The art form of animated movies has captured the hearts and minds of many in the past hundred years. Steadily rising in popularity over the past several decades as technology continues to improve. Animation has become an established genre in filmmaking and isn’t just for children anymore.
Animation has the unique ability to give the creator’s imagination limitless possibilities. If it can be thought of, it can be drawn and brought to life on screen. Animation has provided some of the most breathtaking worlds and visuals in all of cinema,mixing beautiful artwork with incredible storytelling has broadened animation’s audience, making it a genre for all ages to enjoy. These are some of the greatest animations according toIMDb.
35’Castle in the Sky' (1986)
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
After Topcraft went bankrupt, it split into two smaller studios: Pacific Animation Corporation, which was later acquired by Disney, and Studio Ghibli, headed by legendary directorsHayao Miyazaki,Toshio Suzuki, and the lateIsao Takahata.Their first film wasCastle in the Sky, a story about two young children trying to prove the existence of a mythical flying city called Laputa. However, other factions are also trying to find the city, including a family of sky pirates who want its riches and government agents who wish to acquire powerful weapons.
Castle in the Skycodified many of the story beats andcharacters thatMiyazakiwould revisit againand again over his illustrious career.The environmentalist themes are particularly strong here, with the harmonious combination of advanced technology and natural beauty resulting in some of Ghibli’s most striking visuals. The side-characters are also great, particularly the sky pirates for their comedic value and moral complexity. —Tyler B. Searle
Castle in the Sky
34’Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind' (1984)
In 1981, Hayao Miyazaki created a manga series calledNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,set in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity tries to rebuild itself around a toxic jungle populated by giant insects. As it grew in popularity, Miyazaki was convinced to direct a film adaptation, and Topcraft was chosen to animate it. This resulted in what many consider one of thegreatest Japanese animated films.
The beauty ofNausicaä of the Valley of the Windcomes from its strong worldbuilding and fantastic lead character. It’s great to see the various human settlements and how each of them is trying to rebuild the world, which presents a complex moral dilemma where there are no true villains, just people with different points of view. This is what makes Nausicaä herself so great: she is a proactive character who will do whatever it takes, even making hard sacrifices, in the name of peace and finding harmony. —Tyler B. Searle
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
33’Aladdin' (1992)
While working onThe Little Mermaid, lyricistHoward Ashmanpitched a musical adaptation ofAladdin. Sadly, he died from complications of AIDS before it could be completed, and the story would go through numerous re-writes that drew inspiration fromThe Thief of Bagdad. The final product follows Aladdin, a young man living on the streets, and the adventure he goes on to retrieve a magic lamp, win the love of a princess, and stop an evil sorcerer.
Aladdinhas cemented itself as one of themost important animated movies ever madethanks to the Genie. Brought to life by the fluid animation ofEric Goldbergand a legendary performance byRobin Williams, the character was a smash hit with audiences and set the standard (for better or worse) of celebrities voicing animated characters. Even taking the Genie out of the equation,Aladdinis a masterpiece: the story is tightly structured, the colors bright and vibrant, the characters lovable, andthe moral about self-acceptance is timeless. —Tyler B. Searle
32’Perfect Blue' (1997)
The lateSatoshi Konwas one ofJapan’s most influential directors, known for his arthouse films that focused on the human psyche. His directorial debut wasPerfect Blue, based on the novel of the same name by Yoshikazu Takeuchi. The film follows Mima Kirigoe, a singer who attempts to pursue an acting career, only for her life to spiral out of control due to stress, self-doubt, and paranoia.
Perfect Blueis a haunting story about identity, the trappings of fame, and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy. Central to the story is Mima’s public image and how her attempts to redefine herself provoke backlash from fans who cling to an idealized version of her. This theme remains strikingly relevant in today’s era of social media, online influencers, and parasocial relationships,and it doesn’t shy away from the harm they bring to all parties. —Tyler B. Searle
Perfect Blue
31’Zootopia' (2016)
The current era of Disney animation, called the Revival era, has seen the release of many acclaimed films. One of the biggest isZootopia, which follows Judy Hopps, a plucky young rabbit who becomes the first rabbit police officer in the titular city. She teams up with a con artist fox named Nick Wild to track down a missing otter and stumbles upon a massive plot to sow division and chaos among the city’s residents.
