The 100 best animated movies
World-famous animators pick the best animated movies ever, including Disney and Pixar movies, cult movies, kids' movies, stop-motion, anime and more
Wed Apr 16 2014
- Start the countdown
- Who voted?
- How many have you seen?
- So you want to animate?
- Animated movies by type
Start the countdown
Discover the 100 best animated movies of all timeWho voted?
Our list was compiled by over 100 contributors. But what did they pick?How many have you seen?
Reckon you’ve seen more of our top 100 than your friends? Prove it with our quizSo you want to animate?
Here’s our guide to the best online resources for creating animated moviesAnimated movies by type
We’ve sliced and diced our top 100 into the 26 essential categories of animated cinema
Chances are the first movie you ever saw was animation. Exuberant, colorful and full of wonder, animation is the stuff of childhood. It introduces us to the magic of cinema, and there’s no doubt that, as we researched the 100 best animated movies of all time, the nostalgia factor was overwhelming.
Then again, as we polled over 100 experts in the field—from directors like Fantastic Mr. Fox’s Wes Anderson, Ice Age and Rio’s Carlos Saldanha, Wallace & Gromit’s Nick Park, to critics and hardcore fans alike—it became clear that animation doesn’t just mean kids' and family movies. Worldwide innovators have adapted the form to include action, politics, race and sex. Animation has grown up, sometimes uneasily, right before our eyes.
We know you’ll find something to love in our authoritative ranking of the best animated movies ever made. The timeless Disney classics. The best Pixar films. Brilliantly sophisticated modern works from Japan's cottage industry—anime—and especially from its Studio Ghibli. Films that make you weep, laugh, sing along and wish upon stars.
Take some time to check out our contributors' personal lists, each one an invitation to further explore avenues of stop-motion, computer-generated imagery or good old pen-and-ink fantasy.
Let us know what you think, in the comments below or on Facebook or Twitter. Did we get it wrong or leave out an essential title? One thing is certain: Animation is an endless well of fun. We're sure it goes deeper.
Written by Geoff Andrew, Dave Calhoun, Cath Clarke, Tom Huddleston, Guy Lodge, Trevor Johnston, Joshua Rothkopf and Keith Uhlich.
Users say
4 comments
It's insulting that Shrek isn't on this list. Whether you liked the sequels or not (although even Shrek 2 should have been towards the top), there's no denying that it's one of the most original and influential animated films of the past several years. Without it, several of the movies on this list wouldn't have existed.
And its still yet to be matched in terms of very real, very fleshed out characters.
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1
Locke
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
Unmuzzled by his Bane mask from The Dark Knight Rises, Tom Hardy carries an entire drama by himself, as a driver grappling with shifting moods and multiple calls.
2
Othello
- Rated as: 5/5
- Critics choice
This is one of the finest cinematic incarnations of William Shakespeare’s tragedy, starring a commanding Orson Welles (who also directed) as the Moor of Venice.
3
Fading Gigolo
- Rated as: 4/5
- Critics choice
The hook is Woody Allen as a pimp (har), but the real appeal here is John Turturro—writing, directing and acting in a romantic comedy that takes women’s needs seriously.
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