Top 10 Animated Movies That Did Something Brand New

Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Akira” is often hailed as the greatest anime of all time, and for good reason. Perhaps its biggest contribution was bringing anime and Japanese pop culture to the Western world, paving the way for phenomena like “Pokémon,” “Dragon Ball,” and the works of Studio Ghibli. Its unique visual style and cyberpunk theme also influenced some of the most important films, TV shows, and video games of the 21st century, including “The Matrix” and “Final Fantasy VII.” Finally, it proved that a mature, complex, and thematic story could be told through animation, finally putting to rest the misconception that animated movies were exclusively for children.

Its sequels aside, the first “Shrek” is a landmark animated film. “Shrek” earned immense amounts of critical acclaim for its self-referential story and adult humor, which included gross-out scenes and parodies of famous works of pop culture. Following the release of “Shrek,” animated movies began incorporating more parodies and references, and studios weren’t afraid to add in a few adult jokes for the parents. Its impact was represented in the accolades it received, earning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, being nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, and becoming the first animated film since “Peter Pan” to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

“The Princess and the Frog” did a lot of revitalizing. It was the first traditionally animated Disney movie in five years, and returned to the Broadway-style music and classic fairy tale source material favored during the Disney Renaissance. But perhaps its biggest claim to fame is that it features the first African American Disney princess. Despite this being a major step for Disney, it was met with controversy, as some critics thought that Tiana failed to emphasize racial issues, and others believed that the movie was equating African Americans with animals, as both Tiana and Naveen spend a majority of their time as frogs. Sometimes you just can’t win.

While “Akira” helped introduce anime to the Western world, it was still considered a cult film, earning just $49 million at the worldwide box office. Meanwhile, “Spirited Away” was a bonafide cultural phenomenon, becoming the first anime movie to attain worldwide, mainstream success. It was absolutely massive in its native Japan, quickly becoming the top-grossing movie in Japanese history. It concluded its theatrical run with $361 million, $41 million of which came from outside Japan and China. It also made history at the 75th Academy Awards, becoming the first non-English animated movie to win the award for Best Animated Feature.

“Beauty and the Beast” is often called the greatest Disney movie of all time, as it is a beautiful combination of fairy tale storytelling, gorgeous Broadway-style music, and mesmerizing innovation. While “The Little Mermaid” was structured like a Broadway play, it was “Beauty and the Beast” that really popularized the Disney Broadway-esque style. It was also the first Disney movie to utilize 3D rendering, which can be seen when the “camera” dollies around Belle and Beast while they waltz in the massive ballroom. Finally, its critical reception was unlike anything seen at the time, becoming the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.

As unbelievable as it may sound, it was actually “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” that sparked the Disney Renaissance. This was a landmark film, as it magically, and convincingly, blended real actors with animated characters. This unique concept proved to be a monumental critical and commercial success, and the movie helped revitalize interest in old school animation. It also gave Disney an enormous boost of confidence following a string of box office disappointments, and they decided to go all-in with their next project, a little movie called “The Little Mermaid.” The rest is movie history. Twenty-eight years later, Disney would do a similar thing with “The Jungle Book,” proving that there still an interest in live action/animation hybrids.

Disney had a lot to live up to after the “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Perhaps realizing the stakes, directors Ron Clements and John Musker wanted popular actor Robin Williams to voice the Genie and help bring the masses to the theater. After landing him, they utilized the Genie to sell merchandise, launching an extensive and unprecedented marketing campaign... which didn't sit to well with Williams himself. Nonetheless, the ploy worked, as Williams’s performance was praised, and the Genie became one of the most popular characters in film history. This influenced Disney to partake in more stunt casting on the regular, and their subsequent animated movies have been littered with established movie stars and entertainers.

If “Fantasia” proves anything, it’s that Disney has become FAR LESS experimental and creatively adventurous in recent years. Following the success of “Snow White” and “Pinocchio,” you'd understand if Disney wanted to play things safe. Instead, they released “Fantasia,” a highly divisive anthology that saw eight experimental short stories set to classical music performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. It was an innovative concept unlike anything seen on a movie screen, and it was rightfully regarded as a masterpiece by many professional critics. However, it was a commercial disappointment due to a wide range of factors, including the Second World War, high production costs, and the complex and expensive installation of the required Fantasound equipment.

In November of 1995, animation was changed forever. That is when “Toy Story,” the first feature film to utilize computer generated animation, was released on an unsuspecting public. The reaction was one of immediate praise, and the movie revolutionized the way that animated movies were created. Its impact was even felt beyond the film industry, as the groundbreaking technology influenced areas as far-reaching as video game production and artificial intelligence. It was awarded a Special Achievement Academy Award, and it was inducted into the National Film Registry in its first year of eligibility, making it one of only six films to have done so. Thus, it is arguably the most important animated feature of the modern era.



Before we look at the most influential animated movie of all time, here are a few honorable mentions.


“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

Hand-Drawn Comic Book Style



“Zootopia” (2016)

LGBTQ Characters




“The Little Mermaid” (1989)

CAPS Software




“One Hundred and One Dalmatians” (1961)

Xerography




“The Polar Express” (2004)

Motion Capture Technology

But of course it’s “Snow White!” Not only is this the most important animated movie of all time, it’s one of the most important films of all time, period. While it’s not the first animated cartoon in history – that would be 1908’s “Fantasmagorie” – it IS the first full-length cel animated movie. It was immediately met with tremendous critical acclaim, and Walt Disney was gifted an Honorary Academy Award for “a significant screen innovation” that “pioneered a great new entertainment field.” It also launched Disney’s first Golden Age, which included all time classics like “Pinocchio,” “Bambi,” and “Dumbo.” It all leads back to “Snow White,” and for that we will forever be grateful.