From hand-drawn to computer-animated to stop-motion, the world of animation is full of endless possibilities. Discover some of the best animated movies of all time for everyone to enjoy!
Throughout the years, animation as an art form has evolved and expanded from the early popular hand-drawn animated flicks to the 3D computer-animated features that are prevalent today. Refusing to be placed in a box, you’ll find animated classics in every genre – from Christmas movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), tearjerkers like Grave of the Fireflies (1988), and epic romances like Beauty and the Beast (1991). A playground for the imagination of storytellers, the medium of animation breaks all the rules of the physical realm to let worlds that transcend reality come to life. While most of us know the greatest hits like Spirited Away (2001), venture further into some of the best animated movies for all ages to enjoy.
Best animated movies for curious minds
1. Persepolis (2007)
Based on the autobiographical graphic novels of the same name by director Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis sees a young girl coming of age during the Iranian Revolution. A co-production between France and Iran, this adult animated film is told primarily in black-and-white flashbacks of Marjane’s life as a young girl itching to rebel against oppressive forces in 1970s-1980s Iran. Largely using traditional 2D animation techniques to keep the visuals more in tune with the graphic novel, Persepolis is an example of how far simplicity can go on the strength of a story.
2. Anastasia (1997)
While most musical fantasies were made by animation studio giants Disney and Dreamworks prior to the 2000s, one of the best animated movies of the 90s (that many mistakenly think is a Disney film) is Anastasia. An alternate history tale based on the famous rumours of Grand Duchess Anastasia of Imperial Russia’s possible escape from her family’s famous deathly fates, the film explores love, family, and belonging. With catchy songs like “Once Upon A December,” Anastasia is also full of fantastical supernatural elements – but is at its core, a touching story about love.
3. Princess Mononoke (1997)
Representing animation legend Hayao Miyazaki on this list, Princess Mononoke is one of the most exciting and daring films from Studio Ghibli’s talented roster. As the last Emishi prince Ashitaka, embarks on a quest to find a cure for his curse, he becomes embroiled in the conflicts of Iron Town. Blending computer graphics with hand-drawn animation, many who watch this film will have the scenes featuring San, the human girl dubbed Princess Mononoke raised by a wolf pack, seared into their memories. The English dub of Princess Mononoke also showed unusually great care for its time, with author Neil Gaiman writing the English script and the infamous anecdote of Miyazaki mailing producers a sword with the message: “No cuts.”
4. Shrek 2 (2004)
In the conversation of movie sequels that may rival its original, there’s The Godfather Part 2, The Dark Knight, and of course Shrek 2. With a legendary soundtrack and the introduction of fan-favourite characters like Puss In Boots, the film explores what happens after “happily ever after…” as Shrek and Fiona set off to meet Fiona’s parents. Featuring a master class of voice acting from Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, and more, audiences of all ages consider Shrek 2 to be one of the best animated movies ever made. Unconvinced? We dare you to not bop along to the Fairy Godmother’s rendition of “I Need A Hero!”
5. Akira (1988)
Widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, Japanese cyberpunk never looked as cool as it does in Akira. Set in a dystopian Neo-Tokyo in 2019, friends Kaneda and Tetsuo find themselves in the crosshairs of the corrupt government due to Tetsuo’s powerful psychic abilities. With amazing renderings of a fully-realised futuristic Japan, Akira remains a seminal anime film and a cult classic science fiction flick. After your first watch of many, you’ll begin to notice its cultural influence in everything from music to movies. In fact, the iconic “Akira slide” has been imitated and referenced countless times.
6. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
In adapting the beloved novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, Wes Anderson captures its whimsical spirit through incredible stop-motion animation in Fantastic Mr. Fox. Featuring an all-star voice cast including the likes of George Clooney and Meryl Streep, the film explores the clash between Mr. Fox’s urge to steal and his responsibilities as a family man. Immediately recognisable as a Wes Anderson movie even in animated form, the primary use of stop-motion gives Fantastic Mr. Fox a distinct look and effect. Bonus: track down behind-the-scenes footage to watch the unconventional way the voice actors recorded their lines outside of a traditional studio.
7. Flee (2021)
The first film to be nominated for Best Documentary Feature, Best International Feature Film, and Best Animated Feature simultaneously at the Oscars, Flee is a Denmark, France, Norway, and Sweden international co-production. Using realistic 2D animation interspersed with real archival footage, this animated documentary uses the alias “Amin” to tell the story of the man’s complicated escape from Afghanistan as a child. Exploring Amin’s life as a refugee and as a gay man, Flee pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking with the powerful medium of animation.
8. Ratatouille (2007)
Ratatouille will long be considered one of the best animated movies ever made simply due to its achievement of computer-generating food so vivid you could practically smell it through the screen. The vibrant French culinary world is seen through the eyes of Remy, a young rat who longs to cook. Upon meeting the bumbling garbage boy Linguine, the two are able to rise through the ranks of a famous French restaurant together. With the distinct Pixar edge of blending physical comedy with emotional heart, Ratatouille will have you believing that anyone can cook!
9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
The first big screen outing of Miles Morales as the famous superhero Spider-Man resulted in one of the best animated films ever made – and what many argue as the best Spider-Man movie of all time. When NYC teen Miles gets bitten by a radioactive spider, he gains the sticky powers of Spider-Man. Meanwhile, as The Kingpin builds a machine to access parallel universes, different iterations of the spider superhero begin to pop up in Miles’ world. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse looks like comic book pages come to life with CGI animation used to create a visual language that resembles the lining and colouring of comics. The blend of artistic animation styles brought Spider-Man to life in unprecedented ways and started conversations on how animation could explore stories in ways live-action physically can’t.
10. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
One of the earliest successful animated features from Dreamworks, The Prince of Egypt adapts the Book of Exodus into a musical drama following the life of Moses. Although technically a biblical story, the emotional core of the movie rests on the relationship between adopted brothers Moses and Pharaoh Rameses. Additionally, one of the film’s songs “When You Believe” became a runaway hit with a pop version sung by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey winning many accolades. Blending traditional and computer-generated animation techniques, you can watch the deserts of Egypt come alive with each song.
11. Coraline (2009)
Anyone who watched Coraline as a child can attest: The incredible visuals of this film will stick with you long after the credits roll. Based on the dark fantasy novella of the same name by Neil Gaiman, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas brings the story to life with amazing stop-motion animation. As Coraline ventures through a door into an alternate universe populated by button-eyed doppelgangers, trouble soon follows. Famously causing nightmares for young audiences expecting a light-hearted romp, the meticulously-created puppets certainly did their job in creating a visual spectacle never seen before.
12. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
Any list of the best animated movies of all time has to have at least one entry dedicated to Disney. One Hundred and One Dalmatians is a story now forever ingrained in pop culture, with its adorable canines and iconic villain Cruella De Vil. The distinct visuals of this film cannot be underplayed in helping to make this work a classic. With an inexpensive animation technique utilising Xerox, the quest to save time and money in hand-drawn animation created an amazing graphic style not usually seen in Disney animations of the time.
