Animation has always been a medium for pushing creative boundaries. Often, it brings vibrant worlds and imaginative stories to life in ways live-action simply cannot. Breathtaking landscapes and intricate character designs are just some of the ways these illustrative productions captivate audiences, with a timeless appeal cementing many titles as contenders among the best animated movies of all time. Showcasing the incredible potential of animation as a visual and narrative art form, these films have often transcended their format, leaving audiences awestruck and inspired.
This focus on visual artistry has sparked countless bountiful subgenres, for example, animated fantasy movies. Heartfelt adventures and awe-inspiring fantasies have proved time after time that the medium’s storytelling power is a bottomless pit of impactful entertainment. Some indie examples even rival the best Disney animated shows ever made, with their draw shown specifically through vivid visuals. The ability of animation to transport viewers to entirely new realism is what makes these movies truly exceptional, leaving something for every age group to take away upon watching.
10
Coraline (2009)
Coraline Is A Stop-Motion Masterpiece Of Eerie & Enchanting Proportions
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10/10
8.3/10
Coraline
PG
FamilyAnimationThrillerFantasyDrama
Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella, Coraline follows Coraline Jones, a lonely young girl who, after moving to a new house with her inattentive parents, discovers a portal to another, more sinister alternate reality behind one of the house’s many doors. Written and directed by Henry Selick, the film uses stop-motion animation and stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline.
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Release Date
February 5, 2009
Runtime
100 minutes
Cast
Dakota Fanning
, Teri Hatcher
, Jennifer Saunders
, Dawn French
, Keith David
, John Hodgman
Director
Henry Selick
Writers
Henry Selick
, Neil Gaiman
Coraline‘s stop-motion animation is an intricate blend of whimsy and dread. It offers an unsettling yet captivating aesthetic with an equally impressive and creepy pallet of puppetry, handcrafted sets, and innovative use of color. The surreal style of this witty one-of-a-kind set design constructs a chilling dynamic between reality and the sinister Other World. Every stitch and shadow in Coraline’s universe reflects an obsessive attention to detail, as shown through a whopping 130,000 individual frames crafted for the film. Coraline‘s bold use of lighting also enhances the eerie atmosphere, amplifying tension in its darker scenes.
The film’s stop-motion technique also stands apart for its seamless integration of visual effects. 3D printing technology for facial expressions adds even more unsettlement to this film, giving the characters a deeply lifelike depth. The use of a stereoscopic 3D camera brought a further layer of immersion to this 2009 visual feat, especially with Coraline being the first stop-motion animated film to utilize this technique. With a personally tailored mix of handcrafted artistry and cutting-edge technology, Coraline forever set a generational benchmark for stop-motion animated films, especially coupled with its bold, unforgettable plot.
9
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King Is An Iconic Blend Of Animation & Emotional Resonance
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23
9.1/10
The Lion King
G
AnimationDramaAdventure
The Lion King is an animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released in 1994, it tells the story of Simba, a young lion cub who faces the responsibilities of adulthood and reclaiming his birthright as king of the Pride Lands. Featuring an iconic voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, and Jeremy Irons, the film explores themes of family, duty, and the circle of life.
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Release Date
June 24, 1994
Runtime
88 Minutes
Cast
Matthew Broderick
, Moira Kelly
, Nathan Lane
, Ernie Sabella
, Robert Guillaume
Director
Roger Allers
, Rob Minkoff
Writers
Linda Woolverton
, Jonathan Roberts
, Irene Mecchi
Similar but vastly different to Coraline‘s ventures, The Lion King revolutionized animation in the 1990s. It served as its very own benchmark for this period by combining traditional 2D techniques with computer-generated imagery to create breathtaking vistas of the African savanna. The “Circle of Life” sequence is one to remember, with breathtaking panoramic views of wildlife showcasing vivid authenticity. The team traveled to Kenya for research to capture the essence of nature in every frame presented within the film’s one-and-a-half-hour runtime.
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5
A combination of hand-drawn characters and CGI landscapes creates a unique visual harmony in The Lion King. Overall, it’s timeless. It exudes dedication from the animators and creates an immersive, groundbreaking experience at the time, an animated spectacle for audiences of all ages to cherish. This combination of emotion and innovation elevated The Lion King to a cultural phenomenon, cementing its place as a defining moment in animation history.
