Animated movies hold a special place in my heart. I grew up watching many of Disney's great classics and Pixar films, and also avidly keep up with modern releases from both studios as well as Dreamworks, Laika, Sony, Studio Ghibli and more. I have always loved learning about the animation process, watching voice recordings from cast members and firmly believe that animation is not just for children (Guillermo Del Toro gets it). Here are some of my favourites of all time:
Disney 'Classics' (2D animation)
Pictured above: Aladdin
The Lion King: objectively one of the best animated films ever made. Beautiful animation, iconic songs and an emotional story. Like any Disney flick, it may feature the usual slapstick humour in the form of Timone and Pumbaa, however the film is set apart by some truly powerful dramatic moments, which makes sense given it's inspired by Hamlet. (Side note: also contains one of the most devastating deaths in cinematic history)
Aladdin: featuring a dynamic, stand-out performance by Robin Williams and so many magical songs, Aladdin mixes mystery, humour, adventure and romance expertly. Also the magic carpet scores major adorable sidekick points.
Hercules: one of the best of the Disney renaissance era, featuring catchy music, one of the best Disney villains in Hades and characters loosely based around the fascinating realm of Greek mythology. Who knew Gospel music and mythology could go so well together?
Lilo and Stitch: a film that portrayed a sisterly bond before Frozen and a Polynesian island backdrop before Moana, but somehow also contains aliens? Stitch joins Toothless as one of my favourite 'pet' characters in film- 10/10 for adorable sidekick points.
The Little Mermaid: another iconic Disney film with unforgettable music ('Part Of Your World' is one of my enduring favourites), vibrant animation, a delightfully evil villain and a charming story. Perhaps forgive the problematic idea of Ariel giving up everything for a man she just met and focus instead on her determination to explore a mysterious world and break free from the control of her father.
Other Disney 2D's I Enjoy: Cinderella, Cinderella 3: A Twist In Time (it's actually good, guys!!), Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Pocahontas, Brother Bear, Tarzan, A Goofy Movie
Disney 'Modern' (3D animation)
Pictured above: Tangled
Moana: one of the best modern animated films with gorgeous animation and incredible music from Lin-Manuel Miranda that beautifully captures the spirit of Polynesian culture. Also features charming performances by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho (whose heavenly voice makes every song that much more magical) and Dwayne Johnson who continues his mission to appear in every film ever.
Tangled: what can I say I'm more of a Tangled over Frozen gal. A genuinely fun adventure movie with a charming dynamic between Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.
Zootopia: this film was a pleasant surprise, with its imaginative premise, clever humour and intelligent subtext about prejudice and stereotypes. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman are perfect as a rabbit cop and cool fox respectively in a buddy-cop story.
Encanto: perhaps not my favourite story of the bunch, but the songs are undeniably catchy. 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' broke multiple charting records, but 'The Family Madrigal' and 'Surface Pressure' are all-timers as well now.
Other Modern Disney Films I Enjoy: Meet the Robinsons, Frozen, Chicken Little, Big Hero 6, Wreck-It Ralph, Raya and the Last Dragon
Pixar
Pictured above: Up
The Incredibles: Quite simply one of the best animated movies of all time, and a perfect superhero movie. From its intelligent script, '60s spy inspired visuals and glorious score by Michael Giacchino, The Incredibles will always be my favourite Pixar movie.
Finding Nemo: it's easy to forget how funny Pixar can be, and Finding Nemo, is in my opinion the wittiest. It's also gorgeously animated and has a touching father-son story
Monsters Inc: a childhood favourite (that I could quote back to front) with a brilliant concept - what if monsters scared children for a living? Also contains perhaps one of the most heart-breaking moments on this list when Sully says goodbye to Boo.
WALL E: an incredibly powerful movie about environmentalism, showing a satirical representation of the high levels of consumerism and greed in the Western world. Oh but it's told through the lens of a trash compactor robot that falls in love.
Up: a fun adventure film that is set apart by its now iconic emotional opening. Michael Giacchino, who scored many of the films in the list, delivers a particularly brilliant soundtrack. Talking dog, Dug, is almost too adorable for words (11/10 sidekick points).
Coco: set during the Mexican day of the dead festival, Coco is a touching story about remembering your loved ones and following your dreams. Even as Pixar films go, its conclusion is very emotional. Since the story is partly about music, the film also contains an incredible score and delightful songs.
Other Pixar Movies I Enjoy: Toy Story 3, Ratatouille, Luca, Inside Out, Soul, The Incredibles 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters University,
Dreamworks Animation
Pictured above: How to Train Your Dragon 2
How To Train Your Dragon 1 and 2- the first How To Train Your Dragon is on par with the greats of Pixar, and is one of my favourite films ever. It features stunning naturalistic environments (captured by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins no less!), an excellent score and a sweet bond between a young Viking and a dragon. Toothless may be the best character on this entire list (200/10 sidekick points).
