Top 12 Most Irresistible Animated Films You Can't Miss

When it comes to Tom & Jerry, it's a name that's familiar to all of us. Tom & Jerry is a famous American animated series with over 160 episodes. Despite being produced in the 1940s, this animated series still captivates many viewers to this day.

The show revolves around the endless rivalry between two housemates: Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. Tom always tries every possible way to catch and eat Jerry, but with Jerry's cleverness and the help of Spike the dog, Tom always suffers humiliating defeat. Not only that, but Tom is also often thwarted by Jerry whenever he tries to woo other female cats. Despite their enmity, whenever Jerry is in danger, Tom always comes to his aid, and whenever Tom is in trouble, Jerry returns the favor. Tom & Jerry is considered one of the most captivating and best animated films of all time.

The Lion King is a hand-drawn animated film by Walt Disney released in 1994. The film received much acclaim for its storyline and achieved immense success in terms of revenue - being the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated film. Set in the wilds of Africa, the main character of the film is the young lion cub Simba - the son of King Mufasa. Simba has a happy life with his family until his revered father dies trying to save him, a death orchestrated by his own uncle, Scar. Subsequently, Simba wanders off and befriends the warthog Pumbaa and the meerkat Timon.

As an adult, Simba returns to his homeland and feels distressed to see the suffering and brutality under Scar's rule. This prompts Simba to fight against Scar, and with his intelligence, courage, and the help of his mother and childhood friend Nala, Simba defeats Scar to take over the reign of the kingdom. From then on, life returns to the wild with peace and beauty. The Lion King captivates not only children with its beautiful and vivid imagery but also adults with its rich philosophical content. The film is considered to be appealing to all ages. In 2011, The Lion King was re-released in 3D format and grossed $73 million worldwide.

Grave of Fireflies or the Firefly's Grave is a Japanese animated film produced in 1988. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Nosaka Akiyuki. It is set during World War II in Japan. Throughout 90 minutes, Grave of Fireflies tells the story of two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, who lose their mother in a fierce bombing raid by the US air force, while their father is fighting for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Seita and Setsuko have to endure between starvation and the indifference of those around them, including relatives.

Eventually, Setsuko dies of hunger, while Seita learns that his father has also perished at sea, and he too dies at Sonnomiya station. The film captivates viewers with its bright colors and deeply emotional sibling bond. It concludes with Seita and Setsuko happily sitting together with fireflies around them, looking down at the modernized and developed city of Kobe after the war.

Spirited Away is a 125-minute animated film produced in Japan in 2001. The film tells the story of Chihiro - a stubborn girl who, along with her family, moves to the countryside but unfortunately gets lost in the spirit world because of Chihiro's father's wrong turn.

Here, Chihiro's parents are cursed and transformed into pigs, while Chihiro must work and find a way to save her parents. The film captivates viewers by helping them feel filial piety and humanity through diverse characters, each with different colors. The film won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 75th Academy Awards and is listed among the top 50 films to watch at age 14.

Toy Story is an American animated film released in 1995. It is the first Pixar animated film to use 3D technology and the first computer-animated feature film in cinema history. The film revolves around a group of toys with human-like emotions and actions, gradually being forgotten as their owner, Andy, grows up. The film has spawned three successful sequels both commercially and critically, with the fourth installment scheduled for release in 2019.

Toy Story captivates viewers not only with its stunning graphics but also with its sophisticated screenplay, reflecting human life through toy characters and seemingly childish stories. Toy Story is the highest-grossing animated film of all time, earning over $361 million worldwide, receiving three Oscar nominations, and winning one Oscar for special achievement.

Finding Nemo or Nemo's Adventure is an American animated film released in 2003. The film tells the difficult journey to find Marlin's son, Nemo – the mischievous son of Marlin, a timid clownfish who is afraid of everything after the death of his wife and his companion Dory – a fish with short-term memory loss.