8
WALL-E (2008)
WALL-E Is A Silent Symphony Of Visual Storytelling
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8/10
8/10
WALL-E
G
AnimationAdventureFamily
Pixar’s WALL-E tells the story of the titular lone robot left alone on an uninhabitable Earth in the distant future. Tasked with cleaning away the endless mountains of the varied waste discarded by humanity before they left the planet, WALL-E spends his days collecting salvageable parts and items of interest. When he finds a plant, another robot arrives to collect the sample, taking WALL-E to the remnants of humanity, who have all grown morbidly obese through consistent inactivity while living in luxury on a space cruiser.
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Release Date
June 27, 2008
Runtime
98 Minutes
Cast
Ben Burtt
, Elissa Knight
, Jeff Garlin
, Fred Willard
, John Ratzenberger
, Kathy Najimy
, Sigourney Weaver
Director
Andrew Stanton
Writers
Andrew Stanton
, Pete Docter
, Jim Reardon
WALL-E is one of Pixar’s most remarkable achievements, delivering a powerful emotional punch with only a few spoken lines, especially in the film’s first half. Instead, this beloved production leans heavily on illustrious visuals to carry its captivating, heartbreaking (at times) story. The difference between Earth’s bleak future and the bright, almost tangible designs of WALL-E and Eve enriches every scene. You can almost feel the rust on WALL-E’s metal shell and see the subtle flicker in his camera-like eyes. These small, vivid details make WALL-E one of the studio’s most lovable creations.
The animators also outdo themselves when it comes to depicting the vastness of space, offering sweeping views of the galaxy that feel both grand and intimate. This allowed the film to perfectly showcase the best of 2008 technology. Director Andrew Stanton worked closely with sound designer Ben Burtt to give WALL-E and Eve distinct audio cues, which add a sonic layer of expressiveness, perfectly marrying sound and imagery to create one of the most meaningful children’s films ever. Carried through its breathtaking set design and iconic architectural prowess, WALL-E is an iconic animated film that deserves a watchful eye.
7
Spirited Away (2001)
Spirited Away Is A Hand-Drawn Journey Into The Extraordinary
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10
9.6/10
Spirited Away
PG
AnimationFamilyFantasy
Spirited Away, a masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki, is an animated fantasy film that follows the enchanting journey of a young girl named Chihiro. Trapped in a mystical world after her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must navigate a realm filled with spirits and peculiar creatures to save her family.
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Release Date
July 20, 2001
Runtime
125 minutes
Cast
Rumi Hiiragi
, Miyu Irino
, Mari Natsuki
, Takashi Naitô
, Yasuko Sawaguchi
, Tsunehiko Kamijô
, Takehiko Ono
, Bunta Sugawara
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Writers
Hayao Miyazaki
Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is a triumph of hand-drawn animation. Overflowing with Studio Ghibli’s signature craftsmanship, meticulous details and lush color palettes are blended together with expertise. Every scene seems to breathe. The bustling bathhouse is alive with spirited clientele, and even the riverbeds shimmer with tranquil beauty. Movement pervades everything — soot sprites scamper across the floor while No-Face slips between identities with fluid grace. It’s a dazzling showcase of art in every frame.
The animators went to great lengths to give each character’s motion an emotional core, and Miyazaki’s fluid and spontaneous creation of certain sequences brought an organic element to the storytelling. It makes the film decidedly dreamlike. The synergy between intuitive direction and powerful visuals in Spirited Away is something rare, a major reason as to why the title remains one of the most visually striking animated films ever created.
6
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Mr. Fox Is A Stop-Motion Celebration Of Wes Anderson’s Signature Style
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7/10
9/10
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
PG
FamilyComedy
Based on the Roald Dahl children’s book, Fantastic Mr. Fox tells the story of the titular fox, his thieving spree, and the three farmers who seek revenge on him for the thefts.
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Release Date
November 13, 2009
Runtime
87minutes
Cast
George Clooney
, Meryl Streep
, Jason Schwartzman
, Bill Murray
, Willem Dafoe
, Owen Wilson
Director
Wes Anderson
Writers
Wes Anderson
, Noah Baumbach
Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox merges the director’s famously symmetrical compositions with the tactile appeal of stop-motion. It feels fresh and endearing, making for a visual feast. Each puppet, adorned with real fur and tiny hand-stitched outfits, brims with personality and quirky charm. Furthermore, the film’s warm, autumnal color palette, awash in earthy oranges and yellows, perfectly captures the mischievous spirit of Roald Dahl’s original story.
