62. Ice Age (2002)

Directed by: Chris Wedge

Written by: Michael Berg, Michael J. Wilson and Peter Ackerman

Starring: Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Goran Višnjić and Jack Black

Music by: David Newman

Rated: U

Set during the Ice Age, a grumpy woolly mammoth named Manny (Ray Romano) finds himself stuck in the company of Sid (John Leguizamo), an annoying ground sloth, after saving his life from angry rhinos. However, after rescuing a human infant from drowning, Manny and Sid learn from a Smilodon named Diego (Denis Leary), that the local human tribe have already migrated north, and all three decide to head there in order to return the baby. Little do Manny and Sid know, that Diego is secretly working as second-in-command for the Smilodon leader responsible for the separation, Soto (Goran Visnjic)…

Notable as the late Blue Sky Studio’s first feature film after working for years as a visual effects studio for films like Alien: Resurrection and A Simple Wish, it is shocking to watch Ice Age and see how far the sequels fell in quality as the first film is an incredibly emotional and epic animated adventure that just happens to have creatures from the Ice Age in it. 

Although the Scrat segments are really funny despite having nothing to do with the narrative, it is Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary that carry this film, with Manny’s tragic past and Diego’s redemption arc being some of the best character development arcs for the entire early 2000s animation era of the rise of CGI. Speaking of the CGI, although the animation is a bit dated even by that time as Monsters, Inc. had already done wonders with the challenge of animating fur, Ice Age still looks impressive as a first film from a new studio at the time.

Overall, Ice Age is an incredibly entertaining and heartwarming adventure that will warm the coldest of hearts and make you wonder how in hell the sequels fell so far!

Rating: 4/5

61. ParaNorman (2012)

Directed by: Sam Fell and Chris Butler

Written by: Chris Butler

Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Bernard Hill, Jodelle Ferland, Tempestt Bledsoe, Alex Borstein and John Goodman

Music by: Jon Brion

Rated: PG

Norman Babcock (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is a young outcast from the witch-obsessed town of Blithe Hallow, who has the ability to speak with the dead. When his recently deceased Uncle Prenderghast (John Goodman) gives him a task to stop a witch’s curse, Norman, along with his best friend Neil (Tucker Albrizzi), his older sister Courtney (Anna Kendrick), Neil’s older brother, Mitch (Casey Affleck) and the dim-witted bully, Alvin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) find their whole town overrun by zombies….

Although it may not be as fresh as Coraline in terms of character depth, ParaNorman is still a visual treat to look at, with a surprising twist warning of the dangers of prejudice, but not in the way you may expect with the zombies.

The throwbacks to 1980s slasher films, such as being set in a town out of touch from the rest of the world and having a cast mostly consisting of teenage stereotypes, are mostly a hit or miss. Although there are funny moments that come from this such as the Puritan zombie’s reaction to the modern world or a majority of the townsfolk being represented as even more crazy and bloodthirsty than the zombies, a lot of the humour is very low-brow and mostly goes for the easy route of stereotype humor, although both the characters of Mitch and Alvin get their moments from time to time.

What this film does better than Coraline, is having a much more stylized art style and character designs of the humans ,due to technological advancements in stop-motion and 3D printing allowing for more complex facial expressions for the characters with the most impressive being Aggie the witch, presented in all three animation forms, with stop-motion for her body, CGI for her hair and hand-drawn animation for her lightning bolts.

Overall ParaNorman is brilliant to look at, has a strong message about the consequences of prejudice and wonderful stop-motion animation to keep horror fans entertained for weeks.

Rating: 4/5

60. KPop Demon Hunters (2025) (Winner of 2025 Best Animated Feature Award)

Directed by: Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans

Written by: Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans

Starring: Arden Cho, Ahn Hyo-seop, May Hong, Ji-young Yoo, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong and Lee Byung-hun

Music by: Marcelo Zarvos

Rated: PG

For centuries, talented Korean singers have been defending humans from demons by the power of their music. The most recent ones are K-pop girl group, Huntrix, consisting of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo), who dedicate their lives to protecting their fans. However, when a dark secret from Rumi threatens to complicate their mission, things are made worse by the arrival of the Saja Boys, a demon boy band group sent by demon king, Gwi-Ma (Byung-hun Lee), as part of a new strategy to defeat them…

While people have to wait two more years to see the conclusion of the Spider-Verse trilogy, Sony Pictures Animation have at least three original films on both streaming and theatrical, to keep animation fans entertained with their new status as one of the best studios around.

The first of these, KPop Demon Hunters, is a wonderful and unique celebration of Korean culture and demon mythology, with the animated dance and fight sequences still pushing the boundaries of what animation can do. While a lot more anime inspired than Spider-Verse, directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans (director of Wish Dragon), find a way to make each sequence stand out in colour, expressive character animation and in how unapologetically comedic it is.

While one major plot twist could have been saved for the third act, it does manage to be a good message about how flaws shouldn’t be hidden in order to truly stand out, even if some of the worldbuilding of singers fighting demons could have been explored more. Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo do manage to bring so much personality to their titular singers, and the likes of Ahn Hyo-seop, Daniel Dae Kim, Ken Jeong and Byung-Hun Lee, all provide great side characters as well.

Overall, despite some messy worldbuilding that has room to be explored in a sequel, KPop Demon Hunters is another visual delight from Sony Pictures Animation, even if they may be relying too much on Netflix these days.

Rating: 4/5

59. Persepolis (2007)

Directed by: Majane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

Written by: Majane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud

Starring: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Danielle Darrieux/Gena Rowlands, Simon Abkarian/Sean Penn and Gabriele Lopes/ Amethyste Frezignac

Music by: Olivier Bernet

Rated: 12

After changing her mind on boarding a plane to Tehran, Iran, Marjane “Marji” Satrapi (Chiara Mastroianni) reflects on her life while waiting in a French airport. From her childhood being changed forever in the aftermath of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, having social freedoms removed, leaving Iran to escape the Iran-Iraq Wars and facing difficulties in both Western and Iranian environments, Marji can only rely on her beloved grandmother (Danielle Darrieux and Gena Rowlands), to help her get through this difficult period of history…

While not the first independent animated film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, Persepolis, based on a series of biographical graphic novels by Marjane “Marji” Satrapi, was the first one to be based on subject matter only for adults. While being humorous at times, this film doesn’t shy away from the awful and complex aspects of a young woman’s life in post revolution Iran.

While the pacing is poorly handled in the second act, in which a longer running time would have given Marji’s story a lot more depth, the film’s use of black and white animation, helps in both the contrast of her struggles, even when she is in a free country like Vienna. Overall, Persepolis is an important film for both detailing the struggles of Iranian women, and for opening a pathway for films like Flee, The Breadwinner and Loving Vincent to get award recognition in a category that mostly consists of family films.

Rating: 4/5

58. Treasure Planet (2002)

Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker

Written by: Ron Clements, John Musker and Rob Edwards

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, Emma Thompson, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Michael Wincott, Laurie Metcalf, Roscoe Lee Browne and Patrick McGoohan

Music by: James Newton Howard

Rated: U

In an alternative universe in which humans, aliens and robots live together in a steampunk galaxy, a young teenage boy named Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), spends his time living as a trouble-maker on the planet Montressa. One day, his life is turned upside down when, as a result of getting a spherical map from an old alien named Billy Bones (Patrick McGoohan), his mother’s (Laurie Metcalf) inn is destroyed by pirates. When it’s discovered that the map leads to Treasure Planet, the secret hideout of the legendary Captain Nathaniel Flint (Peter Cullen), Jim, along with family friend Dr. Doppler (David Hyde Pierce),hire a crew and a ship to travel there, led by the no-nonsense Captain Amelia Smollot (Emma Thompson), who assigns Jim to work as a cabin-boy with the cyborg chef, Silver (Brian Murray). As the journey progresses, Jim and Silver form a close bond with each other, despite the fact that the old cyborg has dark secrets of his own…

This science fiction retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 classic pirate novel, Treasure Island, was planned as far back as 1985, when it was suggested as a possible future animated film by Ron Clements and John Musker on the same day that the likes of Oliver and Company, The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, The Prince and the Pauper, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas were presented to Michael Eisner as part of a Gong Show. 

Rejected multiple times by Eisner and Katzenberg as Clements and Musker went on to develop Mermaid and Aladdin for Walt Disney Feature Animation throughout the years, until the latter made a deal with them to allow them to make their passion project if they agreed to direct Hercules first. Clements and Musker finally got to make Treasure Planet, which sadly became one of the biggest box-office bombs for the company, due to the mainstream audience losing interest in traditional animation, in favour of CGI at the time.

Thankfully, that does not represent the quality of the actual film as despite the fact that Disney had already adapted this story twice as their first fully live-action film in 1950 and in 1996 with the Muppets, Treasure Planet stands as the absolute best in terms of emotion, with the complicated father and son relationship between Jim and Silver being one of the best arcs of all of the Disney films.

The animation of the worlds and space is absolutely stunning and the worldbuilding revolving around this steampunk alternate version of 1883 with planets, aliens and robots is so interesting that it is easy to see why the cult-following is so massive online. Both David Hyde Pierce and Emma Thompson have adorable chemistry as the bumbling dog-man Dr. Doppler and the no-nonsense cat-lady Captain Amelia, but unfortunately Martin Short’s B.E.N. (this version of marooned shipmate of Flint, Benjamin Gunn) can be extremely annoying, even by Disney sidekick standards.

Overall, Treasure Planet stands as the most underrated Disney Animation film thanks to its original take on this classic pirate story and having one of the best father and son relationships depicted on film!

Rating: 4/5

57. Loving Vincent (2017)

Directed by: Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman

Written by: Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman and Jacek Dehnel

Starring: Robert Gulaczyk/Jochum ten Haaf, Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Saoirse Ronan, Helen McCrory, Chris O’Dowd, John Sessions, Eleanor Tomlinson and Aidan Turner

Music by: Clint Mansell

Rated: 12A

A year after the suicide of artist Vincent Van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk and Jochum ten Haaf as his voice), a postmaster named Joseph Roulin (Chris O’Dowd) sends his son, Armand (Douglas Booth), to deliver the former’s last letter to his brother, Theo (Cezary Lukaszewicz). When Armand discovers that Theo is also deceased, he decides to head for the town of Auvers-sur-Oise, the place where Vincent spent his final weeks, to ask the locals what really happened to the artist…

While a bit drawn out in some places narratively, Loving Vincent is a stunning visual experience from the animation alone. Bringing the tragic story of Vincent van Gogh’s final weeks, with the oil painting artstyle of the famous artist telling the story, was an incredible idea from directors Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, delivering an animated film unlike anything that has been seen before.

Even though it is a bit disappointing that this animation style isn’t used for much outside of dialogue sequences between rotoscoped actors, they do a fine job with the material they are given with. Armand’s character arc of learning what type of man Vincent was, does go through the motions that is expected, while the likes of Jerome Flynn, Saoirse Ronan and the late Helen McCrory, all get interesting moments as the locals who have differing opinions on Van Gogh.

Overall, Loving Vincent is a stunning visual representation of Van Gogh’s final days and fans of his work will be absolutely delighted with the respect given to his legacy. However, this new style of rotoscoping animation has the potential to be used in projects that can be fully explored in differing styles, which is becoming a missed potential over the years.

Rating: 4/5

56. Rango (2011) (Winner of 2011 Best Animated Feature Award)

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Written by: John Logan

Starring: Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Ned Beatty, Ray Winstone and Timothy Olyphant

Music by: Hans Zimmer

Rated: PG

Stranded in the Nevada desert after getting separated from his owners in a car crash, a unnamed chameleon (Johnny Depp) with a love of theatrical action and stories, ends up in Dirt, a town populated by animals living within a Western style community. After accidentally saving Dirt from a hawk attack, the town tortoise mayor, John (Ned Beatty), assigns the chameleon with the title of sheriff to investigate the dwindling water supply. Now newly renamed as “Rango”, the green reptile must gather the townsfolk on an adventure through the desert to find the truth of the water disappearance, even though he has no idea how to be a true hero and that the infamous gunslinger, Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy), is on his trail…

Quite possibly the weirdest and most unorthodox animated film to ever win the Best Animated Feature Award at the Academy Awards, Rango may not have the most original story out there, but the stunning visuals and much more darker themes, makes this something worthy of checking out.

While the animation would be later overtaken in quality by the stunning The Adventures of Tintin a few months later, the absolutely incredible background animation and cinematography of the Nevada desert, makes this film a great love letter to John Wayne and Spaghetti Westerns, with a cameo appearance from one of the most iconic characters from that era of cinema, being one of the major highlights.

Even though Johnny Depp does his usual typecast role in the role of the eccentric Rango, and Isla Fisher isn’t that interesting as love interest iguana, Beans, it is the vocal work revolving around the villains that really shines. Ned Beatty, fresh off of his success with Lotso in Toy Story 3, is great as the corrupt mayor, Ray Winstone is a lot of fun in the minor role of Bad Bill, but the true highlight is Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean co-star, Bill Nighy, as the terrifying Rattlesnake Jake, that is the best character of this film, with blood red eyes and a machine-gun tail.

Overall, with stunning visuals, strange character designs and moments of violence, murder and dark themes that actually earn its PG rating, Rango is an underrated film that deserved to end Pixar’s winning streak in this category, even though the next wins are a little questionable, as the Disney bias really started getting bad in the 2010s.

55. Toy Story 4 (2019) (Winner of 2019 Best Animated Feature Award)

Directed by: Josh Cooley

Written by: Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan and Joan Cusack

Music by: Randy Newman

Rated: U

Two years after being donated to Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw) by Andy (John Morris), Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) is given a new purpose when his new owner makes a spork named Forky (Tony Hale). During a family road trip with Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the other toys, Forky jumps out of the van and Woody leaves to go after him. However, an unexpected reunion with a toy long thought gone, Bo Peep (Annie Potts), forces Woody to realize that his future has more options than he previously thought…

Nine years after Pixar’s most iconic franchise was seemingly brought to an end with Toy Story 3 concluding the story of Andy’s relationship with the likes of Woody and Buzz, this unexpected third sequel to the first CGI animated film ever made, had a lot to live up to. Although Josh Cooley’s directorial debut does have some odd pacing issues and character development for some characters, Toy Story 4 is still a really good film on its own terms.

New faces such as Ducky (Keegan-Michael Key), Bunny (Jordan Peele) and Duke Caboom (Keanu Reeves) are really funny to watch, but the biggest highlight comes from the 1950s doll antagonist Gabby-Gabby (Christina Henricks), and how her arc subverts expectations from the likes of previous characters such as Stinky Pete and Lotso. Forky may lose importance in the overall plot by the time the second act comes, but Tony Hale’s performance makes the little spork excel in both the comedic and more tender moments.

Tom Hanks gives one of the best performances of his career as an older version of Woody desperately seeking for a purpose and although his role in the story does override some aspects of Toy Story 3, the closure of his character arc does fit in with the previously established themes of the franchise.  

However, aside from Annie Potts giving a completely different take on the Bo Peep character from the first two films, the rest of the old characters barely get any screentime. While in the case of some characters like Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles via archive recordings), is understandable due to the passing of their voice-actors, others such as Jessie barely get anything to do, with the worst example being Buzz’s dumbing down to pure comic relief.

Overall, Toy Story 4 may not have been necessary, but it is still an excellent epilogue (not anymore) and stand-alone film to one of the greatest trilogies of all time.

