Top 3 animated movies of each year (1926-2010)
Note: This list was last updated Nov 21, 2011. See my newer list.
Below is a list of my 3 favorite feature-length animated movies for each year since 1926 (including TV movies and straight-to-video movies).
If I list fewer than 3 movies for a particular year, it means those are the only movies I've seen from that year.
Here's a list of all the animated movies I've seen.
Below is a list of my 3 favorite feature-length animated movies for each year since 1926 (including TV movies and straight-to-video movies).
If I list fewer than 3 movies for a particular year, it means those are the only movies I've seen from that year.
Here's a list of all the animated movies I've seen.
List activity
17K views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
72 titles
- DirectorNoriyuki KitanoharaKazuya SakamotoNoriko TakaoStarsAya HiranoTomokazu SugitaMinori ChiharaA week before Christmas, Kyon wakes up in a world where the SOS Brigade doesn't exist. Mikuru and Yuki don't recognize him, and Haruhi and Itsuki seem to have vanished.2. How to Train Your Dragon
3. Tangled
Honorable mentions: Redline, The Illusionist, Arrietty, Toy Story 3, Batman: Under the Red Hood - DirectorAleksa GajicNebojsa AndricStevan DjordjevicStarsSanda KnezevicNebojsa GlogovacJelisaveta 'Seka' SablicBelgrade 2074. Edit is a student. After a few failed exams she decides to implant a memory chip... but, something strange starts happening to her.
- DirectorTakayuki HiraoStarsMaaya SakamotoKen'ichi SuzumuraTakako HondaA teenage demon hunter uses her mystical powers to investigate supernatural events.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsKenji MizuhashiYoshimi KondouSatomi HanamuraTold in three interconnected segments, Takaki tells the story of his life as cruel winters, cold technology, and finally, adult obligations and responsibility converge to test the delicate petals of love.
- DirectorMamoru HosodaStarsRiisa NakaTakuya IshidaMitsutaka ItakuraA high-school girl named Makoto acquires the power to travel back in time, and decides to use it for her own personal benefits. Little does she know that she is affecting the lives of others just as much as she is her own.
- DirectorSteve BoxNick ParkStarsPeter SallisHelena Bonham CarterRalph FiennesWallace and his loyal dog, Gromit, set out to discover the mystery behind the garden sabotage that plagues their village and threatens the annual giant vegetable growing contest.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsChieko BaishôTakuya KimuraTatsuya GashûinWhen an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
- DirectorDaisuke NishioHirotoshi RissenLeiji MatsumotoStarsRomanthonyThomas BangalterA continuation of the story told in the Daft Punk music videos "One More Time," "Aerodynamic," "Digital Love," and "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger."
- DirectorAurel KlimtVlasta PospísilováStarsOta JirákJan WerichA farmer who takes to drink and meets the devil; a young boy who has to spend the night in a haunted pub; a man who grows horns overnight; a man who bets and argues with his wife; and a blacksmith who is perhaps too trusting of his young and sexy wife.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDuring her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts.2. Millennium Actress
3. Monsters, Inc.
Best movie of the 2000s and one of my all-time favorites.
Best year of the 2000s. All 3 are great.
Honorable mentions: Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Waking Life, Shrek, Metropolis - DirectorYoshiaki KawajiriStarsAndrew PhilpotJohn Rafter LeePamela AdlonA legendary dhampir competes with a motley family of bounty hunters to return a young woman, who has been seemingly abducted by a vampire, to her family.
- DirectorJohn LasseterAsh BrannonLee UnkrichStarsTom HanksTim AllenJoan CusackWhen Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and his friends set out on a rescue mission to save Woody before he becomes a museum toy property with his roundup gang Jessie, Prospector, and Bullseye.2. The Iron Giant
3. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade
I wanted to choose Trust & Betrayal as the best of the year, but it's a 4-episode OVA, not a movie, so I had to exclude it.
