“Since we’re interested in flying, we were excited about rendering our players as animated characters in a beautiful CG world,” chairman and producer Walter Parkes says
There’s no mistaking it: the animation medium absolutely exploded in the 2010s, with films in all mediums, from everywhere in the world, and for every possible audience achieving incredible artistic heights throughout the decade. Narrowing the best animated movies of the 2010s down to a mere 10 choices was practically a fool’s errand, and led to a great many sacrifices of funny, poignant, thrilling and utterly unique motion pictures that — on any other day, or in any other decade — could have easily comprised this entire list instead. But these 10 animated features are undeniably worthy of celebration and acclaim, and seem destined to enthrall audiences of the future as much as they did the audiences of today.
Runners-Up (alphabetically): “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “The Illusionist,” “My Life as a Zucchini,” “The Pirates! Band of Misfits,” “Rango,” “Song of the Sea,” “The Wind Rises,” “Wolf Children,” “Your Name”
10. “Frozen” (2013)
Disney’s loose, loose, loose adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” is so overwhelmingly popular that it’s easy to forget just how much it genuinely deserves the acclaim. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee’s CG-animated film tells the story of royal sisters, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), who are torn apart by the revelation of Elsa’s secret frost powers, which have kept the eldest sister living in fear and isolation since childhood. An engrossing saga of family love, which playfully subverts conventional Disney-princess tropes while reinvigorating the genre for a new generation. The songs are all clever and catchy (OK, maybe not so much the troll one), but the outsider’s power anthem “Let It Go” goes above and beyond, sending “Frozen” soaring directly into instant-classic territory.
Walt Disney Studios
9. “ParaNorman” (2012)
It’s been delightful to watch LAIKA make a name for itself by catering to weird kids and all the adults who never abandoned their weirdness. “ParaNorman” is the studio’s best film of the decade — no small feat — and tells a spooky story about an ostracized child, Norman (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who sees ghosts and who stumbles across an age-old tragedy that brings nightmarish creatures back to life in his judgmental hometown. Lovingly bizarre animation, unforgettable characters, and a genuine affection for all things horrifying combine in a sharp, emotionally mature motion picture for all ages.
Focus Features
8. “Arthur Christmas” (2011)
A new holiday classic was born in “Arthur Christmas,” a thigh-slapping and heartwarming delight from Aardman Animation. Santa Claus (Jim Broadbent) is retiring, and about to leave the whole North Pole operation to his eldest son, the overachieving and business-minded Steve (Hugh Laurie). But when Steve accidentally leaves one present undelivered, Santa’s youngest, Arthur (James McAvoy), takes it upon himself to travel the whole world at the very last minute and prove that every child matters. Lovable to the nth degree, undeniably exciting, and darn near perfect.
Sony
7. “Coco” (2017)
Pixar has never been a studio to shy away from big adult concepts in a family movie, and their Oscar-winning blockbuster about death and plagiarism is no exception. “Coco” tells the story of Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), whose family has banned music from their lives, but who wants to be a singer so badly that he travels to the Land of the Dead to get help from his musician great-great-grandfather. A gorgeously realized motion picture, as transportive as any animated movie this decade, “Coco” invites you into an incredible world and then breaks your heart with every new, transformational rendition of its Oscar-winning song “Remember Me,” which changes its meaning and the whole storyline every time it’s performed.
Disney/Pixar
6. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)
As studios struggle to capture, possess and hold every superhero franchise under lock and key, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” dares to argue that every version of every classic character is equally important and valid. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, the film stars Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, who takes on the Spider-Man mantle when his predecessor dies and, in the process, accidentally opens an interdimensional portal and pulls multiple other Spider-Persons into Miles’ reality. Quick-witted and thrilling, and as emotionally overwhelming as any superhero hero film yet made, “Into the Spider-Verse” also employs innovative storytelling techniques that convey Miles’ heroic journey through everything from evolving voice-overs to increasing frame rates. An astounding animated achievement on every level.
