Among the many movie genres out there, there is one genre that sticks out over the rest: animation. Sadly, it might be the least acclaimed of the movie genres, since they have never gained much recognition at the Academy Awards (so far, only three animated movies have ever been nominated for Best Picture) and in every list of the best movies ever made you see, it’s always the genre with the least movies on the list. Many people still see animation as “kid’s stuff.” Despite all this, it might be the genre that has the biggest spot in our hearts. We all grew up with animated movies during our childhoods and when we watch them, even as adults, we just can’t help but feel nostalgia from all the wonderful memories we have. So today, we’ll take a look at the top ten greatest animated movies ever made. This list isn’t my opinion (if it was, it would be a bit different), but it’s a mixture of the opinions of the public and the movie critics.
10. Bambi
What a better way to start our list than with the picture that traumatized kids from all over the world? When you really take a look at this film, it doesn’t seem to have much of a story. It’s really more about the life of a deer, showing his infancy as well as his teenage years. But despite all of this, Bambi really does work. Sometimes, movies don’t necessarily need to have a story in order to compel you. If the film offers an emotional experience, then that is more than enough. After all, isn’t that the reason why we go to the movies? To feel something? Bambi understands that. It’s really a picture that you need to experience in order to understand its appeal.
9. My Neighbor Totoro
Ah yes. Hayao Miyazaki, the “Japanese Walt Disney.” He’s one of the greatest figures in the history of animation, some claim he’s ever better than the great Walt Disney. All that is up for debate. Anyway, My Neighbor Totoro is the heartwarming story of two young girls who move to the countryside in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother. During their stay, they meet several magical creatures from the forest. Roger Ebert listed My Neighbor Totoro in his Great Movies series, and it’s no wonder. This captivating little picture put Miyazaki on the map. He made other great films before this, but this one is often considered to be his first masterpiece. The character of Totoro has now become the mascot of Studio Ghibli and you can even spot him in Toy Story 3.
8. Up
Another sobbing-fest. Why is it that animated movies are among some of the saddest movies out there? Anyway, Up is the story of an old man who has just lost his wife and so he plans to arrive to a place in South America called Paradise Falls in order to keep a promise he made to his defunct wife. In order to do this, he devises the most ingenious plan possible: he ties thousands of balloons to his house in order to make it fly. He goes through various hilarious adventures during his journey accompanied by a boy scout and a giant bird. Up is a roller coaster of a film, but the part that everyone remembers is the opening montage of the film. This scene is so famous that it was even number one in TotalFilm’s list of the “50 Most Heartbreaking Movie Moments.”
7. The Lion King
After Walt Disney’s death, the Disney company went through a period known as the Dark Ages. It was a difficult period where Disney couldn’t make movies that matched the quality of the films Walt made. It was so bad in fact, that Disney was actually beaten by the Don Bluth films “An American Tail” and “The Land Before Time.” However, all of that changed when the 90’s came. This period is known as the Disney Renaissance, often listed by the general public as their favorite period in Disney history. The films of this period that stand out the most are The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and, of course, The Lion King.
The Lion King is actually a retelling of Hamlet, which might be the reason why it’s story has captivated so many people. After all, it is pretty hard to top Shakespeare. The Lion King also hosts some of the most famous songs in the Disney Canon, such as “The Circle of Life” and “Hakuna-Matata.” And of course, if features one of the saddest moments in Disney history. Seriously, what is up with animated movies and all of their sad moments?!
6. Princess Mononoke
Another masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke is arguably the most epic of all animated films. Once critic went so far as to name it “The ‘Star Wars’ of Animated Features.” But beyond the epic story and scale of the picture, it also serves as an allegory of the constant battle between nature and humans.
5. Pinocchio
My favorite entry on this list, Pinocchio is often considered as “the most technically perfect movie that Disney ever made.” Pinocchio is the beautiful story of a puppet that comes to life and wishes to become a real boy. But in order to become a real boy, he must prove himself to be “brave, truthful, and un-selfish.” One day, he disobeys his father’s request to go to school and finds himself in an incredible adventure. With the help of Jiminy Cricket, he must find his way home and learn to grow so he can become a real boy.
This film has so many things going for it. The story is not only imaginative, it also has a bit of everything, such as helpful morals, exciting and terrifying adventures, and even a touch of allegory. The animation is also some of the most detailed and breath-taking in an animated picture. And that is a true feat, considering that this was the second film that Disney ever made. The water animation at the end of the film is even more detailed than the water animation in “The Little Mermaid,” and that film came out almost fifty years after “Pinocchio.” And of course, the songs are outstanding, especially “When You Wish Upon a Star,” considered by many to be the greatest Disney song of all time.
