Many can argue about favorite films and look back as many as 90 year ago to pull out a classic title. They can say Casablanca was the achievement of this and that.
Unlike movies, there has been one form of cinema that has improved on every spectrum since the early days that critics and fans can equally agree on: animation.
I was not around for Disney's hey day when the fairy tales became classics, but I was around in their biggest triumph in cinema. I was in the right age bracket and had yet to become a critical source that I am. I saw the debut of Pixar and the rise of Shrek, an accomplishment that those who were there remember well.
Maybe it's because I grew up watching shows like Animaniacs and The Simpsons that my attitudes towards animation are very tender. All I know is, I don't underestimate a good animated movie, which even in modern times keeps me amused. I have become slightly picky, but those years of being young and in marvel of the colors and characters gave me a bigger high than anything else.
I decided to look back on the animated movies I have seen and oddly enough, the ones that made this list all have been made in my lifetime. Why? I am sure because nothing instills favoritism like childhood and the experience of seeing it on the big screen.
Most of them are obvious, too much you could say, but if you were a child then, you would know where I am coming from.
1.Toy Story
Say what you will about Pixar, but when they arrived on the scene with this movie, they made a lasting impression for everyone. The key to this movie is that it treats everything as humanely as possibly while still keeping the kids laughing at slap stick gags. With exceptional voice work, the story's eclectic characters are easily memorable and Randy Newman's original songs will forever be stuck on the tip of your tongue. It is also a corner stone in animation which has only been improved upon but never equal in amazement.
2.
ShrekEven harder to forget is the juggernaut Shrek, which helped Dreamworks Animation pull through and become a leading competitor against Pixar. It's not as dignified as Toy Story, but the parody on fairy tales is nonetheless as inspired and creates for some of the most imaginative juvenile humor put in a kid's movie. With a killer soundtrack that repopularized the Monkees' I'm a Believer (done by Smash Mouth in their second coming), it created the anti-thesis to what would become Pixar's preachy style. With three sequels and a Christmas spin-off, Shrek is also easily the most profitable animated franchise in recent years.
3.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
In a time when Pixar and Dreamworks are doing CGI, director Wes Anderson delivered another avant garde adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel. The hard work paid off as all of Anderson's whimsy creates awe in watching these critters scatter from scene to scene while spouting lines like "The cuss you are". Somehow, the dated gags are the movie's key to creating something more family oriented and is sure to leave you lighthearted and wanting more.
4.
Toy Story 2
What is amazing is that this sequel is actually a good ringer for many things, including vast improvements on the first one. I have grown cynical towards the concept of sequels, but when this hit the scene, there was nothing that was funnier or sadder. Sure, there was less Randy Newman, but there was the heartbreaking Oscar-nominated Jessie's Song, which manages to be a metaphor for childhood abandonment through the eyes of a toy. This movie works on so many levels and to say the least, the additional characters are just as memorable and not in any way hoaky.
5.
A Goofy Movie
I remember being young and seeing this at the drive in. It was amazing then, and it's still amazing now. Pretty much the tale of a road trip amongst father and son that has it's ups and downs while learning to get along. The movie works as one of the few Disney character spin off movies that captures the slap stick clumsiness of Goofy while giving everyone a heart and personality. It's also easy to root for them when you got such an amazing list of songs that should be in the Public Domain by now.
6.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
My generation seems to have a fond attachment to this movie. Maybe I just hung around the goth scene too much, but I was into this before I even knew what death was. I can't recall the first time I saw this, but it was so amazing to watch as a child (it also makes me wonder how anyone could think that "darker" child movies will traumatize children). It was before I knew about Danny Elfman, the awesome scorer. Before I knew about producer Tim Burton. Somehow the movie held me on it's own with a very anti-climactic ending and songs that may as well be lullabies. I remember hearing those songs in the car excessively and I still love pulling this movie out on occasion and reveling in a mix of awe and nostalgia.
7.
South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
From the makers of the potty mouthed cartoon of the same name comes one of the most politically incorrect movies in history. What is succeeds in brevity, it also succeeds in social commentary on society and politics without withdrawing any punches. If there is nothing in this description to amaze you, make sure to stick around for the interlude in Uncle Fucka, which features melodic farting. It's an acquired taste, but if you can back a movie like this, you won't care long enough to laugh.
8.
Monsters Vs. Aliens
I am not too familiar with B-horror movies, but this is the movie I imagine was made by those type of geeks. With a superb line up of voice work, the characters pay tribute to all sorts of bizarre characters from all of those hoaky 50's horror movies. It will leave you in awe as the cliche plot unfolds with refreshing twists and dialogue. The action is packed and there's plenty of broad jokes as well as inside references, making this easily accessible to anyone looking for a good time.
