This has been an excellent year for animation. I would say especially over the last couple of months.

However, let’s start with the lower level of animation. The films that I did not like and consider the worst of animation of 2022.

Runners-Up: I only have three runners-up. As I said, a pretty good year for animation. First one to mention is Bob’s Burgers. Though I did not hate the film, I was never a fan of the TV show and that made the movie experience less engaging for me. The most recent Netflix Christmas animation was one of the worst versions of Charles Dickens classic tale and it was called Scrooge: A Christmas Carol. It was amazing that someone could mess that story up. The third and final runner-up goes to Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. I considered this as the “winner” but there were enough okay moments to save it. The worst animated film of the year went back to an old offender…

Worst Animated Film of the Year is…

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania

I have not been a fan of any of this franchise and this new version, that turns all the monsters back human, is no exception. I am surely hoping that this is the final installment.

BEST ANIMATED MOVIES OF 2022

EYG Frame Award- Best Animation

Previous Winners: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse, Coco, Moana, Inside Out, Big Hero 6, Flashpoint Paradox, Paranorman, Winnie the Pooh, Klaus, Wolfwalkers, Mitchells vs. the Machines

I am going to place this in a top 10 list.

#10. Minions: Rise of Gru. Big surprise. I hated the last Minions movie, but this was more entertaining.

#9. Sea Beast. One of the better Netflix animations of the year.

#8. Wendell & Wild. Another good Netflix film. Very creative and a reunion of Key & Peele.

#7. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood. A great story of a young boy becoming an astronaut.

#6. Strange World. This is one that I really enjoyed at first, but upon reflection, may not have been as good as I thought. Still worth a spot on the list.

#5. Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons. DC Animation continues to be really good. Nice characterization of the two young heroes.

#4. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Who would have thought this Internet short would be such a powerful film?

#3. Turning Red. This Pixar film was number one for a good chunk of the year. A wonderful story of a young girl becoming a woman by turning into a panda.

#2. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Most years, this is number one. I loved this film with a great voice performance by Antonio Banderas.

And the Frame Award winner for 2022 is…

#1.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Guillermo del Toro created such a masterpiece of a film that it has to be the number one animated film of the year. He took the story of Pinocchio, which just earlier in the year had a Disney + film that was terrible, and made a special film dealing with a dark story, Fascism, and the loss of a child. The stop motion animation of the film was lovely and the story brought tears to my eyes.

Honorable Mentions: DC League of Super Pets, Luck, Beavis & Butthead Do the Universe, The Bad Guys, and My Father’s Dragon