Rotten Tomatoes Ranks the Top 50 Animated Films of All Time

If you caught Toy Story 4 (2019) on the big screen, you likely noticed children in the crowd. However, you might have also spotted adults attending solo—perhaps you were among them. It’s widely recognized that animated films, even those targeted at kids, offer exceptional entertainment for audiences of all ages. Rotten Tomatoes declares Toy Story 4 as the greatest animated movie ever made.

The initial three entries in the Toy Story franchise also secured spots in the top 20. Rotten Tomatoes created the ranking using a weighted system that considers critics’ ratings and review counts. This explains why Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999)—both with perfect 100-percent scores—are ranked below the later films. The list challenges the notion that sequels are inferior to originals: Paddington 2 (2018), Incredibles 2 (2018), and Finding Dory (2016) all surpassed their predecessors.

While Pixar remains a dominant force in the industry, renowned for its groundbreaking animation techniques and storytelling excellence, it doesn’t claim every top position. Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) secured second place and won the 2019 Oscar for best animated feature. Disney’s timeless 1937 masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, landed in fifth place. Iconic Japanese films, such as Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away (2002) and Grave of the Fireflies (1988), also feature prominently on the list.

Explore the top 50 list below—and if you’re curious about the absence of Shrek (2001), you can locate it (along with its 2004 sequel) in the top 100 here.

1. Toy Story 4 (2019) // 97 percent
2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) // 97 percent
3. Inside Out (2015) // 98 percent
4. Coco (2017) // 97 percent
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) // 98 percent
6. Paddington 2 (2018) // 100 percent
7. Incredibles 2 (2018) // 93 percent
8. Zootopia (2016) // 98 percent
9. Up (2009) // 98 percent
10. Toy Story 3 (2010) // 98 percent
11. Toy Story 2 (1999) // 100 percent
12. Pinocchio (1940) // 100 percent
13. Finding Dory (2016) // 94 percent
14. Finding Nemo (2003) // 99 percent
15. The LEGO Movie (2014) // 96 percent
16. Moana (2016) // 95 percent
17. Toy Story (1995) // 100 percent
18. Isle of Dogs (2018) // 90 percent
19. Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) // 97 percent
20. How to Train Your Dragon (2010) // 99 percent
21. Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) // 99 percent
22. WALL-E (2008) // 95 percent
23. Dumbo (1941) // 98 percent
24. Ratatouille (2007) // 96 percent
25. My Life as a Zucchini (2017) // 99 percent
26. The Incredibles (2004) // 97 percent
27. Only Yesterday (1991) // 100 percent
28. The LEGO Batman Movie (2017) // 90 percent
29. 101 Dalmatians (1961) // 98 percent
30. Beauty and the Beast (1991) // 94 percent
31. Chicken Run (2000) // 97 percent
32. Onward (2020) // 88 percent
33. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) // 95 percent
34. Fantasia (1940) // 95 percent
35. Monsters, Inc. (2001) // 96 percent
36. Anomalisa (2015) // 92 percent
37. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) // 100 percent
38. Your Name. (2017) // 98 percent
39. The Iron Giant (1999) // 96 percent
40. Spirited Away (2002) // 97 percent
41. Song of the Sea (2014) // 99 percent
42. Tower (2016) // 99 percent
43. The Lion King (1994) // 93 percent
44. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) // 97 percent
45. Waltz With Bashir (2008) // 96 percent
46. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) // 90 percent
47. Persepolis (2007) // 96 percent
48. Yellow Submarine (1968) // 95 percent
49. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) // 95 percent
50. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) // 93 percent