Rating: 4.5/5

54. The Illusionist (2010)

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet

Written by: Sylvain Chomet

Starring: Jean-Claude Donda and Eilidh Rankin

Music by: Sylvain Chomet

Rated: PG

Set in 1950s Europe, an elderly magician is struggling to keep his vaudeville magic acts relevant in an ever-changing environment. After unsuccessful gigs in Paris and London, his next performance takes him to Scotland, where a teenage girl named Alice joins with him in his desperate attempts to keep the magic alive…

A complete polar opposite of French animator Sylvain Chomet‘s comedic debut feature, The Triplets of Belleville, The Illusionist is a bleak, yet beautiful film about the dark truths of staying relevant in the entertainment industry. Adapted (very controversially) from a 1959 script written by the late French director, Jacques Tati, this emotional film serves its purpose as a tribute from a father to his estranged daughter, as shown in the sweet relationship between the magician and Alice.

While there are still funny moments to be found in the character animation and the dialogue-less physical comedy, The Illusionist doesn’t shy away from how depressing the situation that the magician and his fellow performers find themselves in. With a beautiful score by Sylvain Chomet as well, The Illusionist is a heartbreaking, yet powerful film about the fall of an entertainer.

Rating: 4.5/5

53. Nimona (2023)

Directed by: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane

Written by: Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Riz Ahmed, Eugene Lee Yang, Beck Bennett, Lorraine Toussaint, Karen Ryan and Frances Conroy

Music by: Christophe Beck

Rated: PG

In an alternate reality where medieval culture kept evolving alongside modern technology,  Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), has his future career as the first knight with a commoner background, cruelly snatched away when he is framed for murdering Queen Valerin (Lorainne Toussaint). With the whole kingdom, including his boyfriend and the descendant of the ancient heroine, Gloreth (Karen Ryan), Ambrosius Goldenloin (Eugene Lee Yang), hunting him down, Ballister is forced to team up with Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shapeshifting teenage girl, in order to clear his name. Unfortunately, Nimona’s love for destruction and mayhem makes this easier said than done…

Out of all of the more recent animated films to have come out of Netflix, none (apart from Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) have received as much attention as Nimona. Back in 2015, Blue Sky Studios, the same animation studio that created Horton Hears A Who, The Peanuts Movie, Robots and the Rio and Ice Age franchises, bought the rights to Nimona, a subversive graphic novel by RD Stevenson, that was a collection of previously published webcomics chronicling the adventures of a shapeshifting girl and a knight framed as a villain. Unfortunately, when The Walt Disney Company shut down Blue Sky Studios in 2021, the film adaptation was scrapped despite being 70% completed, another example of the terrible effects Bob Chapek’s awful time as CEO had on the company.

Thankfully, Netflix and Annapurna Pictures came on board in 2022 to salvage the project, and as a result, this fantastic finale to the legacy of the house that Scrat built, was worth the wait. While sharing a lot of plot elements with Shrek, in being set in a fantasy world with modern technology and being about two outsiders going against the world, what makes Nimona stand out, is the incredible worldbuilding and the powerful allegory for LGBT acceptance, which is desperately needed in these dark times.

While not being as violent as her comic counterpart, Chloë Grace Moretz steals the film as this delightfully twisted titular character and her shapeshifting abilities lead to some really creative fight sequences. Riz Ahmed shines as Ballister Boldheart and his relationship with Eugene Lee Yang’s Goldenlion, is so adorable and heartwarming, in spite of him being forced to track him down. The Spider-Verse animation revolution continues with Nimona’s fantastic artstyle, finally using the technology that Disney created for Paperman and Feast, to create a more painterly look to CGI, making the half-medieval, half-modern world look like a twisted Disney fairytale on steroids.

Overall, Nimona is a terrific twisted fairytale that makes one what wonder the future of Blue Sky Studios would have been like,  had they continued to exist. This fantastic film was their magnum opus, and even if the way it was shut down was unforgivable, at least they ended on a high note!

Rating: 4.5/5

71. Luca (2021)

Directed by: Enrico Casarosa

Written by: Jesse Andrews and Mike Jones

Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Jack Dylan Grazer, Emma Berman, Saverio Raimondo, Maya Rudolph, Marco Barricelli and Jim Gaffigan

Music by: Dan Romer

Rated: U

Luca Paguro (Jacob Tremblay) is a young sea monster who is bored to death with his life as a goatfish farmer with his parents Daniela (Maya Rudolph) and Lorenzo (Jim Gaffigan) and Grandmother (Sandy Martin). After spending time with a more extroverted teenage monster named Alberto Scorfano (Jack Dylan Grazer), Luca has a desire to see the world and teams up with Alberto to go to the Italian Riveria town of Portorosso and win a race to get enough money to buy a Vespa bike to travel the world. With only their human disguises and a streetsmart human girl named Giulia (Emma Berman) keeping them safe, Luca and Alberto soon discover that their ideas of a free life might be more different than expected…

Loosely based on the childhood summer days of Enrico Casarosa, a Pixar storyboard artist who directed the 2011 short film, La Luna, his first job with directing a feature film, Luca may not be the studio’s best film in terms of plot when compared to the likes of Soul, but the film’s focus on childhood friendships and love for 1950s Italian culture, makes this one of Pixar’s most heartwarming films in years.

Taking inspiration from The Little Mermaid in terms of a sea creature coming to land to live as a human(which is ironic given that Jacob Tremblay would play Flounder the Fish in Rob Marshall’s live-action remake of Disney’s 1989 film) and slice-of life Studio Ghibli films like Kiki’s Delivery Service and Ponyo, but replacing the Japanese settings with Italian ones, Luca shines the best with the latter portion of the similarities, as the background animation of the town of Portorusso and the excellent voice-acting from the likes of Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer is what makes this film truly charming to watch. However , the gender-swapped, aged-down Little Mermaid parallels such as the subplot revolving around Luca and Giulia feels a lot less interesting and does result in an extremely forced second-act breakup moment, that does shoot this film in the foot a bit. 

Overall, Luca is one of the most unique and sweet Pixar films in years in terms of character dynamics and stylised character designs. Let’s hope that if more films based on different world cultures come out of the studio, like Coco before it, they will build on this film’s foundations to expand their horizons even more now, since the disgraced John Lasseter is no longer in charge.

Rating: 4/5

70. Surf’s Up (2007)

Directed by: Ash Brannon and Chris Buck

Written by: Don Rhymer, Ash Brannon, Chris Buck and Chris Jenkins

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, Zooey Deschanel, Jon Heder, Diedrich Baker and James Woods

Music by: Mychael Danna

Rated: PG

As filmed by a documentary crew (Ash Brannon and Chris Buck), teenage rockhopper penguin, Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf) travels from Shiverpool, Antarctica to the tropical island of Pen-Gu to compete in the tenth Big Z Memorial surfing tournament. After suffering an embarrassing defeat to the current champion, Tank (Diedrich Baker), Cody discovers that Big Z (Jeff Bridges), the legendary surfer, is actually still alive and living in retirement. While Cody tries to convince Z to train him, Z decides to teach him life lessons as well…

Early on in Sony Pictures Animation’s history, there were signs that this new animation studio in the late 2000s that they had potential to be something special. While their first film, 2006’s Open Season, was basically a diet-Madagascar set in the woods, their next outing would instead be something incredibly rare in mainstream feature animation, a surfing mockumentary that featured animated characters talking to camera crews during the story, even if the characters were cartoon birds.

Even though this came out at the very end of the penguin film craze of the mid-2000s that also included Madagascar, March of the Penguins and Happy Feet, Tarzan and Toy Story 2 directors Chris Buck and Ash Brannon manage to make this surfing story really entertaining, with the documentary aspects getting the biggest laughs and most creative sight-gags.

Overall, with beautiful surfing animations, better than usual voice-acting from the likes of James Woods, Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges and an extremely funny Jon Heder as Cody’s friend, Chicken Joe, Surf’s Up was a step in the right direction for setting up not only Sony Animation’s future, but was the stepping stone towards Chris Buck creating the story of one of the most iconic Disney characters, when he returned to the studio a few years later.

Rating: 4/5

69. Corpse Bride (2005)

Directed by: Tim Burton and Mike Johnson

Written by: John August, Caroline Thompson and Pamela Pattler

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Paul Whitehouse, Joanna Lumley, Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant and Michael Gough

Music by: Danny Elfman

Rated: PG

Set in a miserable Victorian era town, Victor Van Dort (Johnny Depp) is an awkward young man who is set to be married to Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson), the abused daughter of the socially high (yet bankrupt) aristocrats, Lady and Lord Everglot (Joanna Lumley and Albert Finney). When Victor accidentally screws up the rehearsal, he is sent to practice his vows alone, where, after placing his ring on a branch, he finally says his vows correctly. However, the “branch” turns out to be the finger of Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), an undead young woman dressed as a bride, who takes Victor to the lively Land of the Dead to celebrate their “marriage”…

While not as iconic as the much more well known The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, based on a 17th century Jewish folktale that was introduced to Tim Burton as the former was wrapping up production, is notable as the director’s first animated film that he actually directed (along with Mike Johnson), rather than just produced or wrote. 

As expected from a Tim Burton film, the production design and the Gothic look of this fable are absolutely stunning to witness. The contrasting differences between the dreary land of the living and the party-filled land of the dead, is a clear love letter to Burton’s ideas about the beauty of death and being an outcast. Even though some details of the third act could have been given more time to develop, the love story between the three leads is bittersweet, yet beautifully told, with Emily the titular Corpse Bride, being one of the best characters that Helena Bonham Carter has ever done.  

Overall, with horror movie in-jokes (Love that Peter Lorre maggot), great Danny Elfman songs and a touching story about the meaning of love, Corpse Bride is one of Tim Burton’s most underrated and beautifully told films.

Rating: 4/5

68. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists/ Band of Misfits (2012)

Directed by: Peter Lord

Written by: Gideon DeFoe

Starring: Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Pivan

Music by: Theodore Shapiro

Rated: U

Winning the coveted “Pirate of the Year” award is the lifelong goal of the Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) and the rest of the crew of The Briny Rose. When an encounter with Charles Darwin (David Tennant), ends up getting the Pirates into hot water with the insane pirate-hating Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), the Captain must use all of his wit and piracy skills in order to outwit the angry queen.

Although The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists may lack the intensity or charm of Aardman’s other films, there is still a lot to like from this loose adaptation of the Gideon Dafoe book series.

Sure, the plot does feel a bit cliched at times, but  the set designs of locations such as Blood Island, the streets of London and the huge ships are some of the largest and most impressive props Aardman has ever built, even if a lot of CGI had to be used for a majority of the background animation and the sequences at sea.

As with most Aardman films, the casting keeps Aardman’s British traditions alive, with Hugh Grant, Brian Blessed, David Tennant and Brendan Gleeson just to name a few, all giving incredibly funny performances throughout.

Overall, The Pirates! should satisfy both Aardman fans and kids who love pirates, but are a bit too young for Jack Sparrow’s adventures.

Rating: 4/5

67. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker

Written by: Ron Clements, John Musker and Rob Edwards

Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard and John Goodman

Music by: Randy Newman

Rated: U

Set in 1920s New Orleans, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a hardworking young waitress who has a dream of owning her own restaurant in honour of her late father (Terrence Howard). After getting outbid shortly after finally getting enough money to buy a building to convert into a restaurant, Tiana makes a deal with Naveen (Bruno Campos), the Prince of Maldonia who has recently been turned into a frog by the Shadow Man of Voodoo, Dr. Facilier (Keith David), that in return for a kiss, he will pay for the restaurant. However, after Tiana gets turned into a frog herself, she and Naveen are forced to team up with a trumpet-playing alligator named Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) and a Cajun firefly named Ray (Jim Cummings), in order to find the mysterious Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), to turn them back to humans…

Although The Princess and the Frog ultimately did not succeed in reviving mainstream theatrical hand-drawn animation for Disney, due to being released at the same time as Avatar, this combination of two projects that Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar were developing that both used the Brothers Grimm fairytale of The Frog Prince as inspiration, is an absolutely charming and lovable start to the Disney Revival Era.

The story does get a bit too complicated at times whenever it has to explain the role of Voodoo magic in the plot and its many rules and complications, but the characters are extremely likeable and Randy Newman’s songs perfectly fit the New Orleans backdrop.

Overall, the hand-drawn animation is once again brought to life with such imagination, the songs are so catchy and despite the unfortunate implications regarding the time she spends as a frog throughout the film, Tiana stands out as one of the best leads in Disney Animation in a long time, making The Princess and the Frog an underrated gem in Disney’s library!

Rating: 4/5

66. Flee (2021)

Directed by: Jonas Poher Rasmussen

Written by: Jonas Poher Rasmussen and Amin Nawabi

Starring: Amin Nawabi, Jonas Poher Rasmussen and Kasper

Music by: Uno Helmersson

Rated: 15

Told within the viewpoint of animation, a man from Afghanistan (renamed Amin Nawabi as an alias) tells the director, Jonas Poher Rasmussen (Himself), of his life as a refugee in Moscow after escaping from Afghanistan’s fallout from the departure of the Soviets. As Amir is trying to prepare himself for a new life with his boyfriend, Kasper (Himself), he is forced to also recount how he managed to successfully get away from Moscow, to make peace with his past trauma…

Following in the footsteps of Waltz with Bashir, in being the second animated film to be nominated for Best International Film, as well as being the first one to be nominated for Best Documentary, Flee is a powerful documentary about the struggles of a refugee to find freedom, even if some of its more complex elements could have been fully explored in the form of a miniseries, rather than a ninety minute film. 

Much like two other similar examples of Best Animated Feature nominated films that focus on living in oppressive countries, Persepolis and The Breadwinner, Flee, while not as brutally tragic as those films, doesn’t shy away from the difficult reality that refugees go through, passing from one oppressive regime into another, before they can finally find somewhere safe to live.  While some of the changing animation styles do clash with the pacing, Flee’s greatest strengths lie in the bond between Amin and his family, and in Uno Helmersson‘s haunting score.

Overall, Flee may lack some of the emotional devastation of the two previous films that dealt with the same subject matter. However, this powerful true story is one that needs to be told to help people understand the troubles that refugees face on a daily basis.

Rating: 4/5

65. My Life as a Courgette/ Zucchini (2016)

Directed by: Claude Barras

Written by: Céline Sciamma, Claude Barras, Germano Zullo and Morgan Navarro

Starring: Gaspard Schlatter/Erick Abbate, Sixtine Murat/Ness Krell, Paulin Jaccoud/Romy Beckman and Michel Vuillermoz/Nick Offerman

Music by: Sophie Hunger

Rated: PG

In modern day Switzerland, a young boy nicknamed “Courgette” (Gaspard Schlatter and Erick Abbate) is taken to a children’s home after he accidentally kills his mother (Natacha Koutchoumov and Susanne Blakeslee) in self defence when she tried to physically attack him. While Courgette adapts to his new life among the other children, the arrival of Camille (Sixtine Murat and Ness Krell), another abused child, gives Courgette an opportunity to help her out…

Far shorter and much less complicated than other Best Animated Feature nominees, My Life as a Courgette (or Zucchini in the USA and Australia), is a charming little stop-motion film about the lives of abused children finding sanctuary in foster care. Based on a 2002 French book by Gilles Paris, this film doesn’t shy away from the disturbing circumstances regarding the reasons why some children are placed into care, in spite of most of the violence happening off screen.

However, the film also shows one of the few instances of positive film depictions of foster homes, which is shown with the bond between the children and the adults in charge, with the titular Courgette’s bonds with a sympathetic police officer (Michel Vuillermoz and Nick Offerman), getting the most heartwarming moments alongside his relationship with Camille.

Overall, while the stop-motion designs are a bit too distracting for this kind of story and the short length does prevent some of the other kid characters to get development apart from the “frenemy” role of Simon (Paulin Jaccoud and Romy Beckman), My Life as a Courgette is a charming and heartwarming film about the bonds of children, regardless of backgrounds.

