The Halftime Snack Animated Movie Bracket
The first animated feature-length film ever made, “El Apóstol” (The Apostle), dates all the way back to 1917. The film was 70-minutes, used paper-cut animation, and was silent; but it paved the way for what would become one of the greatest and enduring mediums of entertainment. Of course it took a while for animated films to gain any sort of momentum, but eventually 20 years after the release of El Apóstol a little studio called Walt Disney Productions produced “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” that launched animation into the main stream. Since Snow White, there have been countless animated feature-films released to the world. In fact, in just 2010, there were more than 60 animated movies released to theaters around the globe.
Although the animated movie has grown and evolved over the years, The Halftime Snack has made the ludicrous decision to try to determine the greatest animated movie of all time. We aren’t quite so arrogant to make the selection on our own, so what we’ve done is narrowed down the list of thousands of animated feature-films to just 64. These 64 will be matched up head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament and voted on to determine the greatest animated movie of all time.
Before voting for your favorite movies in our Instagram story @TheHalftimeSnack, you can get a refresher on each of these animated classics (or soon-to-be classics) below.
Pixar
Directed By: John Lasseter
Domestic Gross: $223.2 M
It seems almost too simple to say that Toy Story changed the game, but there’s no denying the impact it’s had on animated films. It wasn’t only the groundbreaking visual effects, but Toy Story also reimagined the use of music in animated story telling. Unlike most animated films of the time, Toy Story was not a musical, characters did not break out in song. Instead, it used songs and a score from Randy Newman over the action to convey the emotions of the story… much like typical non-animated films. And of course, what we got was this sweet, introspective, entertaining masterpiece. Every decision made to create the final product of this movie was pretty much perfect.
2. Coco (2017)
Directed By: Lee Unkrich
Domestic Gross: $210.5 M
Pixar came out of the gates red hot with hit after hit after hit for about 15 years until suddenly their engines started to sputter. After Toy Story 3 in 2010, we get Cars 2 (Pixar’s biggest failure), Brave (decent), Monsters University (underwhelming), Inside Out (the only good thing in this stretch), The Good Dinosaur (no one remembers this), Finding Dory (should’ve remained lost), and Cars 3 (because they had to make up for 2). Pixar, who went 11 for 11 to start, just had a run where they went 1 for 7. And then Coco came along in 2017 and made us all light a candle for Pixar once more. Coco absolutely glows with vibrant animation, rich storytelling, and deeply affecting music including the Best Original Song winner in the 90th Academy Awards “Remember Me”.
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
Domestic Gross: $223.8 M
Possibly one of the greatest love stories of our generation. What’s more impressive, the love is conveyed with minimal dialogue through body language and score. The beauty is in the simplicity. And it’s not just this innocent approach to love that makes this movie so endearing, it’s also the administration of pure and straightforward solutions to complex issues. WALL-E addresses consumerism, human environmental impact, obesity, and corporatocracy by simply acknowledging their existence and their impacts. Simple and beautiful… and it should also be mentioned, this movie topped Time’s list of the “Best Movies of the Decade”.
Directed By: Andrew Stanton
Domestic Gross: $380.8 M
Finding Nemo took the already impressive Pixar Animation Studios to the next level. The underwater world was so vibrant and detailed, it was like nothing we had every seen before. But what might be just as impressive, is the sound editing. Finding Nemo reveals to us the sound of a swooping stingray and the noise made when bouncing on top of jelly fish. The thought and creativity put into this movie is astounding, and it doesn’t hurt that it moves along at breakneck speed like the East Australian current. Never a dull moment.
Directed By: Brad Bird
Domestic Gross: $261.4 M
The Incredibles is reminiscent of an early James Bond movie but it has more heart and it feels less cartoonish. Of course, it is an animated superhero movie but these superheroes feel more real than most. They’re refreshingly limited in their abilities and either just learning how to use their powers or trying to regain their past prowess. Aside from stopping a villain who aims to make everyone “super” essentially rendering no one super, our suburban nuclear family (who happen to be superheroes) struggle with identity and self-worth. It’s a story about growing up and growing old disguised as something sexier and sleek… without the cape of course.
Directed By: Pete Docter
Domestic Gross: $290.6 M
Simply, this movie is just really freaking cute. But to dive a little deeper, Monsters, Inc. does something exceptionally clever by creating this novel world and backstory to the ‘monsters under the bed’ mythology. But they didn’t just stop there either, they asked the question “What if monsters were just as afraid of us as we are of them?”. From this concept, they were then allowed to highlight their thesis, ‘our similarities create a stronger bond than our differences’. It’s sneaky genius… but also, this movie is just really freaking cute.