9.
The Simpsons Movie
In my lifetime, I have never held higher anticipation than for The Simpsons Movie, which lived up to the hype and captured everything about the show that was worth remembering (with exception to the late Phil Hartman's classic characters). With an amazing list of surprise guests, the tale is a little farfetched, but the social commentary and family values are still in tact for an amazing journey across country to save their hometown.
10.
Mulan
This didn't make me care for Asian culture, but I think it's the start of my interest in female empowerment. To that date, I hadn't seen a woman take so much screen time while cross dressing and come out the other end the hero. It feels amazingly obvious for the misfit kid in me to like this movie because of Mulan. When she sung My Reflection, I cried because to some extent I could relate. Many claim that The Princess and the Frog is a modern Disney princess about "real women", but this will always be my modern princess because she made a difference. A difference not only in the movie, but in the way I look at the world.
11.
The Lion King
What hasn't been said about this movie? It's amazing ability is to not only make us laugh, but to make us think and even cry. In all of my years watching movies, there has never been a sadder climax than in The Lion King. It is mostly contributed to an amazing score that captures a vast amount of emotion that just empowers you. It also helps that Elton John and Tim Rice wrote some dynamite classic originals for this movie, which for the first time, were both jubilant and bittersweet. This movie will live on as one of Disney's biggest classics for reasons that don't need to be said so much as seen.
12.
Monsters, Inc.
One of the most creative movies of Billy Crystal's career. It also remains the last in the line of Pixar's perfection before their mixed bag the following decade. The concept is simple, but the tale is epic, introducing us to one of the greatest child stars to not be voiced by a kid: Boo. There is plenty of madcap fun and emotion to keep us entertained as we travel through this bizarre world and see that what scares us is no different from ourselves.
13.
Over the HedgeThe plot may be very similar to Fantastic Mr. Fox, but don't get mistaken. This is a Dreamworks Animated movie with twice as much fun. It will keep audiences of all ages entertained and on the edge of their seats when you mix animal instincts with human perils. The movie succeeds in creating eccentric characters and turning the cat and mouse game more into a turf war. Over the Hedge is not nearly as respected as the others, but it carries just as much enjoyment as any of the others.
14.
Aladdin
The first movie I ever saw in theaters. It's hard to believe that this movie was not from the original run of Disney hits. It features all of the magical awe and song craft of or The Little Mermaid or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The action is jam packed and the A.D.D. of the inspired Robin Williams' Genie is not only mind boggling at rapid speeds, but is the true predecessor to pop culture references in kid's movies. While this movie has an amazing amount of energy, it will be hard for anyone to not sing along when you even say A Whole New World.
15.
A Bug's Life
Round two for Pixar proved to be just as amazing with an amazing kid's adaptation of The Three Amigos that surpasses it in every way. The score sounds like a rough cut for Up, but creates the adventurous tone that this movie needs. The creativity put into every insect is also inspired and the fact this is one of the least mentioned Pixar movies in a low down dirty shame. It sets the blueprints for the more action packed Pixar movies of the 00's. Those who lived through the movie's release will also remember the Playstation game, which kept me busy for years.
16.
Coraline
In the same style as The Nightmare Before Christmas, this movie manages to capture all of the whimsy and heavily remind me of what Pan's Labyrinth would've been like had it been done for kids. The tale is nothing new, but the animation is very refreshing from the CGI-clotting scene and manages to create plenty of wonder and awe that you can't get in clear cut images. While it's hard to accept it at first, once you lose yourself in the movie, you will know just how amazing it truly is.
17.
Hercules
This movie came out on my parent's anniversary, so my Aunt Mary took us to see it. I have never been into Greek mythology, but I was way into this movie. It was one of the last strings of truly authentic Disney movies. It had the action, the humor, and classic songs such as I Can Go the Distance. It's tribute to history was perfectly adapted for children and even the goriest scenes were tolerable. This also remains more proof that just because something gets decapitated, doesn't mean children will get traumatized.
18.
Lilo & Stitch
I never expected this one to make it on my list, but over the years, it has become a secret favorite of mine. The loose cannon that is Stitch manages to become one of the craziest, most adorable pieces of animation this decade that showed where characters and story lines could go. With plenty of Hawaiian themes and surfing, it's easy to fall in love with the mix of mellow and raging characters seen throughout the movie.
19.
Eight Crazy Nights
This movie may not seem like much, because it isn't. It's the same old Christmas story of redemption, with one change. It's Adam Sandler, the king of modern juvenile, and he just so happens to be Jewish. There are a lot of crude jokes scattered throughout, but what sets this movie apart is it's ability to incorporate originality into the songs, which are often times inspired. The story is not that strong, but remains a fun place to hear Sandler do what he does best: sing corny songs.
