The vast majority of animated movies are marketed toward families. This makes sense, as it allows studios to cover as many bases as possible and thus get as much money as possible. This doesn’t mean that these movies are cheaply made: lots of time, care, and plenty of heart go into the creation of these movies.
The best animated films present a strong mixture of gorgeous animation, memorable characters, and strong messages. Even decades after their release, their themes are able to touch the next generation of viewers, introduced by their parents who grew up with them.
10’The Land Before Time' (1988)
During the time of dinosaurs, a young Brontosaurus named Littlefoot (Gabriel Damon) and his mother (Helen Shaver) are trying to find their way to a paradise called the Great Valley. Sadly, his mother dies defending Littlefoot and a young Triceratops named Cera (Candace Hutson) from a Tyrannosaurus. Following her instructions, Littlefoot tries to lead Cera, a Saraulophus named Ducky (Judith Barsi), a Pteranodon named Petrie (Will Ryan), and a Stegosaurus named Spike to the valley.
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This is a perfect storm of a movie, created by blending the creative minds ofDon Bluth,George Lucas, andSteven Spielberg. Its main theme is the dangers of prejudice and how we can accomplish more as a group than as individuals. It also wasn’t afraid to go to dark places, and a good chunk of the film is dedicated to showing Littlefoot’s grief at losing his mother.
9’Finding Nemo' (2003)
After his wife and most of their children are eaten by a barracuda, Marlin (Albert Brooks) vows never to let anything happen to his last son, Nemo (Alexander Gould). This results in him being too overprotective of Nemo, which causes him to swim into open water in defiance and get caught by a diver. With the help of a forgetful fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), Marlin sets off on a quest to Australia to rescue his son.
Finding Nemo’s primary message is aimed more at parents than kids, but there’s still plenty for them to enjoy. It does a great job bringing the underwater world to life, andDory’s comic relief is some of Pixar’s best. It also has plenty of memorable side characters, including a surfer sea turtle and a trio of sharks trying to kick their addition to fish.
8’Dumbo' (1941)
When a baby circus elephant is born with big ears, he is given the nickname Dumbo. His mother is separated from Dumbo when she defended him from taunting children, and the other elephants turned their back on him as well. Fortunately, Dumbo meets a mouse named Timothy (Ed Brophy), who wants to help him become a star.
Dumbois one of the best animated films about outcasts helping one another. In the end, Dumbo meets a group of crows who help him learn to fly using his ears, thus turning his perceived weakness into a strength. It’s also one of Disney’s shortest films at just over an hour long, so it’s perfect to watch if you have a busy schedule.
7’Toy Story' (1995)
For his birthday party, Andy Davis (John Morris) gets an action figure of space-ranger Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), who animates alongside the rest of his toys when Andy isn’t around. However, Buzz thinks that he is a real space ranger, impressing the other toys, while Andy begins to favor Buzz over his previous favorite, a cowboy named Woody (Tom Hanks). Woody eventually gets so jealous that he accidentally knocks Buzz out the window, resulting in both toys getting separated from Andy.
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Toy Storyis a landmark film that spawned a huge franchise and caused the rise of CGI animation over hand-drawn. While the CGI is dated by today’s standards, the writing and characters are still amazing. Woody and Buzz completely steal the show with their contrasting personalities, resulting in tons of great comedy and drama.
6’Up' (2009)
Childhood friends Carl (Jeremy LearyandEd Asner) and Ellie (Elie Docter) marry one another and begin saving their money to move to Paradise Falls in South America. Unfortunately, Ellie dies before they can go, so Carl decides to fly the house there with hundreds of balloons. He’s joined by a stowaway boy scout named Russel (Jordan Nagai), and together they run into one of Carl’s idols pursuing a rare bird.
Upis seen by many to be Pixar’s best film, and with good reason. Thefirst five minutes showing Carl and Ellie’s lifeare a beautiful montage of all of life’s trials and tribulations done without any dialogue. The rest of the film is also good, making great use of its minimal cast to make sure every character is fleshed out, relatable, and fun.
5’Kung Fu Panda' (2008)
Po (Jack Black) is a Kung-Fu enthusiast who lives in the Valley of Peace. One day, while trying to attend a festival to choose the mythical Dragon Warrior, Po accidentally lands inside the ring and is chosen by Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim). Though not everyone is happy with the decision, they go ahead with training Po to become the Dragon Warrior before the snow leopard, Tail Lung (Ian McShane) arrives to destroy the valley.
Kung Fu Pandais a beautiful story about unlocking your true potential without changing who you are. Po struggles at first trying to be what others think the Dragon Warrior should be, but once they start working with Po’s own strengths, he excels in ways nobody could have imagined. The film also blends hilarious comedy and a gorgeous art style that shows the best of Chinese culture.
4’Shrek 2' (2004)
Shrek (Mike Myers) the ogre and his wife, Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz) are summoned to Far Far Away to meet her parents. Her father, King Harold (John Cleese) is not happy with her choice of husband, and neither is her Fairy Godmother (Jennifer Saunders). They conspire to get rid of Shrek to free up Fiona to marry Godmother’s son, Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), while Shrek looks for a way to give Fiona the fairytale ending she deserves.
This is one of thoserare sequels that surpasses the original. It has even more jokes satirizing fairy tales and a really compelling story about changing for those you love. It also introduced many new, memorable characters to the franchise, such as Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), who would get his own spin-off films and shows.
3’The Lion King' (1994)
All the Pride Lands celebrates the birth of the lion cub, Prince Simba (Johnathan Taylor ThomasandMatthew Broderick). That is except for his uncle, Scar (Jeremy Irons), who is not happy to be knocked down the line of succession. So he joins up with hyenas to kill Simba and his father, King Mufasa (James Earl Jones).
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The Lion Kingis one of Disney’s grandest movies, both in its animation and its story. The animators do a wonderful job playing with the foreground, making the animals feel gigantic. Its story is an important one about responsibility and not letting the past define you, which is great for all ages.
2’Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' (2022)
After leaving Shrek, Puss in Boots has many adventures that result in him losing eight of his nine lives. After a nearly fatal encounter with a wolf (Wagner Moura), Puss decides to retire and become a domestic cat. That is until he learns of a wishing star that can restore his lost lives, which sees him competing against Goldylocks (Florence Pugh) and Jack Horner (John Mulaney).
Puss in Boots: The Last Wishtook audiences by surprise thanks to its fantastic writing and animation, not to mention itsintroduction of the complex villain Death. It’s a story about mortality and coming to appreciate the good things we have in life rather than chasing an unachievable ideal. The animation is also superb and captures the look and feel of a fairytale book coming to life.
1’Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
When a young prince (Robbie Benson) refuses to shelter an old woman, she reveals herself to be an enchantress who curses him and his castle unless he can find love and be loved in return. Years later, an inventor named Maurice (Rex Everhart) gets lost in the woods and arrives at the castle. The prince, now a beast, imprisons him for trespassing, which leads to his daughter, Belle (Paige O’Hara) pleading to take his place.
Beauty and the Beastwas the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Even today, its memorable characters, beautiful animation, and touching love story remain the pinnacle of Disney’s creativity. It also has some of Disney’s best songs from the duo ofAlan MenkenandHoward Ashman.
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