Sony
5. “Toy Story 3” (2010)
The “Toy Story” saga concluded — for a while, anyway — with a complex and absorbing animated sequel about end-of-life care, abandonment and, mercifully, new beginnings. Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the few toys that survived into their owner’s teen years are given away to a day-care center when Andy goes off to college, only to find that bitterness has consumed their brethren. They struggle to find a way to survive in new, horrifying surroundings and ultimately come to terms in an absolutely devastating moment with their own collective mortality. And yet, it’s also funny! Few films combine the grim and the sublime as beautifully as “Toy Story 3.”
Walt Disney Studios
4. “The Breadwinner” (2017)
Nora Twomey’s frank, wrenching and inspiring “The Breadwinner” takes place at the intersection of brutal truth and fantastical fiction. Parvana (Saara Chaudry) is a young girl living in Afghanistan, where the oppression of women is systemic, corruption runs rampant, and a family without a patriarch or even a male child is left completely helpless. When her father Nurullah (Ali Badshah) is arrested, neither she nor her sisters or her mother is permitted even to buy food, so she cuts her hair and tries to earn money to feed her family and release her loved one from persecution. And through it all, she tells stories that mirror, encourage and celebrate her struggle. Fantastically animated and incredibly masterful, powerful filmmaking.
TIFF
3. “Inside Out” (2015)
Pixar’s greatest film of the decade is the story of a little girl who is sad. Externally it doesn’t seem harrowing, but most of “Inside Out” takes place inside of the mind of Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), as her most powerful emotions — Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black) — struggle to accommodate new, complex feelings that could either lead Riley to maturity or send her spiraling into mental illness. The bizarre machinations of the human mind are brought to vivid life in weird, funny and sometimes completely abstract ways, and the path forward is fraught with self-analysis and grief. And yes, it’s also extremely funny. “Inside Out” is the kind of wildly inventive story that seems, in retrospect, like it should have been told forever ago. It’s an all-timer.
Pixar
2. “Summer Wars” (2010)
There may be no filmmaker, in any medium, who consistently produced as many masterworks as Mamoru Hosoda this decade. “Wolf Children,” “The Boy and the Beast” and “Mirai” are all magical films about the pains and joys of family connections, but “Summer Wars” — released in 2009 overseas, in 2010 in the U.S. — is his masterpiece. A young math whiz is invited to a family reunion to pretend to be a young woman’s boyfriend, but when he accidentally cracks a seemingly innocuous math code, he unleashes a self-aware virus into the futuristic internet that threatens all life on the planet. “Summer Wars” imagines the interconnected world of the future as a mere extension of a spiral-shaped family unit, as full of anger as it is of compassion, in which the biggest possible stories are told in microcosm and the smallest family squabbles have seemingly infinite consequences. “Summer Wars” is one of the few sci-fi films that offers hard-earned hope, making a convincing case for the entire future of the human race.
Warner Bros.
1. “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” (2012)
Don Hertzfeldt invites you inside a crumbling, astounding, tragic mind in his masterwork “It’s Such a Beautiful Day.” The film, composed in three installments — beginning in 2006, and finally completed six years later — is the story of Bill, whose eccentric everyday observations and foibles gradually unfold to the major revelation that he is living with a potentially fatal brain condition that’s causing him to lose his sanity. Hertzfeldt himself narrates, sympathetically and with poignance, the little moments that make up Bill’s heartbreaking life, while the animator uses his trademark stick-figure style to lure the audience into false security. “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” breaks down so suddenly and randomly that the only option the viewer has is to get completely sucked into its hypnotic, hallucinogenic nightmare state. It’s a harrowing tale, it’s profoundly humane, and it’s as close as any feature film this decade has come to genuine poetry.
