These animated features can stand their ground against any live-action heavyweight you can think of.
This is the final installment of a series of videos spanning the decades of
animated flicks from the 1920s to the 2010s. For this list we took the top 4
entries on each of the previous decade lists and pitted them against each other
in a new ranking. Some of the entries here may rank higher or lower than they
did on their respective decade list because there are entirely different
criteria to consider when making an “all time” list as compared to a decade
specific list. A movie may have shone when compared to only other animated
movies of its decade but when considered within the entire history of the
animated features they did not have as much impact.
#10: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
Considered one of the most significant milestones in 20th-century cinema, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” was the very first
feature-length movie made by Walt Disney! A feat for which the animator was
awarded an honorary Oscar at the 11th Academy Awards, he was presented a
standard-sized statuette, along with 7 mini reproductions! The story is truly
timeless, as it encompasses the very essence of a fairy tale... A princess, an
evil queen, and true love’s first kiss - “Snow White” didn’t follow the rules,
it made them!
#9: “Bambi” (1942)
In the ‘30s and ‘40s, Disney could do absolutely nothing
wrong! “Bambi” was another beautifully brilliant production - providing an
emotional concoction of the incredibly uplifting, and the absolutely
heart-breaking! A film for those adults who passed animation off as ‘child’s
play’, it had anyone and everyone crying over cartoon animals! An establishment
of what would become a very fruitful formula, the title character was backed up
by some cute, comedic sidekicks, and a journey was made in the name of hope! It
worked then, and it still works now!
#8: “Finding Nemo” (2003)
Things began to get a little digital in the 2000s. Ever hear
the proverb about the needle and the haystack? Well, this is that... plus
water! Nemo is a clownfish with a sense for adventure, Nemo’s dad is a
clownfish with a sense for stability... when the former is lost and the latter
sets out to find him, so begins an animated tale that takes in half the ocean!
Marlin and Dory are an unlikely partnership, but theirs is a journey that
brings sea-life to the silver screen unlike anything else before! They ‘just
keep swimming’, and Pixar just keep winning!
#7: “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988)
Hayao Mayazaki built an animation empire in the ‘80s, and
this was his crowning glory! “My Neighbor Totoro” was released theatrically as
part of a double bill with “Grave of the Fireflies”, but fared a little better
than its brother due to its more light-hearted themes! An intensely natural
picture, the plot revolves around a father, his two daughters, and the mystical
‘keeper of the forest’, Totoro. An iconic creature now synonymous with Japanese
animation, Totoro’s a neighbor we all wish we had!
#6: “Aladdin” (1992)
In the 90s Disney went through a renaissance of sorts and
one movie that was a part of that rebirth was “Aladdin,” which is now
considered one of the company’s finest ever films! Bringing to life part of the
“Arabian Nights” stories, the film follows the ambitious Aladdin, his pet
monkey Abu and their quest to get noticed by the beautiful Princess Jasmine. A
cave of animated wonders in itself, characters such as the Grand Vizier Jafar
and the Genie voiced by Robin Williams complete an awesome Agrabah ensemble!
#5: “The Lion King” (1994)
If there’s ever been a better animated adaptation of William
Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, we have yet to see it! Not that Elizabethan monologues
were especially on our minds when we watched “The Lion King” - it was less ‘To
be, or not to be’ and more ‘hakuna matata’! Another glorious group of
characters is this time headed by Simba, the reluctant but rightful heir to the
thrown of the Pride Lands. The complete Disney package; there’s laughter, magic
and memorable music! “The Lion King” very nearly took our throne!
#4: “The Little Mermaid” (1989)
Even after the success of “The Great Mouse Detective” in
1986, Disney struggled to regain its stronghold at the cinema... But that all
changed with “The Little Mermaid”! The story of Ariel and her dreams of
becoming human proved a huge hit, and inspired the celebrated Disney
Renaissance. Nine more films would be made in the following ten years that
re-confirmed Disney as ‘the daddy’! But it all started ‘under the sea’ with a
mass of marine characters that made one helluva splash! She wanted to be ‘part
of our world’, and boy did she become that!
#3: “Cinderella” (1950)
An animated classic if ever there was one, “Cinderella” was
actually a crucial creation for Disney! The company had not fared well during
World War II, and by 1950 they were on the verge of bankruptcy. Then, along
came Cindy to breathe new life into everything! A damsel in the utmost
distress, Cinderella lives out her lonely existence, dreaming of ‘happily ever
after...’ Once more, this is the movie that created the cliché! Often copied
but never bettered, its place on the podium is beyond doubt!
#2: “Pinocchio” (1940)
If we said this wasn’t the best animated movie of its era,
then we’d be lying... And then of course our nose would grow... And we don’t
want that! A puppet’s dream to be a real boy is this film’s drive, but there’s
more than simple hope here! It’s a coming-of-age tale, and an epic adventure as
well! Alerting everyone to the Jiminy Cricket inside us all, and scaring
everyone away from temptation, this is one of Disney’s defining moments!
#1: “Toy Story” (1995)
Disney’s Renaissance dominated the early ‘90s, but at the
decade’s mid-point another school of thought emerged, and excited us even more!
Pixar brought us “Toy Story”, the first feature-length movie to be entirely
computer-animated! Quite apart from its technological prowess, however, this
was also a very fine film! The eclectic characters, the A-list voice talent,
the seriously snappy script... Pixar had pulled it off, big time! So endless
did the possibilities seem, ‘To infinity... and beyond’ became a believable
mantra! Woody and Buzz revolutionized the industry forever!
Do you agree with our list? Which animated classic did we miss?