Animation is an incredibly diverse medium for storytelling, and the best animated movies of all time come in a variety of styles. Feature-length animation has continued to evolve since its beginnings in the 1930s. Hand-drawn 2D animation used to be the norm, but new technologies have set the stage for computer-generated animation, stop-motion, and many more techniques. This means that filmmakers have more freedom than ever, and they are only limited by their imaginations.
Choosing the best animated movies will always spark debate among fans, since animation is so diverse. Animation shouldn’t be seen as a genre. Instead, it’s best understood as an art form which can facilitate many genres. This means that the best animated movies of all time encompass comedies, sci-fi, fantasy, action and more. It’s impossible to reach a consensus on the best animated movies, but there are some classics which everyone can agree on.
The 60 Best Movies Of All Time
Screen Rant breaks down the best movies of all time, from old classics to modern masterpieces across multiple genres of cinema.
A great Christmas movie and a great Halloween movie rolled into one,The Nightmare Before Christmasfully justifies its status as a holiday classic. The otherness of the world inThe Nightmare Before Christmasis strangely enticing. There are endless mysteries to be unpicked, creatures to be examined and dark corners to illuminate. Tim Burton and Henry Selick beckon the audience into this strange landscape, enchanting them with memorable music and some gut-busting humor, butThe Nightmare Before Christmaspacks a surprising emotional punch too.The jittery nature of stop-motion is used to full effect.
The Wild Robotis already being recognized as one of the best DreamWorks movies, rivaling the likes ofShrek, How to Train Your DragonandChicken Run.During a time when Pixar, Disney and other major studios are more interested in sequels and remakes than ever before,the unchained originality ofThe Wild Robotis a breath of fresh air. It puts an interesting spin on 3D animation, with broad, impressionist-style brushstrokes givingThe Wild Robota unique visual appeal that mirrors its fondness for the rough edges of the natural world. It’s a tender story, but an endlessly entertaining one with plenty of laugh-out-loud moemnts.
Animated movies can easily make audiences laugh, cry or think, butAkirais a shock to the system, pulsing with the kind of vibrant action that animation so rarely seems capable of. The story behind the explosive action extravaganza sets the scene perfectly without becoming overly complex. It’s an intriguing sci-fi tale that displays some intelligent, economical worldbuilding. This gives the audience everything they need to buckle in for some relentless thrills. The sci-fi elements develop organically as the story progresses, teeing up a mind-bending finale that leaves a lasting impression.
The Incrediblesis a beautiful throwback to a bygone era of superhero stories. Its quirky retrofuturist style evokes classic comic books, and it delivers just as much excitement.The Incredibleshas far more action and violence than other Pixar movies. It’s worth remembering that Mr. Incredible kills several people during hisJames Bond-style infiltration of Syndrome’s lair. Still,The Incrediblesdistinguishes itself from comic book thrills by telling a deeply personal story about the characters behind the masks. Syndrome is arguablyPixar’s best villain, and Bob’s story will be relatable to parents everywhere.
Wes Anderson’s moviescan be easily identified based on his unique visual style, in which everything within the frame is neatly manicured. His first stop-motion animated movie allowed him even more control, andFantastic Mr. Foxdoesn’t have a whisker out of place.Anderson is a natural fit for a Roald Dahl adaptation, as he too has a childlike sense of wonder and aesthetic exuberance that obscures some darkness.Fantastic Mr. Foxis gorgeous to look at, but it’s an emotionally complex story about a former crook struggling to settle into his new life as a father. It has defied categorization, with critics debating whether it should be classified as a children’s movie or not.
Grave of the Firefliesdebunks the tired old notion that animated movies are solely for children. The Studio Ghibli classic is a harrowing story of desperation and despair, set during the final months of the Second World War in Japan. It follows a boy and his younger sister as they fight to survive while the streets fill with rubble and food becomes scarcer. Although the tragic ending is shown at the very beginning, it’s no less emotionally devastating.Grave of the Firefliesis so painfully relatable that it makes the audience pray against the inevitable, mirroring the dire situation of the war.Animation has rarely been so powerful.
As one of Disney’s first animated features,Bambiis filled to the brim with the studio’s intangible magic. The beautiful woodland tale seems to take place in a world that’s a little more colorful and bright than our own. However,Bambiis also mature enough to get dark when it needs to. It’s a simple story, but a deeply emotional one nonetheless. The early scene in which Bambi’s mother dies is one ofDisney’s saddest momentsof all, not just because of what it means to the young fawn, but also because of the bleak artistry on display. The entire movie is sketched with such love that the animation perfectly reflects the story.
Toy Storyrepresented a landmark moment for animation, but it’s much more than just a piece of history. The 3D computer-generated animation looks relatively quaint by modern standards, as Pixar and other studios have continually pushed the technology forward. The story and the characters are just as charming as ever, though, andit’s no wonder thatToy Storygave rise to the biggest animated movie franchise of all time. The simple premise ofToy Storyshows Pixar’s ability to capture the minds of children with ease, and the delightful dynamic between Buzz and Woody means that the movie captures hearts too.
Other directors would create entire franchises out of any one of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies, but he is able to create captivating, complex worlds with such regularity that he never needs to retread old ground.Princess Mononokesees this boundless creativity in full flow, as a dangerous tale unfolds in a rich fantasy world. The action scenes are particularly exhilarating, butPrincess Mononokeworks just as well in its quiet moments. Its environmental message has withstood the test of time well, and its woven into such a compelling story that it never feels heavy-handed.Princess Mononokeis one ofStudio Ghibli’s greatest movies.
The ripple effect ofSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseis still reverberating through the field of animation. After a long period when all western animation trended towards similar styles of 3D animation,Into the Spider-Versetore up the rule book with a patchwork of different visual influences, including comic books, graffiti and Saturday morning cartoons. It helps that the story is just as creative, and told with just as much originality.Into the Spider-Verseis designed to be visually overwhelming. Fortunately,the action is so exciting and the humor is so refreshing that it’s easy to watch multiple times.
