For this one I decided to break it down by studio. I have a “bonus” part that are movies that are a mix of animated and live action. Even as an adult, I love animated movies. They really help with the escape aspect that movies and that type of storytelling give one. I broke it down to Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, Princess movies, and Miscellaneous Studios since I didn’t have enough from 20th Century Fox, Sony, Universal, Nickelodeon, Rankin & Bass, and other independent studios. I’m also not going to add the voice actors.

I almost put Moana (2016, Disney) in the Disney list and the Princess list, but she’s not a princess (technically) and, in truth, it is my number one all-time favorite animated movie, talk about girl power, so, the movie is not on this list.

Disney Animated Studios

Big Hero 6 (2014) Baymax, everyone needs a Baymax in their life. This is a good movie about grief. Every time I hear or read “wasabi” I have to emphatically say, “I spilled wasabi on my shirt one time, people! One time!”. This shows that there are funny parts to this movie was well. If I say more, I’ll give too much away. I can say that it was originally a Marvel Comic, so keep an ear out for Stan Lee. I believe it was release around the time he passed.

Brother Bear (2003) From the first time seeing this in the theater. through the seemingly millions of times I watched this with my youngest, to now, I LOVE this movie. The songs are good. The humor is spot on. Another grief movie, to a degree. I liked the respect they gave the Inuit and any other Nation it took from, in the story. I do recommend watching it in the Theatrical Release format. There is a reason they did it that way, and it’s all perspective.

The Hunchback of Norte Dame (1996) I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one. I love the Charles Laughton/Maureen O’Hara version so much and I cured my insomnia by reading the book, so I was skeptical of how they were going to do this Gothic novel in a way that is appealing to kids. Most kids got the idea that you shouldn’t treat people bad because of their looks. For the adults, the score is Gothic and beautiful. The songs are amazing. My only complaint is the dance Esmerelda did. As a former Gypsy dancer at a Renaissance Fair and as a woman, I was offended. They didn’t need to reference that voice actress’ other movie for the dance. Enough of that. They did a good job of getting the main scenes in, even while making them more kid friendly. They really captured the villain. It was a nice touch that they had the cathedral seem like a character too. What I remember most from the book is that Victor Hugo kept comparing the cathedral from the time the story was being told to when Frollo was younger.

The Jungle Book (1967) If you haven’t watched this one, you are missing out. The songs are all really good. From what I have heard this was Disney’s last movie (he passed while they were still making it). To find friends like Baloo and Bagheera would make anyone’s life more complete. This is a good “buddy” movie.

Encanto (2021) The Bruno song wasn’t even the best song in the movie, but like the “Shiny” song in Moana, it does get stuck in your head. This movie to me, was a good show of family dynamics and how people get childhood trauma; along with generational trauma. This one just took my breath away. I cried in parts that most people probably wouldn’t, The Butterfly song got me though. Such a pretty song.

Dreamworks Animated Studios

How To Train Your Dragon (2010-2019) Each movie stands on its own, but I put it in as all three. Once you watch one, you really want to see where the story goes. This is another full package. The story is solid, even if it doesn’t follow the source material. The animation is beautiful and gets better with each movie. The score enhances everything that is going on.

Kung Fu Panda (2008-2016) I haven’t seen the 4th one, yet. I do like the 3 though. The formula is the same for all 3, but it doesn’t matter. These movies are a good time from moment 1. I know people are tired of the one voice actor, but he sells the character. I am waiting for the day I get to argue with someone who has to have the last word, or at least argues in flawed logic, so I can throw a “Chitty chitty chat chat” at them.

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) This movie is underrated. When the horse only speaks in voiceover, I think it takes people out of the story. It’s a shame too. The story is solid. Conforming isn’t for everyone and that’s okay. If you have a child that likes horses, this is one to watch.

Despicable Me (2010) This is the only one that I am only putting in the 1st one. The rest are funny, but not as endearing. There’s a charm to this one that they just couldn’t replicate.

Home (2015) Another movie I think people slept on. The silliness and soundtrack of this movie make it fun to watch. Yes, the message is good too. I just like escaping with this one.

PIxar Studios

Ratatouille (2007) Aw Rats! The main theme of this movie could be used for many professions and just life. This movie had me from the beginning. I still giggle when Linguini body shivers. This was my favorite Pixar movie. Part the humor, part because I worked in the food service industry for a few years, and part because the message is good.

Coco (2017) When I finally watch this one, all I could think was, “Why did it take me so long?” From wanting to learn more about Dia de los Muertos to admiring all the bold colors used. It’s a sweet tale. It will make you cry, happy and sad tears. Most of all it showed the importance of family.

Inside Out 2 (2024) As someone who has (C)PTSD this one hit like a cement block! I view it as a good thing. This was a good visualization of what it’s like to get anxiety attacks and how your brain feels when you are going through it. Now the lucky few that don’t get them can have an understanding of why we do, say, or even shut down when these happen. All of this was done with the mix of humor and grace that the storytellers at Pixar are so good at.