Honorable mentions: South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut, Fantasia 2000 - DirectorMichel OcelotRaymond BurletStarsDoudou Gueye ThiawMaimouna N'DiayeAwa Sene SarrKirikou, an unusual little boy, must search the wisdom of the forbidden mountain in order to save his village from a spell cast by the evil sorceress Karaba
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsYôji MatsudaYuriko IshidaYûko TanakaOn a journey to find the cure for a Tatarigami's curse, Ashitaka finds himself in the middle of a war between the forest gods and Tatara, a mining colony. In this quest he also meets San, the Mononoke Hime.
- DirectorOsamu DezakiStarsHiroshi FujiokaKirk ThorntonAkio ÔtsukaThe adventures of the unlicensed but genius doctor Black Jack, who encounters extraordinary people and phenomena as he attends to unusual medical cases.
- DirectorMizuho NishikuboMamoru OshiiStarsAtsuko TanakaIemasa KayumiAkio ÔtsukaA cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
- DirectorMichael SchaackStarsUlrich TukurMario AdorfHelge SchneiderA cat must investigate brutal murders of other cats in a neighborhood he has moved into with his owner.
- DirectorHenry SelickStarsDanny ElfmanChris SarandonCatherine O'HaraJack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
Patlabor 2: The Movie
Best year of the 90s.
Honorable mentions: Ninja Scroll, The Halloween Tree, Ocean Waves - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsShûichirô MoriyamaTokiko KatôBunshi Katsura VIIn 1930s Italy, a veteran World War I pilot is cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsMiki ImaiToshirô YanagibaYoko HonnaA twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.
- DirectorHisayuki ToriumiStarsRyoko SanoAtsuko TakahataIkuko TaniCountry girl Ginga leaves her home in hope of becoming one of the Emperor's Wives.2. Hashire shiroi okami
Worst year of the 90s. Like the Clouds, Like the Wind is good, but I didn't like Hashire shiroi okami. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsKirsten DunstMinami TakayamaRei SakumaA young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsHitoshi TakagiNoriko HidakaChika SakamotoWhen two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.2. Gandahar
3. Grave of the Fireflies
Great year.
Honorable mentions: Akira, The Cat Who Walked by Herself - DirectorLeonid NosyrevStarsEvgeniy LeonovYuriy VolyntsevAnatoliy BarantsevAn old fisherman tells stories about Pomors. A collection of fairy tales about the Russian North, full of folk humor and wisdom.2. The Wings of Honneamise
3. Lupin III: The Fuma Conspiracy
Worst year of the 80s, but certainly not a bad year. 1 great movie and 2 good movies. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsMayumi TanakaKeiko YokozawaKotoe HatsuiA young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.2. The Adventures of Mark Twain
3. Cat City
Great year.
Honorable mentions: They Were Eleven, Project A-ko, The Great Mouse Detective, When the Wind Blows, Krysar
Dishonorable mention: The Transformers: The Movie (horrible movie) - DirectorGisaburô SugiiStarsMayumi TanakaChika SakamotoJunko HoriTwo kittens go on a metaphysical journey on a magical railroad train.
- DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsSumi ShimamotoMahito TsujimuraHisako KyôdaWarrior and pacifist Princess Nausicaä desperately struggles to prevent two warring nations from destroying themselves and their dying planet.2. Bagi, the Monster of Mighty Nature
3. Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer
Great year.
Honorable mentions: The Star of Cottonland, Macross: Do You Remember Love?, Hofeher - DirectorMoribi MuranoStarsKatsue MiwaIrukaChieko BaishôA young unicorn named Unico must fight an evil magician and save everyone who's trapped under his spell.2. Barefoot Gen
3. The Wind in the Willows
Touch decision between Unico and Barefoot Gen. Both are great. - DirectorRené LalouxStarsJean ValmontMichel EliasFrédéric LegrosPiel, a 7 or 8 year old boy, is alone on the desert planet Perdide, only survivor of an attack by giant hornets. Calling for help, Piel's father's friend Jaffar keeps contact with the kid and hurries across space toward Perdide.
- DirectorToshio HirataOsamu TezukaStarsKatsue MiwaRyouko KitamiyaKazuko SugiyamaWhen Unico, a young unicorn, is taken from his family by evil gods, his powers of joy and happiness are put to the test. Can Unico's power triumph the darkness?
