With the influx of "Must watch movie lists" floating around.. I feel its only apt as Self appointed Animated movie critic to create a list of my own.. I try to be as unbiased as possible and try to keep the fact that these pretty much shaped my childhood out of my judgement. I have taken several things into account, namely the actual animation itself, the voice acting, the Score and Story, the impact etc.
Note: Spirited Away isnt on this list simply because I havent seen it.. I recommend watching it because it is first on IMdb for a reason.
#10- Rise of the Guardians(2012)
Ok, before you jump down my throat, hear me out. Aimed towards younger audiences, I do not expect people my age to appreciate it as much. But I have several reasons for it being on this list.
Firstly The ANIMATION. Sitting in the theatre I could almost reach out and let the enigmatic sand, designed to inject your mind with the loveliest of dreams, flow through my fingers. And I wasnt watching it in 3D. I felt the chill of the ice, the terror in the Guardians' eyes and the Charming evil that was Pitch ( the Bogeyman) run through my spine. Plus Jack Frost is hot xD
And then there is the Story. You realise that they are summing up our greatest Childhood fantasies and dreams into 90 mins of film. And I think they have done so brilliantly. Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, The Sandman , Jack Frost. The concept of good vs evil in times where kids no longer believe, beautifully summarised in a way which relives your childhood and makes you, as an adult, want to believe.
#9- UP (2009)
Tears. Tears. Tears,
Heart-wrenching story, Lovable characters and beautiful soundtrack.
Need I say more?
#8- Corpse Bride (2005)
Tim Burton's Stopmotion feature is truly mindblowing. The nightmarish concept so characteristic of his films coupled by dark humour and wonderful music places it on my list.
The amount of patience required in creating these characters, moving them minutely each time to create the final product. Truly commendable.
#7- Finding Nemo (2003)
Actually Im surprised I havent placed it higher; The beautiful story of a father's search for his son
through treacherous waters in the Great Barrier Reef has captured the hearts of many since it first released in 2003. Coupled with the amazing voice-giving of Ellen Degeneres ( who arguably has created the most well-liked character in Animation today) this movie leaves bubbles of emotion in your heart long after the credits are done rolling off the screen.
#6- How To Train Your Dragon. (2010)
Admit it, theres not much to hate in this movie. Special mention to the beautiful animation and rendition of the dragon soaring across a diamond-studded sky. Makes you want to own one dosent it?
Also the book of dragons. The artwork in it is beautiful.
Relatable characters, amazing scenery and a wonderful soundtrack places this at #6!
#5- Tangled/Brave- (2010/2012)
I placed both together for the AMAZING ANIMATION OF THEIR HAIR! It is said that each individual strand of Merida's scarlet tresses was animated separately and a special software was created to bring Rapunzels famous locks to life.
Tangled is a compilation of all the good things we havent seen for a long time in the Disney Princess movies. The adorable Rapunzel, her childlike curiosity and feistiness with her frying pan, Pascal who
has got to be the cutest sidekick ever , Maximus, who honestly has more expressions than Kristen Stewart and of course FLYNN FREAKIN RIDER AKA EUGENE HOTNESS FITZHERBERT.
I mean, that one piece of animation perfection has altered my perceptions of men to such an extent that I ll probably wont be finding one anytime soon. The bar has been raised too high.
Believable story, memorable villain, amazing voice giving and Beautiful music, combined with what has got to be THE most romantic scene in movie history (the lanterns btw), Is it no wonder that it is placed so high?
Brave's animation brought tears to my eyes. The breath-taking Scottish Glens so perfectly rendered by the hands of God himself brought to the screen in all its glory, the characters done so we detect every
subtle expression change and brilliant voice giving combined with a glorious soundtrack which gave me chills. This movie isnt placed higher for the only reason that I could not stomach the gaping holes in its plotline, and the fact that its trailer was the most misleading one I have seen so far. Plus Merida is kind of a brat. We all agree :P
#4- Wreck-It-Ralph (2012)
To be honest, this one deserved the Oscar more than Brave did. The concept was GENIUS. Pure Genius. Video game characters moving around and having adventures? I was mindblown with the animation
And face it, the characters are ADORABLE. Well rounded,with their own backstories and personalities, its hard to hate any one of them. The story had enough plot twists to keep it interesting and enough heart to keep it engraved in our souls for a while.
amount of thought put into this movie. Small details like villain gatherings in Pacman country and a volcano consisting of Coke and Mentos stalactites made me want to cry , overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of the minds of these animators.