Directed By: Lee Unkrich
Domestic Gross: $415.0 M
Toy Story 3, released 15-years after the original, was made for the kids who grew up with Pixar. The third installment is a meditation on loss and moving forward. Yes, it’ll make you cry, but as a whole, it’s much more layered. Toy Story 3 is funny, clever, scary, exciting, and of course emotionally satisfying. Kids love this movie, but adults young-at-heart may appreciate it even more. And this appreciation was no more evident than Toy Story 3’s nomination for Best Picture at the 2010 Academy Awards becoming only the third animated film to be nominated for best picture after Beauty and the Beast and Up.
8. Up (2009)
Directed By: Pete Docter
Domestic Gross: $293.0 M
The first ten minutes of this movie is nearly perfect. Unfortunately, the only fault this movie has is that the remaining 80 minutes never quite capture the emotion and beauty of Carl and his wife Ellie growing old together. Still, character’s like Russell a young, tubby “Wilderness Explorer” and Dug a talking dog bring a ton of heart to this movie. Up as a whole is wonderfully touching and gorgeously animated, and the academy of motion pictures thought so too making Up just the second animated movie ever to be nominated for best picture.
Directed By: Brad Bird
Domestic Gross: $206.4 M
Undeniably the best title of any other Pixar movie, luckily, they didn’t stop there. On paper, Ratatouille sounds like an acid trip gone wrong. A rat, Remy, with an unusually acute sense of smell and taste dreams of being a chef in a fancy French restaurant, nothing too crazy yet… Until, Remy discovers he can control the garbage boy of a famed restaurant like a marionette by pulling on his hair. Remy and the garbage boy, Linguini, use this collaboration to become head chef and live out their dreams. It sounds crazy, it is crazy, but it absolutely works. There’s no denying the power of aesthetically pleasing cooking montages and Parisian evening city-scapes.
Directed By: John Lasseter
Domestic Gross: $162.8 M
Despite critical acclaim and success at the box office, the second Pixar movie is often forgotten. Released three years after Toy Story, A Bug’s Life took the time to introduce us to a whole new world. Pixar didn’t rest on its laurels, but instead kept pushing the technology further. A Bug’s Life not only had to try to emerge from the shadow of Woody and Buzz, it had to compete against other animated studios trying to take the reins including DreamWorks and their eerily similar 1998 computer animated movie Antz. Not an easy feat, but A Bug’s Life holds up today better than most and remains clever and charming.
Directed By: Pete Docter
Domestic Gross: $356.9 M
Pixar never shies away from an abstract concept but bringing emotions to life felt like a bit of a stretch even for the award-winning animated studio. However, once again they proved they were up for the challenge. Not only did they unravel a complicated yarn, they brought us something truly original, visually engaging, and powerfully emotional. Inside Out became another wonderful addition to the Pixar library.
Directed By: John Lasseter
Domestic Gross: $245.8 M
Originally, Toy Story 2 was set to be a direct-to-video sequel. However, when the first story reels came out, Pixar knew they had another hit on their hands… and it’s a good thing too as Toy Story 2 out grossed both previous Pixar movies Toy Story and A Bug’s Life. In retrospect, it’s no surprise that Toy Story 2 was a hit. The Pixar animation continued to advance (we could watch the Woody getting fixed scene on repeat), the story was sweet and sentimental, and the new characters were fun and dynamic. Toy Story 2 did something where most sequels fail, it contributed something original to the saga.
13. Cars (2006)
Directed By: John Lasseter
Domestic Gross: $244.1 M
Aside from Toy Story, Cars is the biggest Pixar franchise with two sequels released in theaters, three different television series, four short films, and two spin-offs (“Planes”). Although it hasn’t received the accolades or critical acclaim of many other Pixar films (probably because it’s basically just a re-telling of the good, not great, romantic comedy Doc Hollywood), Cars has made a long lasting impression. I’d venture to say, there’s not a public elementary school in America that doesn’t have at least one kid with a Cars backpack or lunchbox.
Directed By: Brad Bird
Domestic Gross: $608.7 M
It may surprise you, but Incredibles 2 is the third highest grossing animated movie of all time just after Frozen II and Frozen. It’s made a cool 1.2 billion (with a B) worldwide. And yet, Incredibles 2, for whatever reason, sort of just came and went. But the hype around this film before it came out was electric. Take a second and search YouTube for “Incredibles 2 trailer reaction”, what you’ll get are dozens of videos with more than 100K views… that’s people watching other people react to a trailer over 100 thousand times. Insane! The hype was big, and the movie lived up to it with stellar reviews by critics and audiences alike. However, like Jack Jack, Incredibles 2 has vanished from the popular zeitgeist. So to jog your memory, the action and visuals are amazing, the emotions and frustrations feel real, and Jack Jack bats a thousand… could watch this scene all day.