Bitter Films
Decade in Review: “Frozen” and “Coco” rank among the highlights of the decade
There’s no mistaking it: the animation medium absolutely exploded in the 2010s, with films in all mediums, from everywhere in the world, and for every possible audience achieving incredible artistic heights throughout the decade. Narrowing the best animated movies of the 2010s down to a mere 10 choices was practically a fool’s errand, and led to a great many sacrifices of funny, poignant, thrilling and utterly unique motion pictures that — on any other day, or in any other decade — could have easily comprised this entire list instead. But these 10 animated features are undeniably worthy of celebration and acclaim, and seem destined to enthrall audiences of the future as much as they did the audiences of today.
All 36 DreamWorks Animation Movies Ranked From Worst to Best (Photos)
DreamWorks Animation has gone through its share of upheaval, with a few big successes (“Shrek,” “Madagascar”) and some notable failures. Since its first releases in 1998, it has changed, diversified, merged and been acquired by major studios (now Universal).
With “Abominable” out this weekend, see how it compares to the other big DreamWorks Animation films on this list.
36. Bee Movie (2007)
Would that it were simply a B movie. It’s closer to a D, grading on any curve. Launched a decade after Jerry Seinfeld’s mega-hit TV series, his foray into animation is surprisingly unfunny, spiritless and belabored. And weirdly, Barry, Seinfeld’s bee character, becomes smitten with a human (voiced by Renee Zellweger). Doesn’t that fly in the face of the laws of nature? The secret life of bees, as told by Seinfeld, is a bore with a capital B.
35. Shrek Forever After (2010)
Never reaching the inspired wit and infectious fun of the original, the action scenes feel recycled. Shrek and Fiona have three little ogrelings, and have settled into pleasant domesticity. Then Shrek has a midlife crisis. Really? Is this meant for kids or adults? In this fourth, and ostensibly final, installment, Shrek & Co. still have some appeal, but the fun feels forced. Clever pop culture references have been replaced by spurts of slapstick and contrived mania.
34. Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
Fast is not always fun. Nor is sensory overload the same as dynamic spectacle. This third go-round is rarely fresh, but it doesn’t stint on energy or vivid colors. The series continues to focus on the value of friendships, new and old, and on imagination and resourcefulness. But the antic, loud style and dull plot don’t bowl over audiences. Jokes about Cirque du Soleil and Mia Farrow sail right over young heads. But talk of a “stinky poopy circus” should make some kids chortle.
33. Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
Penguins are adorable, but they may be victims of overexposure. In this limp spinoff — the fourth movie in the “Madagascar” franchise — they come off charmless and interchangeable. The pacing is frenetic and the animation unremarkable. The story tries to meld an origin tale, a coming-of-age saga, a slapstick comedy and even a revenge thriller, compounding a sense of joylessness and frenzy.
32. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
This too-episodic, uninspired follow-up to the fast-paced original crams in a lot of characters — besides the original zoo quartet — then doesn’t give them enough to do. Our giraffe, hippo, lion and zebra heroes are marooned in Africa where they incessantly jabber. Meanwhile, life lessons are imparted amid the mayhem.
DreamWorks Animation
31. The Boss Baby (2017)
Bathroom humor is to be expected in a movie about babies — but this one is has one dirty diaper too many. Despite the title character’s voicing by POTUS impersonator Alec Baldwin, the story feels forced and charmless. It has some of the external trappings of “Toy Story,” without any of the heart. The frenetic zaniness is off-putting, the visual style muddled and the plot disjointed. “Everyone has a tickle spot,” proclaims the movie’s boyish protagonist. Not this movie.
DWA
30. Mr. Peabody and Sherman (2014)
Puns plus potty humor equals Peabody. A slave to formula, it updates the TV adventures of the smarty-pants time-traveling dog and his pet boy, Sherman. It comes across as disjointed and frantically paced, though it does have moments of appealing zaniness. The 3D imagery feels gimmicky, rather than organic. The pedantic, bespectacled pooch pops off with some clever bon mots, but the movie is predictable and forced.