Throughout the 100 minutes of the film, there is a deep family bond between Marlin and Nemo, alongside the beautiful friendship between Marlin and Dory. The film has received much praise and won the award for Best Picture. Moreover, it has achieved significant revenue, becoming the best-selling DVD film in history and ranking in the top 10 of the best animated films ever made. Following its success, the film continued with a sequel, Finding Dory (2016), which also achieved remarkable success, surpassing all expectations of the producers to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

Shrek or the friendly green ogre is a 3D animated film released by DreamWorks Animation in 2001, based on a fairy tale comic of the same name. The 90-minute film revolves around the character Shrek – a green ogre with a hideous, fierce appearance. Shrek embarks on a journey to rescue Princess Fiona from a castle guarded by a fire-breathing dragon, the reason Shrek goes to save her is to persuade her to marry Farquaad and restore peace to the swamp where Shrek lives.

But later on, Shrek and Fiona develop feelings for each other, they marry and go on a honeymoon in an onion-shaped carriage. Furthermore, the film has continued to release 4 more parts, bringing in a huge box office revenue of $2.9 billion USD, with the 5th installment scheduled to be released in 2019. The film captivates viewers with its adult-oriented jokes and songs but still maintains a simple plot and humor suitable for children. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, ranked third in Bravo's '100 Funniest Movies' list, and was voted second in Channel 4's '100 Greatest Family Films' list.

Up is a computer-animated film produced and released by Pixar Animation Studios in 2009. The film tells the story of 78-year-old Carl Fredrickson living alone in his old wooden house – a place filled with memories of his late wife Ellie. One day, he decides to tie thousands of balloons to his chimney to make the house fly. From here, his adventure begins, accompanied by the young boy Russell. During their journey, they also meet two characters who later help them a lot: the dog Dug and the giant bird Kevin.

The film captivates viewers with a perfect blend of humor, adventure, and emotional depth, making it a true cinematic masterpiece. Up grossed over $723 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing Pixar film. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Score by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and received 5 Oscar nominations.

Ratatouille is a computer-animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. The film was released in the United States in 2007 and received much praise and box office success. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film along with several other prestigious awards. The main character of the film is Remy – a rat with a dream of becoming a chef.

Despite family opposition, Remy remains determined to pursue his dream. He meets Linguini, and from there, Remy begins to realize his dream. The film captivates viewers with its beautiful animation, vibrant colors, and the inspiring message that with determination and perseverance, success will come.

Frozen is a fantasy musical film that utilizes computer-animated technology. The movie, released in 2013, draws inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale 'The Snow Queen.' It tells the story of two princesses, Elsa and Anna, of the kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa possesses the magical ability to create ice and snow, but she struggles to control her powers, fearing she may harm others, especially her sister Anna. Inadvertently, Elsa plunges the kingdom into eternal winter.

To save the kingdom, Anna embarks on a journey to find her sister. Along the way, she meets and is accompanied by Kristoff – who later becomes her husband – along with his loyal reindeer Sven and the humorous snowman Olaf. The film received overwhelmingly positive critical reviews, with some critics considering it Disney's best musical animated film since the studio's Renaissance era. It grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, won 2 Oscars for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song, and received several other prestigious awards. Frozen captivates audiences with its stunning animation, compelling storyline, and humor.

Brave, also known as The Brave Princess, is a computer-animated fantasy film released in 2012. The 90-minute movie revolves around Merida, the headstrong princess of the Dunbroch clan. Refusing to accept her arranged marriage, Merida runs away and encounters a witch disguised as a woodcarver, accidentally turning her mother into a black bear.

Merida must then find a way to break the curse before the second sunrise, or it will become permanent. Despite its simple plot, the film captivates audiences with its themes of family love, particularly the bond between mother and daughter. It achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.

The Wind Rises, released in 2013, draws inspiration from Miyazaki's manga Kaze Tachinu. Set in early 1900s Japan, it follows the story of Jiro, an aircraft designer who faces numerous challenges to fulfill his dreams, intertwined with his beautiful love story with Naoko.

The most captivating moment in the film occurs towards the end when Naoko waits for Jiro in her dream, telling him, 'You must live!' This poignant scene, where Naoko gradually disappears, deeply touches the hearts of viewers. The Wind Rises became the highest-grossing film in Japan in 2013 and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film.