My list of the 10 greatest animated films of all time. While it may be filled with extreme bias and disregards many great movies due to my childhood nostalgia, my list is also 100% accurate. If you disagree with it in any way, you are simply wrong and stupid.
Honorable Mentions
- Steamboat Willie – While my list surprisingly does not feature many Disney films (aside from Pixar films), it is hard to deny their impact on the history of animation. Because of this, I had to at least mention the debut film for possibly the most recognizable character in the history of everything. Mickey Mouse burst into stardom after the release of this film, not to mention the incorporation of sound that had not been seen before Steamboat Willie’s release.
- Mad God – The amount of time that was put into this film along with the incredible stop-motion animation makes this a great watch. For me, however, the story is lacking enough depth to make the top 10. While some may disagree and say that much of the film is up to the viewer’s interpretation, I feel that it is more so a series of horrifying albeit intriguing images with the goal of showing off what great stop-motion animation can still do.
- Spirited Away – One of the great Studio Ghibli films, there are many reasons to enjoy Spirited Away. The art is beautiful, the characters are interesting, and the story makes you feel good. That’s really all you need from an animated movie.
- Loving Vincent – Probably the closest to stealing a spot in the top 10, this film is a must-watch for a few reasons. First, I can guarantee you’ve never seen an animated movie like it before. Being the first ever fully painted film, I think any animation lover needs to check this out. The story itself is not the best piece of narrative you’ll ever see, but it holds up enough that it doesn’t detract from the hour and a half of visual beauty that comes along with it.
- Ratatouille – I should love this movie, I really should. Pixar is my favorite studio, the animation is beautiful, the story is heartfelt, and the dialogue is great, yet something keeps me from loving Ratatouille. What that is, I can’t tell you. But, I can recommend anyone else watch it because I think my brain is broken for not having this be a shoo-in for the top 10.
10. Aladdin
When it comes to Disney movies, you have to expect a great soundtrack. Aladdin delivers, with many wonderful songs highlighted by the classic “A Whole New World.” Also expected with Disney, the animation is both beautiful and ahead of its time. The story is sweet and Aladdin is a character that is easy to cheer for. With true love, redemption, and magic, this movie is a quintessential Disney film. Jasmine was also one of my first fictional crushes, so there’s some bias there. Overall it’s a great watch, especially thanks to Robin Williams’ performance.
9. The LEGO Batman Movie
If I had a favorite superhero, it would be Batman. Mainly because the Lego Batman video games were a big part of my childhood, but I guess the Dark Knight series is pretty cool too. Disregarding that, The Lego Batman Movie is full of laughs and is a fresh take on the character of Batman. His battle with loneliness while also being afraid to let others in is… so sadly relatable. On a lighter note, Michael Cera makes anything more enjoyable, and his version of Robin does not disappoint. The Joker becoming jealous that Batman doesn’t see him as his greatest enemy is hilarious and oddly sweet. Not only does Batman eventually learn to trust others which lets him find a family, he also accepts that the Joker is his greatest enemy and admits he is what motivates him to be a hero. So sweet, and so unbelievably goofy. How could you not love it? Also, the characters making their own sound effects for their guns *pew-pew* never fails to crack me up. This movie will make you laugh from the beginning up until the post-credits scene.
8. Coco
The entire message of Coco is beautiful: remember your loved ones who have passed on so that you can both cherish their accomplishments and learn from their mistakes. The way it presents this message is even better. The animation is of course breathtaking, as you should expect from Pixar, but the music is just as good. This is important seeing as music is a large plot point in the film. Few movies make me cry on the first watch, and this is one that was able to do so. The scene *spoilers* in which Miguel is able to help Mama Coco remember her father will get even the most stoic to let out those emotions they bury deep down. Then you notice how Miguel slows down the song so that it isn’t too fast for her to sing along and… wow, just let the waterfalls flow.
7. Rango
Rango is such an interesting take on the classic Western movie and is even more so for the “animated film with talking animals” genre. One thing I love about this movie is how the characters are not perfect, clean, symmetrical, or traditionally family-friendly. The characters are incredibly detailed, and it gives each one uniqueness and personality that keeps them interesting. Jake the Snake is one of my favorite villains ever, and the witty banter between characters is hilarious. The action scenes are incredible, with the canyon chase scene being one of my favorites in all of animation. The message of finding yourself and refusing to let society’s expectations define you is inspiring. Overall, Rango is an underrated film that deserves a watch.