DreamWorks Animation
29. Shark Tale (2004)
Story is everything and this one is thin, shallow and soupy, despite the improvisational skills of Will Smith and Jack Black. This is a watery urban tale, complete with undersea gangsters, groupies and graffiti artists. Angelia Jolie pays fish fatale Lola, and Martin Scorsese is a pufferfish, complete with the filmmaker’s signature bushy eyebrows. This world is grittier than that other watery animated adventure, “Finding Nemo,” and decidedly less dazzling.
28. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)
Michelle Pfeiffer shows how her sultry purr can be put to use for evil, as well as good, in a role reminiscent of a slimmed-down Ursula from “The Little Mermaid.” Brad Pitt plays the title rogue with a bit of “Aladdin” flair. These Disney comparisons couldn’t possibly be intentional, right? This swashbuckling adventure also features an independent seagoing woman reminiscent of Katharine Hepburn, voiced by Catherine Zeta Jones. The effects are competent, but a sense of magic is lacking.
DreamWorks Animation
27. The Road to El Dorado (2000)
This ought to be a road not taken. Some entertaining moments, but too many flat ones pave this dull turf. Based on the legend of a lost South American city of gold, it’s a film that doesn’t seem aimed at kids or adults, though the voice talent — Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branaugh, Edward James Olmos, Rosie Perez — is impressive. The songs by Elton John and Tim Rice are lackluster and interchangeable.
DreamWorks Animation
26. Trolls (2016)
This is giddy, garish eye candy with a beat — trolls shrilly singing and dancing! A troll poops cupcakes, and that’s about the most original element in this neon-lit, hug-filled, cliché-laden affair. But expectations should be kept low given that director Mike Mitchell also made “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked.” Catchy songs by Justin Timberlake (who also voices a paranoid conspiracy theorist) occasionally relieve the kaleidoscopic tedium.
25. The Croods (2013)
This visually appealing animated adventure — complete with colorful hybrids of prehistoric animals and striking primordial fauna — is hampered by lackluster slapstick humor and a meandering story. Voice work comes from Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Cloris Leachman and Ryan Reynolds. And Reynold’s Guy resembles Hiccup, the young protagonist of “How to Train Your Dragon,” the charming 2010 animated feature also helmed by Croods co-director Chris Sanders. It’s yet another animated feature in which the action sequences need not be in 3D.
24. Home (2015)
This benign sci-fi comedy hodgepodge about home, heart and outsiders struggling to fit in is brightly colored, but narratively bland. Occasionally diverting, it’s more often forgettable and well-worn, with wannabe cuteness that’s more frantic than endearing. It cribs from “Despicable Me,” “Antz” and “Lilo & Stitch.” Key characters, however, are admirably diverse.
23. Megamind (2010)
Mod-looking Metro City is a fun visual, and Will Ferrell’s voicing of the villainous titular character has some humorous appeal, but this send-up of superhero flicks feels like a hodgepodge of other animated movies. It suffers from being the second animated movie of that year to feature a bulbously bald dastardly villain. The other was the superior Despicable Me. There’s even a character named Minion. Brad Pitt voices Metro Man, with just the right amount of vain puffery.
22. Over the Hedge (2006)
A raucous, funny and relatively fresh look at the 3 C’s: conservation, consumerism and consumption (of the excessive and conspicuous kind). The story, based on a comic strip by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, appealingly balances comedy and exhilarating action sequences. And parents will appreciate the gentle message about overindulgence and the value of integrity, which avoids straying into schmaltzy turf. Alas, it succumbs too often to banal slapstick antics.
21. Turbo (2013)
Watching an escargot go makes for family-friendly fare. And you’ve got to love the voice cast: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Luis Guzman, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Snoop Dogg and then some. But ubiquitous product placement and substantial borrowing from Pixar’s “Cars” undercut this underdog story. There are a few laughs until it follows the predictable route of “The Tortoise and the Hare” fable.
