by This time around it is time to rank my favourite animated films. I have always felt there is more magic, more wonder in a cartoon than I feel in live action. Even movies which do CGI justice such as Avengers still cannot wow me like an animated Avengers movie does. For this reason animated films will always be cherished in my mind. But what one's stand out the most for me? I have seen plenty of good animated movies and plenty of bad ones as well as plenty of in-between one's. Surprisingly only two on this list are Disney films and sadly no Pixar films made the cut (I for one am of the opinion that Pixar can be overrated). But without much further ado here is my Top 10 Animated Films list.
10. Land Before Time.
I think virtually every person my age went through a certain dino-craze. The late 80's-early 90's was known as the dinosaur renaissance for a reason and that is because interest in dinosaurs as well as breakthroughs in paleontology led to a period of dynamic exposure of dinosaurs in movies. Jurassic Park was one of the iconic ones, but Land Before Time is another classic. Not only is it a classic, but it was a non-Disney movie that put serious pressure on Disney to deliver better quality movies.
The lessons found within the movie such as loss of a loved one, dealing with grief, working together, friendship, are some of the most poignant lessons in a children's film and the animation from the actual way Don Bluth directed the animation to the color palette chosen is so artistic. Not only that, but add a beautiful score and the movie is enough to tug on heart strings regardless of one's age. This movie definitely solidified my passion and love for animated films and serves as a nice foundation for the rest of the movies on this list.
9. Beauty and the Beast.
There is a reason why this movie won Academy Award for Best Picture. It deserves it. The story is captivating, the artwork is mesmerizing, the score and songs are memorable, the characters are wonderful, overall this movie serves as a highlight for Disney, I honestly don't think will ever be passed. (I love Frozen, but my god it is overrated.) From the opening scene with the piano and the narrator and the narration being shown on stained glass to the scene when Belle lives the castle and the snow is dynamically blowing on screen each panel of art looks and feels like a work of art itself and you can feel the time and energy put into the film. This movie is definitely by far one of the most well-designed animated films of all-time.
8. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
I am not a big Dreamworks animation fan. The main reason? I am not big on cg/3D cartoons. Don't get me wrong, I find Shrek and Shrek 2 to be hilarious. I enjoy How to Train Your Dragon immensely, etc. but Dreamworks lost some magic when they stopped making movies like Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.
I loved this movie as a kid. No need to have the horse talk. No need to have goofy dialogue. It was a serious film with a beautiful, heartwarming message. It tells the story of the horse in such a way that you start to identify with the horse. You feel trapped by circumstances and people and you just want to break free and run the open plains like you were born to do. Spirit was a character I instantly identified with, despite him being a horse, and the movies side characters are not villainous or heroic. They are simply side characters whose story gets shared alongside Spirit's. That makes it a gem among animated films.
7. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Okay so this one is cheating, but can you blame me? The realistic blending of live action and animation was so well done even to this day watching the film it has that mystifying aspect to it. The movie has aged really well. Great acting, especially on the part of the late Bob Hoskins, made the film hilariously suspenseful. The villains and twists were great and the story was engaging.
It still has the favourite scene out of many movies as well. The scene when Donald Duck (my favourite cartoon character of all time) has a piano dual with Daffy Duck (my favourite Loony Toons character) is such a well directed scene it will always make me laugh and cheer me up.
I consider Who Framed Roger Rabbit to be a part of the animated film collection because of its beautiful animation, especially Toontown, and it definitely is one of the best movies of all time for what it inspired and led up to.
6. Spirited Away
My first Miyazaki film I ever watched and I was weirded out and confused. But there is also a reason why this film won an Academy Award for Best Picture and its because Studio Ghibli did an amazing job working on the design of the entire film.
The story is one which captivated me because of my love of supernaturalism and the character of Chihiro goes through a coming of age adventure I could only dream of experiencing. Definitely one of Miyazaki's best films.
5. Akira
So my father made me watch Akira when I was a child and first thing I remember thinking: "What the hell am I watching?"
So I love psionics and psychic powers, but what I was seeing in Akira was way more frightening. And that final battle? Gruesomely gory. But the story is amazing if you can keep up with it and the animation style is mature and refreshing. Definitely not a child's film, the film itself is responsible for making popular anime internationally but especially in America.
4. The Lego Movie
Now, some of you may be expressing extreme skepticism or disbelief, but hear me out. When I first went to see this movie I expected a goofy kids film. What did I get? A children's film with amazing family oriented humor that people of all ages could laugh at and enjoy, an incredibly in-depth story based around a child's toy, a message that rings true for people of all ages, a score that was really catchy and animation that was incredibly well done. This movie kicked Disney's Frozen in the butt, and I say that as a giant Disney fan. The only downside is this movie came out a few days after 2013 ended and so couldn't run against Frozen for Academy Award.
An all-star cast rounds out the film and as I said the story is well-paced, well written, and I was laughing for almost the entire film, if not all of it.
3. Grave of Fireflies
Bring your tissues because this film makes me cry everytime I watch it. Not only does the score rip your soul to pieces, but the story mixed with the harsh lines of the animation makes this a tear-jerky for sure. If you have never even seen it, I suggest you go and rent it or watch it because it ranks as one of the best animated films of all time, not just by me, but by many worldwide critics. Definitely deserves the hype surrounding it.
2. The Hunch of Notre Dame
My favourite Disney movie ever. The maturity and dark atmosphere of the movie makes this one so captivating. Not only does it deal in themes such as cruelty, forgiveness, mercy, social justice, corruption, etc. but Frollo is the best Disney villain and the songs are amazingly written. The score is my favourite score out of all Disney films. The downside is the gargoyles as comic relief, but I can ignore them due to the fact that the main characters are all amazingly written and developed.
This movie due to it being dark and mature for Disney will always have a set place in my heart which I doubt will be replaced.
1. Princess Mononoke
First time I saw the film, I knew I had to rewatch. I loved it. Ashitaka remains one of my favourite protagonists in any film. I loved the pro-nature vs. exploitative industrial growth message and I loved the colors used throughout the film. Miyazaki's best film in my opinion, this film will always be my favourite animated film. It has everything which makes a movie good. A well-paced story, beautiful animation, likeable characters who were not painted good or evil, but rather were more complex, a beautiful score, a magical atmosphere, the supernatural, etc. Princess Mononoke deserves to be in this #1 spot.
So those are my top 10 animated films.
What are some of yours?