4. Fantasia
Just like “Bambi”, “Fantasia” isn’t really much of a film that you watch for its story. It’s an emotional experience, and one of the best that the medium of motion pictures has to offer. The premise is this: animated segments, with no dialogue, set to classical music. It’s as simple as that. Some people consider this film as boring, while many others can appreciate its artistry and beauty. Some of the segments in this film are among Disney’s most powerful moments, especially the last two segments, “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Ave Maria,” a powerful showcase of the triumph of good over evil.
The third film in the Disney canon, it was Walt’s most ambitious project. Not only was it more expensive than any of his previous films, but it was also the first film to be in Surround sound. Sadly, it was also a commercial failure and Walt had to do smaller projects such as “Dumbo” and “Bambi,” and eventually the dreaded “Package Films.” However, over time “Fantasia” has become a success due to its home video sales and re-releases, and it even had a sequel sixty years later, “Fantasia 2000.”
3. Toy Story
A current trend that has been going on in the animated movie world lately is the over-abundance of CGI films. Everywhere you look, it’s more than apparent that CGI has become the preferred method of animation by the movie industry, beating the classic mediums of 2D and stop-motion animation. What movie is there to blame for this current trend? Well, none other than the first Pixar film ever made: “Toy Story.”
The vast majority of the CGI films that are coming out these days seem to have forgotten what it was that made “Toy Story” a hit in the first place. It wasn’t just the animation. It was, more than anything, the fact that it was a brilliant movie. It is the story of a toy named “Buzz Lightyear” who thinks he’s a real space ranger and refuses to believe that he’s a toy. Not only are the story, characters, and the execution beyond outstanding, but even the premise itself, to show a world where your toys come to life when you’re not around, is so provocative and imaginative that it’s impossible to resist the allure of this film.
Thanks to the success of this film, Pixar has become the most successful animation studio in the world for over a decade (although in the last few years, it seems like Disney may be gaining up on them…). Curiously, “Toy Story” came out five months after Disney’s “Pocahontas,” the film that pretty much marked the downgrade in quality of the “Disney Renaissance” films. It’s literally as if Disney had handed its crown over to Pixar.
2. Spirited Away
During this countdown, we’ve mentioned the tremendous genius of Hayao Miyazaki. And now we come over to his magnum opus, “Spirited Away.” “Spirited Away” tells the story of a young girl named Chihiro who enters into the spirit world. A witch turns her parents into pigs, and so she must find a way to save her parents and return back to the human world. But what is it that makes this film by Miyazaki stand out over all the rest of his work? One word: magic. It is debatable whether or not this is the most deep of his work, but without a shadow of a doubt, it is his most magical. The story, the characters, the emotions, everything comes together to provide a cinematic experience unlike anything done before or since. So far, it is the only Miyazaki film with the distinction of having won the Oscar for “Best Animated Picture.”
1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
It was 1934. Walt Disney was a household name with his “Silly Symphonies” cartoons and with Mickey Mouse, the most famous cartoon character at that time. However, it was time for him to move on and do something bigger. And so, he had the idea to adapt the beloved fairy tale of “Snow White” and do what no one else in Hollywood had thought before: make a full-length animated film.
It was immediately named “Disney’s Folly.” Who would sit through a cartoon for one and a half hours?! Everybody thought that the colors would hurt your eyes and that the filmmakers would run out of gags. Despite the ridicule, Walt Disney went forth. He thought that if the film had a solid story, it would become a success. The production of Snow White took nearly four years, and it was a pretty bumpy trip. Not only was Walt Disney without the support of the Hollywood system, the film went over-budget and Walt even had to mortgage his house!
In the Christmas season of 1937, the film premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater. Many of the big ones in Hollywood like Cary Grant attended the premiere. And so, in that night, Walt had proven all the skeptics wrong. The audience laughed and even cried throughout the film, and at the end they all stood up and clapped. Walt had done it. The film was immediately hailed as a masterpiece and Walt received an Honorary Oscar composed of one statue and seven little statues. It became the highest-grossing motion picture of all time, beating the record set by “The Birth of a Nation.” Sergei Eisenstein went so far as to name it “the best movie ever made.” In 1989, the first year of the National Film Registry, the film was chosen for preservation, and it’s received various honors by the AFI, such as appearing in the list of the 100 greatest American films at the 34th spot, having the 10th greatest villain of all time, and being named as the greatest animated film of all time.
The question is: does “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” stand the test of time? The answer is a resounding “yes.” The film still has its power to entertain and thrill any audiences, and this is due to the execution. Being the first animated film of all time gives this film the distinction of possessing a perfectionism unlike most animated films done since. It combines many qualities such as having various things happening on the screen, many little details going on that give each scene an extra edge, and the synchronization of the music with the on-screen action. And of course, it has the seven dwarfs, which are probably the most memorable animated sidekicks of all time. Add to that a timeless story, and you’ve got yourself “The Fairest One of All.”
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