Onward (2020) This movie had the unfortunate happenstance to be released when people were stuck at home. With it being placed on the streaming platforms so quickly, you’d think it would have done well. But, the COVID Quarantine made people look for things that were more familiar. Things were very uncertain, so this one was ignored. It’s a shame too. It showed that sometimes you don’t always get to grow up with both parents and sometimes you have to find that figure in others around you. Plus, it was a good, Brother adventure.

Turning Red (2022) OMG, I wished this one would have come out when my boys were younger. The metaphor is brilliant, since people don’t like to talk about such a taboo subject. But, that’s only a portion of the movie. I like how they addressed the mother & daughter dynamic. It’s a good movie to watch no matter where you live, what your ethnic background is, and no matter what your gender is.

Princess Movies

Brave (2012) To quote a guy I watch react to movies on YouTube, “Merida is a baddie” She’s my kind of princess. She knows her value and no guy came and saved her. The generational conflicts are well handled. (Yes, I’m starting to see a pattern), As someone with Scottish ancestry, I was proud of this movie. My only complaint was a nit-picky thing, my grandmother was the first generation of little girls that were allowed to wear kilts and dance. Medieval times, then men would have danced the sword dance. Otherwise, it’s a cute movie.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) This one, and The Frog Prince were always my favorite fairytales. I liked how they did this story. I get upset when people ignore the changing seasons. I guess, because I know the fairytale, that I don’t see the Stockholm Syndrome as much, but yes, there are versions of the tale that could be seen as that. This version is nice because they make Belle a bookworm. I can relate.

Tangled (2010) This was a surprise. I went in curious and fell in love with the movie. The “Man Table” or whatever they called it, to come up with the goodlooking “prince” was time well spent. This movie was a fresh take on the Fairytale, The songs were good. The sidekick animals steal the show. So, funny.

The Swan Princess (1994) I had only known the ballet version of this story and wasn’t sure I understood it all. This was new all around. It has some cute animal characters that have the better lines. It’s a cute movie and my younger brother and I were obsessed with it when we watched it.

Anastasia (1997) What I liked the most about this one is that she didn’t actually pretend to be someone she wasn’t. Oh, and the blue dress, The blue dress for the ballet, to be clear. The music was good. I know it is historically incorrect, but it is a nice story. Bartok is adorable. Pay attention to the minions during Rasputin’s song, it’s oddly funny. There’s a line in one of the songs the boys sing, “The biggest con in history” and I believe it applies to politics today.

Mixed Studios

Everyone’s Hero (2006) This movie didn’t have the backing of the other studios. It had a good cast and wildly funny lines. It’s a take on why baseball is considered “America’s sport.” The voice actors are perfect for their parts. I enjoyed it. My boys really enjoyed it. Christopher Reeves and his wife created this one. I am not sure he was able to see the finished product.

The Last Unicorn (1982) This is like watching a unicorn tapestry come to life. They really went with that feel. It’s funny, scary, and magical. This is a movie to immerse yourself into.

The Quest for Camelot (1998) This is based off of a book and it’s cute. The songs are amusing. I still like the song that Steve Perry did for the credits. It is a beautiful song. The pace of the movie is a good one.

The Secret of NIMH (1982) This one still holds up. I loved the book as a child. I was 11 when it came out, so it was a few years after I read it. It captured the essence of the book. You should get startled and cry on a few occasions. But, it is a well-rounded movie.

The Iron Giant (1999) What a heartwarming story. The only thing I can say that won’t ruin the plot is, make sure you have tissues.

Mixed Media

James and the Giant Peach (1996) I often wonder what type of childhood Roald Dahl had. That aside, this is a fun movie to watch. The songs are catchy. It’s a good way to remember what it is like to be a kid again. This goes from live action, to clay animation, then back to live action.

Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) I watched both versions of this movie. I can see why there were changes. I liked the US version mostly due to liking the voice actors more, well the choice to have the slur/lisp for one character. The movie starts off in live action, moves to animation, then back to live action. it’s a cute story.

The Pagemaster (1994) A live action movie that becomes animated and is very self-aware. It makes you want to read the stories they explore. You can never go wrong with a movie when it sparks curiosity for reading. If I say anything more, I’ll give main plot points away.

The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964) “I wish, I wish, I wish I were a fish” I cannot explain why this movie still holds a special place in my heart. It was a good mix of live action and animation. If you don’t expect anything other than a good time, you’ll enjoy this movie.

Casper (1995) This one, much like Limpet, is a mix of live and animation, granted it is CGI. I was a huge fan of Casper when I was little. Dressed as him for Halloween for 2-3 years straight. My take is that if you weren’t a fan or have never seen a Casper cartoon, you may miss a lot. The writers understood Casper and gave me something I didn’t know I wanted until it was there.

Conclusion:

I hope I didn’t ruin anything or give away too much. There are a few more animated movies that I really like, but these hold a special place in my heart. Some have a really good message. Others are just a good time. No matter what, you should have a smile on your face when the movie is over. A few you may need tissues for spots in the movies. Remember that most of these movies are intended for children ages 6+. As an adult we sometimes forget how we viewed life as a child, this is a good reminder to not over analyze the plot (because one cannot get to Japan then back to the tri-state area then make a new commercial in a day), as a child, we tend to take thing as face value. I’m hoping you’ll find your inner child or at least let go enough to enjoy.