Rating: 4/5

64. When Marnie Was There (2014)

Directed by: Hiromasa Yonebayashi

Written by: Masashi Ando, Keiko Niwa and Hiromasa Yonebayshi

Starring: Sara Takatsuki/Hailee Steinfeld, Kasumi Arimura/Taylor Autumn Bertman, Hana Sugisaki/Ava Acres, Hitomi Kuroki/Vanessa Williams and Ryoko Moriyama/Kiernan Shipka and Catherine O’Hara

Music by: Takatsugu Muramatsu

Rated: U

Anna Sasaki (Sara Takatsuki and Hailee Steinfeld) is a lonely 12-year old girl, who is sent to spend the summer holidays with relatives of her foster mother, Yoriko (Nanako Matsushima and Geena Davis), after suffering an asthma attack at school. Feeling depressed due to a lifetime of repressed feelings, Anna soon befriends a mysterious girl named Marnie (Kasumi Arimura and Kiernan Shipka), who is constantly appearing and disappearing around her  abandoned mansion…

Although his career at Studio Ghibli ended up being shorter than expected, Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s second and final film for the company, before he would establish his own Studio Ponoc, would be one with a fitting tone for the company’s haitus that would last until 2021. This emotional take on Joan G. Robinson’s 1967 novel, When Marnie Was There, hits all the right moments for being a powerful friendship story between two young girls.

With a far more detailed animation style and in spite of some pacing issues, When Marnie Was There is still a great female friendship story and a celebration of love and life.

Rating: 4/5

63. The Wind Rises (2013)

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Hideaki Anno/ Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Miori Takimoto/ Emily Blunt, Hidetoshi Nishijima/ John Krasinski, Masahiko Nishimura/ Martin Short, Morio Kazama/ William H. Macy, Keiko Takeshita/ Edie Mirman, Mirai Shida/ Mae Whitman, Jun Kunimura/ Mandy Patinkin, Shinobu Otake/ Jennifer Grey and Nomura Mansai/ Stanley Tucci

Music by: Joe Hisashi

Rated: PG

Ever since he was a child, Jiro Horikoshi (Hideaki Anno and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has dreamed of becoming an airplane designer. As he grows up during Japan’s path that will eventually lead them to their loss in World War II, Jiro ends up working for the Mitsubishi company, takes advice from a spiritual version of his idol, Giovanni Battista Caproni (Mansai Nomura and Stanley Tucci), and falls in love with a terminally ill woman named Nahoko Satomi (Miori Takimoto and Emily Blunt)…

Part-biopic of Japan’s chief engineer of aircraft during WWII, Jiro Horikoshi, part-adaption of a Hayao Miyazaki manga based on his life, and partly taking inspiration from Tatsuo Hori‘s The Wind has Risen, it is easy to see why the iconic Studio Ghibli director, at one point, wanted to make The Wind Rises as his final film, as it is a wonderful tribute to Miyazaki’s passion for flight.

In spite for the incredibly disturbing implications that Jiko’s inventions eventually caused during the war, this film is strongest when focused on his personal life and his dream sequences. While she may not have existed in real life, Nahoko’s love story with Jiko is incredibly emotional and leads to a very powerful ending. While the animation is as beautiful as ever, The Wind Rises truly shines in the fantasy sequences, in which Jiko interacts with a spiritual version of Italian flight legend, Giovanni Battista Caproni.

Overall, while it ultimately didn’t end up being the swan song for Miyazaki as expected, The Wind Rises is still a moving story about the positives and negatives of innovation.

Rating: 4/5

81. Big Hero 6 (2014) (Winner of 2014 Best Animated Feature Award)

Directed by: Don Hall and Chris Williams

Written by: Jordan Roberts, Robert L. Baird and Daniel Gerson

Starring: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Waynes Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, James Cromwell, Maya Rudolph and Alan Tudyk

Music by: Henry Jackman

Rated: PG

In a universe where the cities of San Francisco and Tokyo have merged together to “San Fransokyo”, Hiro Harmada (Ryan Potter) decides to give up bot-fighting and invent something to win a place at his brother Tadashi’s (Daniel Henney) science university. However, after he wins the competition with “Microbots”, Tadashi ends up dying in a fire. When Hiro learns that the tragedy might not have been an accident, he teams up with his brother’s classmates and even Tadashi’s own project, a personal healthcare robot named Baymax (Scott Adsit), to become superheroes and find out what really happened..

Despite being the first (very loose) Marvel adaptation for Walt Disney Animation Studios, the superhero aspect in Big Hero 6 suprisingly feels like an afterthought in this adorable story about coping with loss. Although many films like The Iron Giant have done this type of story to death, Baymax’s unique personality and his overall goal to try and cure Hiro of his depression due to his programming, makes him one of the most heartwarming Disney characters in a long time.

Although the villain’s identity is extremely easy to guess and the other characters such as the neat-freak Wasabi (Damon Waynes Jr.), the nerdy Fred (T.J. Miller) and the badass Gogo Tomago (Jamie Chung) don’t get enough character development, this great film shines the best in its impressive world-building with the combined city of San Fransokyo and the impressive gadgets on display here.

Overall, Big Hero 6 might not have been the epic superhero debut for Walt Disney Animation Studios in the way that The Incredibles did for Pixar a decade before, but the creative worldbuilding, the heartwarming story and Baymax’s adorable nature has helped in making this one of the Disney Revival era’s better films.

Rating: 4/5

80. I Lost My Body (2019)

Directed by: Jérémy Clapin

Written by: Jérémy Clapin and Guillaume Laurant

Starring: Hakim Faris/ Dev Patel, Victoire Du Bois/ Alia Shawkat and Patrick d’Assumçao/ George Wednt

Music by: Dan Levy

Rated: 12A

Shortly after getting severed in a freak accident, a living hand embarks on a journey to find its human, a pizza-delivery man named Naoufel (Hakim Faris and Dev Patel) who, through a series of flashbacks, tries to impress Gabrielle (Victoire Du Bois and Alia Shawkat), a librarian,while he struggles with his own life…

Out of all of the countries that have contributed towards animation history, France, along with Germany has provided the most important contributions towards the medium such as the invention of the praxinoscope and early pioneers such as Émile Cohl and Ladislas Starevich are notable for the likes of Fantasmagorie and The Tale of the Fox, which predated Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by several years, in terms of feature-length animated films.

This latest example of French Animation, I Lost My Body, working in the foot (or hand) prints of The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist, is an emotional visual experience that cleverly uses the perspective of a severed hand in order to create beautiful sequences, while also maintaining its own quirky sense of humour throughout the hand’s numerous escapades.

Although the over-reliance of rotoscoped animation has not aged well in terms of character design , I Lost My Body is still an emotionally powerful film that showcases the strength of independent cinema.

Rating: 4/5

79. Onward (2020)

Directed by: Dan Scanlon

Written by: Dan Scanlon, Jason Headley and Keith Bunin

Starring: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer.

Music by: Mychael and Jeff Danna

Rated: U

In a universe in which fantasy creatures such as trolls, gnomes, fauns and centaurs abandoned the use of magic in favour of modern technology, two elf brothers named Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), inherit a magical staff belonging to their late father, Wilden (Kyle Bornheimer). Using a spell intending to bring him back for twenty-four hours, Ian messes it up by only bringing back his legs. Now Ian and Barley must embark on an epic quest to find a Phoenix Gem, the crucial ingredient for fixing the spell…

As Pixar Animation Studios enters a new era without the disgraced animation pioneer, John Lasseter, the first of two films that was set to come out in 2020 has a lot to prove to see if the studio that brought toys to life, looked into the working lives of monsters under the bed  and took audiences on epic journeys from the skies of South America to the depths of the ocean, can survive without his involvement.

Dan Scanlon, fresh off his over-hated directorial debut with 2013’s Monsters University, brings back the originality and clever world-building that made people love Pixar during their 2000s heyday. While the concept of fantasy creatures living in a modern day environment has been done before with Netflix’s Bright and several animated shows, the jokes revolving around deconstructing fantasy stereotypes actually work in the story’s message about finding magic in everyday life. 

Although the roadtrip plot doesn’t break any new grounds in terms of narrative risks, the characters of Ian and Barley are extremely likeable and Chris Pratt and Tom Holland have excellent chemistry together, while the subplot revolving around their mother (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) teaming up with a friendly Manticore (Octavia Spencer), also has its fair share of fun as well.

Overall, Onward may not be the best animated film out there, but the worldbuilding, fun characters and the heartwarming story is why Pixar can still make an impact, even as they, like Ian and Barley themselves, are prepared to move “Onward” to continue their quest for animation success!

Rating: 4/5

78. Isle of Dogs (2018)

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Written by: Wes Anderson

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Koyu Rankin, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, Kunichi Nomura, Tilda Swinton, Ken Watanabe, Akira Ito, Greta Gerwig, Akira Takayama, Frances McDormand, F. Murray Abraham, Yojiro Noda, Fisher Stevens, Mari Natsuki,Nijiro Murakami, Yoko Ono, Harvey Keitel, Frank Wood and Courtney B. Vance

Music by: Alexandre Desplat

Rated: PG

As a result of an outbreak of dog-flu, the cat-loving Mayor of Megasaki City (Kunichi Nomura) exiles all of the city’s dogs to Trash Island, a wasteland polluted by smog and litter. However, his 12-year old nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin), is heartbroken to have been forced to part with his beloved friend Spots (Liev Schreiber), and builds a plane to fly to the island. When he crashes there, he ends up meeting Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex (Edward Norton), King (Bob Balaban), Boss (Bill Murray) and Duke (Jeff Goldblum), five dogs who agree to help him find Spots and to find out the truth about Megasaki’s dog-hating craze….

Paying tribute to the films of Akria Kurosawa in its sweeping cinematography and Japanese backgrounds, Wes Anderson’s second animated film after his excellent 2009 adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, is one of the most visually stunning films out there, even when compared to Anderson’s other films, with several shots of Akira and the dogs walking across the wastelands looking as stunning as a David Lean film.

This film manages to deliver in both Wes’s deadpan humour, especially in the visual gags alone and his skill at creating a large amount of quirky and memorable characters that his fans have come to expect from his filmography is still present with the likes of Tilda Swinton, F. Murray Abraham and Scarlett Johansson all getting a chance to make their character’s memorable despite not having much screen-time. Isle of Dogs is more akin to something like Watership Down or The Snowman in how the relationship between humans and dogs is developed, especially in the character development of Chief and the conflicts he has with his friends due to him being a stray who never went through the traumatic experience of the other dogs being forcibly separated from their humans.

As with Fantastic Mr. Fox, the use of stop-motion is breath-taking as like that film, everything from the character animation to the smoke and even the water is so beautifully animated, one could even argue that it even rivals the anime genre with how interesting Japan looks in this film. However, some of the cultural appropriation criticisms are valid, even if the film was supposed to be about the dogs, and the entire subplot regarding the character of American exchange student, Tracy Walker (Greta Gerwig), could have been cut entirely.

Overall, Isle of Dogs is a true testament to the possibilities of animation and is one of the best Wes Anderson films out there that will be worth watching as a double-bill with Fantastic Mr. Fox. Apart from some questionable aspects, Kurosawa would be proud of this achievement, Anderson-san.

Rating: 4/5

77. Anomalisa (2015)

Directed by: Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson

Written by: Charlie Kaufman

Starring: David Thewlis, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Tom Noonan

Music by: Carter Burwell

Rated: 15

Set in the mid 2000s, a depressed customer service agent and motivational speaker named Michael Stone (David Thewlis), sees everyone around him with the same face and voice (Tom Noonan), hating how he cannot see anything unique about people. When attending his book promotion in Cincinnati, he suddenly finds a unique voice in the form of Lisa (Jennifer Jason Leigh), an insecure young woman, who he dubs “Anomalisa”, but he struggles to overcome his perspective on the world…

Some may feel that this story’s photorealistic stop-motion was unnecessary for this type of film apart from one dream sequence, as the puppets are so realistic that one wonders whether directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson should have just done this in live-action. However, Anomalisa, based on Kaufman’s short play, is still an incredibly interesting and emotional experience for being one of the first Best Animated Feature nominees to be R-Rated, along with 2011’s Chico and Rita.

Being incredibly honest about relationship toxicity and how depression can effect a person’s view on the world, Anomalisa uses its story to showcase the complexities of Fregoli delusion, which is made more impressive at how serious it takes this subject matter, in spite of Tom Noonan’s voice popping out of every supporting character.

Overall, even though the puppets can look unintentionally creepy at times, Anomalisa is still a powerful experience that shows off Charlie Kaufman’s ability to tell great stories about emotionally mature and complex narratives in his filmography.

Rating: 4/5

76. The Triplets of Belleville/ Belleville Rendez-vous (2003)

Directed by: Sylvain Chomet

Written by: Sylvain Chomet

Starring: Monica Viegas, Béatrice Bonifassi, Lina Boudreault and Michel Robin

Music by: Ben Charest

Rated: 12

Madame Souza (Monica Viegas) is an elderly woman who trains her grandson, Champion (Michel Robin), to become the best cyclist in France. When Champion is kidnapped by the French Mafia during the Tour de France, Souza, along with her obese dog, Bruno, follow them to America. Now, Souza must rely on the help of the Triplets of Belleville, a group of retired entertainers and singers, if she ever hopes to save her grandson…

Being the first independent film to have been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, as well as the feature directorial debut of Sylvain Chomet, who would go on to higher success with European animation, The Triplets of Belleville is a charming and funny experience.

Being almost completely muted on spoken dialogue, the character animation and use of pantomime is what makes this film so lovable. While the CGI and some of the close-up human designs leave a lot to be desired, the antics of these four elderly women are really funny and creative.

Overall, The Triplets of Belleville is worth watching if one is looking for a great example of European animation, as well as for anyone looking for some light-hearted fun.

Rating: 4/5

75. Arco (2025)

Directed by: Ugo Bienvenu

Written by: Ugo Beinvenu and Félix de Givry

Starring: Oscar Tresanini/ Juliano Krue Valdi, Margot Ringard Oldra/ Romy Fay, Swann Arlaud/ Mark Ruffalo, Alma Jodorowsky/ Natalie Portman, Vincent Macaigne/ Will Ferrell, Louis Garrel/ Andy Samberg and William Lebghil/ Flea

Music by: Arnaud Toulon

Rated: PG

In the future of 2075, humans protect their homes from environmental damage with retractable bio-domes and rely on the help of robots to help them with daily tasks. A young girl named Iris (Margot Ringard Oldra/ Romy Fay), soon meets a boy in a rainbow cloak named Arco Dorell (Oscar Tresanini/ Juliano Krue Valdi), that tells her that he is from the even further future of 2932, where he and his family live in the clouds and use their cloaks to fly and travel through time. As Iris and Arco grow closer,with the help of Iris’s family robot, Mikki (Ugo Bienvenu/ Mark Ruffalo and Natalie Portman), they soon set out to get Arco back home, while a group of eccentric brothers named Dougie (Vincent Macaigne/ Will Ferrell), Stewie (Louis Garrel/ Andy Samberg) and Frankie (William Lebghil/ Flea), pursue them with their own knowledge about Arco’s family…

The second independent European animated film nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2026 Academy Awards, much like Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, is another film that is designed to replicate Japanese anime cinema, along with being a new take on the E.T story, as shown in the titular character’s motivations.

However, for his first time directing, Ugo Bienvenu does a fantastic job in making the world of Arco, so interesting and unique, with the biodomes of 2075 and the sky villages of 2932, looking as stunning as something from Studio Ghibli. While some of the English dubbing, especially from Will Ferrell and Andy Samberg as several comic relief antagonists can get very distracting, Arco shines the best in its friendship story between Arco and Iris, even if the character design is very stiff for a film like this. However, the best elements come from the robot characters, with the robot butler, Mikki in particular, getting some of the best moments from his dedication towards Iris and her family, and is a rare example of the dubbed voice-acting being better than the original version, with the voices of Mark Ruffalo and Natalie Portman (who also voice Iris’s parents), being used to give this robot, much more hidden depths.

Overall, despite the character designs of the humans not looking great and needing a better build up to an unexpectedly emotional twist in the ending, Arco is a very beautiful looking film, with interesting worldbuilding of the consequences of the future and a very sweet friendship story between two children from different times.

Rating: 4/5

74. The Secret of Kells (2009)

Directed by: Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey

Written by: Fabrice Ziolkowski

Starring: Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Christen Mooney, Mick Lally, Michael McGrath, Liam Hourican, Paul Tylak and Paul Young

Music by: Bruno Coulais and Kila

Rated: PG

Set in 9th century Ireland, Brendan (Evan McGuire) is a young monk who is constantly getting into trouble with his strict uncle, Abbot Cellach (Brendan Gleeson). When the famous monk, Brother Aiden (Mick Lally), arrives at the Abbey of Kells to warn the monks of Viking invasion, he forms a friendship with Brendan and asks him to help him finish his greatest creation, the Book of Kells. Together with a mischievous forest fairy named Aisling (Christen Mooney), Brendan must venture beyond the abbey and learn about Irish mythology if he ever hopes to accomplish his task…

The debut feature of Irish Animation Studio, Cartoon Saloon, which is also the first instalment in an unofficial trilogy that celebrates the country’s folklore and culture, is fantastic just on visuals alone. While a bit short and slightly slow paced when compared to the other two films in this series, The Secret of Kells is still one of the best debut features for any new animation studio.

Both Brendan and Aisling are adorable protagonists, the worldbuilding around this fictional version of the creation of the Book of Kells is filled with respect for Irish mythology, and as mentioned before, the animation is absolutely stunning, with the Ghibli, Richard Williams and Disney influences making this version of medieval Ireland, absolutely beautiful and mysterious.

Overall, The Secret of Kells is an epic and beautiful experience, even if Cartoon Saloon’s later films are slightly better.

Rating: 4/5

73. Mirai (2018)

Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda

Written by: Mamoru Hosoda

Starring: Moka Kamishiraishi/ Jaden Waldman, Haru Kuroki/ Victoria Grace, Gen Hoshino/ John Cho, Kumiko Aso/ Rebecca Hall, Mitsuo Yoshihara/ Crispin Freeman, Yoshiko Miyazaki/ Eileen T’Kaye, Kōji Hashimoto/ Victor Brandt and Masaharu Fukuyama/ Daniel Dae Kim

Music by: Masakatsu Takagi

Rated: PG

Kun Ota (Moka Kamishiraishi and Jaden Waldman) is a four year old boy living a happy life with his parents and dog, until a new baby sister, Mirai, arrives. With his life suddenly changing, Kun finds himself prone to temper tantrums. However, unlike most toddlers of his age, every time Kun gets upset about something, he ends up going on life changing adventures with alternate and future versions of his family, including a human version of his dog, Yukko (Mitsuo Yoshihara and Crispin Freeman), a younger variant of his mother (Kumiko Aso and Rebecca Hall), and most importantly, a teenage version of Mirai (Haru Kuroki and Victoria Grace), who tries to teach him life lessons about growing up…

As of 2024, Mirai is the only non-Studio Ghibli anime film to ever be nominated for Best Animated Feature, as well as the first nomination for a long deserving new face of Japanese Animation, Mamoru Hosoda. The likes of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars and the outstanding Wolf Children all deserved to have gotten more recognition in their years, and while this is not his best film, Mirai still keeps the love of genuine human relationships that fans have loved about his work.

While the animation is absolutely stunning, especially in Kun’s adventures with the alternative reality and past and future versions of his family, the main narrative feels like a collection of shorts for a miniseries, rather than a full length narrative about coming of age. Also, while his behaviour is realistic in four year olds, Kun’s angry tantrums can be incredibly annoying for some people who aren’t prepared for it, even when he learns lessons. However, as expected from Hosada, the ending is so heartwarming that it makes the experience worth it.

Overall, while Hosada’s long wait for an Oscar nomination ended by going to one of his lesser works, Mirai is still a cute and visually stunning little adventure that pays tribute to the legacy of family bonds and love.

Rating: 4/5

72. The Sea Beast (2022)

Directed by: Chris Williams

Written by: Chris Williams and Nell Benjamin

Starring: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Kathy Burke, Jim Carter, Doon Mackichan and Dan Stevens

Music by: Mark Mancina

Rated: PG

Set in a time in which sailors and sea captains worldwide fought against sea monsters, the greatest of all of these is the crew of The Inevitable, led by Captain Crow (Jared Harris), his loyal first mate Sarah Sharpe (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and his adopted son, the brave sailor Jacob Holland (Karl Urban). When on a mission to win a bet from the King (Jim Carter) and Queen (Doon Mackichan) to capture the Red Bluster, the greatest sea monster of all, a series of events lead to Jacob being stranded on an island along with his biggest fan, an orphaned girl named Maisie (Zaris-Angel Hator). The only hope of survival, is for Jacob and Maisie to bond with the Red Bluster itself, or Red as Maisie names it, in order to get back home…

Despite having a string of bad luck regarding layoffs, film cancellations and shady studio politics in the last few months, it is not wise to completely give up on Netflix Animation yet, as movies like Klaus, Over the Moon and I Lost My Body have all been great ones so far. This latest effort from former Disney animator, director and writer, Chris Williams, who previously co-directed Bolt, Big Hero 6, Moana and served as the voice of the quirky shopkeeper, Oaken in the Frozen franchise, is possibly the closest thing to an animated Pirates of the Caribbean film with a dash of How to Train Your Dragon thrown in for good measure.

The Sea Beast may not be the most surprising animated film of the year, but this epic sea adventure surprisingly tones down a lot of the jokes that one would expect from a mainstream animated film aimed for families, the relationship between main characters Jacob and Maisie is far more down-to-earth. While the message is predictable, the way it is executed is far more realistic and emotional as it does address that in order to stop prejudice, one needs to properly understand the history behind conflicts and realise that not everyone on one side is either good or evil, which is really impressive.

With incredible animation, an epic score as expected from the likes of Tarzan and Brother Bear composer Mark Mancina, and some of the most interesting characters in mainstream American animation for a while, The Sea Beast is a great animated adventure that shows that with the right people, Netflix Animation can still be one of the greats!

Rating: 4/5

90. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki

Written by: Hayao Miyazaki

Starring: Chieko Baisho/Emily Mortimer, Jean Simmons, Takuya Kimura/Christian Bale, Akihiro Miwa/Lauren Bacall, Tatsuya Gashuin/Billy Crystal and Ryunosuke Kamiki/Josh Hutcherson

Music by: Joe Hisaishi

Rated: U

Set in a steampunk universe where humans interact with wizards, witches and demons, a young hat seller named Sophie (Chieko Baisho, Emily Mortimer when young and Jean Simmons when old), ends up getting cursed by the jealous Witch of the Waste (Akihiro Miwa and Lauren Bacall), after the former gets the attention of the handsome sorcerer, Howl (Takuya Kimura and Christian Bale). With the body of an elderly woman, Sophie soon finds herself employed as a cleaning lady on Howl’s unique home, a gigantic castle that has the ability to walk across the lands. However, while Sophie tries to get the curse lifted with the help of Howl’s friends, a boy named Markl (Ryunosuke Kamiki and Josh Hutcherson) and a living flame demon named Calcifer (Tatsuya Gashuin and Billy Crystal), she soon discovers that Howl’s involvement in preventing a massive war, is putting her newly formed family at risk…

While a massive financial and critical hit when it was first released in 2004 and 2005, Howl’s Moving Castle, in spite of also being nominated for the 2005 Best Animated Feature Award, has fallen under a new wave of criticism over the years, regarding the massive changes to its source material and the lack of focus in its narrative.

Despite being the first Studio Ghibli film to be based on works outside of Japan, with the 1986 novel of the same name coming from British author Diane Wynne Jones, Hayao Miyazaki wanted to use the book’s basic structure and characters, to tell a much more direct anti-war story, venting his massive hatred for the 2003 Iraq conflict. While the attempts to cram this into a film that also wants to be a fantasy adventure does lead to some weird pacing issues, Sophie’s arc of empathy does get some of its best moments when using this theme.

While the animation and music is fantastic as usual for a Miyazaki film, Howl’s Moving Castle is an overall lesser experience when it comes to worldbuilding and in keeping its message subtle, when compared to his other films. Even though the love story is still sweet and Sophie’s companions all have lovable personalities.

Rating: 3.5/5

89. Boy and The World (2013)

Directed by: Alê Abreu

Written by: Alê Abreu

Starring: Vinicius Garcia, Felipe Zilse, Alê Abreu, Lu Horta, Marco Aurélio Campos and Cassius Romero

Music by: Ruben Feffer and Gustavo Kurlat

Rated: N/A

Cuca (Vinicius Garcia) is a young boy who lives a happy life with his parents in the forest. When his father is forced to leave his home for work, Cuca decides to go after him to make his mother happy again, where a chance meeting with an elderly and young man, will lead the young boy to witness both the highs and lows of city life…

Alê Abreu‘s second animated film was the first South American animated film to get nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, as well as a major success in several film festivals in two years preceding its nomination. Despite the simplicity of the drawing-like animation style, Boy and the World does tell a surprisingly bleak story about how capitalism can destroy dreams in certain countries.

While a lot of the characters are not memorable, the relationship between the boy and his two adult companions does have its sweet moments, especially in a major plot twist near the ending. Even though the decision to have the characters speak in backwards Portuguese does feel distracting, the best moments lie in the silent ones in which Cuca and the others are looking at the city’s background.

Overall, Boy and the World is both a cute, yet depressing film about the dark side of South America, from the eyes of a young boy.

Rating: 4/5

88. Over the Moon (2020)

Directed by: Glen Keane

Written by: Audrey Wells

Starring: Cathy Ang, Phillpa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Margaret Cho and Sandra Oh

Music by: Steven Price

Rated: U

Fei Fei (Cathy Ang) has spent her life believing in the legends of the moon goddess, Chang’e (Phillipa Soo), as her late mother (Ruthie Ann Miles) told her the stories while she was alive. When she finds out that her father, Ba Ba (John Cho), is going to remarry, Fei Fei builds a makeshift rocket and heads to the moon to ask Chang’e to stop the marriage…

One of the most iconic names throughout modern animation history has been Glen Keane, a Disney animator best known for designing some of the most iconic characters in Disney’s history such as Ariel in The Little Mermaid, The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, the titular characters in Pocohantas, Aladdin and Tarzan, and Rapunzel in Tangled. After leaving the company after 37 years of work, he has since moved on to directing Oscar-nominated shorts such as Duet and Dear Basketball and now, after being forced to vacate his original spot as director on Tangled due to ill health, he finally gets to direct his first ever feature film along with Paperman director John Khars. 

Taking inspiration from the Chinese legends of Chang’e the moon goddess, Over the Moon is a charming film that, like the other offerings from Pearl Studios, the Chinese animation studio best known for co-producing Kung Fu Panda 3 and Abominable for DreamWorks Animation, pays great respect to Chinese culture through its character designs and background animation.

Although the narrative oddly enough, seems to take a large chunk of inspiration from the 1985 cult classic Explorers, with the tone shifting in a completely random way in its narrative, the late Audrey Wells does manage to keep things focused on a young girl’s emotional journey to let go and move on, and as expected from Glen Keane, the animation is incredible to look at.

Overall, Over the Moon is a wonderful space adventure for the whole family that celebrates not only the importance of letting go, but the power of animation as a story-telling medium, that only a great ex-Disney animator can provide!

Rating: 4/5

87. A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019)

Directed by: Richard Phelan and Will Becher

Written by: Mark Burton and Jon Brown

Starring: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes and Amalia Vitale

Music by: Tom Howe

Rated: U

After an alien sighting occurs near Mossy Bottom Farm, the whole town gets caught up in paranormal mania. However, the alien turns out to be a friendly baby one named Lu-La (Amalia Vitale), with an appetite for pizza and sweets.  When circumstances lead to Lu-La crossing paths with Shaun the Sheep (Justin Fletcher), it’s up to him, Bitzer the Dog (John Sparkes) and the rest of the flock to get the young alien back home…

As everyone’s favourite British animation studio, Aardman, heads into the world of theatrical sequels to their feature films for the first time, it is no surprise that the first one to come out of the Bristol studio would be a follow-up to 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie, given how popular the tv show, spun off from the 1995 Wallace and Gromit short, A Close Shave , is in England. 

Just like the first film, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon keeps the tradition of not having any of the characters talk intact from the series, leading to some very amusing highlights of physical comedy. Although the plot itself is your typical E.T. scenario of the protagonist trying to get an alien back home before the government can seize it, the execution of it is what makes this film worth watching, with the aforementioned lack of dialogue and some brilliant sci-fi gags making this one of Aardman’s funniest films in years.

Overall, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon is another winning effort from Aardman Animations and definitely not a “baaaaaad” start to making sequels.

Rating: 4/5

86. Turning Red (2022)

Directed by: Domee Shi

Written by: Julia Cho and Domee Shi

Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Orion Lee, Wai Ching Ho, Tristan Allerick Chen and James Hong

Music by: Ludwig Göransson

Rated: PG

During 2002, in the streets of Toronto, Canada, a fiery and wisecracking Chinese-Canadian girl named Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang), lives an extremely busy, yet happy life with her friends Miriam (Ava Morse), Abby (Hyein Park) and Priya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) at school, and trying to be a perfect daughter for her overprotective mother, Ming (Sandra Oh). One day, Mei gains the ability to transform into a giant red panda every time she gets excited, as a result from inheriting it as her family’s curse. While her parents instruct her to wait for a special ceremony to remove her ability, she slowly soon starts to realise that being a giant fluffy creature has more advantages than disadvantages in life…

Ever since John Lasseter was removed from Pixar Animation Studios after his bad habits and sexism was revealed in late 2017, the company behind the likes of Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles have been trying to embrace projects with much more diverse appeal than what was allowed in the 2000s and the majority of the 2010s. Pixar veteran director and current CEO of the company, Pete Docter brought African-American audiences to the heartwarming Soul, Enrico Casarosa did a fantastic job celebrating his childhood days in the Italian Riveria with Luca and in the last instalment of their unofficial “Disney+” trilogy, the director of Pixar’s 2018 theatrical short Bao, Domee Shi, brings her own childhood stories in Toronto to life with Turning Red.

Despite the fact that this film is the most bizarre one ever made by the studio with the main focus on a visual metaphor for female puberty as a giant red panda, may have caused Disney to get worried about mass appeal to audiences, Turning Red is one of the funniest films to have come out of Pixar in a long time based on facial expressions and wacky character animation alone.

After years of films embracing 1980s and 1990s culture, it is refreshing to see one that is a celebration of 2000s popular iconography, the golden age of the boy band and anime fandom. Speaking of anime, Turning Red’s already mentioned facial expressions and action sequences take a lot of visual inspiration from the likes of Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, especially with the bonkers finale that is the perfect representation of tough love.

As this film managed to keep its director all the way through production unlike the chaotic and tragic incidents revolving around Brenda Chapman and Brave, Turning Red does admittedly share a lot of plot elements from that film, only set in a more modern setting and being a role-reversal of the transformed relative. However, the heartwarming plot twists does make this a lot more focused than that troubled production.

Overall, Turning Red is a very different experience when compared to Pixar’s other filmography examples, but it is still extremely entertaining and heartwarming in its celebration of the 2000s and being true to yourself!

Rating: 4/5

85. Missing Link (2019)

Directed by: Chris Butler

Written by: Chris Butler

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana, David Walliams, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Timothy Olyphant, Amrita Acharia, Ching Valdes-Aran and Emma Thompson

Music by: Carter Burwell

Rated: PG

Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman), a down-on-his-luck explorer, gets a big break when he receives a letter guiding him to the location of a Sasquatch. However, when Lionel finally discovers the creature, he discovers that the talking and well-mannered “Mr. Link” (Zach Galifianakis) sent the letter himself to ask him to take him to the Himalayas to find his own kind. Together, with the help of Lionel’s former flame, Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana), both man and beast must travel the world to find out where they truly belong…

Ten years after their first film, Coraline, Laika Animation have established themselves as one of the best stop-motion animation studios alongside Aardman, thanks to their emotional stories,  memorable characters and pure love for the art of animation.

Missing Link, the second film coming from the co-director of their 2012 film, Paranorman, Chris Butler, may lack some of the twists and emotional plot elements that made that film and Kubo and the Two Strings so amazing. However,as an entertaining action-adventure, it does work as a charming story about belonging.

Laika’s dedication to creating beautiful worlds and character animation is on full display here, thanks to the globetrotting aspect. From the streets of Victorian London, the jungles of India, the deserts to an Ice Kingdom of Yetis, the amazing set and production design makes one glad at how far Laika has come in improving their animation skills.

Zach Galifianakis and Hugh Jackman make an entertaining double-act with the former’s polite nature despite his fearsome appearance getting some of the biggest laughs and while they may be the weakest antagonists in Laika’s filmography, both Stephen Fry and Timothy Olyphant’s characters get some chuckles as villains.

Overall, Missing Link may not be Laika’s best film, but the beautiful animation, funny characters and its touching message about belonging, makes this one of the most charming animated films in a long time.

Rating: 4/5

84. The Croods (2013)

Directed by: Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco

Written by: Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Cloris Leachman and Clark Duke

Music by: Alan Silvestri

Rated: U

The Crood family consisting of Grug (Nicolas Cage), Eep (Emma Stone), Ugga (Catherine Keener), Thunk (Clark Duke), Sandy (Randy Thom) and Gran (Cloris Leachman) are a group of cavemen who spend their lives hiding in a cave, only going out to hunt food. After Eep, being a lot more adventurous than her family, encounters a modern human boy named Guy (Ryan Reynolds), he warns her that an apocalypse is coming. When an earthquake destroys the cave, the Croods are forced to rely on Guy’s new inventions in order to find a new home…

Starting life as an Aardman Animations film in which two cavemen would form a rivalry over the best way to adapt to the changing world that would have been written by John Cleese and be loosely based on Roald Dahl’s The Twits, the project that would eventually become The Croods was kept by DreamWorks after Aardman ended their partnership over the poor box-office performance of Flushed Away.

Eventually taken over by Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon director Chris Sanders and given a complete overall in tone and visual design, The Croods may not be the best film to have come out of the ex-Disney animator, but the heart and humour of those films is still present in how the lesson of adapting to change is presented. 

Having incredible background animation,much like Sander’s previous film with DreamWorks in 2010 thanks to the involvement of Roger Deakins, The Croods is possibly the most interesting in terms of worldbuilding thanks to the Avatar: The Last Airbender-inspired creature designs of blending two separate animals into one, such as Chunky the Macauw-Tiger and Douglas the Crocodile-Dog. The voice-acting is mostly solid, with Emma Stone being one of the best female protagonists in design alone with Eep, and Ryan Reynolds bringing his usual charm as the smarter cave-boy, Guy, even if Nicolas Cage does seem a bit miscast here.

Overall, The Croods is an epic and heartwarming film that may not be as good as Stitch and Toothless’s adventures, but does manage to evolve into its own thing, just like the family themselves.

Rating: 4/5

83. Incredibles 2 (2018)

Directed by: Brad Bird

Written by: Brad Bird

Starring: Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Vowell, Huckleberry Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Brad Bird and Jonathan Banks

Music by: Michael Giacchino

Rated: PG

Three months after Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Helen Parr/ Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Lucius Best/ Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) defeated Syndrome, a failed attempt to arrest the Underminer (John Ratzenburger) results in the public turning against superheroes again and the Superhero Relocation Program being shut down. Luck changes overnight for the family however, when Winston (Bob Odenkirk) and Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keener), the sibling owners of a telecommunications company that used to support superheroes in the past, offer them the chance to get the superhero ban overturned. The only catch however, is that only Helen is allowed to take superhero missions before the ban gets overturned, while Bob is forced to become a stay-at-home dad with his three kids. But when Helen encounters a new villain named “ScreenSlaver” and Bob discovers that baby Jack-Jack is finally starting to show his powers, can The Incredibles come together once again to save the world?…

Of all of the recent sequels that have come out of Pixar Animation Studios throughout the 2010s, none had been more anticipated than the sequel to Brad Bird’s 2004 superhero masterpiece, The Incredibles. Being the first Pixar film to focus entirely on humans and the first Pixar film to win two Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing, this film is remembered fondly for finally getting humans to look good in CGI, the unforgettable characters and its heartwarming story about a superhero family. Coming off the first film’s cliffhanger ending where the family suited up to take on the mole-like Underminer, Brad Bird once again brings the world of The Incredibles to life with its stylish Bond-like 60’s-utopia look and stunning action setpieces that look as if they were lifted from a spy movie poster of that time period.

Although the role-reversal plot of Elastigirl doing super-heroics while Mr. Incredible is stuck at home does repeat a few plot elements from the first film and the overall narrative lacks the powerful themes of the importance of doing the right thing, being forced into conformity and the consequences of refusing to offer someone help that made the first film one of Pixar’s greatest, the interactions between the family themselves and the futher worldbuilding revolving around superheroes that survived Syndrome’s genocide, and the changing realationship between the public and supers, is what prevents Incredibles 2 from falling to the same traps that the Cars sequels fell into. The villain however, is not as impressive as Syndrome as its not only another twist-villain that has been done to death in most of Disney and Pixar’s films in the last few years, but one that anyone can see coming a mile away which does make one wonder if the writers are even trying with these types of characters anymore.

The voice-acting is once again great, with Holly Hunter getting to show a more playful, fun-loving side to Elastigirl and Craig T. Nelson getting the biggest laughs as the homebound Bob has to deal with a destructive baby, Violet’s boyfriend troubles and Dash’s confusing homework routine. Brad Bird himself and Samuel L. Jackson once again steal the show as a more motherly Edna Mode and a more involved Frozone and the talented Bob Odenkirk brings a delightful charm as the super-loving businessman, Winston.

Overall, Incredibles 2 had a difficult task in trying to live up to expectations after fourteen years of waiting, but aside from a few issues in the narrative and a really weak villain, This “Incredible” follow-up is well worth the wait and another win for the great Brad Bird, although it does lack the intensity of the original.

Rating: 4/5

82. Frozen (2013) (Winner of 2013 Best Animated Feature Award)

Directed by: Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

Written by: Jennifer Lee

Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad and Santino Fontana

Music by: Christophe Beck

Rated: PG

In the Norwegian kingdom of Arendelle, two young princesses named Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), are torn apart by the latter’s unexplained powers to control ice and snow. When Elsa is finally crowned queen as they come of age, an accident ends up exposing her abilities and she runs away from home, unaware that she is causing a literal storm in the kingdom. Anna leaves to find her with the help of a ice salesman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his beloved reindeer, Sven and Olaf (Josh Gad), a snowman born from Elsa’s abilities to find her before Arendelle ends up as an icicle…

Although Walt Disney Animation Studios had adapted Hans Christian Anderson stories into animated projects before with The Little Mermaid, The Steadfast Tin Soldier segment in Fantasia 2000 and the 2006 Little Match Girl short, The Snow Queen was proving to be a massive challenge. Failed attempts to bring this icy tale to the screen in the 1940s, 1990s and early 2002, eventually led to Tarzan director Chris Buck and Wreck-it Ralph writer, Jennifer Lee, to change it, into one of the biggest successes of the company in the 2010s decade.

The background of the snow covered Norse locations and the palace itself looks stunning thanks to the influence of Pocahontas art director Michael Giaimo. Although people are sick to death of the songs these days, some of them such as Let it Go and Frozen Heart, do have a nice energy to them while others drag the film down.

Although some of Frozen does admittally have some interesting ideas and twists on the Hans Christian Anderson source material, a lot of the conflicts feel rushed which isn’t surprising given its production history. However, the likability of the characters of Anna, Kristoff, Elsa and even Olaf, and the impressive widescreen cinematography, does make Frozen feel as large and epic as The Lion King two decades earlier. 

Overall, Frozen‘s impact to Disney’s recent successes is impressive, but the film itself is seriously lacking elements that made the films of this new era stand out from the crowd. However, as the film is now over a decade old, a lot of the nitpicking has died down, and much like The Jungle Book, it has become a timeless tale on its own terms.

Rating: 4/5

100. Happy Feet (2006) (Winner of 2006 Best Animated Feature)

Directed by: George Miller

Written by: George Miller, John Collee, Judy Morris and Warren Coleman

Starring: Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Anthony LaPaglia, Magda Szubanski and Steve Irwin

Music by: John Powell

Rated: U

All emperor penguins in Antarctica are expected to win their mates over with a “love song”. Mumble (Elijah Wood), the chick of the best singing penguins in Emperor Land, Mephias (Hugh Jackman) and Norma Jean (Nicole Kidman), however has a horrible singing voice, but can instead tap-dance his way to happiness. After being thrown out of his colony when the bigoted Elder (Hugo Weaving) blames him for the fish disappearing, Mumble and his Adele penguin companions, led by the suave Ramón (Robin Williams), must journey across the snowy wastelands to find the source of the lack of food..

Notable throughout the animation community as one of the few animated films in 2006 that was actually better than average throughout that terrible year for animation, Happy Feet may not have aged well in terms of predictability and originality, but the outstanding animation and huge musical setpieces make this penguin tale worth re-releasing in IMAX 3D (even if Over the Hedge and Flushed Away also deserved the nomination.)

Not much else to say about George Miller’s first foray into animation, Happy Feet may feel like a overblown extended music video at times, but it’s clear that his style of directing and cinematography did manage to make this film stand out in such a weak year, despite its predictability and the questionable voice-acting.

Rating: 3.5/5

99. Brave (2012) (Winner of 2012 Best Animated Feature)

Directed by: Brenda Chapman and Mark Andrews

Written by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi

Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson

Music by: Patrick Doyle

Rated: PG

In the era of Medieval Scotland, Princess Merida (Kelly Macdonald), the first born child of the rulers of the Dunbroch clan, Fergus (Billy Connolly) and Elinor (Emma Thompson), is desperate to decide her own fate with her bow and arrow and her love for adventure. After falling out with her mother when she disrupts an event designed to choose her a husband, Merida makes a deal with a woodcarving witch (Julie Walters) for a spell to “change” her mother’s mind.  However, when the spell has an unexpected side effect, it is up for Merida to save her entire kingdom from this curse…

Brave may have problems with plot consistency and tonal differences between the first and second acts of this troubled production, but the stunning background animation of medieval Scotland and the respectful presentation of Scottish myths and legends such as the wisps, are interesting concepts for Pixar’s first fairytale fantasy film. While both Merida and Elinor are very unlikable at times, the former’s character design makes her stand out as one of Disney and Pixar’s most unique looking protagonists, while the latter’s bear antics are the rare comedic moments that actually work. 

Even if she wasn’t able to bring her full vision to life due to Lasseter’s bad behaviour, Brenda Chapman’s touching story about mother-daughter relationships is still heartwarming to see,even if the humour is weaker this time around, especially with the terrible slapstick.

Overall, this is not Pixar’s finest film, but Brave still hits its target in the right spot in this mother and daughter story.

Rating: 3.5/5

98. Elemental (2023)

Directed by: Peter Sohn

Written by: Kat Likkel, John Hoberg and Brenda Hsueh

Starring: Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Catherine O’Hara

Music by: Thomas Newman

Rated: PG

In a universe inhabited by anthropomorphic living elements of Water, Earth, Fire and Air, Ember Lumen (Leah Lewis), a young fire woman, is training to take over her father, Bernie’s (Ronnie del Carmen) store, the Fireplace. When Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), a friendly water man and pipe inspector, accidentally gets sucked into the store’s piping systems, Ember convinces him to try and persuade his boss, Gale (Wendi McLendon-Covey), to allow the store to remain open. However, as both Ember and Wade start exploring the environment of Element City, they both realise growing feelings for each other and for the former, that her dream may be different than what she expected…

As Pixar Animation Studios is slowly, but surely, working hard to bring audiences back into cinemas after the poor performance of Lightyear and the Disney+ trilogy of Soul, Luca and Turning Red, supporting their original content is more important than ever. Before the company prepares new Toy Story and Inside Out sequels to support their finances, director and long-time Pixar voice actor Peter Sohn, brings out his most personal project yet, Elemental, a film inspired by his family’s lives in 1970s New York as immigrants. 

Being the first Disney and Pixar project to be focused entirely on romance since Walt Disney Animation Studios’s Tangled in 2010, Elemental’s love story between the fire element, Ember and the water element, Wade, may not be as powerful and emotional as WALL-E’s, but both the character animation and the voice-acting of Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie does make them both entertaining characters in their own right. However, the film’s marketing could have emphasised the subplot of the difficulties that immigrant families face when living in a city, which is where the usual Pixar emotional moments run strongest here, especially in Ember’s relationship with her father.

While people have made jokes about Pixar’s over-reliance on the “what if objects had feelings” formula that has been used successfully in Toy Story, Cars and Monsters, Inc., the different districts of the fire, earth, water and air districts of Element City, do lead to the usual creativity and charm that the studio knows how to do. After doing such a good job with WALL-E and both Finding Nemo and Dory, Thomas Newman once again does a fantastic job with the score.

Overall, Elemental does at times feel like a Pixar film on autopilot,  but this studio still has the skills that make people laugh, cry and cheer, even in their lesser films, and this film is no exception. While it’s no Spider-Verse, it is still a great film for all ages!

Rating: 3.5/5

97. Bolt (2008)

Directed by: Chris Williams and Byron Howard

Written by: Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams

Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton and Greg Germann

Music by: John Powell

Rated: PG

Bolt (John Travolta) is a White Shepherd dog with incredible powers such as a superbark, laser-vision and superspeed that he uses to protect his owner Penny (Miley Cyrus) from the clutches of the evil Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell)………at least, that is what he was bred to believe in, as both are actually stars of the world’s most expensive television show. When filming a cliffhanger episode for the first time, Bolt gets accidentally shipped to New York and is forced to rely on the help of a sarcastic alley cat named Mittens (Susie Essman) and a crazy fanboy hamster named Rhino (Mark Walton), in order to get back to Hollywood…

Bolt has a lot of plot elements lifted from the likes of Homeward Bound, Toy Story and The Truman Show and admittedly Chris Sanders’s original concept for this story about a TV dog learning about the harshness of reality; American Dog, which involved the Nevada desert and a radioactive rabbit, sounded a bit more interesting than what we got from future Disney Revival mainstays Chris Williams and Byron Howard. 

However, the impressive painterly style CGI, John Powell’s epic score and the more emotional moments regarding character development is more than enough evidence of the good things that John Lasseter brought to the struggling Disney studio to lift it into the era it is in now such as good storytelling and likable characters, regardless of his more questionable acts during his time there. 

Bolt may be a less-interesting version of Toy Story, But it is still an overall good film that would lead to bigger and better films for the house that Walt built…..