15. Soul (2020)
Directed By: Pete Docter
Domestic Gross: Not released domestically in theaters
Due to COVID-19, Soul was released direct-to-streaming on Christmas day 2020 and thus became the first Pixar movie not to be given a wide theatrical release. However, it’ll take more than a global pandemic to stop Pixar. Several days after its streaming release, research firm Screen Engine reported that 13% of viewers subscribed to Disney+ in order to watch the film. They also found that Soul was the third most watched straight-to-streaming title of the year, right behind Hamilton and Wonder Woman 1984. And Soul absolutely deserves the viewership. The title “Soul” sums up the movie pretty well. At times it’s gentle and quiet and then harmoniously pops with color and pace like a smooth jazz solo.
16. Onward (2020)
Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Domestic Gross: $61.6 M
Onward had the misfortune of being released just as COVID-19 was gripping the United States and thus greatly effected the movies distribution to theaters and consequently its domestic gross. However, Onward found a second life on Disney’s new streaming service Disney+ and received very positive reviews. The movie is genuinely funny and entertaining, but the real magic behind this film is how wonderfully it conveyed the power of brotherly love. This movie deserves a bigger audience.
Just missed the cut: Luca, Brave, Monsters University, Toy Story 4, Finding Dory
DreamWorks
1. Shrek (2001)
Directed By: Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson
Domestic Gross: $267.7 M
Since the early nineties, a growing trend was emerging to cater animated movies not only to children but to adults. Shrek took this trend and not only made it popular, Shrek made it the status quo. With witty inside jokes and nods to pop-culture, Shrek playfully deconstructed the fairy tale without making a mockery of it. But it’s not all winks and elbows to the rib, Shrek has heart and provides a genuine message that it’s okay to be yourself and not change for others. However, hypocritically, Shrek changed the animation game.
Directed By: John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
Domestic Gross: $215.4 M
The message of Kung Fu Panda is largely the same as what we’ve gotten from other DreamWorks movies like Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon, be the best you can be and don’t try to be anything different. It’s a good message, but what makes this movie great is an unmatched understanding of entertainment. The combination of humor, colorful animation, interesting mythologies, and swift martial arts heightens this movie to the top tier. It also doesn’t hurt that it has an all-star voice cast including: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogan, and Jackie Chan to name a few.
Directed By: Andrew Adamson, Kelly Asbury, and Conrad Vernon
Domestic Gross: $441.2 M
It’s a blessing and a curse to have to follow up one of the most beloved movies of all time. On one hand, you know there’s an audience eager to watch your movie; on the other hand, you must try to live up to the expectations of the first film. And although it may not be as fresh as the original, the topical humor and a few new colorful secondary characters (like everyone’s favorite, Puss in Boots) makes Shrek 2 a more than admirable follow up.
Directed By: Peter Lord and Nick Park
Domestic Gross: $106.8 M
The highest grossing stop motion animated film in history, Chicken Run is a charming delight. Although stop motion, the animation feels more reminiscent of the Looney Toons of old with slapstick comedy and witty one liners. However, it’s the action sequences that impress the most and it was not an easy feat to make them look so stunning. In fact, one minute of movie took about a week to film. The dedication to completing this movie was remarkable.
5. Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Directed By: Nick Park and Steve Box
Domestic Gross: $56.1 M
A parody on classic monster movies, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is full of energy, humor, and eccentricity. For a crash course in English comedy, you could learn equally as much from Monty Python, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, the Black Adder, or Wallace and Gromit. Still not convinced you want to watch this delightfully charming and cheeky movie; it won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 78th Academy Awards.
6. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Directed By: Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Domestic Gross: $217.6 M
Although making nearly $500 million worldwide and having the highest critical approval score of any DreamWorks Animation film on Rotten Tomatoes (99%), How to Train Your Dragon is often forgot… or at least not one of the first great animated films that comes to mind. This might be, as mentioned at the top of the article, because 2010 was brimming with animated movies (60 animated movies were released to theaters around the world in 2010 alone). However, it’s dazzling animation, exceptional score, and surprising depth makes this movie a must re-watch.
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Domestic Gross: $165.2 M
Stop what you’re doing and go watch this movie! It might not only be the best Kung Fu Panda movie; it may be the best DreamWorks animated movie. Kung Fu Panda 2 is an ambitious extension of the first movie, but as we know, our Panda “Dragon Warrior” is nimble enough to make the reach. What may elevate this movie over the first one is the expert animation and voice acting (by newcomer Gary Oldman) of Lord Shen. Who’d of thought a peacock could be more sinister than a snow leopard, and yet, he undeniably is.
8. Antz (1998)
Directed By: Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson
Domestic Gross: $90.8 M
Antz is DreamWorks’ first animated film and just the third feature-length computer-animated film after Toy Story (1995) and the Brazilian 1996 film Cassiopeia. But the bigger story is not what movies came before Antz, but what movie came out just after. It was released just one month before Pixar’s very similar film A Bug’s Life which sparked the rivalry between the two studios. Despite its earlier release, it made less money than A Bug’s Life; however, it received just as much praise. Antz plays more toward an older audience and is a little edgier, which has helped it separate itself from the drama and shine on its own.
