#10

Big Hero 6

Released: November 7, 2014

Runtime: 1 hour 42 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: a groundbreaking fusion of traditional hand-drawn aesthetics, cinematic realism, and cultural hybridity

Studio: Disney

Into the Top 10 we go…. Big Hero 6 is an Academy Award winning film based on some lesser known Marvel Comics characters. This is outside the MCU, and includes the breakout character of Baymax.

Voice cast: Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk, Katie Lowes, Daniel Gerson, David Shaughnessy, Bill Bush and Stan Lee.

#11

Toy Story

Released: November 22, 1995

Runtime: 81 minutes

Rating: G

Animation Style: computer-generated imagery (CGI)

Studio: Pixar/Disney

One of the greatest animated franchises of all time, kicked off by this excellent film. The friendship that developed between Woody and Buzz Lightyear carries this franchise. Toy Story is a marvel.

Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey, Sarah Freeman, Penn Jillette, Joe Ranft, and jeff Pidgeon.

#12

Klaus

Released: November 8, 2019

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: a unique blend of traditional hand-drawn 2D animation and innovative volumetric lighting that creates the illusion of 3D depth

Studio: SPA Studios/Netflix

Another surprise as this came out of nowhere and was nominated for Best Animated Picture at the Oscars. A wonderful origin story for Santa Claus and one of the best animated holiday movies ever.

Voice cast: Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Neda Margrethe Labba, Pablos, Norm Macdonald, Joan Cusack, Reiulf Aleksandersen, Sara Margrethe Oksal, Sergio Pablos, and Sam McMurray.

Additional children’s voices:  Evan Agos, Sky Alexis, Jaeden Bettencourt, Teddy Blum, Mila Brener, Sydney Brower, Finn Carr, Kendall Joy Hall (who voiced Annelise Ellingboe), Hayley Hermida, Lexie Holland, Brooke Huckeba, Matthew McCann, Tucker Meek, Leo Miller, Joaquin Obradors, Víctor Pablos, Lucian Perez, Bailey Rae Fenderson, Maximus Riegel, Emma Shannon, Ayden Soria, Sunday Sturz, Hudson West, Gordon Wilcox, Emma Yarovinskiy, and Julian Zane.

#13

The LEGO Movie

Released: February 7, 2014

Runtime: 100 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: computer-generated (CGI) animation style that mimics physical stop-motion brickfilms

Studio: Warner Brothers/Animal Logic

Another film that was a huge surprise. Who would think that a movie about LEGO creatures would be anything but stupid. Yet, The LEGO Movie was one of the best movies of 2014. There is a short section of live action during the animation, but I determined that this would still count under the animation rules I set down at the beginning since the live action stuff was a minimal part of the movie, even if it contained some of the most emotional parts.

Voice cast: Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Melissa Sturm, Cobie Smuthers, Jadon Sand, Anthony Daniels, Keith Ferguson, Billy Dee Williams, Shaquille O’Neal, Will Forte, Dave Franco, Jake Johnson, Keegan-Michael Key,Christopher Miller, and Graham Miller.

#14

Grave of the Fireflies

Released: April 16, 1988

Runtime: 89 minutes

Rating: NR/Unrated

Animation Style: grounded, painterly, and naturalistic

Studio: Studio Ghibli

One of the most beautiful and saddest Studio Ghibli films. I had heard so much of some of the other classic Studio Ghibli movies, but not much about this one and it was absolutely spectacular. It is a classic war film as well as a deeply personal family tale. This is the highest Studio Ghibli film on my list and, if you have not seen it before, it is worth your time.

Voice Cast: It depends on which version of the film you watch. The original Japanese voice cast included Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Yoshiko Shinohara, and Akemi Yamaguchi.

#15

Shrek

Released: May 18, 2001

Runtime: 90 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: 3D computer-generated semi-realistic style

Studio: DreamWorks

Shrek is a wonderful movie that spawned several sequels and a Broadway musical. The movie had some of the most iconic characters of animation.

Voice cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, John Lithgow, Vincent Cassel, Conrad Vernon, Chris Miller, Cody Cameron, Simon J. Smith, Christopher Knights, Aron Warner, Jim Cummings, Kathleen Freeman, Andrew Anamson, Bobby Block and Michael Galasso.

#16

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Released: June 11, 2027

Runtime: 1 hour, 42 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: 3D computer-animated style

Studio: DreamWorks

A wonderful sequel to a classic animated movie. This, amazingly, found a way to elevate the emotions even further than the original.

Voice cast:  Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig, T.J. Miller, Cate Blanchett, Djimon Hounsou, Randy Thom,  and Kit Harington.

#17

Spirited Away

Released: July 20, 2001

Runtime: 124 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: traditional hand-drawn 2D animation blended subtly with digital technology

Studio: Studio Ghibli

One of the classic Studio Ghibli films, Spirited Away was a masterpiece. When I watched it, I was anxious that the hype was too much, but those fears washed away with this beautiful film.

