My Top 10 Animated Movies

Lists like these are tricky. Intentional or not, they tend to rouse a little dissonance. I think, however, that it’s all part of the fun. I’ve always enjoyed animated films, but like most people I also have partialities. There are scores of classic and new animated movies cherished by millions that I have neither seen nor likely heard of. So take this list as a subjective glance into my head rather than a distillation of the entire animated film library. I’m nowhere near qualified to do that. Here’s a good reason why: I don’t watch anime. The simple point is that each of these films means something to me. However your top ten differs from mine, I hope it’s for the same reason.

10: The LEGO Movie

Here’s a movie that could have played it safe and only ridden the coattails of the brand upon which it is based. Its producers were bold enough to take their vision further and, to their credit, they succeeded. Beneath the marketing veneer lies a sincere story that addresses complex topics like existentialism, denial, and why we play at all. It’s also a lot of fun, and packs in plenty of laughs. What’s most impressive about The LEGO Movie is its attention to detail. Everything is made of bricks. Oceans, steam, fire – all meticulously designed and rendered brilliantly to mimic old-school stop animation. 

9: Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web is special because it’s one of the first movies I remember watching as a kid. I obviously didn’t understand the concept of anthropomorphism, even though I practiced it all the time, but the movie may have been the first time I’d seen it depicted. In a sense, this helped me understand my imagination better. Charlotte’s death was sad, but seeing her children drift away in the wind while Wilbur watched helplessly was downright upsetting. I guess that also makes Charlotte’s Web the first movie to break my heart.

8: Aladdin

I lost track a long time ago of how many times I’ve seen Aladdin. While I was a member of the Oregon Marching Band, we played a set of tunes from the movie one year and it ended up being among my favorite performances. “A Whole New World” is arguably Disney’s best song, but the catchy music is only a part of why Aladdin rules. The colorful, charismatic cast, hilarious pop-culture jokes and swashbuckling sense of adventure make it a pleasure to watch again and again.

7: Toy Story 1 & 2

It was too hard to pick between these two, so I cheated and stuck them together (it’s my list, deal with it). When Toy Story came out in 1995, it was a big deal because no one had made a computer-animated feature before. I was six, and what I saw blew my fleshy little mind. It felt like I was watching all of my toys come to life and interact with each other and the environment in the same ways I used them. This was exciting, but it also felt like a finger was being jabbed into my chest because I would disassemble, disfigure and ruin many toys just like Sid. Toy Story absolutely changed the way I looked at my toys after watching it.

    And what can I say about Toy Story 2? It took everything I loved about the first film and elevated it. Expanded journey, more characters, funnier jokes, and a bigger heart. 

 
6: Fantasia

Fantasia doesn’t require much of an explanation. It handily speaks for itself. The abstract, slightly creepy story that sees Mickey playing with the powers of his sorcerer master somehow forms the perfect backdrop to the beautiful classical pieces that accompany each segment. Fantasia 2000 did a nice job bringing the magic to a newer audience, but the original is a wonder and a masterpiece.

5: The Land Before Time

I haven’t seen one sequel or episode of the spinoff TV show. My 1988-version-only LBT experience is fine just the way it is. Nothing will take away the feelings I had watching Littlefoot, Ducky, Petrie, Cera and the affable Spike journey together to find the Great Valley. Try not to think about that scene where Littlefoot’s mother freaking dies after saving him from a T-Rex. I hesitate to use the word traumatizing, but I was way too young for that level of feels when I first saw it. It remains one of the saddest movie moments I’ve ever watched. But the story of friendship and perseverance that follows is all the more tremendous for it.

4: The Incredibles

In 2004, the super hero market was somewhat saturated in the media. Spider-Man was hanging around, Jason Bourne was kicking it, The Punisher was shooting the breeze, Riddick was…okay you get it. Then The Incredibles came along and steam rolled them all. I think it’s the most overall fun movie on this list. The depth of its humor, stylish action and fantastic characters (“I know, darling, I know.”) separate it from the herd in so many refreshing ways. In addition, it made the heroes more relatable than most live-action films by focusing on their dynamic as a family. I know I’m not alone when I say I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel.

3: The Lion King

When The Lion King hit the scene, it marked the loss of innocence of a generation. I’m sure we all know why. Hyperbole aside, it’s a truly wonderful film and a veritable roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. The fact that it gets so many things right stamps it firmly in the upper rungs of this list. James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg and (pretty much) Elton John? Check. Gorgeous visuals? You betcha. Excellent soundtrack? Confirmed. Gripping narrative? Cowabunga. 

2: Toy Story 3

When I first saw the announcement for Toy Story 3, I was more skeptical than excited. The first two films were excellent, but they had their day. We’d all moved on, grown up, and I just wasn’t able to see how Pixar could bring us back without somehow cheapening what came before. It’s amazing, then, that it managed to not only eclipse its predecessors, but do so in a way that sensibly provided the closure us college-age viewers never knew we needed. It’s a fun-filled, twist-ridden ride that nails the chemistry its main cast had 11 years prior, and its touching finale speaks directly to those who may have let go of childish things but can still appreciate their influence.

1: Up

Few movies, animated or otherwise, provide the kind of experience Up does. Every time I watch it, the power of its storytelling hits me in the gut even though I know what’s going to happen. Its opening four-minute montage is such a graceful, heartrending, passionate piece of exposition that it nearly outweighs the rest of the film. But only nearly. Every scene and bend in the narrative is executed flawlessly, as are the relationships cultivated therein. I can think of no fewer than four moments where I utterly failed to hold back tears watching it in theaters, but Up isn’t my favorite animated movie because it made me cry. It’s number one because it’s the complete package: perfect soundtrack, visually striking, genuine, and earnest, but with laugh-out-loud gags and a deeply moving story that anyone can enjoy.