Top 5 Animated Movies

I thought about this list several times before, just never got around to it, but Trip asking for recommendations made me start it up. So, you all know what to do. And yes, my number one is exactly what you think it is.

1. Princess Mononoke - Finally an environmentalist movie that does more than shout "HUMANS ARE BAD" for 2 hours straight. Probably in my top 5 of all movies

2. Up - I hid under your porch because I love you

3. Spirited Away - needs no explanation

4. The Lego Movie - greatest 2 hour commercial ever.

5. Porco Rosso - Perhaps the most underrated of Miyazaki's films.

1. The Lego Movie- I know I've been praising this movie a lot but it couldn't fit my tastes better if it had Lego Ghostbusters driving a flying Delorean
2. Up- Perfect first ten minutes followed by a charming fun adventure. And it has Dug. Who is awesome
3. The Lion King- I can't tell you how many times I saw this movie when I was a kid. Huge nostalgia points
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut- "Chef, how do I get a girl to like me?" "Oh that's easy Stan you just have to find the clitoris"
5. Paranorman- Has a great message on bullying and social commentary, a sad, lovable main character with funny side characters, and some great humor sprinkled in.

1. Ghost In The Shell - This is unparalleled as far as animated art goes.
2. Up - Kevin rocks.
3. The Jungle Book - This is the only musical that gets it right. Also, animation 101.
4. Ninja Scroll - It's a moving comic book!
5. The Lion King - I want my list to be diverse, but I'd be stupid to leave this out.

I left out A Nightmare Before Christmas because I feel that's sort of cheating.

A top 5 for this hurt me so my honorable mentions are the next five.

1. My Neighbor Totoro

"Here is a children's film made for the world we should live in, rather than the one we occupy. A film with no villains. No fight scenes. No evil adults. No fighting between the two kids. No scary monsters. No darkness before the dawn. A world that is benign. A world where if you meet a strange towering creature in the forest, you curl up on its tummy and have a nap." - from Roger Ebert's review

2. Beauty & The Beast

Because the way I see it, I couldn't make a list like this without a Disney animated film. Specifically one before the Pixar union, during the Renaissance period for the studio in the late 80s-mid-90s. Arguably the best example of the idea to mix fairy tales and musicals. I love this world, these characters and (especially) the songs.

3. Grave of the Fireflies

Usually when Studio Ghibli films are made, Hayao Miyazaki is the first name that comes to mind. Dive deeper into that studio's output and eventually you come across the work of Isao Takahata. The few films of his that I've seen (seek out "Only Yesterday") are less fanciful that Miyazaki's, more realistic and mature but in terms of animation and narrative, they're equals.

Grave of the Fireflies is basically a tale of survival but it addresses deeper, human and universal needs and concerns. That we maintain our strength and composure no matter how dire things become. That we care for the ones we love because all that we have is each other. That we keep on struggling until we simply can't.

If you haven't seen this, you need to. It'll break your heart but it's worth it.

4. The Lego Movie

Saw this again last Saturday with my sister and its still amazing. My initial reaction hasn't changed: the script is super smart and creative, the cast is impressive, the gags are as many as stars the sky, and the whole damn things looks and sounds beautiful. I smile and smile and smile and smile.

5. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

"Well, your moms are just upset. They're probably on their periods or something."
"Mr. Garrison, Wendy and I think that that was a sexist statement."
"Well, I'm sorry, Wendy but I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die."

When this first came out, it was a big leap in visual quality compared to the tv show; currently the tv show is equal if not better (in a way, it's like a primer for what was to come). The script mocks certain narrative/genre conventions and embraces them, cleverly comments on the issue of censorship and the usage of language, expands the show's universe even more. At times, it even felt like a dare to see just what they could get away with.

I haven't even mentioned the amazing musical numbers.

"Have you ever heard of the Emancipation Proclamation?"
"No, I don't listen to hip-hop."

Honorable mentions:

Waking Life
Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
Toy Story 3
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Fantastic Mr. Fox

Forgot about Fantastic Mr. Fox. That movie is outstanding. What the cuss!?

1. Toy Story 1 - What child didn't believe their toys were moving around when they weren't home? I love every single one of them, but this is without a doubt my favorite of the bunch.

2. Nightmare Before Christmas - I don't think it's cheating, pspiddy, it's just a great fucking movie. Late 80's early 90's Burton was so bad ass and awesome. I own the soundtrack on vinyl and it's great.