20.
Beavis and Butt-head Do America
Concluding with Beavis and Butt-head Do America does seem like a cop out. You may be asking yourselves: where is Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, or even Alice in Wonderland? To be perfectly honest, those were all good in their own rights, but as I grew older, I didn't see those being "favorites" just notable titles. Beavis and Butt-head Do America, however, is the predecessor to mainstream bad-ass culture. In the 90's, thoughts on Jackass seemed outrageous but plausible thanks to these guys. This movie is one of the weirdest, most low brow road trips in animated history. It captures everything about being young and nihilistic into an "on the run" theme that will leave fans of the show laughing. Because even when Butt-head says "I just realized something, this sucks", you will get a packed house laughing.
2.
ShrekEven harder to forget is the juggernaut Shrek, which helped Dreamworks Animation pull through and become a leading competitor against Pixar. It's not as dignified as Toy Story, but the parody on fairy tales is nonetheless as inspired and creates for some of the most imaginative juvenile humor put in a kid's movie. With a killer soundtrack that repopularized the Monkees' I'm a Believer (done by Smash Mouth in their second coming), it created the anti-thesis to what would become Pixar's preachy style. With three sequels and a Christmas spin-off, Shrek is also easily the most profitable animated franchise in recent years.
3.Fantastic Mr. Fox
In a time when Pixar and Dreamworks are doing CGI, director Wes Anderson delivered another avant garde adaptation of a Roald Dahl novel. The hard work paid off as all of Anderson's whimsy creates awe in watching these critters scatter from scene to scene while spouting lines like "The cuss you are". Somehow, the dated gags are the movie's key to creating something more family oriented and is sure to leave you lighthearted and wanting more.
4.Toy Story 2
What is amazing is that this sequel is actually a good ringer for many things, including vast improvements on the first one. I have grown cynical towards the concept of sequels, but when this hit the scene, there was nothing that was funnier or sadder. Sure, there was less Randy Newman, but there was the heartbreaking Oscar-nominated Jessie's Song, which manages to be a metaphor for childhood abandonment through the eyes of a toy. This movie works on so many levels and to say the least, the additional characters are just as memorable and not in any way hoaky.
5.A Goofy Movie
I remember being young and seeing this at the drive in. It was amazing then, and it's still amazing now. Pretty much the tale of a road trip amongst father and son that has it's ups and downs while learning to get along. The movie works as one of the few Disney character spin off movies that captures the slap stick clumsiness of Goofy while giving everyone a heart and personality. It's also easy to root for them when you got such an amazing list of songs that should be in the Public Domain by now.
6.The Nightmare Before Christmas
My generation seems to have a fond attachment to this movie. Maybe I just hung around the goth scene too much, but I was into this before I even knew what death was. I can't recall the first time I saw this, but it was so amazing to watch as a child (it also makes me wonder how anyone could think that "darker" child movies will traumatize children). It was before I knew about Danny Elfman, the awesome scorer. Before I knew about producer Tim Burton. Somehow the movie held me on it's own with a very anti-climactic ending and songs that may as well be lullabies. I remember hearing those songs in the car excessively and I still love pulling this movie out on occasion and reveling in a mix of awe and nostalgia.
7.South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
From the makers of the potty mouthed cartoon of the same name comes one of the most politically incorrect movies in history. What is succeeds in brevity, it also succeeds in social commentary on society and politics without withdrawing any punches. If there is nothing in this description to amaze you, make sure to stick around for the interlude in Uncle Fucka, which features melodic farting. It's an acquired taste, but if you can back a movie like this, you won't care long enough to laugh.
8.Monsters Vs. Aliens
I am not too familiar with B-horror movies, but this is the movie I imagine was made by those type of geeks. With a superb line up of voice work, the characters pay tribute to all sorts of bizarre characters from all of those hoaky 50's horror movies. It will leave you in awe as the cliche plot unfolds with refreshing twists and dialogue. The action is packed and there's plenty of broad jokes as well as inside references, making this easily accessible to anyone looking for a good time.
9.The Simpsons Movie
In my lifetime, I have never held higher anticipation than for The Simpsons Movie, which lived up to the hype and captured everything about the show that was worth remembering (with exception to the late Phil Hartman's classic characters). With an amazing list of surprise guests, the tale is a little farfetched, but the social commentary and family values are still in tact for an amazing journey across country to save their hometown.
10.Mulan
This didn't make me care for Asian culture, but I think it's the start of my interest in female empowerment. To that date, I hadn't seen a woman take so much screen time while cross dressing and come out the other end the hero. It feels amazingly obvious for the misfit kid in me to like this movie because of Mulan. When she sung My Reflection, I cried because to some extent I could relate. Many claim that The Princess and the Frog is a modern Disney princess about "real women", but this will always be my modern princess because she made a difference. A difference not only in the movie, but in the way I look at the world.
