Time: The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films

[Cognitive Gear]

Time magazine has created a list of it's 25 best animated films of all time.

Just the list:

25. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
24. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
23. Yellow Submarine (1968)
22. Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
21. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
20. Paprika (2007)
19. Tangled (2010)
18. The Lion King (1994)
17. Akira (1988)
16. Happy Feet (2006)
15. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
14. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
13. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
12. Toy Story (1995)
11. Toy Story 3 (2010)
10. The Little Mermaid (1989)
9. Finding Nemo (2003)
8. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
7. Up (2009)
6. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
5. Spirited Away (2001)
4. Dumbo (1941)
3. The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979)
2. WALL-E (2008)
1. Pinocchio (1940)

This list reads like they got 1/3 from an animation buff, 1/3 from a pop-culture expert, and 1/3... of fail. They clearly tried to be "fair" and add in recent movies that people "have heard of" and slashed out far more deserving old/foreign/artsy movies.

But I suppose it's not all that terrible. I mean, The Adventures of Prince Achmed and The Triplets of Belleville somehow made it on here. I'm glad that they are getting exposure someplace that people might actually read.

[Atria35]

I don't even... How on earth did Pinocchio get first place? o.O" I mean, it's awesome that Paprika got on here, but some of them I'm just flabberghasted at.

[Maledicte]

Um....huh?

Pinnochio? Really?

And the order in which this reads is bizarre. How did South Park get that high? I mean I sure laughed a lot, but really? What exactly are they gauging on this list - pop culture influence, story, timeliness, actual animation craft, what?

*rails at the fact that Sleeping Beauty is not on the list*

[bigsleepj]

Horton Hears a Who is an odd, debatable addition. Yet an odder omission is Beauty and the Beast. That's the weirdest. No Beauty and the Beast, yet Little Mermaid. Not that Little Mermaid is bad... but arguably Beauty and the Beast is a better, more solid movie.

Also, I think with these kinds of lists you need to draw a line that no movie young than five years should be chosen.

[TWWK]

It's a very interesting list, but it seems to me that the people who put it together were trying to make points:

1. Remember the classics: Dumbo and Pinocchio certainly belong near the top, and a few other oldies, like Disney's original full-length animated film, are on the list.

2. America doesn't have a monopoly on great animation: Several non-American productions made the list, including three anime (I'm all for Spirited Away being #5!).

3. If it was revolutionary/broke the mold, you make the list: Lady and the Tramp contains controversial "sleepin' together" scenes; Akira makes us rethinking who animation can be directed at; and South Park...oh, South Park. But as bigsleepj mentioned, it's strange that Beauty and the Beast was excluded, even though only Toy Story made as much of an impact in American animation in the past 20 years, though The Little Mermaid was included (because it started the last golden period of Disney films?).

The list is about attention, I think - not about really making a strong list. It's made of people who appreciate recent animation and who love the old classics (Bugs Bunny was a good selection that I would've overlooked), but too many of the picks (and placements) are strange and "for show."

My pain problem is that it heralds too many recent films as among the 25 greatest. As any historian knows, it takes time to make that assessment. For instance, Wall-E and Finding Nemo are probably my favorite animated films of all time, but I wouldn't put either in the top five...not yet. It's too soon for Tangled, as well. Thirteen of the top 25, over 50%, were released since 2000. That's ridiculous. And Kung Fu Panda doesn't deserve to be anywhere near the top 25 - and that's coming from a fan of the movie. I feel the same could be said of a many of the recent picks, though I haven't seen most.

Here's who I would put in the top 10:

10. The Nightmare Before Christmas (despite the lack of love it's getting on this forum!)
9. The Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Movie
8. Finding Nemo/Wall-E (yes, I'm a cheater - I love me some ties)
7. Dumbo
6. Spirited Away
5. The Lion King
4. Toy Story
3. Fantasia
2. Pinocchio
1. Beauty and the Beast

[Scarecrow]

Lol! This list is so terrible. The Little Mermaid got mentioned and Beauty and the Beast, didn't? Oookay. Happy Feet was a terrible movie. And Pinocchio at number 1?

Someone needs to be fired from their job cause they clearly suck at it.

[ADXC]

Personally, I think that list SUCKS!


Ok, so what about these movies:


The Fox and the Hound
Aladdin
Jungle Book
101 Dalmatians
Sleeping Beauty
Peter Pan
Alice in Wonderland
Cinderella
The Aristocats
The Rescuers
The Brave Little Toaster
Oliver & Company
Beauty and the Beast
Pocahontas
Mulan
Tarzan
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Monsters Inc.
Lilo & Stitch
Treasure Planet

I know these were all Disney, but still they were good animated films.

And A Land before Time

And some Miyazaki films.
Princess Mononoke
Laputa
Pom Pom Poko
and other ones

[shooraijin]

Bizarre. Some of them are clearly landmarks, but some are just inexplicable. Kung Fu? Fantastic Mr Fox? South Park? Huh?

Meanwhile, no Fantasia, Ralph Bakshi appears nowhere that I can see, and I think The Thief and the Cobbler deserves a mention even if its eventual release was severely constrained.

[Atria35]

1. Remember the classics: Dumbo and Pinocchio certainly belong near the top, and a few other oldies, like Disney's original full-length animated film, are on the list.

Classics are one thing, but there's a difference between a classic and an old Disney film. How often does Dumbo get mentioned in anyone's favorite Disney films list? Snow White definitely deserves it's spot, though.

But I'm lovin' that you have Nightmare Before Xmas on your list- I love that movie to pieces!

[Scarecrow]

Land Before Time was not Disney. but yes, very good movie and one of my tops as well.

Mine would have to be something like:

10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
9. The Book of Kells
8. Nightmare Before Christmas
7. The Land Before Time
6. The Secret of NIMH
5. Sleeping Beauty
4. Toy Story
3. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Lion King
1. The Prince of Egypt

[ShiroiHikari]

Horton Hears a Who? The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie? What is this I don't even. Where the hell is The Iron Giant?! And Beauty and the Beast is a way better movie than The Little Mermaid. I love Pinocchio but I don't think I'd put it at number one.

[TWWK]

Classics are one thing, but there's a difference between a classic and an old Disney film. How often does Dumbo get mentioned in anyone's favorite Disney films list? Snow White definitely deserves it's spot, though.

But does either Pinocchio or Snow White, either? Typically not...they're more appreciated than enjoyed, unless you're very young. In which case, all of these movies are very scary, hehe. At least they were to me.

*still has nightmares of Pinocchio and the boys turning into donkeys*

Oh, and shooraijin mentions Fantasia! Gosh, I shoulda put that one in my list. It's only possibly the most critically acclaimed animated film of all time.

[ChristianKitsune]

I am appalled. XD And I demand a recount .

Seriously, this list is whacky. I agree with a lot of you guys, The Iron Giant, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast should have been on there. Pinocchio was confusing and strange, and didn't seem to follow much of a plot, But it always ends up being number one... XD I don't get it.

[Cognitive Gear]

Generally I try to ignore the order that these lists are placed in, but it seems that a lot of people don't think Pinocchio deserves it's place?

I do feel that Pinnocchio deserves that spot on the list. It's not the most entertaining animated movie ever, but it covers an incredible amount of themes and ideas that are important to being human. This is framed not around a complex plot, but instead around Pinnochhio's journey from naive and confused puppet to brave and clever boy.

That's not to mention the incredible animation. I think you would be hard pressed to find too many animated sequences more technically and artfully skillful than the Monstro sequence.

That said, Pinocchio is hardly a personal favorite, but it really is a masterpiece of animation. Pinocchio has plenty of peers that are equally deserving, but I think it would be difficult to find another animated movie that actually surpasses Pinocchio.

[Yuki-Anne]

This list is pretty fail.