Directed By: Chris Miller
Domestic Gross: $149.3 M
Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe came along, it was exceptionally rare for a spin-off to be successful at the box office. Puss in Boots’ budget was $130 million and so domestically it just made its money back grossing $149 million, but it made a whopping $405.7 million worldwide! What’s more, the movie is highly entertaining. It certainly didn’t hurt that Puss was such a fan favorite in Shrek 2, but this movie deserves its own credit. It’s visually sparkling, witty, and creative; and Zach Galifianakis as Humpty-Dumpty was pure genius.
10. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
Directed By: Dean DeBlois
Domestic Gross: $177.0 M
Similar to Kung Fu Panda 2, How to Train Your Dragon 2 expertly builds on to the bedrock of the first film. This sequel doesn’t rehash the first movie but takes all the best parts of the original and then adds new excitement and ups the stakes. It’s not as cute as the first film, but it’s not trying to be either. Our hero is becoming a man, and therefore How to Train Your Dragon 2 addresses more mature themes like leadership, ecological conservation, and the brutality of war. It is not your average children’s film.
11. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Directed By: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells
Domestic Gross: $101.4 M
When you think of The Prince of Egypt, your first focus is probably on the film’s amazing soundtrack. The song "When You Believe" became a commercial hit with the pop version performed by two of the greats Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. It also went on to win Best Original Song at the 71st Academy Awards. After reminiscing on the soundtrack and depending on how comfortable you are in your sexuality, you next might reflect on how much of a stone-cold fox Moses is. And finally, when looking back on this film, you might be reminded that it really is a very entertaining (and rightfully intense) re-telling of a little book called Exodus.
Directed By: Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders
Domestic Gross: $187.2 M
The Croods is another classic example of a film that has “evolved” and grown more interesting with time. Although the comedy is pretty fossilized, this movie is fast paced and action filled. You won’t get tired of watching it, which is more than you can say about a lot of the flashy and loud films thrown our way. Plus, it gets a few points for originality. But above all else, The Croods succeeds in engaging the audience with a heartfelt message… if you love something, it’s always worth the effort.
Directed By: Jennifer Yuh Nelson and Alessandro Carloni
Domestic Gross: $143.5 M
Kung Fu Panda 3 did fairly well domestically although grossing less than the first two in the franchise. However, Kung Fu Panda 3 wisely focused its attention on China. It was released in China a week before anywhere else and during Chinese New Year when schools were on holiday. It ended up grossing almost $155 million in China making it the country’s highest grossing animated film. Like the first two, Kung Fu Panda 3 is visually spectacular, fun, and funny.
14. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
Directed By: Dean DeBlois
Domestic Gross: $160.8 M
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is just as (if not more) visually stunning than its predecessors. There are scenes in this film that make us appreciate the magic of animation and movie making. The story is less triumphal than the first two, which effectively (and ideally) bookends this series. And this final chapter, though bittersweet, reminds all of us that good things, even the best things like co-habitation with dragons, must come to an end. A great film, but here’s hoping DreamWorks focuses on more novel material.
Directed By: Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick
Domestic Gross: $155.0 M
DreamWorks has always been able to rope in some big names to voice their characters, but Over the Hedge might top the list. The voice cast includes Bruce Willis, Steve Carell, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Gary Shandling, Wanda Sykes, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, William Shatner, and Avril Lavigne in her prime. The cast is amazing, and they bring high energy and fun to this movie.
16. Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
Directed By: Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman
Domestic Gross: $198.3 M
Once again, DreamWorks brought in an A-list of stars to voice their movie, and this time they really focused on comedic actors at their peak including Seth Rogen, Wil Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, and Paul Rudd. Bafflingly, it’s not particularly funny. But what it lacks in humor, it makes up for in special effects and a rowdy mischief. Despite not spawning a feature-length sequel, Monsters vs. Aliens has had a lasting impression. It started a video game, a short film, two television specials, and a television series. This movie has legs… approximately 30 feet long.
Just missed the cut: Madagascar, Bee Movie, The Road to El Dorado, Trolls, Megamind
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Directed By: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
Domestic Gross revenue: $422. 8 M
It’s Hamlet with lions! It’s also the highest grossing traditionally animated film of all time with a worldwide gross of nearly $1 billion. The Lion King is one of the most beautifully animated and richly drawn movies, but the early use of CGI for sweeping landscape shots and epic scenes like the wildebeest stampede amplified the emotional story telling. One day the sun will set on The Lion King’s reign, but for now, it sits atop the mountain and looks out at all of those below it.