Zootopia’s main theme is prejudice and the numerous different ways it can manifest in society. While the division between predator and prey is the primary conflict, Judy also experiences prejudice among her fellow herbivores due to being a rabbit, and is not without her own biases, all of which give the film a more authentic feel. It’s also very creative, with each district styled differently based on the needs of the animals who live there, and numerous little quality-of-life details that make Zootopia feel like a plausible city. —Tyler B. Searle
30’The Incredibles' (2004)
Widely considered to be one of Pixar’s greatest and fan-favorite works,The Incredibleshas surmounted a powerful legacy as one of the finest and most brilliantly crafted 3D animated movies of all time. The film follows the story of Bob Parr, who was once on top of the world as one of the most beloved superhero figures, Mr. Incredible, but after a litigious legal battle, superheroes as a whole have been shunned into hiding. Now, living a normal family life with fellow former superhero Helen and their three kids, Bob is suddenly given an opportunity to dawn the hero mantle again and return to his glory days.
Pixar made an excellent name for themselves during their first selection of original films, withThe Incrediblesin particular doing heavy work to show that the studio was capable of creating great animated experiences for both adults and children. The film’s mixture of top-notch action and grounded family drama has made ita fan favorite for two decades now as one of Pixar’s greatest films. While the film would eventually get a long-awaited sequel almost 15 years later, it simplycouldn’t live up to the mastery of the original.
The Incredibles
29’Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
One of the most critically acclaimed and revolutionary Disney films that cemented their status as masters of the medium during their legendary Renaissance era,Beauty and the Beastbecame an immediate classic. Based on the classic fairy tale, the film follows the bright young Belle, who finds herself being imprisoned in the castle of a once-celebrated prince who has been transformed into a wild, vicious beast. However, Belle slowly opens up to the Beast and sees the humanity within him, beginning to fall in love with the man behind the dastardly appearance.
Beauty and the Beast’s brilliant mixture of 2D and 3D animation made it revolutionary for its era of animation and would lay the groundwork for other animated films throughout the 90s and beyond. Its exceptional songs, emotionally charged characters, and masterful romance immediately placed it in contention for Walt Disney Animation Studio’s greatest films. The film was so widely beloved upon release thatit became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, although it would end up losing toThe Silence of the Lambs.
Beauty and the Beast
28’Soul' (2020)
While Pixar’s filmography throughout the 2020s has been largely hit or miss among fans and critics,Soulisa clear standout as the highlight of the studio out of their recent outings, tapping into the same magic as their classic films. The film follows Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a middle school music teacher who has larger aspirations of becoming a true jazz musician, and after a successful audition, finally seems like he’ll get his chance. However, an accident causes his soul to leave his body, where he finds himself in a center for developing souls, forming a partnership with a fellow soul to get back to his body.
Soulis easily one of the most mature and powerful stories that Pixar has ever created, largely elevated by its beautiful and groundbreaking visual style as well asa legendary voice acting performance by Jamie Foxx. The film tellsa timeless and endlessly meaningful message that speaks volumes not just to children, but to audiences of all ages, being self-reflective about the beauty of life and living it to the fullest. Despite being one of Pixar’s first films that they released during the new decade, it has already cemented itself as being one of their best.
27’Akira' (1988)
Easily one of the most influential animated movies of all time when it comes to action and science fiction, the impact and continued legacy ofAkiracan still widely be felt in action filmmaking to this day. The film takes place in a futuristic crime-laden Neo-Tokyo, as it follows a group of rebellious young biker gang members accidentally coming across a secret military project. After this encounter ends up giving one of the members, Tetsuo, overwhelming psychic abilities, he begins a rampage across the city that can only be stopped by his close friends and a trio of other military-tested psychics.
It’s difficult to understate just how much of anoverwhelming influenceAkirahad on science fiction movies, both animated and live-action, as it could easily be considered one of the most important animated movies of its era. Especially for the late 80s,Akiracreated a compelling adult vision that was completely alien to the world of anime or feature-length animation beforehand. Even 35 years later,Akirais still among one of the most acclaimed and beloved science fiction films of all time, continuing to surmount a legacy with the latest generation of film fans.
26’Wolf Children' (2012)
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
One of the most acclaimed and widelybeloved anime films of the 2010s,Wolf Childrenhas created a powerful legacy for itself thanks to its masterful themes of parenthood and found families. The film follows the story of a human woman who is forced to care for the children that she had with a werewolf lover on her own following his unexpected death in an accident. However, it proves to be increasingly difficult for her to deal with the complications of raising these children once their father’s attributes start to become known, making the act of parenting a harsh yet rewarding experience.
Wolf Childrentakes a classic fantasy story and uses its masterful execution to create a relatable and deeply emotional story of love and family, rivaling some of the greatest anime movies of all time in the process.There is an inherent charm and grace that is present throughout the entire film, with each of its characters feeling likable and fully fleshed out, as well as some exceptional 2D animation creating countless jaw-dropping sequences.