#3- Fantasia (1940)
Think of the context in which this movie was produced. 1940, with the concept of Animated features still in the cradle and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs still lingering in everyones minds as a revolution in the movie industry, Disney decides to do something out of this world. Make an animated movie completely coordinated to music. The artists rendition of their perception of the music, transitioned from Ear to Paper is truly commendable. Imagine the difficulty in syncing the traditional drawing to the music , the problems in translating the tune into the screen, and still capture our imagination so perfectly.
And lets not forget the fact that The Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence is widely used today.
True Brilliance is seen only in the time of the Greats is it not?
#2- The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Proof that Imdb is severely flawed. This film deserves a rating in the 8-9 region. I cant fault it.
Ok, Jeffrey Katzenburg is a traitor for leaving Disney and going to Dreamworks, but hey if it brought this quality of film I shouldn't complain.
The characters are animated to perfection, the Egyptian scenery glorious to the point of Godly. and the Soundtrack, oh how it brought on the goosebumps, the chills and the tears!
The architecture and context of Ancient Egypt so wonderfully put, breathtaking landscapes , coupled with music which became a household tune irrespective of the Lord you believe in!
The story of Moses could not have been put in a better way as it was rendered in this magnificent film. A must watch!
#1- The Lion King (1994)
Call me incorrigibly biased, but seriously, no one with half a brain and a trickle of a childhood has not seen Lion King today. From its iconic beginning, (The Circle of Life sequence which made me jumo out of my skin every single time), to its chill-inducing conclusion, it is virtually impossible to find anything wrong with this movie. Again, Jeffret Katzenburg, however unpopular he might have been, proves his quality. Ironically, this movie was produced by Disney's
team B because they didnt expect this movie to succeed! (Meanwhile,Team A consisting of the genius of Glen Keane and Alan Menken worked on Pocahontas.)
Oh werent they proven wrong!
The animation, flawless, the research without loopholes ( the team traveled to parts of Africa and even had visits in the studios by live Lions and Cubs) and the character development amazing. Based on Shakespeare's Hamlet and featuring the voices of Matthew Broderick ( Inspector Gadget, Godzilla), Jeremy Irons (Eragon, Beautiful Creatures), James Earl Jones(Dr.Strangelove, Star Wars), Rowan Atkinson (Bean, Johnny English) and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act) who brought life to these characters, this movie carried the momentum of the Disney Renaissance (initiated by The Little Mermaid in 1989) forward to new heights.
The heart in this movie is unrivalled. I mean, come on, there is no age bar to weeping buckets when Mufasa dies or laughing your heads off to Timon and Pumbaa's shenanigans. The lessons taught in this movie ( Learn from your past, dont hide from it, etc) stay with us as we grow, and these lessons we will pass on to our kids when the time comes.
The soundtrack, beautifully composed by Hans Zimmer and Elton John, features music that will stay in our hearts forever and ever and have us humming its tunes for years to come!
Well now, Hakuna Matata, and I Just Cant Wait To Watch it Again!
Is it any wonder I wouldnt eat without this movie on the screen as a kid?
Note: Spirited Away isnt on this list simply because I havent seen it.. I recommend watching it because it is first on IMdb for a reason.
#10- Rise of the Guardians(2012)
Firstly The ANIMATION. Sitting in the theatre I could almost reach out and let the enigmatic sand, designed to inject your mind with the loveliest of dreams, flow through my fingers. And I wasnt watching it in 3D. I felt the chill of the ice, the terror in the Guardians' eyes and the Charming evil that was Pitch ( the Bogeyman) run through my spine. Plus Jack Frost is hot xD
And then there is the Story. You realise that they are summing up our greatest Childhood fantasies and dreams into 90 mins of film. And I think they have done so brilliantly. Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Easter Bunny, The Sandman , Jack Frost. The concept of good vs evil in times where kids no longer believe, beautifully summarised in a way which relives your childhood and makes you, as an adult, want to believe.
#9- UP (2009)
Tears. Tears. Tears,
Heart-wrenching story, Lovable characters and beautiful soundtrack.
Need I say more?
#8- Corpse Bride (2005)
The amount of patience required in creating these characters, moving them minutely each time to create the final product. Truly commendable.