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Directed By: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Domestic Gross revenue: $219.0 M
Beauty and the Beast is the only animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards in the old five film format (Up and Toy Story 3 have also been nominated but only after they increased the nominee field to up-to-10 in 2009). But it’s not just the academy that loved this enchanting and sweepingly romantic film, Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to reach $100 million domestically in its initial run. And to anyone who’s seen this gem, this comes as no surprise. The animation is brilliant, the story is exciting, and the songs are playfully witty… “I use antlers in all of my decorating! My What a guy, that Gaston!”. A winner at every level.
Directed By: John Musker and Ron Clements
Domestic Gross revenue: $217.4 M
A street urchin with a heart of gold, a princess with rebellious independence, and a political advisor with nefarious intentions make up the perfectly balanced body of this story that fuels us from plot point to plot point. But the soul of this story is in the secondary characters. You have the wise-cracking hench-bird Iago, the loyal monkey side-kick Abu, the houndly magic carpet, and of course the Genie. Robin Williams, voice of the Genie, was born to play this role and likewise animation was birthed to be voiced someday by Williams. It may never get better.
Directed By: Wolfgang Reitherman
Domestic Gross revenue: $32-35 M (2 separate releases)
Robin Hood may be one of the most iconic stories of all time and has been retold countless ways, but the best retelling is Disney’s 1973 animated version. The story of Robin Hood takes place during hardship and famine, but this movie brings refreshing lightness and comedy to the tale. This movie also broke ground by introducing one of the first widely released dis-tracks in the song “The Phony King of England”… too late to be known as John the First, he’s sure to be known as John the Worst. A pox on that Phony king of England. Brutal!
5. Mulan (1998)
Directed By: Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft
Domestic Gross revenue: $120.6 M
Mulan has a fast-moving plot, rich animation, complex characters, and great comic relief. However, what drives this movie most, is the music. The score, often overshadowed by the songs in Mulan, deserves serious praise. It’s exciting, culturally significant, and sweeping. But it really is the songs of Mulan that make this movie great including “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” and “Reflection”. In fact, the film's soundtrack is credited for starting the career of Christina Aguilera, whose first song to be released in the U.S. was her cover of "Reflection". The song, and Aguilera's vocals, were so well received that it landed her a recording contract with RCA Records. Watch for the action and fun, stay for the soundtrack.
6. Moana (2016)
Directed By: Ron Clements and John Musker
Domestic Gross revenue: $248. 8 M
The CGI is beautiful and brilliantly detailed and allowed the animators to really explore the depths of Moana’s journey. However, the hand-drawn animation of Maui’s tattoos might have stolen the show. It was a stroke of genius to mesh the two animation mediums. Moana also shines through it’s music and lyrics with songs like “How Far I’ll Go” written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Shiny” also written by Miranda and performed by half of the Flight of the Conchords duo - Jermaine Clement.
7. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wolfgang Reitherman
Domestic Gross revenue: $144.9 M (5 separate releases)
Cruella de Vil may be one of the most terrifying Disney villains out there and she accomplishes this feat without any sort of sorcery or superpowers. The pampered, glamorous, remorseless heiress is evil incarnate. In fact, Cruella was ranked the 39th greatest villain on AFI’s list “100 Years… 100 Heroes and Villains”. In addition to rooting against this glorious villain, it’s equally as easy to root for our numerous four-legged heroes. It was an obvious decision to allow the animals to talk to each other, but it was a stroke of brilliance to have them communicate important messages through the Morse-code like Twilight Bark.
Directed By: Ron Clements and John Musker
Domestic Gross revenue: $111.5 M (2 separate releases)
Prior to the release of The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney Animation Studios was in a fairly large slump. The 80s was a dark blight on Disney starting with The Fox and the Hound in 1981 (not well received by critics), The Black Cauldron 1985 (a box office bomb and greatly delayed), The Great Mouse Detective 1986 (well liked but didn’t do overwhelmingly well at the box office), and Oliver & Company 1988 (with very mediocre reviews). The Little Mermaid needed to succeed to save Disney and it unquestionably did. It was critically adored and a major box office success. The Little Mermaid breathed life back into the art of Disney animated feature films. It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance. In addition, the film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Under the Sea").
Directed By: Ron Clements and John Musker
Domestic Gross revenue: $99.1 M
Hercules came out in the latter half of the Disney Renaissance on the invulnerable heels of The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Contrary to those predeceasing films, Hercules was a little more light-hearted and humorous despite the darkness of the original Greek mythology. Much of the lightness of this movie is credit to casting comedic talents like Danny DeVito, James Woods, and Wayne Knight who bring the perfect amount of knowing irreverence to separate the audience from some of the dark undertones. Instead of being dim and depressing, Hercules is one of the more bright and entertaining animated movies of the era.
10. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Directed By: Max Dindal
Domestic Gross revenue: $89.6 M
After six years of production from starting out as a dramatic musical epic to the lighthearted comedy it is today, The Emperor’s New Groove finally made it to theaters at the tail end of 2000. Unfortunately, The New Groove performed disappointingly at the box office compared to Disney films released in the 1990s likely due to the numerous changes and production overhaul. However, the film found its four furry legs later on, and had tremendous success from home media becoming the best-selling DVD of 2001. The brisk pace, fresh characters, and big laughs make for a great time; and David Spade and Eartha Kitt were born for their roles as Kuzco and Yzma respectively.
11. Peter Pan (1953)
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske
Domestic Gross revenue: $87.4 M (3 separate releases)
Peter Pan was the final Disney film in which all nine members of “Disney's Nine Old Men” worked together as directing animators, and the assembly of artistic expertise shines as bright as the second star to the right. The backgrounds are wonderfully picturesque, Tinkerbelle is lively and brilliant, and Captain Hook is drawn delightfully flamboyant. There are some characters and language that don’t age especially well, but Peter Pan is definitely worth the re-watch simply for the masterclass in animation artistry.
Directed By: Rich Moore
Domestic Gross revenue: $189.4 M
Wreck-It Ralph had been bouncing around Disney since the late 1980s under working titles like High Score, Joe Jump, and Reboot Ralph; until finally it found the loving hands of first-time director Rich Moore. The result was a very clever and originally colorful adventure built on familiar themes of ‘where do I belong’ and filled with joyful nostalgia. It may have taken decades to find a place in this world, but it turns out Ralph is the perfect bridge between retro eye-candy and new age animation. This movie is fun for any generation.
13. Tangled (2010)
Directed By: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Domestic Gross revenue: $200.8 M
Based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Rapunzel”, Tangled took its time during production to make sure everything was perfect. They even spent six years developing a program to make Rapunzel’s hair look and act more realistically (when it wasn’t magically punching people or tying them to chairs). And it turns out, when given the time to perfect a project, you can produce something quite spectacular. On top of being visually stunning, Tangled has all the complex mix of romance, comedy, adventure and heart that defines the best Disney features.
Directed By: Wolfgang Reitherman
Domestic Gross revenue: $141. 8 M (3 separate releases)
The early versions of both the screenplay and the soundtrack followed Rudyard Kipling's work more closely, with a dramatic, dark, and sinister tone. However, Walt Disney, who died during production, requested a lighter and happier tone leading to the recasting of famous actors and musicians like Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, George Sanders and Louis Prima to brighten up the sound and help shape the character’s personalities. It was a rarity to hire familiar voices for the characters, but with the success of The Jungle Book, it became the status quo. And The Jungle Book was a huge success. Initially, the film became Disney’s second highest grossing animated film domestically and internationally it was even bigger. The Jungle Book is Germany's biggest film of all time in terms of admissions with 27.3 million tickets sold. It has grossed an estimated $108 million in Germany making it the third highest-grossing film of all time in Germany behind only Avatar ($137 million) and Titanic ($125 million).
15. Zootopia (2016)
Directed By: Byron Howard and Rich Moore
Domestic Gross revenue: $341. 3 M
It only took eighty some odd years, but Disney finally produced the animated buddy cop film we’ve all been waiting for. Luckily, the wait was worth it. Zootopia is the perfect mix of fast, funny, thoughtful, and smart. In a time of panic and prejudice, Zootopia taught trust and tolerance. It’s also a refreshing change to have a film (especially a Disney film) have its female lead’s focus not on romance or family loyalty, but instead on her dream career as a police officer and serving her city. Woke, but not shove it in your face woke.
16. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
Directed By: Hendel Butoy and Mike Gabriel
Domestic Gross revenue: $27.9 M
After the major success of 1977’s The Rescuers, a feature-length sequel was approved by Disney, making it the first animated film sequel theatrically released by the studio. Unfortunately, the long-awaited sequel had the misfortune of being released the same day as Home Alone and thus struggled mightily at the box office. Luckily, The Rescuers Down Under found life from multiple VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray releases in the years following its theatrical debut. Everyone deserves the chance to see a little boy clinging to the back of a golden eagle as it soars across the Outback and hear John Candy voice an accident-prone albatross.
Just missed the cut: Lilo and Stitch, Frozen, Big Hero 6, The Princess and the Frog, Fantasia
All Other Studios
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Skellington Productions/Touchstone Pictures
Directed By: Henry Selick
Domestic Gross Revenue: $77.4 M
The story behind the creation of The Nightmare Before Christmas is almost as good as the movie itself. As an animator and writer for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Tim Burton came up with the idea of Nightmare, but Disney considered it too weird and dark. Burton, weird and dark himself, was later fired from Disney and began directing live action movies like Beetlejuice and Batman. After the monster success of his live action films, Burton returned to Disney (who still owned Nightmare) to finish the story and produce it. Disney, still thinking the film too dark for kids, decided to release it under their adult label Touchstone Pictures. And the rest is history. The stunningly original and visually spectacular stop-motion film has become a cult classic.
