Top 10 Animated Films

What are the best animated films of all time? From its early beginnings in the 1930s up until today, animation had grown leaps and bounds. Here are ten films illustrating the best in animation.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Fantasia (1940)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Pinocchio (1940)
The Lion King (1994)
The Incredibles (2004)
Akira (1988)
WALL-E (2008)
Bambi (1942)
Shrek (2001)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) The original animated classic

Walt Disney’s first full length animated feature would set the standard, that all future animation would be judged by. The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, about a young princess, who is saved from an evil queen by seven cheerful dwarfs, remains a classic because of its simple story and beautiful hand-drawn animation.

Fantasia (1940) Music extravaganza

This spectacular Walt Disney production of innovative and eye-popping visuals set to Western classical music is still one of the most daring animated films ever. From the famous “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” featuring Mickey Mouse, to the haunting “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence, this film offers a dazzling array of images and music.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) Disney makes a comeback

After the early golden age of Disney animation, the genre saw a lull from the ’60s through the ’80s. It got a revival, with this beautiful love story about a young French girl, who offers herself to a beastly prince to save her father. It became the first animated film to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, and it helped revitalize Disney animation in the ’90s.

Pinocchio (1940) Classic morality tale

This Walt Disney classic, about an Italian inventor, who creates a wooden puppet, who he wishes can become a real boy, is the first great example of how animation could tell a story with a message behind it. Great animation, great characters, great songs and a compelling story, make this one of the all time greats.

The Lion King (1994) Animation and Music

This animated great from Disney, about a young lion cub, who is forced to believe he was responsible for his father’s death is not only a great animated film, but a great illustration of how music can play a big part in a film’s success. The memorable soundtrack supplied by pop legend, Elton John, made animation and music a staple from then on.

The Incredibles (2004) Pixar goes super

Disney’s Pixar studios had been producing quality computer generated animated films up until this point, but this film really proved their dominance in providing beautiful, fun-filled family entertainment. This innovative, action-packed adventure about a suburban family of superheroes took animation and the studio to a whole new level, and they haven’t looked back since.

Akira (1988) Japanese Animation

This landmark Japanese film from Katsuhiro Otomo, about a biker gang in a dystopian Tokyo, opened up the world to a new form of animation, known as anime. Since then, filmmakers like Hayao Miyazaki, have taken the torch of producing films with interestingly complex stories, featuring dazzling and surrealistic visuals.

WALL-E (2008) Moving and Magical

Another masterpiece from Pixar, this beautiful and wonderful film, about a lonely robot sent to clean up the world’s waste, shows how animation can influence the mainstream. The tender, yet timely story set to stunning animation, proved that animated films don’t just have to be for children. They can affect everyone and the world we live in.

Bambi (1942) Man vs. Animal

Another one of Walt Disney’s hand drawn animated classics, about a young deer, who grows up in the wild after her mother is killed by hunters. This film still holds up well today, as an example of how animation doesn’t always have to tell stories that are cute or family friendly. Animation would become a great forum for telling films involving the elements of danger and conflict.

Shrek (2001) Pop culture fairy tale

Not to be outdone, DreamWorks animation would throw their hat into the animation ring, with this pop culture-laden fairy tale, about an ugly, giant ogre, who travels with an annoying donkey, to rescue a cursed princess. It took all the fairy tale cliches and myths and turned them on their head in an engaging and funny film experience. Also notable for the A-list actors that would supply their voices for the film, including Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, which is now a staple of animated filmmaking.