- Animated films cover a diverse range of genres, including family-friendly, comedy, action, and horror.
- They are not just entertainment but also serve as art pieces, employing various techniques like stop-motion, traditional cartoon animation, or CGI.
- These films appeal to both families and older audiences, with intriguing stories and breathtaking images that cross age barriers.
Animated films are versatile, spanning genres such as family-friendly, comedy, action, and even horror. Because they use methods like stop-motion, classic cartoon animation, or state-of-the-art computer graphics, they are more than just entertainment. This collection includes both animated family movies and ones geared toward older viewers. While some may not be appropriate for children, each has fascinating stories and spectacular visuals, representing the apex of animation’s powers. These movies deliver on their promises of heartwarming moments, thrills, and hilarity, leaving a lasting impact and demonstrating that animation isn’t only for children but rather something that everyone can enjoy and appreciate.
Here, some amazing animated movies are:
1. Spirited Away (2001)
Spirited Away is a Studio Ghibli fantasy film directed by Hayao Miyazaki that stars Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl trapped in the spirit world. She has to protect her family from Yubaba, the evil witch. The movie was the first animated picture not in English to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and it also holds the record for being the highest-grossing movie in Japan for 19 years. It was distributed in North America by Walt Disney Pictures, and an English dub is now accessible for streaming on Max.
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
A superhero movie with an animated style, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales and his fellow Spider-Men as they battle the wicked Kingpin to rescue reality and the city. Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, and Liev Schreiber starred in the film. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was postponed due to the SAG AFTRA strike, but a sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was released in 2023. The movie took home the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar.
3. Coco (2017)
Coco, a movie by Pixar about a little child who becomes stuck in the afterlife on Dia de los Muertos, examines themes of family bonds, music’s power, and generational pain. The all-Latino primary cast includes Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, and Edward James Olmos. In addition to winning two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature, the movie was named the Best Animated Film of 2017. It is presently available for streaming on Disney+.
4. Ratatouille (2007)
Patton Oswalt plays the lead role in Brad Bird’s Pixar picture Ratatouille, which celebrates the creative potential of people. An endearing tale of a rat who aspires to be a chef, the film received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. There have been all kinds of cinematic and television references, from Everything Everywhere All at Once to Raccacoonie in that movie. Disney+ is presently offering streaming for it.
5. Toy Story (1995)
Toy Story is Pixar’s debut film and the first computer-animated feature film. After Woody, the cowboy, is overthrown by Buzz, it focuses on a gang of intelligent toys. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen star in the John Lasseter-directed film, which spawned three sequels. Toy Story 2 and 3 have 100% and 98% approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively, demonstrating how well-regarded the original trilogy is. The movie is presently available to watch on Disney+.
6. Shrek (2001)
Shrek, a pioneering animated picture that popularized CGI and DreamWorks Animation, received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The plot centres on an ogre saving a princess, starring Eddie Murphy and Mike Myers. Shrek! is based on William Steig’s book and includes three sequels and two spin-offs, including Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Shrek was the first animated picture approved for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2020. It is now accessible on Peacock and fuboTV.
7. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop-motion animated film directed by Wes Anderson, based on a Roald Dahl novel, and written by Noah Baumbach. Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Meryl Streep, and George Clooney are the film’s main stars. Despite failing at the box office, it has gained critical acclaim and a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. You can watch it live right now on Max.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Tim Burton and Henry Selick created the iconic stop-motion animated picture The Nightmare Before Christmas. The story follows Halloween Town’s King Jack Skellington as he attempts to appropriate Christmas to get through a midlife crisis. Chris Sarandon, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Reubens provide vocal performances in the musical, which has a composer by Danny Elfman. Based on Burton’s poem, the film has a cult following and has appeared in concerts, comic books, video games, toys, and a behind-the-scenes podcast.
9. Coraline (2009)
Coraline is a children’s horror classic and the debut feature film from Laika Studios, best renowned for their stop-motion animated movies. Coraline is based on Neil Gaiman’s young adult novel and follows a little girl named Coraline as she finds a terrible other realm. Coraline, which has a 91% Rotten Tomatoes rating, has become a cult classic and is now accessible on Max.
10. Anastasia (1997)
The film Anastasia, which centres on the fall of the Romanov family and the tsar’s youngest daughter’s flight, combines romance, historical fiction, and musical elements. The film, directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, features Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, and Christopher Lloyd. It is more of a fable than a historical drama, even if there are some true-to-life occurrences. It’s presently available on Disney+.