3. The Lion King - NAHHHHHHHH.....SEEE ENYAAAA BOTTOH BEEEEE MOOO DEEE AHHHH...ahhh, seee enya. At least that's what it sounds like.

4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - "Yukon Cornelius is the name!"

Having a hard time thinking of a 5th, wish my DVD's weren't boxed away because I don't have a lot of animated movies on blu-ray.

5. Sin City - Because in a way it's animated. This is #5 until I think of something else.

Fun fact, Totoro was in Kurosawa's top 100 films. I'm going to try my damndest to limit this to different studios otherwise Pixar and Ghibli would dominate. And my favorites for Pixar and Ghibli change constantly so take my picks with a grain of salt:

1. Laputa: Castle in the Sky - it's between this and Kiki's Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro, and Porco Rosso and...

2. Up - Just Pixar at its best.

3. Ghost in the Shell - One of the few films that does cyberpunk right.

4. Perfect Blue - Darren Arronofsky steals from this guy constantly and for good reason, all his films are genius. "I don't know who this Satoshi Kon is. Oh, yeah, but I did buy the rights to his films so I could steal things in them shot for shot." Asshole.

5. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut - One of the best musicals I've ever seen.

Honorable Mentions:

Almost the entire Ghibli catalog but Kaguya Hime, Princess Mononoke and Spirted Away in particular.
Toy Story 3
Monsters Inc.
Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Triplets of Belleville
Beauty and the Beast
Lion King

...goes on and on.

I must say this was one of the hardest lists yet. There's just so MANY good movies since it's not a particular genre and animation has had such a long, awesome history.

You're insane Twolf.

I thought Fantastic Mr. Fox was really creepy for some reason. Just the animation, I guess

Spirited Away- perfection :0

Treasure Planet- this movie seems to have a bad reputation and no cares about it but I DONT CARE. It holds a very special place in my heart and I watched it over and over like a little kid despite the fact I was a teenager when it was out. I thought the art direction was amazing and it really pulled me in, and Jim Hawkins was such a relatable character for me at the time.. I just love it. So much.

Beauty and the Beast- easily one my favorite Disney movies. The characters and music are some of the best.

My Neighbor Totoro- I watched this many times as a kid to say the least. Still makes me smile when I watch it now.

Up- everyone here reminded me how awesome this movie is, it's amazingly creative and funny. Dug is so cute, all the dogs were great. And those damn first ten minutes ;_;

This was the hardest thing ever, I'm only really sure about the first two movies I listed. I love so many animated movies it's crazy.

I couldn't add a Ghibli because my brain tried to kill itself deciding which is my favorite. I'm not kidding when I say that it's impossible for me to choose. I about had a conniption fit when Amazon had that sale on the DVDs last year and will lose my shit if they do it again with Blu-Ray.

Also, glad you guys picked Beauty And The Beast. I saw that so many times at the theater at the mall. Got me lady points too which was awesome for a middle-schooler. But alas, that's a tale as old as time >.>

I've never seen a Studio Ghibli movie. They're normally pretty expensive to drop money on something I"ve never seen. I've always wanted to, especially after Ni no Kuni. Hey, we'll say Ni no Kuni is my 5th favorite animated movie!

Somehow I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell yet. I have no idea why, it seems like something I'd like.

chocobot wrote:Somehow I haven't seen Ghost in the Shell yet. I have no idea why, it seems like something I'd like.

Be sure and check out the soundtrack too. We're all dudebros (or weabros or dudeaboos. What did we decide on?!) here.

It pains me that the Ghibli catalogue is ALL on blu ray in Japan and hasn't been picked up in the west yet.

Seriously, where the hell is Spirited Away on blu ray?! I feel like I've been waiting for that forever. Princess Mononoke would be nice to have too, haven't seen that one in years.

So Ghost in the Shell is cheap at amazon, but I don't know if I should get the 2.0 blu ray or just the DVD. I'm leaning towards the DVD since it sounds like the remastered blu ray version might actually look worse but I thought I'd ask here first. And I will definitely check out the soundtrack after I watch the movie

The remastered DVD is pretty good, I got confused if the 2.0 blu ray had weird additional footage or what the deal was.

2.0 seems really different.. Here's a comparison of the opening:



And I guess during some parts the original animation was replaced with CG and it sounds like a super lame change. So that's why I had no idea what I should buy, usually I'd always go for the blu ray version cause HD. Oh well.

That is criminal considering how groundbreaking the first film is.