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Nicole's Top 10 Animated Goodness MoviesNov 15 '07 (Updated Nov 04 '09) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line What? You weren't expecting Akira to be on here were you? I figure as an anime freak and one who still lobbies for Bugs Bunny and the gang to come back to mainstream TV, I should have a list dedicated to the magic of animation. In the same manner, I figure I should extend that to computer animation as well, since there have been some pretty great movies created in that manner over the years. My list isn’t like everyone else’s though – sure, you’ll likely find a few favorites on here, but in typical weird-Nicole style, I’ve included a few I think some of you might have forgotten about – or possibly never even heard of. 1. Beauty and the Beast My sister and I used to argue about who was Cinderella and who was Sleeping Beauty (Aurora was prettier, and of course we both wanted to be pretty, but I claimed as I had blonde hair, I was Sleeping Beauty), but since then, I’ve realized that I am indeed Belle. I’m the girl who reads (and writes), all the while dreaming of stumbling into some kind of fairytale (warped is okay). I love this movie, a classic as we all know. And as all us ladies know, Beast was soooo much cuter when he was, well, a beast. Why that is will always be a mystery, but somehow we all agree. 2. The Emperor’s New Groove This movie is, quite frankly, ridiculous and stupid…which is exactly why I love it. David Spade and Patrick Warburton have always cracked me up (prime reason why I watch Rules of Engagement) and listening to them in their respective roles alongside other big names in a completely goofy movie is a ton of fun. My sister and I will just bounce quotes off each other. “Aaaaah, llama face!” I could crack up my friends with my impression of the semi-psychotic squirrel. One of my favorite things about this movie is the facial expressions given to the characters – King Kuzco in llama form particularly. Honestly, if you haven’t seen this movie and feel like a dose of stupidity (in silliness format), do see this movie. 3. Howl’s Moving Castle Sooo much better than the book, Hayao Miyazaki brings color and brilliance to the animated take. With an excellent cast in both Japanese and English, I love this movie more than Spirited Away, the movie everyone went nuts over (for some reason – but then, those same people never watch anime so it was all shiny and new to them). Then again, as mentioned above, I’m a sucker for getting swept away into a fairytale land (warped is okay!) that ends with a great guy and a happily ever after. Complete with magic spells and animation so good (I swear, every time I watch them make breakfast, I get an incredible desire to eat some bacon and eggs myself), even if you don’t like the story, there’s no denying the radiance this movie emanates. 4. Shrek Who doesn’t love Shrek? I have no idea how we ended up seeing this in theaters, but even my mom went, and this is long after she claimed she was done with kids movies. Except as anyone who’s seen Shrek knows, this isn’t all for kids. With the torture of the gingerbread man, implied innuendos, and a great voice cast, Shrek is like the ultimate fractured fairytale. Talking donkeys, ogres and princesses, and a karaoke party at the end. What more could you ask for? 5. Monsters Inc. ”Kitty!” One of the many shining achievements in Pixar’s life, when Hayao Miyazaki isn’t pummeling Disney with his animation, Pixar forgoes typical animation standards and throttles Disney with their storytelling (yes, it isn’t animation that has destroyed Disney, it’s their lack of a great story). While we live on one side of the world, monsters live somewhere else – right through our closet doors when their scream factories are working. But let a human through…well, apparently we’re deadly to monsters. Except one little girl that can’t even speak full sentences (she’s adorable!) manages to squeak past and help Sully, a big, blue fuzzy monster, and his one-eyed sidekick Mike break open a huge secret operation. Enjoy the hilarity that ensues. 6. Toy Story Pixar’s first little gem that introduced the world to their magic and talent with computer graphics. It’s the movie that, after seeing it, made my sister staceums almost say, “Sorry” to a plastic stegosaurus when she almost stepped on it. Haha. Because of this movie, now you know what your toys are doing when you’re not around. A great voice cast here too, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen at the forefront. Like Monsters Inc., this is a movie the whole family can enjoy just for the fun of it. 7. Dragon Ball Z Movie #2: The World’s Strongest Okay, honestly, I’m not exactly sure what it is that makes me love this movie so much. My favorite DBZ character, Vegeta, isn’t even in it. The bad guy is lame and his aim is just as ridiculous, and yet I still love it. It’s the fight scenes as well as the voice acting – and English, not Japanese (if you can believe that). It’s got all the original English voice actors (before all the changes), and I love Scott McNeil as Piccolo and the great way the bad guy yells “Die!” at Goku. Old school anime all the way. Anyone can argue with me for as long as they want. Sure, I love movie #6 and #12, but this one is just fun for fun’s sake. And the Spirit Bomb actually works. Hehe. 8. The Lion King After Aladdin came out, my sister and I said to one another, “There’s no way Disney can top this.” Then this movie came out and we realized immediately that we were wrong. While I haven’t watched this movie in some time, I kind of put it on this list as a sort of homage to Disney and it’s past greatness – and I really was nuts about this movie. I collected Lion King cards. We recited the movie. We owned the soundtracks. I got a big poster of Simba and Nala complete with frame and glass over it. