Top 11 Best Animated Films in American Cinema

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is a renowned animated film by Walt Disney. The film is adapted from the Grimm fairy tale Snow White. It premiered on 12/21/1937 at the Carthay Circle Theater. This is considered Walt Disney's first animated feature film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ranked 49th on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest American Films of All Time in 1997. In 1989, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Although not the first animated feature film produced (Argentina's El Apóstol in 1917 may be the first or The Adventures of Prince Achmed in 1926), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first widely successful animated feature in the English-speaking community and the first film to use synchronized sound (Quirino Cristiani used sound on disc in 1931). Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was also the first film shot in Technicolor. Supervising directors were David Hand and Williams Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey (1905-1971), Pearce Perce, and Ben Sharpsteen directed the individual scenes of the film.

IMDb Rating: 7.6
Tomatometer Score: 97%
Audience Score: 78%

Bambi is a 1942 animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salte. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on 8/13/1942, and it is the fifth animated feature film from Disney. The main character of the film is a young deer with a white tail. Bambi lives with his family in the beautiful forest. Bambi's father is the king of the forest. Bambi possesses a naive and somewhat timid nature. One day, Bambi's mother passes away in a large storm and falls into the hands of cruel hunters. Through various trials, Bambi grows into a mature and courageous deer. He becomes capable of taking over the forest, replacing his father with the mission of bringing peace to the woods.

The film was re-released in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988. The first family video version of the film, on VHS format, was released in 1989 and 1997. A DVD version containing a remastered film and an additional disc of bonus features was released on 3/1/2005. Currently, the film is in the 'Disney Vault.' The sequel to the film, Bambi II, was produced for direct-to-video release in 2006. The film narrates the life of Bambi with its ups and downs, serving as a life lesson that children can learn from. It imparts valuable life skills and survival skills necessary in today's world.

IMDb Rating: 8.5

Tomatometer Score: 91%

Audience Score: 73%

The animated film about Pinocchio, the wooden puppet boy, was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios in 1940, based on the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Italian author Carlo Collodi. This is Disney's second animated film, following Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The film tells the adventures of Pinocchio, a boy with a wooden body. Pinocchio was originally a puppet created by a woodcarver named Geppetto. Due to his desire for fun, he wandered away from his father. Thus, the journey to find Pinocchio's father became extremely difficult. He encountered villains but also met good people like the Blue Fairy and Jiminy Cricket. Geppetto wished for Pinocchio to become a real boy, and this wish was granted by the Blue Fairy. However, Pinocchio only became a real boy when he proved his courage, honesty, and unselfishness.

Through many challenges, Pinocchio proved his conscience and humanity. Eventually, he was transformed into a real boy. In the end, father and son reunited, and Pinocchio learned how to be a real boy. The story of Pinocchio has indeed faded for many adults, but in this film, many interesting details have been added, twisting the story in new directions, making Pinocchio's journey more dramatic, challenging, and captivating for the audience. The graphics of the film are beautiful. The image of the Blue Fairy in the film is also beautiful and poetic. Even the snail lady appears in the film very vividly and adorably.

IMDb Rating: 8.1

Fantasia is an animated film by Walt Disney, produced in 1940. This is the first animated film that Walt Disney experimented with surround sound. Fantasia does not have a specific storyline but consists of eight animated segments that integrate classic musical works by Beethoven, Bach, and Tchaikovsky. It's not just a movie; we also get to enjoy a magnificent concert cleverly integrated into the animated sequences, where we encounter the colorful world of Greek mythology, with gods like Zeus, Helios, Dionysus...

Disney conceived the idea for the film in 1938 as work neared completion on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, a Silly Symphonies short designed as a comeback vehicle for Mickey Mouse, a character on the decline. When production costs exceeded what they could earn, Disney decided to incorporate the short into a feature-length film with other segments set to classical pieces. The musical score was recorded with multiple tracks and reproduced using Fantasound, an original sound reproduction system introduced by Fantasia as the first commercial film to be shown in a high-fidelity sound format. Fantasia has gained acclaim over the years and is now widely celebrated; in 1998, the American Film Institute ranked it as the 58th greatest American film in their 100 Years...100 Movies list and the 5th greatest animated film in their 10 Top 10 lists. In 1990, Fantasia was selected for preservation by the United States National Film Registry as being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' to the Library of Congress.

IMDb Rating: 7.7

Tomatometer Score: 95%

Audience Score: 83%

The Lion King (1994) is an epic musical animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Disney's 32nd animated feature film. The story is set in a lion kingdom in Africa, influenced by William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. The film was produced during a period known as Disney's Renaissance era. It tells the story of Simba, a young lion cub, son of King Mufasa. He is destined to succeed his father as king. However, after Mufasa's death, Simba is wrongly accused by his uncle Scar, who is responsible for Mufasa's death. Simba is forced to flee and live in exile until he matures. Later, with the help of his childhood friend Nala and the wise mandrill Rafiki, Simba comes to terms with his past. He returns, confronts Scar, and ends his tyrannical rule. Simba ascends to the throne, becoming the ruler of the Pride Lands.

The Lion King was released on June 15, 1994, and received positive reviews from critics. The film ranks 14th on the list of highest-grossing films of all time with a revenue of $952 million. The Lion King is considered the highest-grossing traditionally animated film in history. It has received praise for its story, rich philosophical content, and music, earning a 92% positive rating on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes. It remains the highest-grossing traditional animated film and the second-highest-grossing animated film in history, after Toy Story 3 (a 3D computer-animated film).

IMDb Rating: 8.5

Tomatometer Score: 97%

Audience Score: 78%

Beauty and the Beast is a musical animated film produced and released by Walt Disney. The film is based on the fairy tale by French novelist Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. It is Disney's 30th animated feature film. Beauty and the Beast focuses on the relationship between a prince who has been transformed into a beast (as punishment for his arrogance), and Belle, a beautiful young woman who replaces her father as the captive in the beast's castle. To become a prince once again, the beastly prince must win Belle's love, or he will remain a beast forever.

Beauty and the Beast premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 22, 1991. It was the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film won two Oscars for Best Original Song and Best Original Score. Beauty and the Beast is a romantic fantasy musical film of the United States in 1991 produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is Disney's 30th animated feature film and the third film released during Disney's Renaissance era. An IMAX version of Beauty and the Beast was released in 2002, featuring 'Human Again,' a five-minute musical number originally cut from the 1994 theatrical release. In the same year, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, deeming it 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.'

IMDb Rating: 8.0

Toy Story (1995) is a computer-animated comedy adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Toy Story is the first computer-animated film produced and also the first theatrical film by Pixar. Set in a world where toys pretend to be lifeless whenever humans are present, the film's plot revolves around the relationship between Woody, a pull-string cowboy doll (voiced by Tom Hanks), and Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger (voiced by Tim Allen), as the two characters vie for the affection of Andy, their owner, to become friends. The two characters must work together to reunite with Andy as his family prepares to move to a new home.

Released on November 22, 1995, Toy Story topped the North American box office in its opening weekend. The film grossed over $361 million worldwide and received much acclaim for its groundbreaking animation techniques and clever, witty screenplay. Toy Story is highly regarded by many critics as one of the greatest animated films in history. The film received three Oscar nominations and won a Special Achievement Academy Award. Toy Story was selected for preservation and conservation in the National Film Registry for being 'culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant' in 2005, the first year it was eligible. In addition to theatrical releases and home entertainment products, Disney has released numerous toy products, electronic games, and television-related products related to Toy Story.

IMDb Rating: 8.3

Tomatometer Score: 100%

Audience Rating: 92%

Cinderella is a musical fantasy animated film produced by Walt Disney in 1950 and originally released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the fairy tale Cinderella by Charles Perrault, and it is Disney's 12th animated feature film. Cinderella marks Disney's dazzling success in producing animated films. The film also helped Disney enter a golden age, diversifying its production process, which had been ongoing since the 1940s. Additionally, the film is considered one of Walt Disney's iconic symbols. With a total budget of around $3 million, Disney insiders whispered that if the film failed, the company might have to close its doors. Fortunately, the film was a resounding success. Profits from ticket sales, discs, music, and accompanying merchandise helped Disney finance the production of a series of other films, establish its own distribution company, expand into television, and begin building the famous Disneyland theme park. The success of Cinderella was achieved not only because of its beautiful imagery but also due to the excellent voice acting of the cast, especially Ilene Woods...

IMDb Rating: 7.3

Shrek is a 3D animated film produced by DreamWorks. The film won the first Oscar for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. It grossed $484.4 million worldwide. The story follows the lonely ogre Shrek, who lives in a swamp and believes that true love doesn't exist. However, one day, Shrek's peaceful life is disrupted by a group of fairy tale creatures banished to his swamp by the tyrannical Lord Farquaad. Shrek, along with his talkative companion Donkey, goes to confront Farquaad, who sends Shrek on a quest to rescue Princess Fiona from the fiery dragon's keep. After a fierce battle, Shrek rescues the princess and defeats the evil lord. Along the way, Shrek gains new friends and discovers newfound feelings within himself, emotions he never knew he had. Shrek realizes that he is beginning to love...

This whimsical animated film featuring the quirky antics and endearing clumsiness of Shrek is also deeply humanistic. The tale of the kind-hearted ogre Shrek will be an entertaining story for children this summer; you can save it for your kids to watch every day. Shrek was the first film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, a category introduced in 2001. The DVD and VHS versions of the film were released on November 7, 2001. Shrek's resounding success upon its 2001 release propelled DreamWorks to become the leading competitor of Walt Disney Pictures in animated film production, especially in 3D animation. Shrek became a 'lucky charm' for the production company.

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Tomatometer Score: 88%

Audience Score: 90%

Frozen (2013) tells the story of two princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa possesses incredibly powerful ice magic, so much so that she must lock herself away in a small room to control it, while Anna is the newly matured princess - naive and passionate. During her coronation ceremony, Elsa accidentally freezes the entire kingdom, then flees out of fear, leaving the land in a perpetual winter. Determined to find her sister, Anna braves the snowstorm in the middle of summer in hopes that Elsa can reverse the magic.

The film's setting predominantly features images of a snow-covered land, blanketing everything from small mountain homes to grand ice castles. The 3D imagery and effects in the film are meticulously crafted frame by frame, with sparkling snowflakes, majestic snow-capped mountains, and most notably, the stunning ice castle created by the Snow Queen Elsa. Director Chris Buck infuses optimism and brightness into Frozen, departing from the sad and tragic tale of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Snow Queen' to deliver a heartwarming and uplifting conclusion. Minimizing the tragedy reasonably, the film unfolds gently and poignantly, captivating the audience.

IMDb Rating: 7.4

Tomatometer Score: 90%

Audience Score: 85%

Finding Nemo is an animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The film follows the story of a clownfish named Marlin and another fish named Dory on their journey to find Marlin's abducted son, Nemo. Along the way, Marlin learns to embrace risk and realizes that Nemo is fully capable of taking care of himself. Finding Nemo was released on May 30, 2003, and was met with acclaim from audiences and critics alike. The film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was nominated in three major categories, including Best Original Screenplay. Finding Nemo became the highest-grossing animated film at the time, with a worldwide total of $871 million.

The film received widespread praise and won the award for Best Animated Feature. It grossed approximately $940 million worldwide. It is the best-selling DVD of all time, with over 40 million copies sold in 2006. In 2008, the American Film Institute named the film one of the top 10 animated films ever made. Finding Nemo, Pixar's first film released in May, drew inspiration from many of director Andrew Stanton's childhood experiences, including his fascination with aquariums and the desire for fish to return home to the ocean...

IMDb Rating: 8.2
Tomatometer Score: 99%
Audience Score: 86%