- DirectorPaul GrimaultStarsJean MartinPascal MazzottiRaymond BussièresA chimney sweep and a shepherdess seek to escape from the clutches of a tyrannical king.
- DirectorRintarôStarsMasako NozawaMasako IkedaYôko AsagamiThe adventures of a brave young boy who travels from planet to planet in a determined quest to avenge his mother's death.2. Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro
3. Nezha Conquers the Dragon King
Best movie of the 70s and one of my all-time favorites.
Also the best year of the 70s. All 3 are great. - DirectorKarel ZemanStarsLudek MunzarJaroslav MouckaChristian BrücknerA young boy becomes an apprentice for a mysterious sorcerer, working at the sorcerer's strange and sinister mill where secretive black magic is being taught and performed at a very heavy price.
- DirectorIvan Ivanov-VanoBoris ButakovStarsJim BackusAleksey GribovMariya VinogradovaEnthrallingly and fervently, colorfully and directly narration about the surprising adventures of little Ivanushka and his true friend - magic Horse, outwitting a foolish and greedy tsar.2. Ludas Matyi
2. The Wild Swans
Unfortunately the original version of Konyok-gorbunok (1947) hasn't been subbed, so I wasn't able to include it on this list.
Honorable mention: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - DirectorBruno BozzettoStarsMaurizio NichettiMaurizio MicheliMarialuisa GiovanniniAn enthusiastic filmmaker thinks he's come up with a totally original idea: animation set to classical music! When he is informed that some American named "Prisney" (or something) has already done it, he decides to do his own version, using an orchestra comprising mostly old ladies and an animator he's kept locked in a dungeon. Several different classical pieces are animated, while the animator plots his escape.
- DirectorJohn HubleyStarsAlvin EpsteinJudith CoburnRay HubleyShow is an animated tracing of the eight stages of life, from infancy to old age, as they have been described in the works of psychoanalyst Erik H. Erikson.
- DirectorGisaburô SugiiStarsTonpei HidariMasachika IchimuraNobue IchitaniA young peasant boy named Jack climbs a giant beanstalk and stumbles upon a city in the clouds ruled by an evil queen.
- DirectorRené LalouxStarsBarry BostwickJennifer DrakeEric BauginOn a faraway planet where blue giants rule, oppressed humanoids rebel against their machine-like leaders.
- DirectorBill MelendezStarsChad WebberRobin KohnStephen SheaWhen Snoopy receives a letter from a girl named Lila, who's in a hospital, he goes on a journey with Woodstock to see her.
- DirectorFred WolfStarsRingo StarrDustin HoffmanPaul FreesA father reads his son a bedtime story about young Oblio, who is banished from the fantastical kingdom of pointed heads and things for having no point.
- DirectorOsamu TezukaEiichi YamamotoStarsChinatsu NakayamaKotoe HatsuiTsubame YanagiyaTo decipher a scheme plotted by enemy aliens, three agents from the future travel to Cleopatra's time, where they witness her romances with Caesar and Mark Antony.2. The Phantom Tollbooth
One of the three Animerama films. Good movie, but the best of the three is Kanashimi no Belladonna. - DirectorKimio YabukiStarsSusumu IshikawaToshiko FujitaRumi SakakibaraWhile being on the run for saving a mouse, the famous Puss in Boots, Pero, helps a young peasant boy win the heart of a lovely princess, while trying to rescue her from an evil wizard.
- DirectorIsao TakahataStarsMikijirô HiraEtsuko IchiharaEijirô TônoA boy with a mythical sword wants to protect a Norse village from an evil ice wizard and his minions, who destroyed his family's village. However, the villagers don't fully trust him and a mysterious girl with a dark secret befriends him.
- DirectorWolfgang ReithermanStarsPhil HarrisSebastian CabotLouis PrimaBagheera the Panther and Baloo the Bear have a difficult time trying to convince a boy to leave the jungle for human civilization.