In this specific film, imperfections matter. Slight fur shifts can be spotted, adding charm to Anderson’s handcrafted authenticity. Meanwhile, quick pans, abrupt zooms, and picture-perfect tableaus, all classic flourishes by the filmmaker, are brilliantly translated into stop-motion. This produces a vastly unique look that’s nostalgic yet undeniably modern. This expert blend of traditional technique, bold storytelling, and creative stylistic choices makes Fantastic Mr. Fox a cinematic treasure as well as one of the most distinctive animated films in recent memory.
5
Fantastic Planet (1973)
Fantastic Planet Is A Surreal Odyssey Through Alien Landscapes
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Fantastic Planet
Fantastic Planet is a 1973 animated science fiction film directed by René Laloux. The story is set on the planet Ygam, where human-like creatures called Oms are enslaved by giant blue alien beings known as Draags. The narrative focuses on the struggle for freedom and coexistence between these species. The film features surreal and visually distinct animation that explores themes of oppression and rebellion.
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Release Date
May 11, 1973
Runtime
71 Minutes
Cast
Cynthia Adler
, Mark Gruner
, Hal Smith
, Barry Bostwick
, olan soule
, Janet Waldo
Director
René Laloux
Fantastic Planet is a pure mind-bender; its psychedelic triumph intertwines surreal imagery with commentary that lingers long after the credits roll. René Laloux’s choice to use cutout animation yields a one-of-a-kind texture, bringing the alien world of Ygam to the screen in a breathtakingly visual way. Its strange dreamlike inhabitants are also brought to life, with the towering Draags’ mechanical stiff motions creating tension against the further unsettling tiny backdrop of humans as they try to survive in their oversized surroundings.
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Furthermore, Czech surrealist influence can be spotted in practically every scene. The film’s hand-drawn art explodes with odd creatures and trance-like landscapes. As if each frame were a vivid painting that decided to start breathing on its own, Fantastic Planet‘s unconventionally illustrative style pairs with a deeper narrative, forever cementing it as an unshakable milestone.
4
Paprika (2006)
Paprika Is A Kaleidoscopic Dive Into Dreams & Reality
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Paprika
R
AnimeDrama Fantasy
Paprika (2007) is a Japanese animated science-fiction film directed by Satoshi Kon. The story follows Dr. Atsuko Chiba, a research psychologist who uses a device called the DC Mini to enter patients’ dreams and treat their psychological disorders. When the device is stolen, it poses a threat to both the dream world and reality, prompting Dr. Chiba to transform into her dream alter-ego, Paprika, to retrieve it.
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Release Date
November 25, 2006
Runtime
90 Minutes
Cast
Megumi Hayashibara
, Tōru Emori
, Katsunosuke Hori
, Tôru Furuya
, Koichi Yamadera
, Akio Otsuka
, Hideyuki Tanaka
, Satomi Kôrogi
Director
Satoshi Kon
Writers
Yasutaka Tsutsui
, Seishi Minakami
, Satoshi Kon
Satoshi Kon’s Paprika blurs the line between dreams and reality with a dazzling sense of motion. It rarely stands still. Scenes flow from surreal dreamscapes to the waking world without pause, enveloping the audience in a kaleidoscope of shifting shapes and colors. At one moment, the film is immersed in a riotous parade of personified objects. Just minutes later, Tokyo’s sparkling skyline is featured. As random as these sequences are, everything in Paprika is seamlessly connected, almost as if the film itself is dreaming.
Kon’s ability to depict intangible concepts like buried desires and unspoken fears is astonishing, his genius shining in various layered colors. These visual cues are further personified through textures which are then finally brought to life with constant movement, permeating the film with a style that directly influenced works like Inception. It’s hard not to have a profound experience with Paprika. Its approach to animation not only captures the free-flowing, often uncontrollable nature of dreams but also pushed intense boundaries in 2006, as well as for decades to come.
3
The Iron Giant (1999)
The Iron Giant Is A Heartfelt Fusion Of Classic & Modern Animation
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9/10
9.7/10
The Iron Giant
PG
Action Sci-FiFamilyComedyAnimationDramaAdventure
Set in 1957 Maine against the backdrop of the Cold War, The Iron Giant follows Hogarth Hughes, a young boy who finds an alien robot crashlanded in the woods outside his hometown. Determining that the robot is friendly, Hogarth quickly becomes its protector against forces in the US Army who wish to use the robot for their own means. Eli Marienthal voices Hogarth, with a further cast that includes Vin Diesel, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., and Christopher McDonald.