Kung Fu Panda- An entertaining martial arts film with Jack Black voicing a lovable panda, Po, who is chosen to be the Dragon warrior. Has plenty of laughs, action and music by Hans Zimmer.
Shrek 2: Setting aside all of the many, many internet memes about this franchise, the Shrek movies are genuinely iconic and satirical in their own right. The sequel is the rare instance of an improved follow-up, with a particular highlight being Jennifer Saunders' performance as the Fairy Godmother (and her incredible cover of 'I Need a Hero'!)
Others Dreamworks Movies I Enjoy: Shrek, Madagascar 1 and 2, Rise of the Guardians, Megamind
Studio Ghibli
Pictured above: Spirited Away
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya: one of the most unique entries on this list, with animation resembling a moving water colour painting. Follows the story of a baby girl found inside a bamboo stalk by a bamboo cutter and his wife, who raise the girl to be a mysterious young princess.
Spirited Away: said to be one of the greatest animated movies of all time, and rightly so. This Alice in Wonderland-style adventure has dreamy imagery, a magical score and a charming protagonist. Director Hayao Miyazaki is an absolute genius.
Kiki's Delivery Service: a perfect comfort movie. I could have watched hours of this story about a young witch called Kiki who moves to a new city and sets up a delivery business. Charming and cosy.
Ponyo: one of the cutest entries in this list with gorgeous, bright water animation and a magical score. It's also loosely inspired by The Little Mermaid.
Grave of the Fireflies: It's difficult to call this a 'favourite' given the subject material, but this film is one of the best animated films ever made, and also one of the greatest war movies as well. Absolutely devastating and harrowing, but equally full of heart and soul.
Other Studio Ghibli Movies I Enjoy: My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, The Secret World of Arriety, From Up on Poppy Hill, When Marnie Was There, Only Yesterday
Others- Sony, Laika, Cartoon Saloon & more
Pictured above: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The LEGO Movie: the seemingly cash-grab movie that actually turned out to be a delight, though I should have expected nothing less from the filmmakers behind 21 Jump Street. Full to the brim of jokes, both visual and spoken, and unbelievable animation that emulates stop-motion.
Kubo and the Two Strings: 2016 was really *the* year for animation. Kubo is a beautifully animated film, made even more impressive by the fact that it is stop motion (the work that went into this film is pain-staking). An epic, atmospheric adventure film with mystical and sometimes creepy imagery.
Song of the Sea: a very underrated little Irish film that I managed to catch on Amazon Prime, Song of the Sea is inspired by Celtic folklore and has a very quirky, ethereal aesthetic. Also contains some beautiful music and a sweet brother-sister relationship.
Chicken Run: It's The Great Escape but with chickens. 'Nuff said.
Fantastic Mr Fox: from the director whose name is a genre in and of it itself, Wes Anderson delivers a fittingly quirky adaptation of Roald Dahl's book of the same name. Coupling deliberately imperfect stop motion with Andersons signature style, this is a quirky tale that can perhaps be appreciated more so by adults than children.
Your Name: one of the most stunning animations you'll see with a plot that is as unexpected and heartfelt as it is fantastical.
The Sea Beast: a blend between How to Train Your Dragon and Moana which may not reach the emotional heights of either but has great visuals and an entertaining story for the whole family.
Coraline: the ultimate children's spooky story. A stunning use of stop-motion to create a genuinely eerie story based on Neil Gaiman's novella of the same name. I love how director Henry Selick holds little back, respecting that young viewers can handle a little bit of spookiness in their stories.
A Silent Voice: a thought-provoking, sensitive exploration of the devastating impact of childhood bullying. The story revolves around a boy who horrifically bullied a hard of hearing girl in his class, and years later sets out to make amends.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: a modern masterpiece of both the animation and comic-book genre. Sony Animations delivered and even improved upon the origin story of Miles Morales, and pioneered a breathtaking new animation style that will undoubtedly inspire animators for years to come.
Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio: a stunningly detailed stop-motion adaptation of the original story. Strange, mystical and heartfelt, this puts Disney's live action 're-imaginings' to shame.
Others I Enjoyed: The Iron Giant, Robots, Your Name, The LEGO Batman Movie, Monster House, Wolfwalkers, Klaus, Isle of Dogs, The Adventures of Tintin, The Polar Express, Monster House, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Breadwinner
Thanks for reading this blog post. I will have undoubtedly missed some of your favourites, so feel free to comment any other recommendations in the comment section below or on Twitter/Instagram.
I do not own any of the images used in this post.