Rating: 3.5/5

96. Elio (2025)

Directed by: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina

Written by: Julia Cho, Mark Hammer and Mike Jones

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Brandon Moon, Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett

Music by: Rob Simonsen

Rated: PG

Elio Solis (Yonas Kibreab), a young lonely boy raised by his Air Force Major Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña), desperately wants to be abducted by aliens to fill in for the absence of his deceased parents. When his dream comes true after he is mistaken for Earth’s ambassador by the alien residents of the Communiverse, a galaxy where aliens share their ideas, Elio soon finds himself getting involved with a conflict with the warlord, Grigon (Brad Garrett), which gets more complicated when he ends up befriending the warlord’s much friendlier son, Glordon (Remy Edgerly)…

With the future of original animated features on the line, as in a post-COVID box office environment, sequels, prequels and IP based films are the only ones that can turn a profit due to choosier audiences, Pixar Animation Studios is currently focusing less on originality than planned due to most of their films in the 2020s being sent straight to streaming, or underperforming in the box office in the case of Lightyear and Elemental.

Although new sequels to Toy Story, The Incredibles and Coco are on the way in the aftermath of the success of Inside Out 2, Pixar still had three original films coming out, with the first of these, Elio, being one of the most interesting projects, due to it’s publicity regarding the production issues.

Originally planned for release in early 2024 from Coco co-director, Adrian Molina, an original sci-fi alien film loosely based on his childhood experiences in living at a military base and eventually, becoming a student in animation, with the titular character’s new life among friendly aliens being a metaphor for this,  huge problems with the story caused it to be delayed for a year, with Turning Red director Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who directed the first Sparkshort film, Burrow, taking over.

While some of the changes are obvious, including the awkward way Elio’s mother was reworked into his aunt, Elio still manages to preserve Molina’s story, while also being a fun sci-fi family film, that has the usual Pixar heart that people love about their films. Much like how Pixar depicted the Buzz Lightyear elements of the Toy Story franchise and how they created a stunning romance in a Close Encounters-style world in WALL-E, Elio’s more insect based look for the aliens in the Communiverse, does make this more cartoony worldbuilding, look very appealing and colourful. While more risks could have been done with Elio’s self contained journey, as it is obvious that the film was supposed to end in a completely different way, it does have the right amount of heart and newcomer Yonas Kibreab does give him a lot of personality.

Overall, in spite of having odd pacing and underdeveloped themes as a result of the heavy retooling that it went through, Elio is a very entertaining and funny film that only Pixar know how to provide, with fantastic animation and likeable characters.

Rating: 3.5/5

95. Frankenweenie (2012)

Directed by: Tim Burton

Written by: John August

Starring: Charlie Tahan, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Atticus Shaffer and Winona Ryder

Music by: Danny Elfman

Rated: PG

Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan), a young boy who loves filmmaking and science, is devastated when his only friend, a bull terrier named Sparky, is killed in a car accident. Inspired by an electrical experiment shown to him by his mysterious science teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau), Victor manages to bring his dog back to life through science. But when his classmates find out about Sparky’s revival, they decide to try the experiment themselves with disastrous results…

This feature-length update of one of Tim Burton’s earliest films, a 1984 short which acted as an animal parody of James Whale’s 1931 classic Frankenstein where a boy brings his dog back to life, does look beautiful production-wise as expected from a Tim Burton film. However, most of the main characters from Victor himself to his parents (Catherine O’ Hara and Martin Short) and the owner of Sparky’s Bride of Frankenstein-like poodle love-interest, Elsa Van Helsing (Winona Ryder), lack the depth that’s usually prominent in Burton’s filmography.

However, for fans of the classic horror and monster genres, Frankenweenie is a visual delight. From the Vincent Price-like Science teacher Mr. Rzykruski, the classmates resembling classic horror icons like the Boris Karloff lookalike, Nassor (also Martin Short), and the Igor-like class snitch E’Gore (Atticus Shaffer) and the other monster pets referencing everything from the Classic Universal Monsters, to Gamera and even Gremlins, any fan would love pointing out every reference.

Overall, Frankenweenie is an entertaining love-letter to Tim Burton’s favourite genres, but the overreliance on these visual jokes may have had a negative effect on the main story of a boy and his dog, as the original short’s charm is not that focused on here.

Rating: 3.5/5

94. The BoxTrolls (2014)

Directed by: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi

Written by: Irena Brignull and Adam Pava

Starring: Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan and Simon Pegg

Music by: Dario Marianelli

Rated: PG

Set in 1896, the cheese-loving residents of Cheesebridge, Norvenia, live in constant fear of the Boxtrolls, small creatures who live underground, due to them being accused of abducting a child known as “The Trubshaw Baby”. In truth, the Boxtrolls are friendly creatures who have secretly been raising the child, Eggs (Issac Hempstead Wright), as a Boxtroll himself. When Egg’s adoptive father, Fish (Dee Bradley Baker), is captured by Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley), a ruthless pest exterminator desperate to enter into Cheesebridge’s White Hat Society and eat cheese all day long, despite being allergic to it, Eggs is forced to team up with Winnie (Elle Fanning), the daughter of the mayor, Lord Portley-Rind (Jared Harris), in order to save Fish and the rest of the Boxtrolls from death…

Being Laika’s first animated film not related to the horror genre, The Boxtrolls, like Coraline before it, has a very unique visual style with the fictional world of Cheesebridge and drawing heavy inspiration from the likes of Jules Verne’s Victorian settings,costume design and steampunk weaponry, while also promoting ingenuity and diversity. This is represented with the titular Boxtrolls using items to build underground villages and the antagonist, Archibald Snatcher uses items to destroy them, with the most impressive prop being Snatcher’s steampunk tank, all done without CGI.

The voice-acting is also amusing with Ben Kingsley, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade and Tracy Morgan standing out as Snatcher and the Boxtrolls exterminators, Trout, Pickles and Gristle. The latter three steal the show with their thoughts on if they are heroes or not, and the former has an obsession with cheese, despite the fact that he has horrible allergic reactions to it, that the animators exploit with gruesome delight.

However the narrative itself of Eggs learning that he is not a Boxtroll and trying to fit into the human world does have a bit too many similarities to Tarzan that it becomes really predictable at times and the twist about the fate of a certain character thought to be dead doesn’t really have much of an impact as it should have, although Elle Fanning does give the character of Winnie some energy with her funny lust for gruesome stories.

Overall, along with an amusing social commentary of class division with the “White Hats and Red Hats”, The Boxtrolls may not be Laika’s finest, but it still works as a charming fantasy story.

Rating: 3.5/5

93. Puss in Boots (2011)

Directed by: Chris Miller

Written by: Tom Wheeler

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris

Music by: Henry Jackman

Rated: U

Long before he met Shrek and Donkey, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) lived life as an outlaw on the run in the desert regions of the fairytale universe. When an opportunity to redeem his disgraced reputation comes in the form of magic beans, Puss must team up with his childhood friend, Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis), and Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), the most successful literal cat-burglar, in order to steal the beans from the evil Jack (Billy Bob Thornton) and Jill (Amy Sedaris) and use them to grow a beanstalk to a legendary treasure…

Set apart from the Shrek saga in the change of tone from parody comedy to action/adventure and the setting from modern day European medieval to towns and deserts of the Wild West, Puss in Boots despite taking a nosedive in quality in the last act, does manage to succeed in being better than the last two Shrek sequels.

Antonio Banderas does manage to bring a more emotional take on the popular DreamWorks feline, while also still using the cat gags that everyone loves from the Shrek films. Both Zach Galifianakis and Salma Hayek give surprisingly more complex personalities than most of their previous roles, especially the former, even if some of the plot twists in the third act do feel rushed. While more could have been done with the Jack and Jill characters, the slightly more intense animation and more stylistic character designs, does help Puss in Boots feel like a completely different experience to the rest of the franchise.

In narrative and character development alone and the fact that it ended up being incredibly successful on its own right, Puss in Boots makes one wish that Dreamworks would give this charming feline, his own film series in the vein of Indiana Jones or Pirates of the Caribbean, which has finally happened in 2023, after years of delays.

Rating: 3.5/5

92. Cars (2006)

Directed by: John Lasseter

Written by: Dan Fogelman, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft, Kiel Murray, Phil Lorin and Jorgen Klubien

Music by: Randy Newman

Rated: PG

In an alternate universe where living automobiles and vehicles became the dominant species on Earth, a rookie race car named Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson), has quickly risen to the ranks of top racer when he ends up tying for first place with current champion The King (Richard Petty) and a selfish cheater named Chick Hicks (Michael Keaton) in the Annual Piston Cup Championships. While on the way to a tie-breaker race in California that will decide the winner, Lightning gets separated from his trailer Mack (John Ratzenberger) and ends up accidentally destroying the road of a small American town of Radiator Springs. Sentenced to community service by the grumpy Town Judge Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) and law attorney Sally Carrera (Bonnie Hunt), Lightning starts to learn about the values of small-town life from the residents, including a dim-witted tow truck named Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) and the benefits in detours from life….

Of all of the groundbreaking hits produced by the studio that revolutionised CGI in mainstream animated films Pixar Animation Studios, the Cars franchise is one of their most successful in terms of merchandising, but it is also their most despised one critically. While not being outright panned, these films get a lot of slack by most critics and animation buffs for not pushing the medium like Toy Story did or telling the most complex or interesting stories like a majority of their output in the 2000s. But when taken on its own terms, the first film is still pretty great entertainment.

Lightning McQueen’s arc of learning to slow down in life and appreciating small-town life may be a tad predictable, but the (disgraced) John Lasseter’s love of Americana and car culture makes his journey and the anthropological car-world pleasing to look at in terms of the production and character design, even if this world raises so many questions that creepy people on YouTube and Deviantart have tried to figure out.

The Radiator Springs residents, despite being based almost entirely on ethnic stereotypes, are all likeable characters, with the late Paul Newman’s Doc Hudson getting the best character development as a former racer turned Doctor who has to deal with his past when another racer turns up to his town. Randy Newman’s score also fits both the exciting racing action in the first and third acts and the more intimate country-based environment of Route 66 and Radiator Springs.

Overall, Cars may not be a groundbreaking film, but it is still a very good Pixar film with creative worldbuilding and a heartwarming, yet simple plot.

Rating: 3.5/5

91. A Cat in Paris (2010)

Directed by: Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol

Written by: Alain Gagnol

Starring: Dominique Blanc/Marcia Gay Harden, Bernadette Lafont/Anjelica Huston, Bruno Salomone/ Steve Blum, Jean Banguigui/ JB Blanc and Oriane Zani/ Lauren Weintraub

Music by: Serge Besset

Rated: PG

In the streets of Paris, Dino is a cat who has a busy double life. One as a loving companion to a young girl named Zoé (Oriane Zani and Lauren Weintraub) who has recently lost her father in a murder, the other as a helpful partner to a sneaky, yet kind-hearted burglar named Nico (Bruno Salomone and Steve Blum). However, Dino and his two humans soon find themselves drawn together in one fateful night, when they must stop Victor Costa (Jean Benguigui and JB Blanc), a petty, yet ruthless gangster responsible for Zoé‘s father’s death, from pulling off the greatest heist in France..

The subject of animated films revolving around cats in Paris, France, has been a popular one for the likes of Disney with The Aristocats and Warner Bros. with Gay Purr-ee, but it was this charming French film that did something different with this scenario, as it’s not a musical and the cat doesn’t talk.

While Disney themselves had an idea in the early 2000s for an animated film about a cat getting involved in a Alfred Hitchcock-style mystery with the cancelled Fraidy Cat, A Cat in Paris takes this idea and adds in some European charm, in order to make the story highly entertaining. With the visual look of a living European comic book, and the reliance on physical comedy rather than dialogue (at least, in the original French version), the film’s short length helps in keeping the adventure of Dino and his two different owners really simple and easy to follow.

Overall, while not having the most interesting mystery and the villains being a little too incompetent to be truly threatening, A Cat in Paris is a lovable and funny crime caper, about the beauty of Paris and the secret life of cats.

Rating: 3.5/5

My Letterboxd account: https://boxd.it/etRn

Marvel Films from 20th Century Fox (2000-2024)

X-Men (2000)

Although the X-Men, a group of people with supernatural abilities fighting against human prejudice and radicals within their own ranks, had been around since 1963 as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it wasn’t until the highly successful 1992 animated series from Fox Kids, that made the likes of Wolverine, Magneto, Professor X and Jean Grey, household names on par with Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. While attempts has been made to bring Marvel’s “Merry Mutants” to the big screen since the 1980s, from Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron and Joss Whedon, it wasn’t until the success of Blade that made 20th Century Fox reconsider the potential of reviving the superhero subgenre, and, along with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the first X-Men film is credited for kickstarting the superhero domination of twenty first century cinema.

Since the dawn of mankind, a secret section of humanity, ones that have additional abilities when compared to regular humans, have come to be known as “mutants” and are constantly mistreated by bigotry and violence. In modern times, the mistreatment of mutant kind has gotten so bad, that they have divided themselves into two groups under two of the most powerful members of their kind. The X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), seek to protect and educate humans to accept them, while The Brotherhood, led by Xavier’s former ally, Magneto (Ian McKellen), seek to eliminate humanity in revenge. When two recently discovered mutants, a young girl named Marie/Rogue (Anna Paquin) with the ability to absorb life forces, and a gruff ageless brawler named Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) who has retractable metal claws and a healing factor, catch the attention of Magneto, it is up for the likes of Cyclops (James Marsden), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Storm (Halle Berry), to help them find their purpose in life,,,

In spite of the huge deviations from the source material, including the infamous black leather outfits, downplaying important characters such as Cyclops and Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) and the character of Rogue being her, but in name only when compared to the animated counterpart, the latter does make sense for the story’s theme of isolation, given that her ability to suck the life out of everything she touches. 

The rest of the casting, aside from a bored looking James Marsden and a completely miscast Halle Berry as Storm, is absolutely spot on. Both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are absolutely show-stealing as two bitter enemies with opposing viewpoints, but deep down, they deeply respect and care for each other. However, it is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine that is truly the best thing about this film. While a lot less crass than his animated counterpart, Hugh manages to get the gruff, violent and funny aspects of this Canadian brawler with metal claws, completely right, leading to an incredibly powerful career.

Overall, X-Men has not aged well in a lot of places, especially given the limited scope, the dated CGI effects and the awkward rushed script. However, as one of the most important films in the history of Super Hero cinema, it deserves a lot of respect for its legacy alone, even if the sex offender director doesn’t deserve any recognition.Although the X-Men, a group of people with supernatural abilities fighting against human prejudice and radicals within their own ranks, had been around since 1963 as created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, it wasn’t until the highly successful 1992 animated series from Fox Kids, that made the likes of Wolverine, Magneto, Professor X and Jean Grey, household names on par with Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. While attempts has been made to bring Marvel’s “Merry Mutants” to the big screen since the 1980s, from Kathryn Bigelow, James Cameron and Joss Whedon, it wasn’t until the success of Blade that made 20th Century Fox reconsider the potential of reviving the superhero subgenre, and, along with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the first X-Men film is credited for kickstarting the superhero domination of twenty first century cinema.

In spite of the huge deviations from the source material, including the infamous black leather outfits, downplaying important characters such as Cyclops and Sabretooth (Tyler Mane) and the character of Rogue being her, but in name only when compared to the animated counterpart, the latter does make sense for the story’s theme of isolation, given that her ability to suck the life out of everything she touches. 

The rest of the casting, aside from a bored looking James Marsden and a completely miscast Halle Berry as Storm, is absolutely spot on. Both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are absolutely show-stealing as two bitter enemies with opposing viewpoints, but deep down, they deeply respect and care for each other. However, it is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine that is truly the best thing about this film. While a lot less crass than his animated counterpart, Hugh manages to get the gruff, violent and funny aspects of this Canadian brawler with metal claws, completely right, leading to an incredibly powerful career.