20. Madagascar (2005)
The animation is stunning and the stylized renderings of zoo animals are friendly-looking, the manic story feels like a bunch of one-liners strung together, peppered with bathroom humor. The jokes come courtesy of comic voice talents Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer and Sacha Baron Cohen. The highlight is a song and dance sequence done by lemurs, where Cohen is king.
19. Shrek the Third (2007)
While the story isn’t as strong as the first two installments about the beloved ogre, the satirical situations, un-Disney jokes and fairy tale re-invention retain their zest and humor. The ironic wit feels familiar, but still satisfying and amusing. It’s a more relaxed experience, as if it’s less intent on proving it’s post-modern cleverness. And the look of the film is undeniably vibrant.
18. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Despite the re-tread, things still feel fairly fresh for our pudgy black-and-white warrior, and the animation remains beautiful. Po, the titular martial artist panda, reassembles his supporting cast, Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu) and Crane (David Cross) — to confront Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), who plans to wipe out kung fu. While the story is predictable and the moral is well-worn, there’s a wonderfully inspired dream sequence with a kung-fu fighting radish.
17. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
One of the earliest of the DreamWorks movies has astonishing visual effects that include an eye-popping chariot race a la “Ben Hur” and scenes of crowds swarming the pyramids. The musical numbers are unmemorable, but Moses is made a more human and relatable character in this biblical saga. It’s a bit too serious (hard not to be, given the subject matter), but the muted color palette is stunning.
DreamWorks Animation
16. Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)
This lightly satirical fantasy pays affectionate homage to ’50s sci-fi horror, while also offering topical one-liners. The U.S. president is voiced by Stephen Colbert, a stroke of inspired casting. He greets an alien spaceship by playing the five signature notes from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” setting the tone for his officious, daffy character. “Do something violent!” he bellows at the military. Dazzling colors, winning characters and energetic visual effects work in concert, even if the 3D feels unnecessary.
15. Abominable (2019)
A story that’s sweet but formulaic, jokes that are juvenile but not annoying, and the use of gorgeous colors and textures. Nothing here truly changes animation, and yet, you can’t help but walk out of the theater with a smile on your face.
14. Rise of the Guardians (2012)
With its focus on childhood wonder, this 3D computer-animated fable based on the series of books by William Joyce is a visually energetic spectacle, if a little overloaded. There’s plenty of fanciful razzle-dazzle in this mash-up of mythical heroes. The notion of Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy joining forces like a storybook troop of Avengers action heroes is delightful, but the film grows hectic with all those figures competing for screen time.
13. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
The Western landscape is exquisitely rendered and Matt Damon gives voice to a wild mustang stallion living in the 19th Century. A poetic saga told with only music and narration (no talking animals here), the striking stallion is living an idyllic existence in the Old West until he’s captured by horse traders and sold to a cavalry regiment. While most humans are bent on controlling the horse, a Lakota brave wants to help Spirit. But the sappy horsey romance montages could have been jettisoned.
12. Flushed Away (2006)
This witty joint venture between Aardman Animation and DreamWorks Animation blends the daffy humor of “Wallace & Gromit” with the clever lunacy of “Shrek.” The tale of a pampered pet mouse flushed down the toilet and into the sewers is equal parts endearing and energetic. Hugh Jackman heads a smart voice cast who play a range of amphibians, insects and other rodents. Puckish British wit is injected into fast-paced pop culture references, but forays into bathroom humor are less delightful.
11. Antz (1998)
It’s all about those voices, namely the vocal talents of Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone and Gene Hackman. The computer animation is visually striking and the characters well-drawn, beginning with Allen as the fearful and neurotic Z. What kid—or adult—hasn’t wondered about the elaborate civilizations of ants, as we watch their numbers marching resolutely? This story appeals to our sense of imaginative wonder. While the detail is intricately compelling, the self-determination moral is clunky old news.
