Summary
- Action scenes in animated movies need to serve the story to create a lasting impact, even if they aren’t hyperrealistic.
- The best animated action movies have a visual style which makes their action scenes pop.
- Japan leads the way with animated action movies, while Western animation is usually reserved for children’s movies.
Action movies work by delivering a visceral impact, so it’s difficult to marry this concept with the medium of animation. Over the years, filmmakers have adopted vastly different approaches to animated action. Some have tried to create hyperrealistic animations to dissolve the line between fiction and reality, while others have leaned even further into the stylistic beauty that animation offers.
Action doesn’t always have to be realistic to create a lasting impact, even in live-action. The most important thing, in both animation and live-action, is for the action scenes to serve the story. If audiences are emotionally invested in characters and the stakes of their journeys, they will feel every punch in a fight scene, whether that character is a live-action human or an animated turtle.
Related 10 Animated Comic Book Movies That Seriously Outdid Live-Action
From Marvel to DC to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, lots of animated films have managed to adapt certain comic stories far better than live-action.
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10 Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018)
A Hidden Gem With Its Own Style
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Ruben Brandt, Collector
Director Milorad Krstic Release Date February 15, 2019 Cast Iván Kamarás , Csaba Márton , Gabriella Hámori , Matt Devere , Henry Grant , Christian Nielson Buckholdt , Kati Dombi , Paul Bellantoni
Ruben Brandt, Collector follows an art therapist and a gang of his patients as they travel the world stealing the famous artworks which haunt his dreams. The story is about the power of art to both heal and harm, so it makes sense that every frame is bursting with creative visual touches and homages to significant artists. The characters are inspired by the cubist movement, and Pablo Picasso in particular, but there are other influences tucked into every corner.
Ruben Brandt, Collector
makes the most of its quirky visual style, and the animation also informs the action sequences.
Ruben Brandt, Collector is a brilliant heist movie. It combines the sleek style of movies like Ocean’s Eleven with the hard-hitting action of Heat. The opening chase scene is a scene of what’s in store, as a cat burglar leads a detective on a wild chase over the rooftops and through the streets of Paris. Ruben Brandt, Collector makes the most of its quirky visual style, and the animation also informs the action sequences.
9 Kubo And The Two Strings (2016)
LAIKA’s Bold Action-Adventure Draws From Japanese Culture
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Kubo and the Two Strings Where to Watch
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Director Travis Knight Release Date August 19, 2016 Cast Charlize Theron , Art Parkinson , Minae Noji , Ralph Fiennes , Brenda Vaccaro , Rooney Mara , Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa , Alpha Takahashi , Matthew McConaughey , George Takei
Kubo and the Two Strings was a box office failure, but it has slowly started to develop the audience it deserves in the years since its release. LAIKA is famous as the studio that produced Coraline and ParaNorman, so Kubo and the Two Strings represented a bold leap forward for the company. Inspired by Japanese mythology and culture, Kubo and the Two Strings draws on origami and other traditional Japanese art forms to create its beautiful stop-motion animation.
Kubo and the Two Strings
draws on origami and other traditional Japanese art forms to create its beautiful stop-motion animation.
Kubo and the Two Strings is a gripping adventure, and its inventive action scenes give each character an opportunity to shine. Monkey and Beetle have completely different fighting styles, but the real stars are the two sinister villains, Kubo’s faceless twin aunts. They inject the movie with an eerie supernatural atmosphere, that makes the fights feel especially dangerous.
8 Kung Fu Panda (2008)
A Perfect Blend Of Martial Arts And Comedy
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Kung Fu Panda Where to Watch
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Director Mark Osborne , John Stevenson Release Date June 4, 2008 Cast Jack Black , Dustin Hoffman , Angelina Jolie , Ian McShane , Jackie Chan , Seth Rogen
Kung Fu Panda is a hilarious fish-out-of-water comedy, as giant panda Po is suddenly heralded as the “Dragon Warrior” who is destined to bring peace to the land. Unlike the Furious Five, Po has no martial arts training, but he has enough passion and determination to eventually take Master Shifu’s teachings on board. Po and Shifu’s unconventional master-student relationship is at the heart of the story.
The first movie remains the pinnacle of the
Kung Fu Panda
franchise. It’s here that the wuxia influences are most concentrated.
The first movie remains the pinnacle of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. It’s here that the wuxia influences are most concentrated. Kung Fu Panda also benefits from the presence of Tai Lung. The violent snow leopard may not be as visually interesting as some other franchise villains, but his personal connection to Master Shifu raises the stakes, and his prison escape is a masterpiece of creative animated action.
7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
A Fresh Look For Some Beloved Characters
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Where to Watch
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Director Jeff Rowe Release Date August 4, 2023 Cast Nicolas Cantu , Micah Abbey , Shamon Brown Jr. , Brady Noon , Jackie Chan , Ayo Edebiri , Seth Rogen , John Cena
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is leading the latest wave of creative, boundary-pushing animated movies. With its vibrant, hand-sketched style, Mutant Mayhem exudes youthful joy, and this extends beyond just the animation. The story and the action sequences all prioritize fun and excitement. The result is a breath of fresh air for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, after plenty of movies which missed the mark.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
is leading the latest wave of creative, boundary-pushing animated movies.
After the success of the first movie, it has been confirmed that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is getting a sequel. It will be a tall order to surpass the intense action of the original movie, and part of the key will be finding another villain as interesting as Ice Cube’s Superfly. While it’s great to see the turtles with their signature weapons, Superfly makes a huge contribution to the movie’s best fight scenes.
6 How To Train Your Dragon (2010)
DreamWorks’ Fantasy Adventure Is Filled With Action
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How to Train Your Dragon Where to Watch
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Director Dean DeBlois , Chris Sanders Release Date March 18, 2010 Cast Jay Baruchel , Gerard Butler , Craig Ferguson , America Ferrera , Jonah Hill
DreamWorks has always had a flair for animated action. The Shrek franchise and the Madagascar movies both have thrilling moments, but neither can truly be considered action movies. How to Train Your Dragon is just as focused on action as it is on its fantastical adventure plot. The story and the action scenes go hand-in-hand, each one making the other more intense and exciting.
The story and the action scenes go hand-in-hand, each one making the other more intense and exciting.
How to Train Your Dragon features some gorgeous flying scenes, both as Hiccup and Toothless befriend one another, and later, as Hiccup leads his classmates on a mission to defeat the Red Death. How to Train Your Dragon‘s live-action remake has a lot to live up to. Taking away the beautiful animation – some of DreamWorks’ most ambitious – already puts it at a disadvantage.
5 Ghost In The Shell (1995)
The Cyberpunk Thriller Has Inspired Sci-Fi Action Movies For Decades
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Ghost in the Shell
Director Mizuho Nishikubo , Mamoru Oshii Release Date December 8, 1995 Cast Atsuko Tanaka , Akio Otsuka , Iemasa Kayumi , Koichi Yamadera , Yutaka Nakano , Tamio Ôki , Tesshô Genda , Masato Yamanouchi
It has taken a while for Western animated action movies to catch up to the standards set by Japan. The manga adaptation Ghost in the Shell delivered an exhilarating cyberpunk thriller long before Western studios ever had such lofty ambitions. There have been a few other Ghost in the Shell movies, including an ill-fated live-action remake starring Scarlett Johansson, but none have hit the heights of the original.
The manga adaptation
Ghost in the Shell
delivered an exhilarating cyberpunk thriller long before Western studios ever had such lofty ambitions.
Ghost in the Shell follows a cyborg hunting a mysterious hacker across a sprawling high-tech cityscape. The themes and the visual design of the city seem to allude to Blade Runner, but Ghost in the Shell has become an influential sci-fi movie in its own right. The Wachowski sisters and James Cameron have both been vocal about their admiration for Ghost in the Shell, and the action scenes have proven to be particularly influential.
4 Akira (1988)
One Of The Most Influential Animated Movies Of All Time
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Akira Where to Watch
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Director Katsuhiro Otomo Release Date July 16, 1988 Cast Mitsuo Iwata , Nozomu Sasaki , Mami Koyama , Taro Ishida , Tesshô Genda , Mizuho Suzuki , Tatsuhiko Nakamura , Fukue Itō , Kazuhiro Shindō
Based on the seminal manga series, Akira is considered a masterpiece of Japanese animation. It’s hard to overstate the effect that Akira had on the animation industry, as well as the action and sci-fi genres. Akira single-handedly proved the viability of adult-oriented animated action movies, and it has retained a cult following throughout the decades. It remains nearly unbeatable when it comes to animated action.
Few animated movies have ever achieved such a level of visceral power.
The kinetic, punchy style of the animation makes Akira‘s action scenes pop. Few animated movies have ever achieved such a level of visceral power. Another element that helps Akira create the right atmosphere is the iconic music, which is inspired by Indonesian gamelan. The rapid beating of the drums makes some of the fight scenes feel like arena combat, as if Neo-Tokyo is the setting for some twisted bloodsport.
3 The Incredibles (2004)
Pixar Put A Twist On Classic Superhero Cartoons
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The Incredibles Where to Watch
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Director Brad Bird Release Date November 5, 2004 Cast Sarah Vowell , Samuel L. Jackson , Craig T. Nelson , Spencer Fox , Holly Hunter , Jason Lee
The Incredibles was Pixar’s first movie starring human characters, but the stylized character designs gave the studio’s cutting-edge technology a timeless feel. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone look like they could each have been ripped from the pages of a classic comic book, and the movie’s retrofuturist aesthetic evokes classic superhero cartoons from decades earlier.
Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone look like they could each have been ripped from the pages of a classic comic book.
The Incredibles adds more tension to its fast-paced fight scenes by including the rest of the Parr family. Even when the children aren’t present, their existence makes Bob’s fights on Nomanisan island more personal. These superheroes aren’t just flashy caped crusaders – Edna Mode forbids them to even wear capes – they are parents with jobs and domestic concerns. All this character development might be for nought without Syndrome, one of Pixar’s best vilains.
2 Princess Mononoke (1997)
One Of Studio Ghibli’s Best Movies Shows Man At War With Nature
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Princess Mononoke Where to Watch
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Director Hayao Miyazaki Release Date July 12, 1997 Cast Yôji Matsuda , Yuriko Ishida , Yûko Tanaka , Kaoru Kobayashi , Masahiko Nishimura , Tsunehiko Kamijô , Akihiro Miwa , Mitsuko Mori , Hisaya Morishige
Hayao Miyazaki’s environmental fable is packed full of generous artistic touches. The mysterious natural landscapes don’t always provide easy explanations. Instead, they beckon the viewer in deeper, urging them to analyze and interpret the wilderness for themselves. Like Spirited Away or Howl’s Moving Castle, there are elements of Princess Mononoke‘s story which seem geared toward children, but his approach is never so simple.
Miyazaki contrasts the enticing mystery of nature and the placid, painterly beauty of his landscapes with intense bursts of violence
Miyazaki contrasts the enticing mystery of nature and the placid, painterly beauty of his landscapes with intense bursts of violence. These acts of violence are often perpetrated by humans, but the creatures of the forest also reveal their beastly sides on occasion. Princess Mononoke‘s ending suggests that the balance of nature – between violence and serenity, or death and rebirth – is the only universal constant.
1 Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
The Spider-Verse Movies Have Changed The Landscape Of Animation
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Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse Where to Watch
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Director Bob Persichetti , Peter Ramsey Release Date December 14, 2018 Cast Jake Johnson , Kimiko Glenn , Hailee Steinfeld , Liev Schreiber , Luna Lauren Velez , Nicolas Cage , Lily Tomlin , Mahershala Ali , John Mulaney , Shameik Moore , Brian Tyree Henry
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller already experimented with inventive animated action in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and The LEGO Movie, but their first Spider-Verse movie represented a bold leap forward for their generously creative style. At a time when every major animation studio had become stuck on the same homogenized look, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a shot of adrenaline.
Into the Spider-Verse
and its equally impressive sequel mix and match different styles, drawing inspiration from comic books, Saturday-morning cartoons and street art.
Into the Spider-Verse and its equally impressive sequel mix and match different styles, drawing inspiration from comic books, Saturday-morning cartoons and street art. The result is an eclectic but somehow coherent visual appeal, and it makes the fight scenes distinct and captivating. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is the next step, and fans will be hoping for the return of the amusing cast of Spider-Man variants, each drawn with their own unique flair.