Dave's Top 10 Animated Films of All Time That He Can Remember
10. Shrek (1&2 and probably 3)
There is no denying the sheer box office might of everybody’s favorite green ogre, and I do find the films to be quite entertaining (watched both again this week in preparation for “Shrek the Third”). I do feel like the animation, can be stiff at times, but that being said, there is no shortage of eye candy in the film. Awesome CG liquid FX, lush environments, and about the best looking swamp I’ve ever seen mean that Shrek is one lucky Ogre.
I will go on record as saying that the hairball scene involving Puss N’ Boots is my number 2 favorite gross scene in an animated film… number 1 is a bit further on in my list.
I also really enjoy the way the films poke fun at Fairy Tale norms, and frankly any film that documents Pinocchio’s fondness for wearing lady’s thong underwear deserves a spot in my top 10.
9. Monsters, Inc.
As you can probably imagine, Pixar made this list a few times, most notably by rounding out my top 3 spots. “Monsters, Inc.” made the list for a few reasons, but above all else, it was the character “Boo.” I think Boo was the closest I’ve ever seen anyone come in an animated film (and especially in CG animated films) to really capturing what a child is all about. When Boo got scared, you knew that feeling, and when Boo was singing while going potty, you knew that feeling too. She was a real little girl, and not just a character in a film.
This was also one of the first films to really incorporate hair/fur like never before. Sulley was not only a really well-designed character in terms of appeal, but he was also simply beautiful to look at. The long, soft, blue and purple fur looked so real, and made you want to reach out and touch your screen.
The performances were great and the overall plot was a lot of fun. My only beef with the film is that I felt the door scene at the end was a little too drawn out and actually bordered on being boring. Outside of that, this is yet another amazing effort from Pixar.
8. Open Season
This may be the entry that gets me the most grief on this list.
“How can you put this film ahead of “Monsters” and “Shrek”?”
“Have you seen the reviews for this film?”
“Did it make the list just because of the dear pooping scene?”
To answer those questions: Because it’s my list, yes, and partially.
First and foremost, “Open Season” is a gorgeous film to look at. It actually looks like a wildlife oil painting that has come to life and is now populated with a crazy collection of cartoon critters. The trees, the water, the dirt, it all just looks and feel like a real living, breathing forest.
Yes the story is somewhat shallow, and yes it’s been done before, and yes it’s filled with sophomoric humor, but it doesn’t matter. That sophomoric humor is actually what sells this film for me. The scene in which Elliot sings Boog to sleep with his own rendition of the teddy bear picnic song (about a flatulent dwarf who is constantly needing to pee) is one of the most juvenile and yet totally funny scenes I can remember.
And then of course there is the deer pooping scene…
It was unexpected, it made no less than 3 mothers shriek in the audience at the theater, and it was highly entertaining, just as “Open Season” was.
7. Aladdin
So I’m a huge fan of Robin Williams, and a huge fan of animation, so this choice was pretty obvious. While the formula of animation and Robin may not always work for me (see “Robots” or “Happy Feet”), in this case it most certainly did.
Aladdin was also important as it signaled the rebirth of Disney Animation, and paved the way for films like “The Lion King,” though that also means it paved the way for “Home On the Range.” It was a blockbuster and really helped to put Disney (and animation in general) back on the map.
Aladdin may have even been a bit higher on my list if it weren’t for the singing… I despise singing in animated films, especially when it’s simply for the sake of singing.
6. The Iron Giant
Man oh man is Brad Bird awesome or what? Something about his films and his way of weaving a story is just so great on so many levels. The “Iron Giant” was the first feature film that Bird directed, and while it didn’t do amazing numbers at the box office, it has since gone on (thanks to Bird’s work on “The Incredibles”) to be seen as one of the more cherished pieces of film animation.
The main character in the film is a robot that rarely (if ever) speaks, and yet you can’t help but just absolutely fall in love with him. While the plot is somewhat thin, it’s the interaction between the Giant and Hogarth that really make the film worth watching.
That and the top notch animation. I think my favorite scene has to be the one where the Giant does a cannonball into the lake. Great on every level and very deserving of a spot in the Top 10.
5. The Emporer's New Groove
Again I can hear the shouts of, “How on Earth could this film make your list and films like “Pinocchio” or “The Lion King” not?”
The answer is still the same: This film entertained me.
Not that the others didn’t, but “Groove” just really appealed to my sense of humor. Patrick Warburton gives one of the best comedic performances in an animated film ever, and while I normally can’t stand David Spade, he was perfect for this role.