#7- Finding Nemo (2003)
through treacherous waters in the Great Barrier Reef has captured the hearts of many since it first released in 2003. Coupled with the amazing voice-giving of Ellen Degeneres ( who arguably has created the most well-liked character in Animation today) this movie leaves bubbles of emotion in your heart long after the credits are done rolling off the screen.
#6- How To Train Your Dragon. (2010)
Admit it, theres not much to hate in this movie. Special mention to the beautiful animation and rendition of the dragon soaring across a diamond-studded sky. Makes you want to own one dosent it?Also the book of dragons. The artwork in it is beautiful.
Relatable characters, amazing scenery and a wonderful soundtrack places this at #6!
#5- Tangled/Brave- (2010/2012)
Tangled is a compilation of all the good things we havent seen for a long time in the Disney Princess movies. The adorable Rapunzel, her childlike curiosity and feistiness with her frying pan, Pascal who has got to be the cutest sidekick ever , Maximus, who honestly has more expressions than Kristen Stewart and of course FLYNN FREAKIN RIDER AKA EUGENE HOTNESS FITZHERBERT.
I mean, that one piece of animation perfection has altered my perceptions of men to such an extent that I ll probably wont be finding one anytime soon. The bar has been raised too high.
Brave's animation brought tears to my eyes. The breath-taking Scottish Glens so perfectly rendered by the hands of God himself brought to the screen in all its glory, the characters done so we detect every
subtle expression change and brilliant voice giving combined with a glorious soundtrack which gave me chills. This movie isnt placed higher for the only reason that I could not stomach the gaping holes in its plotline, and the fact that its trailer was the most misleading one I have seen so far. Plus Merida is kind of a brat. We all agree :P
#4- Wreck-It-Ralph (2012)
And face it, the characters are ADORABLE. Well rounded,with their own backstories and personalities, its hard to hate any one of them. The story had enough plot twists to keep it interesting and enough heart to keep it engraved in our souls for a while.
amount of thought put into this movie. Small details like villain gatherings in Pacman country and a volcano consisting of Coke and Mentos stalactites made me want to cry , overwhelmed by the sheer awesomeness of the minds of these animators.
#3- Fantasia (1940)
And lets not forget the fact that The Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence is widely used today.
True Brilliance is seen only in the time of the Greats is it not?
#2- The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Proof that Imdb is severely flawed. This film deserves a rating in the 8-9 region. I cant fault it.
Ok, Jeffrey Katzenburg is a traitor for leaving Disney and going to Dreamworks, but hey if it brought this quality of film I shouldn't complain.
The characters are animated to perfection, the Egyptian scenery glorious to the point of Godly. and the Soundtrack, oh how it brought on the goosebumps, the chills and the tears!
The architecture and context of Ancient Egypt so wonderfully put, breathtaking landscapes , coupled with music which became a household tune irrespective of the Lord you believe in!
The story of Moses could not have been put in a better way as it was rendered in this magnificent film. A must watch!
#1- The Lion King (1994)
team B because they didnt expect this movie to succeed! (Meanwhile,Team A consisting of the genius of Glen Keane and Alan Menken worked on Pocahontas.)
Oh werent they proven wrong!
The animation, flawless, the research without loopholes ( the team traveled to parts of Africa and even had visits in the studios by live Lions and Cubs) and the character development amazing. Based on Shakespeare's Hamlet and featuring the voices of Matthew Broderick ( Inspector Gadget, Godzilla), Jeremy Irons (Eragon, Beautiful Creatures), James Earl Jones(Dr.Strangelove, Star Wars), Rowan Atkinson (Bean, Johnny English) and Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act) who brought life to these characters, this movie carried the momentum of the Disney Renaissance (initiated by The Little Mermaid in 1989) forward to new heights.
The heart in this movie is unrivalled. I mean, come on, there is no age bar to weeping buckets when Mufasa dies or laughing your heads off to Timon and Pumbaa's shenanigans. The lessons taught in this movie ( Learn from your past, dont hide from it, etc) stay with us as we grow, and these lessons we will pass on to our kids when the time comes.
The soundtrack, beautifully composed by Hans Zimmer and Elton John, features music that will stay in our hearts forever and ever and have us humming its tunes for years to come!
Well now, Hakuna Matata, and I Just Cant Wait To Watch it Again!
Is it any wonder I wouldnt eat without this movie on the screen as a kid?
And there you have it. My list of must watch Animated Features , well thought out and expressed to you here. Sorry it is a bit long, but passion has no word limit.
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