Movies are one of America’s favorite past-times. Being able to head to the theater or watch a movie at home with family, friends or even on your own is one of the most enjoyable activities there is. Part of what makes this such a great activity is that there is something for everyone thanks to the many popular genres. Choose from action, science fiction, drama, comedy, romance and more, but one of the most beloved genres of all is that of animated movies.
Animated movies do a great job of offering a little something for everyone. They can appeal to the young and old and make you laugh, tug at your heartstrings, fill you with excitement, and have you on the edge of your seat. So if you’re ready to catch up on the best of the best in the category of animated films, here are some of the best animation movies of all time.
The Lion King (1994 and 2019)
Here’s a movie that technically manages to show up twice on the list and that’s Disney’s The Lion King. Originally released in 1994 it was a box office smash and quickly became a family favorite. Most would not have predicted Disney would reboot this one, but that’s exactly what they did when they released a spectacular new modern version in 2019.
The 2019 Lion King followed the same storyline as the 1994 version but somehow managed to feel fresh and new. Likely this was because it was being seen for the first time by a whole new generation of viewers. Then there was the fact that although all but one scene in the movie is animated, Disney itself said the film was live-action – despite the digital rendering. The reason for that is the film didn’t look like any animated film before it. There were no “cartoonish” features about it, and viewers truly felt like it was live-action when watching it.
Well, audiences loved it and it managed to surpass the $1 billion mark just 19 days after its release. Despite the fact it’s only a couple of years old, it’s already a classic.
Shrek (2001)
Another top animation movie of all time that often appears on people’s “most favorite” lists is Shrek. This one went on to spawn many follow-up feature films, holiday specials and all kinds of merchandise. Shrek isn’t your typical main hero and may not initially seem like the character you would usually love and root for, but that’s exactly what happens. He is lovable, hilarious, grumpy, loyal, and strong, and wins everyone over.
Part of this movie’s – and the entire franchise’s – success can be attributed to the fact that while kids love it, there is also plenty of humor for adults. This means all viewers can take something out of the film and enjoy it.
If you’ve never seen Shrek, you can likely access the original movie, as well as the sequels and perhaps the specials, on some of the top streaming services out there such as Netflix. Keep in mind that if you’re going to be using multiple devices in your home to stream and you want to be sure you have a private name on each connection, you may want to look into a VPN service. Look for one that doesn’t have data or bandwidth usage limits and that features unlimited server switches. You can click to find out more.
Frozen (2013)
Anyone with kids under the age of 10 will likely be familiar with this next movie. Frozen is another box office smash that has only managed to get bigger and more popular over time. Released in 2013, this movie follows Anna who is off on a quest to find her sister. She doesn’t set out alone, though, and has some very lovable and memorable companions. Her sister, Elsa, possesses some pretty spectacular powers as she can turn anything – people and things – into ice.
Just as you would expect, this one has some laughs and some touching moments and an unbelievably catchy soundtrack that lives on today. Its title song “Let It Go” has gone on to become the most-streamed Disney song in history. It’s one of those tunes that, once you start to sing it, will get stuck in your head.
It wasn’t just the public audiences that loved Frozen, it also won a handful of awards including Oscars for the Best Animated Feature Film of the Year and the Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song in 2014.
Other Standout Animation Films
Capping the list at just three films seems unfair, so if you want to further your movie watching here are several other fabulous animation films worth watching:
- Bambi
- Finding Nemo
- Toy Story
- Monsters Inc.
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Lego Movie
- Dumbo
- The Peanuts Movie
So, if animation movies are your favorite of the bunch, this list will certainly keep you busy for many hours.