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Release Date
August 6, 1999
Runtime
86 minutes
Cast
Vin Diesel
, Christopher McDonald
, Harry Connick Jr
, Jennifer Aniston
, Eli Marienthal
Director
Brad Bird
Writers
Tim McCanlies
The Iron Giant merges the old with the new as one of the best animated movies with a robot protagonist. It also combines traditional hand-drawn animation with CGI. This duality-driven visual style stands out in the heavily saturated sea of animated films that exist today. The Iron Giant himself is rendered in 3D, yet he seamlessly slips into the 2D landscape without a hitch, allowing the production to feel both nostalgic and entirely fresh. Meanwhile, the subdued color palette of 1950s Americana clashes beautifully with the Giant’s gleaming metal. Stylistically, this film shines.
Similar to the color palette, the animation brims with small yet significant details. The gears can almost be seen turning in the Giant’s subtle mechanical movements, and his expressive “eyes” tell an entirely different story on their own. Director Brad Bird’s framing choices of sweeping forest vistas lay out a perfect backdrop for the story to unfold. Overall, The Iron Giant‘s smooth fusion of different animation styles has forever given it a place in the visual hall of fame for animated films.
2
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Howl’s Moving Castle Is A Breathtaking Tapestry Of Magic & Mechanics
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9/10
7.6/10
Howl’s Moving Castle
8-12 years
AnimationActionAdventureFamilyFantasyRomance
From Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones. The story follows Sophie, a shy hat-maker living in a fictional magical kingdom who is cursed by a witch into looking like an elderly woman. Leaving her home in search of a cure, Sophie encounters Howl, a powerful magician, and becomes the housekeeper for his magical ambulatory castle. The English dubbed version stars Emily Mortimer and Christian Bale as Sophie and Howl.
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Release Date
November 20, 2004
Runtime
119minutes
Cast
Chieko Baisho
, Takuya Kimura
, Akihiro Miwa
, Tatsuya Gashûin
, Ryûnosuke Kamiki
, Mitsunori Isaki
Director
Hayao Miyazaki
Writers
Diana Wynne Jones
Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle is another dazzling tapestry of visual wonder, another example that blends intricate hand-drawn animation with CGI touches that feel perfectly balanced. The castle itself, a hulking, mechanical creation, fuels the entire storyline with visually striking gears, pipes, and turrets that move as if they’re powered by a living heart. Meanwhile, rolling green fields and lively market streets exude the warmth and curiosity that is signature within Studio Ghibli films.
Meanwhile, character designs and fantastical transformations are equally mesmerizing in Howl’s Moving Castle. A stark contrast between the castle’s smoky machinery and the bright, open skies above perfectly cradles the film’s core themes of war and peace. In the end, Howl’s Moving Castle proves how animation can harmonize beauty and storytelling, conjuring a realm that feels just as personified as the characters who inhabit it.
1
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)
The Spider-Man Comic Books Brought Vividly To Life Like Never Before
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10/10
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
PG
SuperheroActionAdventureAnimationFamilySci-Fi
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales as he discovers his powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. While adapting to his new abilities, he encounters a super collider constructed by the villain Kingpin, which inadvertently brings other Spider-heroes from parallel universes into his dimension.
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Release Date
December 6, 2018
Runtime
117 minutes
Cast
Shameik Moore
, Jake Johnson
, Hailee Steinfeld
, Mahershala Ali
, Nicolas Cage
, Brian Tyree Henry
Director
Bob Persichetti
, Peter Ramsey
, Rodney Rothman
Writers
Phil Lord
, Rodney Rothman
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse shattered expectations with an animation style that broke new ground, overall wowing audiences all over the world. Its fusion of comic techniques with stylized CGI weaves together a visual masterpiece that quite literally feels like a living, breathing comic book. Halftone dots and motion lines are just some of the techniques used to layer every frame with painstaking care, ultimately cultivating a deeply iconic look that’s vibrant and alive. Additionally, the film’s dedication to variety shines in its multiverse concept.
Each Spider-Man is depicted with a style unique to their origin, which slathers this film in visual fan favoritism. Noir wields a stark black-and-white palette. Peni Parker comes straight out of an anime fever dream. Every design choice feeds directly into the narrative, elevating the story and redefining what superhero animation can be. This creative leap also earned the movie an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Cementing its place as a trailblazer in the genre, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse‘s incomparable versatility and stylistic genius cements it as some of the most visually stunning animation of all time.