Overall, X-Men has not aged well in a lot of places, especially given the limited scope, the dated CGI effects and the awkward rushed script. However, as one of the most important films in the history of Super Hero cinema, it deserves a lot of respect for its legacy alone, even if the sex offender director doesn’t deserve any recognition.

Daredevil (2003)

In the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York, Matt Murdock (Ben Affleck), a lawyer blinded in an accident during his childhood, defends the innocent in the courtroom by day and punishes the guilty by night, as the masked vigilante, Daredevil. When a mysterious woman named Elektra (Jennifer Garner) enters his life, Matt becomes torn between pursuing her or committing to his duty, but the actions of criminal overlord, The Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and a deadly assassin named Bullseye (Colin Farrell), threatens to destroy all they hold dear…

Created in 1964 by Stan Lee and Bill Everett as a way of giving blind people their own superhero, Daredevil quickly became one of Marvel’s most popular characters, appearing in numerous 90s animated shows and the 1989 television film, The Trail of the Incredible Hulk as a guest character. For his first big screen debut, it took a few trade offs between 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures, before one was finally greenlit in response to the success of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man.

While most of its best elements can be found in the superior director’s cut, Daredevil is still not that bad as an origin story for the Man without Fear. While the second act’s depiction of the Elektra and Bullseye Sagas from the source material is very rushed, the actors, such as Ben Affleck’s Matt Murdock, Jon Favreau’s entertaining Foggy Nelson and the late Michael Clarke Duncan’s take on the Kingpin, are all really great, with the best actor being Colin Farrell’s insane performance as Bullseye. 

While the CGI is still not very good even by early 2000s standards, Daredevil, even if it has been completely overshadowed by the 2015 Netflix series reboot, is an overall, underrated experience that doesn’t deserve the fate it got. The spin-off, on the other hand…

X2: X-Men United (2003)

When an attack on the White House by an unknown mutant (Alan Cumming), reignites hate against mutantkind from humans, the President of the United States (Cotter Smith), hires the scientist, William Stryker (Brian Cox), to launch a raid on Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and his School for Gifted Youngsters. With Xavier and Cyclops (James Marsden) kidnapped, the remaining X-Men split into two groups: Storm (Halle Berry) and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) will find the mutant, identified as Nightcrawler, while Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Rogue (Anna Paquin), Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Pyro (Aaron Stanford), will make an alliance with Magneto (Ian McKellen) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), to rescue the kidnapped mutants. However, things get complicated when it is revealed that Stryker was the one responsible for Wolverine’s creation…

Upping the ante in every single way from the first film, X2: X-Men United may still lack some of the intensity and epic scope of the animated series’s best moments. However, for this more realism-based approach to Marvel’s Merry Mutants, it does work in greater expansion of the themes of genocide and prejudice, which is greatly shown with William Stryker being one of the cruelest and most sadistic characters of this series, in spite of him not having mutant abilities, with Brain Cox giving such a great performance.

While it is disappointing that Patrick Stewart doesn’t get a lot to do, being a prisoner for a majority of the running time, it is almost comical how badly treated Cyclops was treated in these films. Thankfully, the rest of the cast, old and new, all get their chance to shine. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine finally comes to terms with his origins, Rogue and Iceman, the latter a minor character in the first film, get really interesting arcs, especially in the heartbreaking scenes where he gets rejected by his parents for being a mutant and Ian McKellen and Rebecca Romijn make for an entertaining double act as Magneto and Mystique. Alan Cumming makes for a great Nightcrawler and Aaron Stanford’s Pyro gets an interesting arc of him falling for Magneto’s philosophy.

Overall, while still having some questionable CGI and some questionable treatment of certain characters, X2: X-Men United is a fantastic improvement on the first film’s limited scope and uses it’s more human story to its full advantage, in showing how far humans and mutants are willing to go.

Elektra (2005)

Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner), previously Daredevil’s girlfriend and thought to have been assassinated by Bullseye, has been brought back to life, by a martial arts master named Stick (Terence Stamp). While she has flunked in his training and now works as a bounty hunter, Elektra has a change of heart when she ends up befriending the targets of her next assignment, a girl named Abby Miller (Kirsten Prout) and her father, Mark (Goran Višnjić). This action soon attracts the attention of her employers, an evil organisation of ninjas known as “The Hand”…

Regarded, along with DC’s Catwoman, as one of the reasons why female led superhero films have had such a hard time taking off until 2017’s Wonder Woman, this spin-off of 20th Century Fox’s 2002 Daredevil film, had a lot of potential in bringing Frank Miller’s iconic take on Elektra in his 1980s stories, to life. While Jennifer Garner, returning from the 2002 film, is trying her best with the material given to her, Elektra’s poor script and pacing issues are some of the worst of the 2000s era of superhero cinema.

In spite of the obvious whitewashing, Terence Stamp does a good job as fan-favourite character, Stick, even if his connection to Daredevil is not present. The same can not be said for Kristen Prout and Goran Višnjić‘s bland supporting roles, and despite the fact that the Hand is one of the most popular villain groups in Marvel history, the likes of Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, are given almost nothing to do, despite Will Yun Lee’s Kirigi, making for a potentially interesting character.

Overall, Elektra is slightly saved from being labelled as one of the worst comic book films ever made, by the performances and some of the action. Everything else, is a cut too far, even when done with ninja weapons.

Fantastic Four (2005)

Dr. Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) and his best friend and bodyguard, Ben Grimm (Michael Chiklis) convince the uptight CEO of Vom Doom Industries, Victor (Julian McMahon), to fund an ambitious mission to his space station and study cosmic energy, While on the station however, a freak accident with cosmic rays, transforms Reed, Ben. Victor’s chief researcher, Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), and her little brother, the reckless Johnny Storm (Chris Evans), into superpowered beings. With Reed gaining the ability to stretch his body, Sue getting invisibility, Johnny becoming a living Human Torch and Ben permanently becoming a giant grumpy rock monster, the former tries to find a cure for them. This is made more complicated when the public starts treating them as superheroes and Victor slowly starts to transform himself into  a ruthless steel monster named Doctor Doom…

After the infamous 1994 Roger Corman film that never got officially released, and a few false starts from Chris Columbus and Raja Gosnell, a film adaptation of Marvel’s 1961 team that started their domination in this decade as one of the best superhero companies in the world, The Fantastic Four, was finally released in 2005. While this would start a cycle of a new version of the team being released in every decade, Tim Story’s Fantastic Four would be successful enough to have a sequel, and a cult following.

This film may not be as unbearable as the 2015 disaster due it being really entertaining at times, the  impressive prosthetics of The Thing looks amazing and a great score from X-Men veteran, John Ottman.  While their performances are mixed, all four of the main characters do manage to capture the dysfunctional, but caring family aspects that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby envisioned, with Michael Chiklis being a perfect match for the grumpy, yet lovable Thing and an absolutely hilarious in hindsight Chris Evans as the immature Human Torch.

But Tim Story’s adaptation of Marvel’s first Golden Age heroes is short from being  “fantastic” due to an unfocused narrative that should have been a bit longer, and the terrible depiction of Marvel’s most infamous villain, Doctor Doom.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

When a cure is discovered for the mutant gene, Magneto (Ian McKellen) uses this as the ultimate justification for declaring war on humanity. Things get worse when Jean Grey (Famke Janssen), previously thought to be dead, is reborn as the deadly Phoenix, kills Cyclops (James Marsden) and even Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and joins Magneto against the likes of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), Storm (Halle Berry), Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) to destroy the cure…

Despite having great acting and some really impressive sequences, X-Men: The Last Stand is a rushed mess of an ending to the first  X-Men trilogy. With Sex Offender director number one, Bryan Singer, leaving to do Superman Returns for Warner Bros and DC, The Last Stand was left in the hands of Sex Offender number two, Brett Ratner,  which made the production very toxic for everyone working on it. 

Kelsey Grammer is perfectly cast as Beast and the final battle sequence between Wolverine and Storm’s X-Men and Magneto’s even larger Brotherhood looks amazing. However, the decision to cram both Chris Claremont’s The Dark Phoenix Saga and Joss Whedon’s Gifted into a 104-minute narrative, result in one of the most disjointed comic book films ever made. While Famke Janssen does a great job in depicting the insanity of the Phoenix persona, she is given barely any room to breathe alongside Magneto’s aims, and other characters such as Rogue (Anna Paquin) and Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), are given really anti-climactic send-offs.

Overall, X-Men: The Last Stand is a disappointing end for the original trilogy, despite its positives.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and Sue Storm/ Invisible Woman (Jessica Alba) of the Fantastic Four, are finally getting married. However, when a mysterious humanoid alien named The Silver Surfer (Doug Jones and voiced by Laurence Fishburne), arrives on Earth to seek a suitable planet for his master to devour, Reed and Sue, along with Johnny Storm/ Human Torch (Chris Evans) and Ben Grimm/ The Thing (Michael Chiklis), must delay their event in order to save the world, even if it also means forming an alliance with their enemy, Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon)….

Much like its 2005 predecessor, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer does successfully manage to get the main characters’s personalities absolutely right. Much to the original intentions of creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby by creating a group of superheroes that act like a real family, much of the film’s enjoyment comes from seeing Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben work off each other, with Chris Evans’s Johnny and Michael Chiklis’s Ben, getting the funniest moments in their love-hate relationship.

However, much like the last Marvel film that 20th Century Fox had released at the time, 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, Rise of the Silver Surfer does a poor job in recreating the spic scope of Jack Kirby’s Galactus Trilogy, like how Brett Ratner failed in adapting The Dark Pheonix Saga for Last Stand, to the length it needed to make it work, even in a more realistic setting. Doug Jones and Laurence Fishburne do a good job in bringing Silver Surfer to life both physically and vocally, but the decision to depict Galactus, one of the most popular Marvel villains in the source material, as a living cloud, will anger a lot of fans.

Overall, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer does have its moments of charm, but it gets a little too ambitious for its own limitations as a feature film.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

For the last hundred years, James Howlett (Hugh Jackman), the mutant who would later be known as Wolverine, and his half-brother, Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber), the future Sabretooth, have fought together in numerous wars, until they are hired by Major William Stryker (Danny Huston) to participate in the Weapon X program. Although James, renaming himself “Logan”, leaves the group after seeing how violent they are, he ends up going to war with Victor six years later, when the latter seemingly murders his wife, Kayla Silverfox (Lynne Collins). However, after he lets Stryker give him an adamantium skeleton via experimentation, Logan soon learns that Stryker has darker intentions for him and for mutant-kind…

Originally planned as the first of an anthology series of stand-alone spin-offs focusing on different characters, X-Men Origins: Wolverine ended up being the franchise’s worst reviewed entry at the time, and its slight underperformance at the box office due to both bad word of mouth and an infamous leak of a work print copy going onto the Internet, led to the franchise to be heavily reworked for the next film.

While there is potential for a gritty origin story for the most popular character of the X-Men franchise at that time, Wolverine, aside from a few good scenes, Origins is too rushed to be a satisfying story about the rise of everyone’s favourite Canadian bub. Disregarding the massive continuity errors with the previous films, especially the forced cameos of a younger Cyclops (Tim Pocock) and Charles Xaiver (Patrick Stewart), and the infamous treatment of Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), the rushed steps of Logan’s childhood, wartime adventures, missions with Team X, and his eventual fusion with adamantium, all could have made solid films on their own, instead of being rushed in this one hour and forty-five minute film.

Overall, while some aspects are fine such as Gambit (Taylor Kitsch) finally making an appearance in live-action and Harry Gregson-William’s emotional score, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a failed experiment in every way.

X-Men: First Class (2011)

In 1962, thirty-eight years before the events of X-Men, a young mutant telepath named Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and his adopted sister, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), are hired by Moria MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) to track down the Hellfire Club, a group of high-class mutants who are plotting to cause World War III. After encountering another mutant named Erik (Michael Fassbender), who has his own personal grudge against the Club’s leader, Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), a desperate search for other mutants begins as the birth of both the “X-Men” and the “Brotherhood” starts to take place…

Coming the closest to capturing the spirit of the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby comics in terms of visuals alone, X-Men: First Class uses the 1962 setting to its full advantage in this amazing prequel/reboot. Taking inspiration from the early Sean Connery James Bond films, from the set design to the look of the Hellfire Club,including the likes of Emma Frost (January Jones). Matthew Vaughn’s clever use of the Cuban Missile Crisis as one of the major plot-points is an excellent way of staying true to the franchise’s themes of the dangers of paranoia and intolerance, especially in the intense third act.

Despite Nicholas Hoult’s odd take on Beast with the costume looking not as convincing as Kelsey Grammer’s from X-Men: The Last Stand, both James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender are amazing as younger versions of Professor X and Magneto, with the latter giving one of the best performances in his entire career.

Overall, despite knowing how this rebooted film series ended up repeating the same mistakes of the original films, X-Men: First Class is still one of the best examples of how to turn a franchise around, with its unique direction and amazing acting from both McAvoy and Fassbender.

The Wolverine (2013)

Sometime after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan/ Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) has retreated from the X-Men to live life as a hermit in the Yukon Mountains, due to his guilt over the death of Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). When Yukio (Rila Fukushima), a Japanese mutant with the ability to foresee deaths, tells Logan that his presence is requested in Tokyo, Japan to say goodbye to Yashida (Haruhiko Yamanouchi and Ken Yamamura as a young man), the elderly head of Japan’s Yashida Industries who was once saved by him during World War II, Wolverine soon finds himself caught up in a battle with the Yakuza, a mysterious mutant named Viper (Svetlana Khodchenkova) and a hulking living suit of armour known as the Silver Samurai, in order to protect Yashida’s granddaughter, Moriko (Tao Okamoto), even when he starts to lose his healing factor…

Before he sent off the character of Logan/ Wolverine with 2017’s excellent Logan, director James Mangold was hired to replace original choice, Darren Aronofsky, to adapt Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s 1982 Wolverine miniseries, in which everyone’s favourite Canadian mutant went to Japan to find inner peace, as the next solo film for Hugh Jackman’s take on the character. 

Even though the last twenty minutes involving the Silver Samurai and a completely silly plot twist does sour the tone that the film was trying to create, The Wolverine is still a massive improvement when compared to 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The idea of Logan having to fight without his healing factor does raise the stakes as he struggles to protect his new companions, and Hugh Jackman once again, does bring new depths to him, especially with his arc revolving around his actions in 2006’s The Last Stand. Rila Fukushima makes for a fun new addition as Yukio, even if her future reading abilities could have been explored more.

Overall, with a refreshing change of environment to Japan taking visual inspiration from samurai films, great acting and an interesting character study on the consequences of immortality, The Wolverine is a very unique film, that, like X-Men: First Class before it, isn’t afraid to bring new tones and genres for 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

In the far future of 2023, humanity and mutantkind have been almost wiped out by the robotic Sentinels. Both Professor X (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) have gathered the last of the X-Men to undertake a dangerous mission. With the use of Kitty Pryde’s (Elliot Page) power’s, Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) must use time-travel to go back to 1973 and convince the younger versions of Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to prevent Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from assassinating the inventor of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage), and causing the dystopian future as a result…

Although this attempt to right the wrongs of both X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine by removing them via time travel may not have gone entirely according to plan, regarding the likes of X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Pheonix, this emotional (but loose) adaptation of Chris Claremont’s  Days of Future Past arc, is still one of the best non-MCU superhero films out there and is X-Men‘s highest peak.

The returning cast from both the original trilogy and X-Men: First Class give some of their best performances, with James McAvoy stealing the show from Hugh Jackman for once, and the scene with him talking with his older self stands out as one of the best scenes in any superhero film.