6. Toy Story
One of if not the first movies I ever watched, Toy Story is such a classic. The premise alone is awesome, and for years I wasn’t 100% sure my toys weren’t living beings that had adventures while I was off at school. The movie delivers on the premise, with a cast of lovable characters, insane attention to detail, and dialogue that can keep people of any age entertained. Randy Newman’s score is the final piece of the puzzle that fills scenes with emotion, especially the one where Andy slowly transforms into a Buzz Lightyear fan, leaving Woody behind. There are so many lines that have become popular memes over the years, so I promise when you watch you’ll have many moments where you recognize something from a TikTok sound or a gif. I’ll never understand how Pixar struck gold with their first full-length feature film, but they did.
5. Shrek
One of the more iconic animated films of all time, Shrek was beyond obvious for the top 10. It starts with one of the most iconic scenes, in which Shrek wipes himself after using the outhouse with a fairytale page, then enters his swamp to the sweet tunes of “All Star” by Smash Mouth. There are so many scenes in this movie that will make an adult laugh, making it my mother’s favorite animated movie of all time. That alone gives it a spot in my top 10, but it was deserving anyway. The message about not judging based on appearances, the humor, the music, the animation, it all comes together for a great movie anyone can enjoy.
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This is the second superhero film on my list, which is surprising as someone who would not consider myself a fan of superheroes. But, this movie deserves its spot for so many reasons. The animation is very unique for starters, and it feels like a comic book brought to life. Miles’ path in becoming Spider-Man is a great metaphor for puberty, making for perfectly cringy and relatable scenes. On the other hand, the scene in which Miles takes his leap of faith is simply perfect, with no cringe present whatsoever. Analyzing how and why it is so great would take far too long, so just take my word for it. Overall this movie is such a fresh take on Spider-Man and has so much to look forward to with each viewing. I also love that Miles was inspired by Donald Glover and the #donald4spiderman campaign that made its way into an episode of one of my favorite shows, Community (Season 2, Episode 1).
3. My Neighbor Totoro
Studio Ghibli movies are good for the soul. I watched this the other night after a tough day and found myself smiling for nearly the entire runtime. This movie is simply cute, and that is all it needs to be. There is no evil villain that must be defeated, it is just the story of two sisters moving into a new home and becoming more comfortable with it. Satsuki and Mei’s relationship is very realistic for their age difference, making it relatable to anyone with an older or younger sibling in a similar age range. I can think of times when I was rude to my little sister because I saw her as a childish brat, just as Satsuki does in this film. I can also remember times when she copied me like you see Mei doing constantly. The soundtrack is full of bangers, especially “The Path of the Wind” and “My Neighbor Totoro.” Totoro himself is hilarious and at this point I would like to ride a Catbus more than I want to breathe. Even the susuwatari (soot spirits) are ridiculously cute. Please just watch this movie before I come to your house and force you to, please.
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox
This movie is fantastic, that’s all I need to say. I could end there and be completely justified, but I’ll give it some more praise. I’ve seen this movie more than anyone who is mentally stable would ever consume one piece of media, and while writing this I’m planning to watch it again later today. Wes Anderson killed it in his animation debut, and I can’t think of a funnier animated piece of media. It teaches you to accept yourself and be okay with being different, something I for one need to hear. The Boggis, Bunce, and Beans theme song is incredibly catchy and expresses the sense of fear that the animals have with these farmers. The dialogue is too witty for its own good, I could listen to Owen Wilson explain Whack-Bat over and over again. I could go on and on about what makes this movie so great, but instead, I will just instruct you to watch it as soon as you can. Wes Anderson turned a children’s book into a masterpiece of cinema, and it’s cussin’ fantastic.
1. WALL-E
This is my favorite movie of all time, and it should be yours. The animation is beyond incredible for when it was created, and Wall-E is one of the best characters ever written. The first third of the movie is very similar to a silent film, yet you are still able to learn so much about this little robot through his actions. It is the definition of “show, don’t tell.” The movie also has one of the purest love stories ever put on screen (Wall-E and Eve > Jim and Pam any day of the week). With all that said, WALL-E also emphasizes the issues we face as a society, even with it being 15 years old. The message about pollution and climate change is obvious, but even the overreliance on AI by humans in the movie serves as a warning for our future. Sure it can be depressing, but thankfully Wall-E’s quest to hold hands with Eve brightens the mood. The ending is satisfying and through the credits we see humans rebuilding Earth, all thanks to a little yellow robot. There’s so much to love in this film, that I’ll keep this short and write a full-length review one day to do it justice.
Thank you for reading! As I said earlier, this list is 100% accurate and if you disagree, your taste in cinema is simply terrible. Now stop reading and go watch some of these movies!