I also loved the animation, with the scene in which they’re attempting to poison Kuzco and the one in which Kronk is cooking at the diner really standing out to me. The character designs were top notch, and the story was actually quite well done. Sure at its heart it was just a buddy film, but one of the buddies was a llama.
The food caught in Yzma’s tooth, Kronk sneaking around singing his own theme song, the cat being shocked by the sound of her own voice, the squirrel talk… it just goes on and on. Great film, and deserving (no matter what you say) of the number 5 spot on my list.
4. The Jungle Book
There is a reason this one was chosen as my favorite 2D animated film, and it’s just that…
The animation.
From Baloo to Mowgli, the characters in this film were just so expertly animated that there really isn’t another film that has matched it to this day. I could turn the sound completely off (and that’s not to say the performances are bad) and watch this film again and again without ever getting bored. If I wasn’t staring at the animation, I’d be staring at the amazing hand-painted backgrounds.
It should tell you something that I despise singing in animated films and still stuck this sucker at number 4.
3. Finding Nemo
I’ve been snorkeling one time in my entire life, and it was in Maui. Now that “Finding Nemo” is in my library, I sort of feel like I never need to go snorkeling again. Instead I can just pop in this DVD and sit back with a bowl of ice-cream, rather than all of that paddling and watching over my shoulder for sharks and such.
“Finding Nemo” was such a fun film from start to finish, and really makes the viewer feel like they’ve been on an amazing adventure. From the coral reef, to the fishtank in the dentist’s office, to the shores of Sydney, each area of the film feels brand new and very much alive.
I think everyone walked away from this film loving Dory, and that’s of course thanks in huge part to the performance by Ellen DeGeneres. The other performances were great as well, but Dory stole the show for me.
The visuals are top notch as well, with so many vibrant colors in and around the various areas of the ocean. Couple these visuals with the amazing comedic animation (these are fish, people!) and it’s easy to see why this has been Pixar’s most successful film financially to date.
If you’ve got a fear of sharks (who doesn’t?), take a dip in the waters of “Finding Nemo” instead.
2. Toy Story (1&2)
The second spot on my list belongs to a pair of films that really started the entire computer animation craze. Obviously it was really the first “Toy Story” that should get the credit for this, but the point is that I wouldn’t even be making this list today if it wasn’t for Woody, Buzz and the other toys from Andy’s room.
It’s quite a feeling the first time you watch “Toy Story” and you see Woody sit up for the first time, once he knows Andy is no longer in the room. In a strange way, it confirms what we as kids all thought, which is that our toys carry on lives of their own once we aren’t in the room.
While CG Animation has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 5 years, “Toy Story” (released in 1995, if you can believe it) and “Toy Story 2” still hold up visually today. The animation is superb, the lighting and texturing is spot on for the most part, and most importantly, the toys really feel like toys.
“Toy Story 2” is, to date, Pixar’s one and only sequel. When a company takes a stand that it will not turn into a sequel machine, and will only release sequels if there is truly a reason to further the story, it sets the bar very high for that first one. “Toy Story 2” delivered on the promise, and gave viewers a reason to want to see the gang back in action again.
The “Toy Story” formula, continues to be copied by CG films today, and with a third movie on the way, it’s probably going to be copied for a long time to come.
1. The Incredibles
What can be said about “The Incredibles” that hasn’t already been said by countless other movie fans, critics, and animation folks throughout the world?
The film is… well… incredible.
Everyone credits Brad Bird for the film that “The Incredibles” became, and he deserves a lot of credit for it. However Brad can’t do it all, and the entire team from the audio engineers to the animators to the riggers and everyone in between deserves a big pat on the back as well. You can’t make a gem like this one without everyone involved pitching in and believing in the vision.
The scene that sums up the entire film for me is the one where Bob (Mr. Incredible) gets yelled at by his boss. His boss storms out of Bob’s cubicle who sits for a beat or two and then his plastic pencil cups falls from his desk, spilling pencils everywhere. It’s that amazing attention to detail, story and comedic timing that makes a film like “The Incredibles” special.
I won’t blather on about this film too much, as I think I’ve done that enough. It’s my number one film, not only in terms of animated features, but across the board. It’s the film I go back and watch when I get down on my animations, and it never fails to inspire me to start pushing pixels again.