- DirectorYûgo SerikawaStarsHiroyuki ÔtaJudy OnggArihiro FujimuraNine people from different countries are turned into super-powered cyborgs.
- DirectorWan LaimingCheng TangStarsYue-Feng QiuRun-Sheng FuHans AlfredsonSun Wukong, the King of the Monkeys, sets off on his first adventure to gain a worthy weapon. This earns the attention of the Jade Emperor of Heaven.2. West and Soda
Best movie of the 60s. Be sure to watch the fan-restored version (114 minutes). Entertaining story, beautiful artwork, and lots of great action sequences. - DirectorLarry RoemerStarsBillie Mae RichardsBurl IvesLarry D. MannA young reindeer Rudolph lives at the North Pole. His father is one of Santa's reindeer and it is expected that Rudolph will eventually be one too. However, he has a feature which is a setback and causes him to be ostracized: his red nose.
- DirectorYûgo SerikawaWilliam RossStarsMorio KazamaYukiko OkadaChiharu KuriPrince Susano's mother dies; when his father tells him she has gone to another place, he sets off in search of her. He builds a boat and goes to see, first, his brother, in his crystal palace in the land of night (where he causes much damage to the palace, but his brother still gives him a magic ice crystal). Next, he fights the fire god, who gives him a magic bird after Susano defeats him, with help from the magic crystal and his little rabbit sidekick. Susano also picks up another traveling companion, a large but dim villager. Next, he goes to his sister, in the land of light. As with his brother, though, he causes much unintentional damage; his sister, who also happens to be the sun, goes off to hide in a cave. The frantic villagers stage a party (in the original legend, an orgy) outside the cave and trick her into coming outside again. Finally, Susano finds a little princess whose land is being threatened by an 8-headed dragon. With the help of a flying horse (who we later learn was sent by his sister) and his sidekicks, they get the dragon a bit drunk and take out one head at a time (mostly, though two of the last three take each other out).
- DirectorKarel ZemanStarsMilos KopeckýRudolf JelínekJana BrejchováThe outrageous Baron Munchausen tells of his many adventures, from meeting the Man in the Moon to defeating a Turkish army all by himself.Not my favorite Karel Zeman film (my favorite is Krabat), but still pretty good.
- DirectorLev AtamanovStarsVladimir GribkovA. GlushchenkoAnna KomolovaThe film is a cautionary tale about the need to develop good work habits, personal responsibility and conscience in life.2. One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Good movie by the same director as The Snow Queen. I didn't like 101 Dalmations. - DirectorDaisaku ShirakawaTaiji YabushitaOsamu TezukaStarsKiyoshi KomiyamaNoriko ShindôHideo KinoshitaAn arrogant monkey is forced to go on a journey where he learns about gluttony, greed, love and humility.Decent anime movie about the Monkey King, but not nearly as good as the Chinese movie Uproar in Heaven (1965).
- DirectorAkira DaikubaraTaiji YabushitaStarsKatsuo NakamuraHiroko SakuramachiTeruo MiyazakiA young Japanese boy climbs a mountain in search of a magic wizard. The youth finds the wizard, and is tutored by him. Reinforced with magic powers, the boy eventually fights and defeats the evil witches of down under.
- DirectorTaiji YabushitaStarsHisaya MorishigeMariko MiyagiVirginia BlackmanThe adventures of a cute little panda, a dragon god and an evil serpent.The first color anime feature film.
- DirectorLev AtamanovStarsVladimir GribkovYanina ZheymoAnna KomolovaWhen the Snow Queen, a lonely and powerful fairy, kidnaps the human boy Kay, his best friend Gerda must overcome many obstacles on her journey to rescue him.Best movie of the 50s. It's also one of the movies that inspired Miyazaki.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsBarbara LuddyLarry RobertsPeggy LeeThe romantic tale of a sheltered uptown Cocker Spaniel dog and a streetwise downtown Mutt.
- DirectorJoy BatchelorJohn HalasStarsGordon HeathMaurice DenhamA successful farmyard revolution by the resident animals vs. the farmer goes horribly wrong when the victors create a new tyranny among themselves.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsBobby DriscollKathryn BeaumontHans ConriedWendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.
