapes, to a story that’s practically biblical with Shakespearean echoes. The Lion King was a cultural landmark that united audiences everywhere through its music, characters, and visuals, connecting us all in the circle of life.

#2: Toy Story (1995)

Disney distributed Toy Story, but with their first feature, John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, and the rest of Pixar sought to distinguish themselves from the Mouse and all other animation studios. The film’s trailblazing CG animation was one way, showing the industry that the computer is just another tool like pencil and paper. Pixar understood from the get-go that technology doesn’t matter without appealing characters or an involving story. Toy Story had both in addition to heart, finding humanity in plastic. Setting a new standard with its contemporary backdrop, sharp screenplay, and groundbreaking animation, Toy Story is the film that almost every American animated feature has been chasing since. Yet, there’s only one Toy Story... except Toy Story 2, 3, 4, and soon 5.

#1: Spirited Away (2001)

Given this lineup, selecting one film above all others seemed daunting. The more we thought about it, though, the more obvious our choice became. To be regarded as the greatest animated movie of all time, our pick needed to take full advantage of the medium. No film celebrates animation’s endless potential quite like Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, packing mind-blowing imagery into every frame. Miyazaki creates a world so rich that any background character could carry a side story. Yet, the star here is the ordinary Chihiro, who anchors the fantastical plot with a universal story about discovering confidence. Making history as the first Japanese animated feature to win an Oscar, Spirited Away is a revelation of filmmaking and imagination that only one medium could realize.

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Most recent revision June 30, 2025 08:09:03 PM

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