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    Wednesday, May 31, 2023

    Definitive Ranking of Animated Movies

    Adeyemi Matthew

    These entertaining animation classics are the best of an enduring, ever-evolving modern art form. From the hand-drawn masterworks to modern-day technological wonders, animated films present limitless possibilities for storytelling.

    With the premiere of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse this week, we ranks these animated movies by their popularity and where the Oscar-winning animated film starring Miles Morales fits in.

    This is the definitive ranking of the best animated feature films ever according to JustWatch.

    1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

    After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn's full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. However, when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders. He must soon redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

    Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ended with Miles Morales and the Spider-People from other dimensions shutting down Wilson Fisk’s dangerous collider, which the villain wanted to use to access a parallel universe where his late wife and son are alive. The heroes went back to their respective dimensions after the final battle, and Miles embraced the responsibilities of his new life, with and without the Spider-Man mask. But, surprise, surprise, Spider-Gwen found a way to contact him from her own dimension.

    2. Shrek

    Shrek is arguably one of the most famous animated movies of the last few decades, thanks to its heartfelt story about finding true love in unlikely places. Although let’s face it, the reason it’s really become so popular online is the sheer amount of memes it’s given birth to.

    The initial Shrek debuted in 2001 and amassed more than $450 million in box office earnings. The lovable green ogre has since inspired numerous spin-offs and three additional main movies from DreamWorks Animation.

    Shrek Forever After, the most recent major entry within the family series, hit theaters in 2010 and was intended to bid farewell to the iconic eponymous character. Nevertheless, speculation about a fifth installment in the Shrek series has persisted for quite some time, as enthusiasts have eagerly anticipated the swamp-dweller’s return to the silver screen.

    3. Spirited Away

    Spirited Away was first released on 20 July 2001, and the fans are still waiting for its sequel. Made on an affordable budget of a few million, this animated movie turned out to be a phenomenal hit and broke several box office records.

    In this animated feature by noted Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki, 10-year-old Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi) and her parents (Takashi Naitô, Yasuko Sawaguchi) stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku (Miyu Irino), who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.

    4. Inside Out

    Eleven-year-old Riley moves to San Francisco, leaving behind her life in Minnesota. She and her five core emotions, Fear, Anger, Joy, Disgust and Sadness, struggle to cope with her new life.

    Riley is a girl born in Minnesota. Five emotions live inside her head. They are responsible for her actions and make her memories. The memories are kept as balls. They each give a different color depending on the emotion of the memory. The most important memories are core memories that power islands of personality. They reflect a different aspect of Riley's life. Joy makes Riley happy. Fear keeps her safe. Disgust prevents her from being poisoned, physically and socially. Anger makes her life fair. Sadness however, doesn't seem to have a purpose. She's ignored as a result.

    Pixar is about to go to a place often reserved for after-school specials and Judy Blume books: The teenage mind.

    The anticipated follow-up to Pixar's Academy Award-winning Inside Out (2015) is due out in the summer of 2024. Riley, who was 11 in the original, is a little older (15) in Inside Out 2. But she's still got all the feelings (really, you're never too old to feel those).

    Some major casting news has already been announced—comedian Amy Poehler will be back as the voice of blue-haired Joy, a role she was clearly born to play. Here's what else to know.

    Inside Out 2 is set for a June 14, 2024 theatrical release. The date is nearly nine years to the day after the original hit theaters (June 19, 2015).

    5. Coco (2017)

    Much has been said about the brilliance with which Pixar handles the topic of death and grieving. Case in point: Oscar-winning musical dramedy Coco, centered on an aspiring musician who finds himself in the colorful Land of the Dead.

    6. WALL-E (2008)

    A machine responsible for cleaning a waste-covered Earth meets another robot and falls in love with her. Together, they set out on a journey that will alter the fate of mankind.

    Pixar showed gravitas to release WALL-E, a post-apocalyptic romantic comedy epic about robots that is completely wordless for long stretches. How could a general audience in the twenty-first century relate and empathize with a robot who barely says a word?! Well, big-eyed, kind-hearted, sensitive and romantic WALL-E is one of Pixar's greatest wonders, and his perilous journey through outer space for the woman (female-sounding robot) he loves, is nothing short of riveting. You can expect this movie to age about as well as the great silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, and as an added bonus, WALL-E is a genuinely provocative work of science fiction to boot.