Voice cast: – Daveigh Chase, Suzanne Pleshette, Jason Marsden, Susan Egan, David Ogden Stiers, Lauren Holly, Michael Chiklis, John Ratzenberger, Tara Strong, Mickie McGowan, Jack Angel, Bob Bergen, Rodger Bumpass, Jennifer Darling, Paul Eiding, Sherry Lynn, Mona Marshall, Candi Milo, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Phil Proctor, Jim Ward.

#18

The Lion King

Released: June 24, 1994

Runtime: 88 minutes

Rating: G

Animation Style: traditional 2D hand-drawn animation style combined with early digital technology

Studio: Walt Disney

One of the Renaissance films for Walt Disney, The Lion King is a coming of age tale of the future King of the Jungle. The film is very much like an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It also featured one of the great soundtracks of all time with Elton John performing.

Voice cast: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Moira Kelly, Niketa Calame, Madge Sinclair, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Rowan Atkinson, Jim Cummings, and Robert Guillaume.

#19

Finding Nemo

Released: May 30, 2003

Runtime: 100 minutes

Rating: G

Animation Style: a blend of computer-generated (CGI) hyper-realism and stylized cartoon character design

Studio: Pixar/Disney

A brillaint father-son flick that sees Nemo get himself lost across the vast ocean. One of the best storie from Pixar, and that is saying a lot.

Voice cast: Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Austin Pendleton, Vicki Lewis, Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton, Elizabeth Perkins, Nicholas Bird, Eric Bana, Bob Peterson, Barry Humphries, Bruce Spense, Bill Hunter, LuLu Ebeling, Jordan “Jordy” Ranft, Erica Beck, Erik Per Sullivan and John Ratzenberger.

#20

Beauty and the Beast

Released: November 22, 1991

Runtime: 84 minutes

Rating: G

Animation Style: Hybrid of traditional hand-drawn cel animation with pioneering computer-generated (CG) imagery.

Studio: Disney

One of the movies that kicked off the animation renaissance for Walt Disney Studios in 1991. Beauty and the Beast was a majestic tale as old as time. I remember not wanting to see this as a college student when it came out, but what the heck did I know? Now Beauty and the Beast kicked off the Top 20 of the Top 100.

Voice cast:  Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Michael Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Kath Soucie, Jack Angel, Phil Proctor, Bill Farmer, Patrick Pinney, Brian Cummings, Alvin Epstein, Tony Jay, Alec Murphy, Kimmy Robertson, and Frank Welker.   

#21

Wreck It Ralph

Released: Noivember 2, 2012

Runtime: 101 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: multi-style 3D computer approach

Studio: Disney

Wreck It Ralph was a surprise hit. A brand new IP, Ralph took lots of the old video games we loved as children and made a word all its own.

Voice cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Joe Lo Truglio, Ed O’Neil, Dennis Haysbert, Adam Corolla, Horation Sanz, Rich Moore,  Edie McClurg, Raymond S. Persi, Jess Harnell, Rachael Harris, Skylar Astin, Katie Lowes, Jamie Elman, Josie Trinidad, Cymbre Walk,  Phil Johnston, Stefanie Scott, John DiMaggio, Raymond S. Persi, Brian Kesinger, Martin Jarvis, Tucker Gilmore, Brandon Scott and Tim Mertens.

#22

Transformers One

Released: September 20, 2024

Runtime: 104 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: a blend of stylized realism and handcrafted keyframe animation

Studio: Paramount Animation

This was a film that I almost decided to not go and see. The first trailer they released for this movie was one of the worst trailers I had ever seen. It was so bad that, after all of the Michael Bay Transformers movies that I hated so much, I could not see myself wasting time on this. I am glad I went as it turned out to be one of my favorite movies of 2024.

Voice cast:  Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Bailey, and Jon Hamm.

#23

ParaNorman

Released: August 12, 2012

Runtime: 92 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style:

Studio: Laika Studios

ParaNorman is the story of a young boy who can speak with the dead, which comes in handy when the town is swarmed by zombies. I sometimes get this film confused with Frankenweeine. Maybe it is time for a rewatch.

Voice cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jodelle Ferland, Bernard Hill, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, and John Goodman

#24

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

Released: December 21, 2022

Runtime: 102 minutes

Rating: PG

Animation Style: hybrid 2D and 3D look

Studio: DreamWorks Animation

I always liked the character of Puss in Boots, but the first solo film from the character was okay, at best. So I went into Puss in Boots: The Last Wish with low expectations and questions about why we needed another Puss in Boots movie. Those questions were answered big time as the movie was tremendous.

Voice cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Anthony Mendez, Kevin McCann, Bernardo De Paula, Betsy Sodaro and Artemis Pebdani.