[rocklobster]

Why isn't there a single Don Bluth film? And as far as I'm concerned, South Park doesn't belong anywhere near a top 25 list. Other than that, I actually have few qualms with this list. I agree with Cognitive Gear, Pinocchio certainly belongs at the top.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I'm the only one that doesn't mind South Park being up there. XD The creators of that show are absolute geniuses.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

South Park is foul-mouthed rubbish. Clever, yes but rubbish. I can handle strong language in a movie or book but there are limits. Maybe the South Park characters just strike me as stupid and immature - like school bullies.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Foul-mouthed? Yes it is. But rubbish? I don't think so. The subject matter that South Park deals with is very intelligent. Sure it's satirical and crude, but under all that there's a lot of smart content.

[Tarnish]

I fully endorse the South Park movie being on this list.

Everything else, nyeeehhhh. Seems to me like nostalgia won out over actual content in some cases.

HAHAHAHAHA I JUST SAW HAPPY FEET ON THERE. YEAH NO.

[Yuki-Anne]

Woah, Happy Feet? *checks*

How... how did that... how did anybody even remember that movie exists? It's SO BORING.

[ADXC]

Yeah I mean it's not like Happy Feet had a hidden agenda that was shown in the last part of it.

[Tarnish]

"HOLY CRAP THE PENGUINS ARE DANCING. They must be out of food! LOGIC."

[shooraijin]

Why isn't there a single Don Bluth film?

Truth. Secret of NIMH.

[bigsleepj]

Generally I try to ignore the order that these lists are placed in, but it seems that a lot of people don't think Pinocchio deserves it's place?

I'm going to agree with you on all you said. Pinocchio wouldn't have been my choice for a no1 animated film, but it is a decent choice.

[UniqueAngelStar]

This list is pretty fail.

I can agree with that. What were they thinking?:bang:

No offense, but seriously, who made this list? I completely disagree with this list as well. It like something Yahoo News would typically rate it. Some of these movies are not even that great, it shouldn't be listed as the best.

What about beauties like Fantasia, and the rest of the best Disney animated films in the 90's? Those are way better than the list TIME mentioned.

This is a facepalm to me. T__T

[TWWK]

Truth. Secret of NIMH.

I watched Secret of NIMH a few years back, expecting to see a genius movie...but apparently, I didn't remember it so well. It was nice and dark and very good...but I don't think it's anywhere near one of the top 25 animated movies ever. The novel was much, much better.

I would pick The Land Before Time, though - wonderful themes and a wonderful movie.

[shooraijin]

Obviously, I disagree While NIMH has a relatively unsophisticated plot, it's the technology used to animate it that puts it on the list. It uses multi-colour backlighting, it uses a massive number of palettes, and it even does multi-pass camera work to generate transparency effects and realistic shadows. Even Disney wasn't doing this at the time and only started adopting some of these techniques with the Disney Renaissance. The movie I agree is standard fare, though I love the voices, but it's the work that Don Bluth and Aurora put into the art that should put it on this list.

[Tarnish]

Waitwaitwaitwaitwaitwait.

Why is Persepolis not on here.

I mean, it's pretentious and foreign and whatnot, but Belleville made it on. Heck, Akira made it on.

I wash my hands of this list.

[ShiroiHikari]

I still haven't seen Secret of NIMH >_<

Generally I try to ignore the order that these lists are placed in, but it seems that a lot of people don't think Pinocchio deserves it's place?

I do feel that Pinnocchio deserves that spot on the list. It's not the most entertaining animated movie ever, but it covers an incredible amount of themes and ideas that are important to being human. This is framed not around a complex plot, but instead around Pinnochhio's journey from naive and confused puppet to brave and clever boy.

That's not to mention the incredible animation. I think you would be hard pressed to find too many animated sequences more technically and artfully skillful than the Monstro sequence.

That said, Pinocchio is hardly a personal favorite, but it really is a masterpiece of animation. Pinocchio has plenty of peers that are equally deserving, but I think it would be difficult to find another animated movie that actually surpasses Pinocchio.

You make a pretty good point. Like I said earlier, Pinocchio is one of my favorite animated films. It's really quite an achievement, and it's a very emotional movie too. I'm still not sure if I'd put it at #1, but I also think it doesn't get enough credit from the younger generations. I know so many people who don't like this movie and it makes me sad.

Also if I was going to pick a Don Bluth film for a top 25 list, I think I'd probably pick The Land Before Time, or An American Tail.