    7. How to Train Your Dragon trilogy (2010-2019)

    How to Train Your Dragon is one of DreamWorks Animations' most valuable franchises. The unlikely friendship of a young Viking boy named Hiccup and the dangerously powerful dragon Toothless delighted audiences for almost a whole decade and in 2019 the trilogy of films concluded. Fans had seen the relations between the humans and the dragons go from hostile to working together in a shared community. Hiccup and Toothless would change the world of Vikings and dragons forever by showing everyone that they could live in harmony. The two would face numerous threats together, from warlords, dragon hunters, and cannibalistic dragons. However, despite the unique threats and epic adventures, the series was always at its heart a story of growth, following the Viking heir from being a hopeless boy to a leader.

    The franchise is far bigger than just the films, though. There are three TV series based on the world of Berk. One is an eight-season follow-up to the 2010 film that continues the story of Hiccup and his friends leading up to the 2014 sequel. Then, there are two spin-off series with original stories, further expanding the family-friendly universe that fans have come to love. Just recently it was announced that Universal Pictures working on a live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie with franchise director Dean DeBlois set to return to write and direct the film. The live-action film is set for release on March 14, 2025, which will arrive fifteen years after the first How To Train Your Dragon opened in theaters. This is a long-running franchise with multiple entries and with that in mind here is a ranking of where each film and TV series stands.

    8. Up! (2009)

    Carl, an old widower, goes off on an adventure in his flying house in search of Paradise Falls, his wife's dream destination.

    The second animated film in history nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture after Beauty and the Beast, Up! is Pixar at the peak of their powers, and their commitment to creating intelligent cinematic events that appeal to audiences young and old. The iconic, tear duct-depleting opening five minutes of Up! are a revelation for animated kid-friendly fare. The Oscar-nominated screenplay by Pete Docter, Bob Peterson, and Tom McCarthy (who later won an Oscar for writing Spotlight), doesn't shy away from a bluntly somber depiction of child neglect. There's also a flying balloon house, and a talking Golden Retriever. Bold, magnificent art and entertainment.

    9. Despicable Me

    Beginning with Despicable Me (2010), the $3.7-billion franchise has grown to become one of the highest-grossing of all time.

    Despicable Me 3 had a monumental theatrical run, with its new villain Balthazar Bratt, played by Trey Parker. Fresh from the film’s success, Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri shared his plans for the franchise’s future. Although Meledandri believed that building animated franchises could be restricting, he saw Despicable Me 4, which was already in development at the time, as the exemption. Now, a release date has finally been given for Despicable Me 4, with story details teased by Steve Carell himself. Here are more details about the upcoming film Despicable Me 4, including the rest of its cast and story.

    While the Despicable Me 4 story has been kept tightly under wraps by Illumination, Gru voice actor Steve Carell opened up to Digital Spy about his experience in the vocal booth and revealed where Gru and his family are starting off their journeys for the next installment. Carell said that the Despicable Me 4 story will see Gru and his family fighting together in the anti-villain league in Despicable Me 4. "It's a continuation of the story. Gru and Lucy are married; they're a family at this point. It's the next step in their world with the Anti-Villain League and how their kids are included in the whole process," The Office actor said.

    10. Ratatouille

    Remy, a rat, aspires to become a renowned French chef. However, he fails to realise that people despise rodents and will never enjoy a meal cooked by him.

    Remy (Patton Oswalt), a resident of Paris, appreciates good food and has quite a sophisticated palate. He would love to become a chef so he can create and enjoy culinary masterpieces to his heart's delight. The only problem is, Remy is a rat. When he winds up in the sewer beneath one of Paris' finest restaurants, the rodent gourmet finds himself ideally placed to realize his dream.

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    Item Reviewed: Definitive Ranking of Animated Movies Rating: 5 Reviewed By: BrandIconImage
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