- DirectorPaul GrimaultStarsPierre BrasseurAnouk AiméeSerge ReggianiA chimney sweep and his beloved shepherdess are aided by Wonderbird (Sir Peter Ustinov) in their escape from a ruthless dictator.I recommend watching The King and the Mockingbird (1980) before you watch this, because it's a much better movie. This is the original incomplete version of the movie.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsKathryn BeaumontEd WynnRichard HaydnAlice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonHamilton LuskeStarsIlene WoodsJames MacDonaldEleanor AudleyWhen Cinderella's cruel stepmother prevents her from attending the Royal Ball, she gets some unexpected help from the lovable mice Gus and Jaq and from her Fairy Godmother.
- DirectorJirí TrnkaMilos MakovecStarsHelena PatockovaJaromir SobotoaDetsky pevecky sbor Jana KuhnaA Chinese emperor prefers the tinkling of a bejeweled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. When the Emperor is near death, a nightingale's song restores his health and teaches him to revolt against his glittering but shallow world.One of Trnka's best films - a symbolic fairy tale about art and reproduction of art.
- DirectorClyde GeronimiWilfred JacksonJack KinneyStarsRoy RogersTriggerDennis DayAn anthology of animated vignettes set to contemporary music.
- DirectorHarve FosterWilfred JacksonStarsRuth WarrickBobby DriscollJames BaskettThe kindly story-teller Uncle Remus tells a young boy stories about trickster Br'er Rabbit, who outwits Br'er Fox and slow-witted Br'er Bear.
- DirectorNorman FergusonClyde GeronimiJack KinneyStarsAurora MirandaCarmen MolinaDora LuzDonald receives his birthday gifts, which include traditional gifts and information about Brazil (hosted by Zé Carioca) and Mexico (by Panchito, a Mexican Charro Rooster).
- DirectorJames AlgarSamuel ArmstrongDavid HandStarsHardie AlbrightStan AlexanderBobette AudreyThe story of a young deer growing up in the forest.
- DirectorDave FleischerStarsKenny GardnerJack MercerTedd PierceThe happy tranquility of Buggsville is shattered when the populace learns that a colossal skyscraper is to be built over their tiny town.2. Dumbo
Best movie of the 40s. Although I thought the villains were uninteresting, the animation is very good and creative. - DirectorJames AlgarSamuel ArmstrongFord Beebe Jr.StarsLeopold StokowskiDeems TaylorThe Philadelphia OrchestraA series of eight famous pieces of classical music, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and interpreted in animation by Walt Disney's team of artists.2. Pinocchio
Some of the Fantasia segments are better than others. My favorite is The Sorcerer's Apprentice. If the whole movie was that good, I would've chosen it as the best of the 40s. - DirectorDave FleischerWillard BowskyOrestes CalpiniStarsJessica DragonetteLanny RossPinto ColvigA doctor washes ashore on an island inhabited by little people.
- DirectorWilliam CottrellDavid HandWilfred JacksonStarsAdriana CaselottiHarry StockwellLucille La VerneExiled into the dangerous forest by her wicked stepmother, a princess is rescued by seven dwarf miners who make her part of their household.2. The Seven Ravens
Best movie of the 30s. I'm not really a Disney fan, but Snow White is one of the exceptions and a ground-breaking achievement in animation. - DirectorAleksandr PtushkoStarsVladimir KonstantinovIvan YudinIvan BobrovWhile hearing the story of "Gulliver's Travels", a young Russian boy dreams that he is the title character on the island of Lilliput.
- DirectorIrene StarewiczWladyslaw StarewiczStarsClaude DauphinRomain BouquetSylvain ItkineWhen Renard the Fox's mischievous pranks go too far, King Lion is forced to attempt to bring the trickster to justice.This film premiered in 1937.
- DirectorLotte ReinigerCarl KochA handsome prince rides a flying horse to faraway lands and embarks on magical adventures, which include befriending a witch, meeting Aladdin, battling demons and falling in love with a princess.