Much like how X:Men: First Class used the setting of the Cuban Missle crisis to set Xavier and Magneto on their paths as leaders of the X-Men and the Brotherhood, X:Men: Days of Future Past uses the 1970s setting to strengthen the themes of the small overcoming the numerous in regards to Magneto’s motivations and Bolivar’s arc. Although much has been said about Jennifer Lawerence in recent years, her performance as Mystique isn’t that annoying in here. 

Overall, X-Men: Days of Future Past may not have launched a grand new era of X-Men films as intended. ( The Deadpool films and Logan stand as their own seperate things.) But this beautiful story about reclaiming hope and one’s humanity is still worth watching.

Fantastic Four (2015)

After being hired by the Baxter foundation to work on designing an inter-dimensional  portal to another planet, Reed Richards (Miles Teller), Ben Grimm (Jamie Bell), Sue Storm (Kate Mara) and Johnny Storm (Michael B. Jordan) are accidentally transformed into beings with superpowers during their first mission. While the government wants to use them to perform shady missions, another problem arises when another person, Victor Von Doom (Toby Kebbell) thought to have died in the mission, reemerges with sinister motivations…

Despite the failures of the last three attempts to bring Marvel’s first family to the big screen, Josh Trank’s attempts to mix David Cronenberg style Body Horror and Steven Spielberg style fantasy throughout the first hour, does at first seem interesting. Aside from Kebbell’s awful representation of one of the most iconic Marvel Villians of all time, most of the acting is OK to good times, with Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan getting the best moments as a more vulnerable take on The Thing and Human Torch respectively.

The moment after Reed escapes from Area 57 however, is a time-skip which completely derails the film’s pacing and ruins Trank’s intentions of making a character driven piece as these last 40 minutes cram in a manhunt, a character death, showing the groups use of their powers, setting up Dr Doom and bringing the characters together to stop him.

Speaking of Doom, the costume design of him is so bad that it puts X-Men Origins’s Deadpool to shame with its  resemblance to a metal crash dummy.  Although the design of the heroes costumes and Planet Zero itself also look bad in their laziness in originality, it’s a shame that this laughable mess will prevent Doom from being on screen for a loooonng time afterwards.

Overall Fantastic Four has a good film buried deep within it’s terrible editing and rushed pace, but Fox really shouldn’t have turned this interesting take on Marvel’s first family into the almost unwatchable mess like all of its predecessors.

Deadpool (2016)

As a result of Logan’s actions in X-Men: Days of Future Past, fates of several characters in the universe of the X-Men films have been changed by the altered history. One of Logan’s former Weapon X teammates, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), is now an ex-Canadian Military veteran, who works as a mercenary and has a great relationship with his girlfriend, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). After getting a cancer diagnosis and being transformed into a scarred mutant with a healing factor by the ruthless Ajax (Ed Skrein), Wade becomes the foul-mouthed and cocky anti-hero, Deadpool, who must use all his weapons, wit and fourth wall breaking, in order to force Ajax to change him back…

If you have been to any comic/film convention in the last few years, one of the most cosplayed characters that you would see in these events is the Marvel Comics character, Deadpool. In the early 1990s, this character, created by Rob Liefield and Fabian Nicieza in 1991, was first portrayed as a villainous character who was defined as Marvel’s version of DC’s Deathstroke due to similarities between characters in terms of secret identities and costume design. However as time would pass into the twenty-first century, the character would be re-imagined as an ultra-violent, yet humorous anti-hero, who would constantly break the forth wall while also being portrayed as a lover of popular culture, which has unsurprisingly made him one of the most popular fictional characters of the social network age. After an embarrassing first impression on screen with 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Ryan Reynold’s second attempt at bringing “the Merc with the Mouth” to the big screen, is thankfully, a massive improvement.

One thing to mention about the narrative, is that a lot of it revolves around cutting between two stories of Deadpool’s origins in the Weapon X program, and him getting in trouble with the X-Men due to his violent rampage against Ajax. Although it does use several of the tropes that we’ve come to expect from superhero films, the execution of these event is what makes it stand out. For example, even in the extremely funny opening credits, Deadpool’s fourth-wall breaking habit is fully utilised throughout which makes Deadpool one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in years, even though it’s not technically a parody.

Despite having a really small scope of only two large scale action scenes, when compared to other superhero films due it’s $50 million budget, Deadpool succeeds the most in acting and character motivation. Ryan Reynolds is finally allowed to give Deadpool all the wit and dark humour that fans have come to expect from him, while also portraying a strangely sweet side to him, in spite of all the violence he causes throughout the film. T.J Miller and Leslie Uggams do a good job at portraying Weasel and Blind Al and, not forgetting the fact that this film is still technically part of the X-Men universe, both Stefan Kapicac and Brianna Hildebrand as X-men members Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are welcome additions with the former also being really entertaining due to his patronising nature that serves as the butt of many of Deadpool’s jokes.

Overall, despite a few minor issues such as Ed Skrien’s and Gina Caranos’ characters not being very memorable and a few pacing issues, Deadpool is an amazing adults-only superhero film, in that despite all the violence, sex and jokes, has a twisted, yet sweet side to it which, in a weird way makes it a good date movie. Just don’t expect a lot of super heroics in this one.

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

A decade after the events of Days of Future Past, Professor Charles Xaiver (James McAvoy) and Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), have kept their promise to Logan to reopen the School for Gifted Youngsters, Magneto (Michael Fassbender) has finally retired from his war ambitions and has had a loving family and Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) has become a hero to all mutantkind, saving them from trouble from time to time. When Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the first mutant to have ever existed, awakens to conquer the world with his chosen Four horsemen, including a grief-stricken Magneto, Xaiver is captured by them, and it is up to Raven to assemble a new generation of mutants, consisting of younger versions of Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee), to take on the mantle of X-Men, and save the world…

When compared to other superhero films of 2016, one of the best years for superhero cinema , such as the genre-spinning Deadpool, or the epic Captain America: Civil War, X-Men:Apocalypse, while not a bad film by any means, falls a bit flat in terms of the narrative as unlike the last two films, Bryan Singer, in his last contribution to the franchise before finally getting sacked for his bad private behaviour, doesn’t really bring anything unique to set it apart from the rest of the series. 

This is because events in this film, feel like rehashes of material seen in those films, especially during a massive detour in the second act because X2 and Origins did it. However, it thankfully does manage to be entertaining, even though it’s a bit convoluted with thrilling set-pieces and moments that will make any Marvel fan’s hearts soar. However, much more could have been done with fan-favourite villain, Apocalypse, as his lore would have led to some unique worldbuilding for this film.

The acting, is once again top-notch in these films, with Micheal successfully conveying the tragedy of Magneto’s character in several heartbreaking sequences regarding his constant no-win situations, Kodi-Smit McPhee brings fan-favourite Nightcrawler back in a big way and Even Peters once again steals show as the rib-tickling Quicksilver.

Overall, X-Men: Apocalypse, may not be the best comic-book movie of 2016 and one of the most disappointing films in the franchise , but it’s still worth watching for its outstanding moments and great acting.

Logan (2017)

Set in the far future of 2029, Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), along with an ailing Professor Charles Xaiver (Patrick Stewart), are living alone in exile on the Mexican border, after an accident with Xavier’s degenerative telepathic abilities, led to some of the X-Men being killed. When Laura (Dafne Keen), a young mutant girl with the same abilities as Wolverine, appears into their lives, Xaiver persuades Logan to protect her as she is the first mutant to have been born in decades…

For seventeen years throughout the entire X-Men film series, Hugh Jackman’s protrayal of the character of Logan/Wolverine has become one of the most iconic film characters of the last decade, following him throughout his awful origin story, his battles with the X-Men, his relationship with Jean Grey, and even going back in time to prevent an apocalypse. Logan , the tenth instalment of the longest running superhero franchise, brings his story to a satisfying, yet sad ending to his saga.

Despite not delivering on his promise to give us a Japanese neo-noir with 2013’s OK The Wolverine , James Mangold goes back to his western roots in both the narrative and the production design, by loosely basing the story of  an elderly Logan and Xaiver surviving in the wilderness on Old Man Logan by Mark Miller. Like Captain America: Civil War, it expands on the flaws of the source material by introducing the character of X-23 as a source of redemption for Logan’s failure to keep the world safe.

As well as having amazing production design being inspired by both Westerns and Mad Max: Fury Road, the performances of Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart as their last (at the time)of both Logan and Charles Xavier are amazing, with the former being the most brutal he has ever been before, and the latter being repressed of his usual knowledgeable role as mentor figure, due to illness. Boyd Holbrook’s Donald Pierce is also quite entertaining, but the standout role has to be given to Dafne Keen’s acting debut as X-23.

Overall despite having a few problems with Richard E. Grant’s Zander Rice and having a few pacing issues, Logan commits to both it’s 15 rating and being a send off for Wolverine, by being one of the most violent, yet emotional superhero films in recent memory.

Deadpool 2 (2018)

After a tragic incident robs Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) of his purpose in life, The Merc with the Mouth finds himself stuck in a dead-end career with the X-Men and unable to end his suffering, due to his healing abilities. But when Russell (Julian Dennison), a young mutant capable of controlling fire finds himself on the run from Cable (Josh Brolin), a time-travelling mutant soldier who believes that killing Russell will save the world, Deadpool must get his act back together and assemble his own superhero team to stop Cable from making chimichangas out of the young boy…

Ever since the foul-mouthed, fourth-wall breaking Deadpool finally got the film he deserved in 2016 thanks to leaked test footage and the critical backlash coming from his embarrassing debut as an ugly mouth-less in-name only version of Rob Liefeld’s outrageous anti-hero in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the influence of the film’s financial success, despite being an R-Rated film has opened the door for other R-Rated mainstream films such as Logan, IT and Get Out to sit alongside summer blockbusters in terms of financial success. Naturally, being the highest grossing film in the long-running X-Men franchise and being currently the highest grossing R-Rated film of all time, it was inevitable that a sequel would come around and despite a few production issues such as Tim Miller, the director of the first film leaving the production of the sequel due to disagreements with Ryan Reynolds over the direction of the screenplay and the casting of the character of Cable, the tragic death of a stunt-woman during filming and the complications of the presence of T.J Miller’s Weasel character after the actor’s fall from grace, Deadpool 2 easily surpasses the first film, in terms of laughs and thrills.

Like the first film, the biggest strength of the sequel is Ryan Reynolds himself. His skill at keeping the Merc with the Mouth faithful to his fourth-wall breaking, violent and unorthodox comic-book counterpart, while also making him lovable in his quest to regain his purpose in life shows how far Ryan has come since regaining his popularity with the success of the first film. However, with the exceptions of Karan Soni’s Taxi-Driver character Dopinder getting a larger role and the character of Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) undergoing his own arc of learning to be tougher, a lot of the other characters from the first film such as Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Brianna Hildebrand) and Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) don’t get much to do this time round.

Although it’s a jarring change from the look of the first film, replacement director David Leitch’s anime-style use of cinematography and lighting used in his other films such 2017’s Atomic Blonde and the John Wick films, does manage to give this film its own style that matches the darker elements of the Cable story and his cyberpunk background.

Speaking of which, being a character that was created around the same time as Deadpool himself and is one of the most frequent characters in Deadpool’s comic stories, Josh Brolin’s take on Cable, stands alongside his work as Thanos as one of the best comic book film characters of recent years. Special mention should also go to young actor Julian Dennison, who fresh off his success from Hunt of the Wilderpeople is not afraid to give this character the right amount of edge despite his young age and Zazie Beetz as the playful, luck-based mutant, Domino whose good-luck abilities end up being some of the most memorable moments of the film.

Overall, Deadpool 2 delivers on the filthiness, heart and laugh-out loud humor that made the first film such a massive hit to begin with and has the grand honor of having the funniest post-credits scenes in the history of superhero cinema. “Cue the music….”

Dark Phoenix (2019)

During a space mission to rescue a group of trapped astronauts, the X-Men face a powerful crisis when one of their own members, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) ends up absorbing a giant solar flare and as a result, gains dangerous psychic powers. When Professor X (James McAvoy) ends up making a fatal mistake in an attempt to calm her down, will even his own students be successful in stopping the “Dark Phoenix”…

Both critics and fans of the superhero genre have had a very complex relationship with 20th Century Fox’s X-Men films. Despite the fact that the first film, directed by the disgraced Bryan Singer in 2000, was one of the most important superhero films along with Blade and Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man film in getting the superhero genre to where it is now, they have suffered from inconsistent quality and some of the worst continuity errors ever made.

Although the likes of the Deadpool films and Logan have been great examples of the franchise taking bold creative changes in their films after 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past reset the timeline, 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse was a disappointing rehash of old ideas. Now, with the final entry of this nineteen-year-old film series, long-time producer and writer of numerous X-Men films, Simon Kinberg, finally gets to fulfill his wish of a more faithful adaptation of the beloved Dark Pheonix Saga with his directorial debut after 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand failed to capture the heart of that story and as a result……he has utterly f, ked up the series with the worst X-Men film to date.

Although James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender try their best in giving great performances towards this awful script, the rest of the acting and character arcs are baffling downgrades with Jennifer Lawerence and Nicholas Hoult’s arcs in particular, completely going against everything that was established in the rest of the First Class films. 

Overall, the rushed pacing, bland cinematography, bad CGI and Jessica Chastain giving one of the worst acting performances in her entire career, ends the longest running superhero film franchise on a whimper rather than a bang as Dark Phoenix is one of the most plothole-driven films in recent years.

The New Mutants (2020)

Set within the universe of the X-Men, Dani Moonstar (Blu Hunt), a Native American teenager is taken to a secret government facility, after losing her father to a tragic accident. She is then informed by Dr. Reyes (Alice Braga), that she is a mutant and is asked to remain at the facility until she can control her new powers. When Dani discovers dark secrets about her new home, she must team up with four other teenage mutants, the werewolf Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), the sorceress Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), the flyer Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), and the (literal) hothead Bobby da Costa (Henry Zaga), in order to escape her uncertain fate…

What was originally planned as another opportunity to branch out 20th Century Fox’s long-running X-Men film franchise in the same vein as Logan and the Deadpool films, ended up being a production nightmare for the studio and director, Josh Boone. Fresh off his success with 2014’s The Fault in Our Stars, Boone, along with screenwriter Knate Lee, had an idea for a new spin-off trilogy that was going to use Chris Claremont and Bob McLeod’s 1982 New Mutants, which told the adventures of a younger subdivision of the X-Men that focused on darker themes such as mysticism and the occult, as its background. 

However, in spite of finishing filming in 2017 with a release date set for April 2018, numerous production issues such as executive meddling that took forever to shake off, Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox, the poor box-office results of Dark Phoenix and the COVID pandemic of 2020 led The New Mutants to constantly get delayed again and again to the point where it became a joke, which is a shame as the film itself is OK on its own terms.

Functioning as a mix between The Breakfast Club meets It meets The Cabin in the Woods, The New Mutants does have a clear idea of the kind of story it wants to tell of a group of supernatural teenagers coming together,  although the original intention of being the first film in a trilogy does clearly shows as most of the characters end up getting underdeveloped as a result.

The acting is surprisingly solid with Anya-Taylor Joy, in particular, stealing the show with her twisted sense of humor while both Blu Hunt and Maisie Williams share adorable chemistry as one of the first mainstream LGBT couples in mainstream superhero films. While Charlie Heaton and Henry Zaga don’t get as much to do as characters, the visualization of their powers are impressive enough for this film’s low budget nature.

Overall, The New Mutants definitely isn’t the best way to close out twenty years worth of X-Men films. But as the intended horror/teen drama stand-alone film that Josh Boone wanted, this film does do its job in a passable way.