11.The Lion King
What hasn't been said about this movie? It's amazing ability is to not only make us laugh, but to make us think and even cry. In all of my years watching movies, there has never been a sadder climax than in The Lion King. It is mostly contributed to an amazing score that captures a vast amount of emotion that just empowers you. It also helps that Elton John and Tim Rice wrote some dynamite classic originals for this movie, which for the first time, were both jubilant and bittersweet. This movie will live on as one of Disney's biggest classics for reasons that don't need to be said so much as seen.
12.Monsters, Inc.
One of the most creative movies of Billy Crystal's career. It also remains the last in the line of Pixar's perfection before their mixed bag the following decade. The concept is simple, but the tale is epic, introducing us to one of the greatest child stars to not be voiced by a kid: Boo. There is plenty of madcap fun and emotion to keep us entertained as we travel through this bizarre world and see that what scares us is no different from ourselves.
13.Over the HedgeThe plot may be very similar to Fantastic Mr. Fox, but don't get mistaken. This is a Dreamworks Animated movie with twice as much fun. It will keep audiences of all ages entertained and on the edge of their seats when you mix animal instincts with human perils. The movie succeeds in creating eccentric characters and turning the cat and mouse game more into a turf war. Over the Hedge is not nearly as respected as the others, but it carries just as much enjoyment as any of the others.
14.Aladdin
The first movie I ever saw in theaters. It's hard to believe that this movie was not from the original run of Disney hits. It features all of the magical awe and song craft of or The Little Mermaid or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The action is jam packed and the A.D.D. of the inspired Robin Williams' Genie is not only mind boggling at rapid speeds, but is the true predecessor to pop culture references in kid's movies. While this movie has an amazing amount of energy, it will be hard for anyone to not sing along when you even say A Whole New World.
15.A Bug's Life
Round two for Pixar proved to be just as amazing with an amazing kid's adaptation of The Three Amigos that surpasses it in every way. The score sounds like a rough cut for Up, but creates the adventurous tone that this movie needs. The creativity put into every insect is also inspired and the fact this is one of the least mentioned Pixar movies in a low down dirty shame. It sets the blueprints for the more action packed Pixar movies of the 00's. Those who lived through the movie's release will also remember the Playstation game, which kept me busy for years.
16.Coraline
In the same style as The Nightmare Before Christmas, this movie manages to capture all of the whimsy and heavily remind me of what Pan's Labyrinth would've been like had it been done for kids. The tale is nothing new, but the animation is very refreshing from the CGI-clotting scene and manages to create plenty of wonder and awe that you can't get in clear cut images. While it's hard to accept it at first, once you lose yourself in the movie, you will know just how amazing it truly is.
17.Hercules
This movie came out on my parent's anniversary, so my Aunt Mary took us to see it. I have never been into Greek mythology, but I was way into this movie. It was one of the last strings of truly authentic Disney movies. It had the action, the humor, and classic songs such as I Can Go the Distance. It's tribute to history was perfectly adapted for children and even the goriest scenes were tolerable. This also remains more proof that just because something gets decapitated, doesn't mean children will get traumatized.
18.Lilo & Stitch
I never expected this one to make it on my list, but over the years, it has become a secret favorite of mine. The loose cannon that is Stitch manages to become one of the craziest, most adorable pieces of animation this decade that showed where characters and story lines could go. With plenty of Hawaiian themes and surfing, it's easy to fall in love with the mix of mellow and raging characters seen throughout the movie.
19.Eight Crazy Nights
This movie may not seem like much, because it isn't. It's the same old Christmas story of redemption, with one change. It's Adam Sandler, the king of modern juvenile, and he just so happens to be Jewish. There are a lot of crude jokes scattered throughout, but what sets this movie apart is it's ability to incorporate originality into the songs, which are often times inspired. The story is not that strong, but remains a fun place to hear Sandler do what he does best: sing corny songs.
20.Beavis and Butt-head Do America
Concluding with Beavis and Butt-head Do America does seem like a cop out. You may be asking yourselves: where is Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, or even Alice in Wonderland? To be perfectly honest, those were all good in their own rights, but as I grew older, I didn't see those being "favorites" just notable titles. Beavis and Butt-head Do America, however, is the predecessor to mainstream bad-ass culture. In the 90's, thoughts on Jackass seemed outrageous but plausible thanks to these guys. This movie is one of the weirdest, most low brow road trips in animated history. It captures everything about being young and nihilistic into an "on the run" theme that will leave fans of the show laughing. Because even when Butt-head says "I just realized something, this sucks", you will get a packed house laughing.
I'm surprised you didn't put "UP" in here.
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