However, you don’t have to be an aspiring animator to be inspired by a film like “The Incredibles.” You just have to be alive. Share this on: facebook
There is no denying the sheer box office might of everybody’s favorite green ogre, and I do find the films to be quite entertaining (watched both again this week in preparation for “Shrek the Third”). I do feel like the animation, can be stiff at times, but that being said, there is no shortage of eye candy in the film. Awesome CG liquid FX, lush environments, and about the best looking swamp I’ve ever seen mean that Shrek is one lucky Ogre.
I will go on record as saying that the hairball scene involving Puss N’ Boots is my number 2 favorite gross scene in an animated film… number 1 is a bit further on in my list.
I also really enjoy the way the films poke fun at Fairy Tale norms, and frankly any film that documents Pinocchio’s fondness for wearing lady’s thong underwear deserves a spot in my top 10.
9. Monsters, Inc.
As you can probably imagine, Pixar made this list a few times, most notably by rounding out my top 3 spots. “Monsters, Inc.” made the list for a few reasons, but above all else, it was the character “Boo.” I think Boo was the closest I’ve ever seen anyone come in an animated film (and especially in CG animated films) to really capturing what a child is all about. When Boo got scared, you knew that feeling, and when Boo was singing while going potty, you knew that feeling too. She was a real little girl, and not just a character in a film.
This was also one of the first films to really incorporate hair/fur like never before. Sulley was not only a really well-designed character in terms of appeal, but he was also simply beautiful to look at. The long, soft, blue and purple fur looked so real, and made you want to reach out and touch your screen.
The performances were great and the overall plot was a lot of fun. My only beef with the film is that I felt the door scene at the end was a little too drawn out and actually bordered on being boring. Outside of that, this is yet another amazing effort from Pixar.
8. Open Season
This may be the entry that gets me the most grief on this list.
“How can you put this film ahead of “Monsters” and “Shrek”?”
“Have you seen the reviews for this film?”
“Did it make the list just because of the dear pooping scene?”
To answer those questions: Because it’s my list, yes, and partially.
First and foremost, “Open Season” is a gorgeous film to look at. It actually looks like a wildlife oil painting that has come to life and is now populated with a crazy collection of cartoon critters. The trees, the water, the dirt, it all just looks and feel like a real living, breathing forest.
Yes the story is somewhat shallow, and yes it’s been done before, and yes it’s filled with sophomoric humor, but it doesn’t matter. That sophomoric humor is actually what sells this film for me. The scene in which Elliot sings Boog to sleep with his own rendition of the teddy bear picnic song (about a flatulent dwarf who is constantly needing to pee) is one of the most juvenile and yet totally funny scenes I can remember.
And then of course there is the deer pooping scene…
It was unexpected, it made no less than 3 mothers shriek in the audience at the theater, and it was highly entertaining, just as “Open Season” was.
7. Aladdin
So I’m a huge fan of Robin Williams, and a huge fan of animation, so this choice was pretty obvious. While the formula of animation and Robin may not always work for me (see “Robots” or “Happy Feet”), in this case it most certainly did.
Aladdin was also important as it signaled the rebirth of Disney Animation, and paved the way for films like “The Lion King,” though that also means it paved the way for “Home On the Range.” It was a blockbuster and really helped to put Disney (and animation in general) back on the map.
Aladdin may have even been a bit higher on my list if it weren’t for the singing… I despise singing in animated films, especially when it’s simply for the sake of singing.
6. The Iron Giant
Man oh man is Brad Bird awesome or what? Something about his films and his way of weaving a story is just so great on so many levels. The “Iron Giant” was the first feature film that Bird directed, and while it didn’t do amazing numbers at the box office, it has since gone on (thanks to Bird’s work on “The Incredibles”) to be seen as one of the more cherished pieces of film animation.
The main character in the film is a robot that rarely (if ever) speaks, and yet you can’t help but just absolutely fall in love with him. While the plot is somewhat thin, it’s the interaction between the Giant and Hogarth that really make the film worth watching.
That and the top notch animation. I think my favorite scene has to be the one where the Giant does a cannonball into the lake. Great on every level and very deserving of a spot in the Top 10.
5. The Emporer's New Groove
Again I can hear the shouts of, “How on Earth could this film make your list and films like “Pinocchio” or “The Lion King” not?”
The answer is still the same: This film entertained me.
Not that the others didn’t, but “Groove” just really appealed to my sense of humor. Patrick Warburton gives one of the best comedic performances in an animated film ever, and while I normally can’t stand David Spade, he was perfect for this role.