2. Spirited Away (2001) – Studio Ghibli
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Domestic Gross Revenue: $13.8 M
Although Spirited Away only made 13.8 million in the United States and Canada, the wonderfully strange and beautifully haunting fantasy film about a young girl who wanders into a world of sorcerers and spirits made over $235 million in Japan and is currently Japan’s third highest grossing film ever. But it wasn’t just a success at the box office, it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards, making it the first and only hand-drawn and non-English-language animated film to win the award. Studio Ghibli has produced a lot of hits over the years (see Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, etc.), but nothing quite as soulful as Spirited Away.
3. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Sony Pictures Animation
Directed By: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman
Domestic Gross Revenue: $190.2 M
In a world saturated with superhero movies, in particular Spider-Man movies, it came as a bit of a shock that Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse could swing out of the superhero monotony. But it didn’t happen overnight. It took this movie a while to get its leggings before eventually gaining some momentum from critics and (more importantly) audience praise, eventually grossing more than $350 million worldwide. Spider-Verse pops with originality, brilliant artwork, and complex yet vibrant characters. Much more so than any other Marvel or DC superhero movie, Spider-Verse feels like a comic book in a good way. It is both the most true to the comic book lover and the most inviting to everyone else.
4. Despicable Me (2010) – Illumination Entertainment
Directed By: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud
Domestic Gross Revenue: $251.5 M
The hype around Despicable Me was fairly low for months leading up to its release in July of 2010, but a few weeks before it premiered Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures switched their marketing strategy to focus more on those little yellow minions. It was a master stroke. Despicable Me ended up grossing $56.3 million on its opening weekend which turned out to be the 3rd highest grossing opening weekend in 2010. The minions drew in the crowds, but it’s the genuine heart of the story that left them wanting more… and more they got! After the success of Despicable Me, Illumination quickly churned out two sequels that have already been released and a 4th film on the way, a spin-off Minions movie, and FOURTEEN short films. Despicable Me is here to stay.
5. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – 20th Century Fox Animation
Directed By: Wes Anderson
Domestic Gross Revenue: $21.0 M
What do you get when you combine one of the greatest directors of our time with one of the greatest Children’s book and author? Something pretty spectacular. Wes Anderson’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox is a wonderfully funny feast for the eyes. It’s a children’s story and film, but it has so much class and quirkiness that every generation will enjoy it. And it doesn’t hurt that Wes Anderson got a few of his friends to pitch in as voice actors including George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, and Adrien Brody.
6. A Goofy Movie (1995) – Disneytoon Studios
Directed By: Kevin Lima
Domestic Gross Revenue: $35.3 M
The classic story of fake it ‘til you make it. A Goofy Movie might have given a generation of kids the wrong idea about success… manipulate the path to get where you want to go, but it at least showed us the consequences our actions can have on others even (especially when) we do succeed. A Goofy Movie had a pretty meager box office and mixed reviews from critics, but this movie has grown a cult following with those who grew up with it on VHS. It’s bright, fun, fast-paced, and introduced the world to the absolute banger “I 2 I” by Powerline (Tevin Campbell).
7. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) - Laika
Directed By: Travis Knight
Domestic Gross Revenue: $48.0 M
Dreamlike and visually intoxicating, there are few movies that look as good and magical as Kubo and the Two Strings. Like many Laika films, Kubo is dark but ultimately more thrilling than scary and the sharp (not-dumbed down) humor makes this movie enjoyable for all audiences. But what might be the most memorable aspect of this movie was choosing The Beatles “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” as the film’s musical/spiritual theme. Instrumentally, it plays as a sweeping score throughout the film in addition to an amazing cover by Regina Spektor during the end credits.
8. James and the Giant Peach (1996) – Allied Filmmakers/Skellington Productions/Disney
Directed By: Henry Selick
Domestic Gross Revenue: $28.9 M
As early as 1980, the Roald Dahl book James and the Giant Peach had been of great interest to many animation directors to be made into a feature-film. However, studios like Walt Disney Animation Studios balked for reasons of a potentially expensive and difficult animation process and the source material's too strange subject matter. Eventually in 1992, Walt Disney Pictures bought the rights and hired The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick to direct. Originally Disney was interested in a live-action movie, but Selick talked them into stop-motion animation once James enters the peach. It turns out, Selick knew exactly what he was doing. The movie is brighter and more magical in stop-motion than it ever could have been live.