10. Shrek 2 (2004)
Almost as funny, sweet and engaging as the first film starring the big galoot. In this one the lovable curmudgeon ogre and his neurotic donkey pal are upstaged by the dauntless Puss in Boots, charmingly voiced by Antonio Banderas, who later got a spinoff with this character, an adorable parody of his Zorro role.
9. Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016)
The animation is gorgeous, vividly hued and immersive — the bucolic panda village looks like a Chinese version of the Hobbit village crossed with Shangri La. The humor is light, if sometimes a bit corny. An engaging, family-friendly tale with a message that we always have more to learn, which feels all the more important in these anti-intellectual times.
8. Puss in Boots (2011)
The dashing feline outlaw/lover/flamenco dancer in the insouciant plumed hat was the breakaway star of “Shrek 2,” so a spinoff was inevitable. With his spot-on comic timing and lyrical Spanish accent, Antonio Banderas’ makes the swashbuckling charmer simply irresistible. The lively, well-written romp includes a romance with Kitty Soft Paws (voiced by Salma Hayek), but a finale that’s over the top.
7. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
The gorgeous visuals in this lively story, with their Chinese-inspired details, make up for the occasionally clichéd comedy and familiar message. Jack Black’s voicing of the titular character adds to the fun. And who can resist an animated movie featuring the voice talents of such venerable actors as Dustin Hoffman and Ian McShane?
6. Shrek (2001)
A joyous, swiftly paced and very funny subversion of classic fairy tales. It sends up the Disney formula, and builds a foundation on an endearingly hilarious bromance between an ogre and a donkey (famously voiced by Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy). Not only is it tons of cheeky fun, but it featured the first — and best — use of Leonard Cohen’s hauntingly beautiful “Hallelujah.” It also incorporated a wonderfully affirming message for girls courtesy of Fiona, Shrek’s love interest (voiced by Cameron Diaz).
5. Chicken Run (2000)
The first feature film by clay-model animation pioneer Nick Park lived up to the promise of his enchanting short animated features like “The Wrong Trousers” and “A Close Shave.” Who would have guessed poultry, egg farms and heavy machinery would be the fodder for such delicious wit? Add a prison camp thriller setting and the absurdity is complete. It’s an animated wonder that’s possibly even more fun for adults than kids.
4. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
With whimsy, wordplay and eccentricity aplenty, this perfectly paced mystery is inventive and delightful, featuring Nick Park and Ardman Animation’s daft English inventor and his loyal, stoic mutt. Its silly core is irresistible, as is its consistent cleverness. Absurd, good-hearted, meticulously designed and quintessentially British in humor, there’s nothing cheesy about this inspired celebration of fromage and fun.
3. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)
Dean DeBlois’ delightful, gorgeous, and touchingly conclusive third adaptation of author Cressida Cowell’s fantastical universe of Vikings and fire-breathers fuses the cute and the dark.
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
The rare sequel that feels organic and necessary, building on the original’s charm with resonance, character detail and exciting adventure. It’s more ambitious and darker in scope, with poignant moments of subtle emotion. For instance, the hero’s parents re-unite to a gentle folk song, not a massive production number. It’s humorous, moving, funny and thrilling. Plus, we get to meet a bewilderbeast, who Toothless faces in battle.
1. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
Audiences are joyfully transported watching Hiccup, a gangly teenage boy and Toothless, his beloved, green-eyed winged dragon, soar above the Nordic landscape. It’s a rare movie aimed at children in which the hero faces — but doesn’t fully overcome — peril. While Hiccup is undeniably courageous, he loses a leg. There’s nuance, mystery and narrative heft here amid the brisk pacing and exhilaration. The 3D animation is indelibly beautiful.
How does “How to Train Your Dragon: ” stack up with classics like “Shrek”?
DreamWorks Animation has gone through its share of upheaval, with a few big successes (“Shrek,” “Madagascar”) and some notable failures. Since its first releases in 1998, it has changed, diversified, merged and been acquired by major studios (now Universal).
With “Abominable” out this weekend, see how it compares to the other big DreamWorks Animation films on this list.
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