I also loved the animation, with the scene in which they’re attempting to poison Kuzco and the one in which Kronk is cooking at the diner really standing out to me. The character designs were top notch, and the story was actually quite well done. Sure at its heart it was just a buddy film, but one of the buddies was a llama.
The food caught in Yzma’s tooth, Kronk sneaking around singing his own theme song, the cat being shocked by the sound of her own voice, the squirrel talk… it just goes on and on. Great film, and deserving (no matter what you say) of the number 5 spot on my list.
4. The Jungle Book
There is a reason this one was chosen as my favorite 2D animated film, and it’s just that…
The animation.
From Baloo to Mowgli, the characters in this film were just so expertly animated that there really isn’t another film that has matched it to this day. I could turn the sound completely off (and that’s not to say the performances are bad) and watch this film again and again without ever getting bored. If I wasn’t staring at the animation, I’d be staring at the amazing hand-painted backgrounds.
It should tell you something that I despise singing in animated films and still stuck this sucker at number 4.
3. Finding Nemo
I’ve been snorkeling one time in my entire life, and it was in Maui. Now that “Finding Nemo” is in my library, I sort of feel like I never need to go snorkeling again. Instead I can just pop in this DVD and sit back with a bowl of ice-cream, rather than all of that paddling and watching over my shoulder for sharks and such.
“Finding Nemo” was such a fun film from start to finish, and really makes the viewer feel like they’ve been on an amazing adventure. From the coral reef, to the fishtank in the dentist’s office, to the shores of Sydney, each area of the film feels brand new and very much alive.
I think everyone walked away from this film loving Dory, and that’s of course thanks in huge part to the performance by Ellen DeGeneres. The other performances were great as well, but Dory stole the show for me.
The visuals are top notch as well, with so many vibrant colors in and around the various areas of the ocean. Couple these visuals with the amazing comedic animation (these are fish, people!) and it’s easy to see why this has been Pixar’s most successful film financially to date.
If you’ve got a fear of sharks (who doesn’t?), take a dip in the waters of “Finding Nemo” instead.
2. Toy Story (1&2)
The second spot on my list belongs to a pair of films that really started the entire computer animation craze. Obviously it was really the first “Toy Story” that should get the credit for this, but the point is that I wouldn’t even be making this list today if it wasn’t for Woody, Buzz and the other toys from Andy’s room.
It’s quite a feeling the first time you watch “Toy Story” and you see Woody sit up for the first time, once he knows Andy is no longer in the room. In a strange way, it confirms what we as kids all thought, which is that our toys carry on lives of their own once we aren’t in the room.
While CG Animation has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 5 years, “Toy Story” (released in 1995, if you can believe it) and “Toy Story 2” still hold up visually today. The animation is superb, the lighting and texturing is spot on for the most part, and most importantly, the toys really feel like toys.
“Toy Story 2” is, to date, Pixar’s one and only sequel. When a company takes a stand that it will not turn into a sequel machine, and will only release sequels if there is truly a reason to further the story, it sets the bar very high for that first one. “Toy Story 2” delivered on the promise, and gave viewers a reason to want to see the gang back in action again.
The “Toy Story” formula, continues to be copied by CG films today, and with a third movie on the way, it’s probably going to be copied for a long time to come.
1. The Incredibles
What can be said about “The Incredibles” that hasn’t already been said by countless other movie fans, critics, and animation folks throughout the world?
The film is… well… incredible.
Everyone credits Brad Bird for the film that “The Incredibles” became, and he deserves a lot of credit for it. However Brad can’t do it all, and the entire team from the audio engineers to the animators to the riggers and everyone in between deserves a big pat on the back as well. You can’t make a gem like this one without everyone involved pitching in and believing in the vision.
The scene that sums up the entire film for me is the one where Bob (Mr. Incredible) gets yelled at by his boss. His boss storms out of Bob’s cubicle who sits for a beat or two and then his plastic pencil cups falls from his desk, spilling pencils everywhere. It’s that amazing attention to detail, story and comedic timing that makes a film like “The Incredibles” special.
I won’t blather on about this film too much, as I think I’ve done that enough. It’s my number one film, not only in terms of animated features, but across the board. It’s the film I go back and watch when I get down on my animations, and it never fails to inspire me to start pushing pixels again.
However, you don’t have to be an aspiring animator to be inspired by a film like “The Incredibles.” You just have to be alive. Share this on: facebook
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