9. The Land Before Time (1988) – Sullivan Bluth Studios (Don Bluth Entertainment)
Directed By: Don Bluth
Domestic Gross Revenue: $48.1 M
Released the same day as Disney’s Oliver and Company, The Land Before Time doesn’t shy away from deep topics like famine and the death of loved ones. In many ways, The Land Before Time is more similar to Disney’s “Golden Age” of the 40s and 50s than the Disney films released in the 80s are to those of the Golden Age. The Land Before Time minimalizes the sugar coating and still provides an entertaining story for kids. Clearly, they did something right, as it spawned 14 films (the latest coming out in 2016), a television series, and 14 video games.
Directed By: Henry Selick
Domestic Gross Revenue: $75.3 M
Who says an animated movie can’t be a dark fantasy horror? Based on a novella by Neil Gaiman (author of such novels as Good Omens, American Gods, Stardust, and The Graveyard Book), Henry Selick (director of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach) wrote an adaptive screenplay to lengthen the story into a feature-length film. The vivid stop-motion animation and wildly imaginative story became a commercial success at the box office and has since grown a huge cult following. A wonderfully strange “horror” film for all ages.
11. The Iron Giant (1999) – Warner Bros. Feature Animation
Directed By: Brad Bird
Domestic Gross Revenue: $13.75 M
Similar to Tim Burton, Brad Bird was fired from Walt Disney Animation Studios in the eighties due to creative differences. But that couldn’t stop a prodigy like Bird (who later had huge success at Pixar). Although it fared poorly at the box office due to lack of funds for marketing and promotion, The Iron Giant has come to be regarded as a modern animated classic. Even at the time of release, it received universal acclaim from those who saw it. It has been dubbed “a classic right out of the box” and “a master class in use of scale and perspective and in it’s power to open up a viewer’s heart and mind”. Do yourself a favor, watch this movie.
12. The LEGO Movie (2014) – Warner Animation Group
Directed By: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Domestic Gross Revenue: $257.8 M
The LEGO movie is surprisingly smart and funny… although we should have seen it coming from the directors of 21 Jump Street. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller had been in television for a long time writing on and directing episodes of How I Met You Mother and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but they got their first big break with the very cute and funny Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. They followed Cloudy up with the wonderfully raunchy 21 Jump Street, but The LEGO Movie has cemented these two as top-tier directors. Similar to Shrek, The LEGO Movie regularly nods to pop culture references that adults will enjoy while also bringing colorful fun for all ages. However, perhaps the greatest contribution this movie provides is LEGO Batman. Top 3 of all Batmans out there.
13. Princess Mononoke (1997) – Studio Ghibli
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Domestic Gross Revenue: $4.85 M ($164.9 M Internationally)
This movie has layers upon layers. It’s complex and thought provoking, but it’s never not entertaining. And the various storylines weave themselves together like a satisfyingly sturdy wicker basket. What’s more remarkable about this movie, is it doesn’t play by the rules. There isn’t a clear villain. Every key play is motivated by what they believe is “right”, and only in time do they recognize the light and dark in each of their character. More movies (not just animated) should be made this way.
14. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – Touchstone Pictures/Amblin Entertainment
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis and Richard Williams (animation director)
Domestic Gross Revenue: $156.5 M
A groundbreaking movie filled with comedy, action, and creativity. However, what Who Framed Roger Rabbit has working against it is that many don’t think of it as an animated movie… or at least it’s not the first animated movie that comes to mind. And yet, Who Framed Roger Rabbit helped renew interest in the Golden Age of American animation and helped spearhead the Disney Renaissance. This movie was also revolutionary in having characters not only from Disney (the company that produced the movie) but other companies appear in the movie like Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny from Warner Bros., Betty Boop from Fleisher Studios, and Woody Woodpecker from Universal. A technical marvel with unprecedented cooperation, Very Impressive.
15. The Book of Life (2014) – 20th Century Fox Animation
Directed By: Jorge R. Gutierrez
Domestic Gross Revenue: $50.1 M
Director Jorge Gutierrez wanted to make the final animation look like the concept artwork saying: "Our 'Art of The Book of Life' book is going to look exactly like the movie”. And the effort shows. The Book of Life is a visually stunning sea of colors. The artwork sweeps you into the magical worlds. This movie also refreshingly trusts kids to deal with subject matter that many films don't: specifically, death. It shows death as a part of life and does so in a gentle, almost delightful way.
16. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) – Studio Ghibli
Directed By: Hayao Miyazaki
Domestic Gross Revenue: $2.25 M ($41.0 M Internationally)
They don’t really make movies like this anymore. There isn’t a tangible conflict or threat. It’s more of an observation on life. Roger Ebert might have said it best in his praise of the movie stating “It is a little sad, a little scary, a little surprising and a little informative, just like life itself. It depends on a situation instead of a plot and suggests that the wonder of life and the resources of imagination supply all the adventure you need”. In essence, it captures the simple grace of childhood.
Just missed the cut: Surf’s Up, Howl’s Moving Castle, Sing, The Brave Little Toaster, An American Tail
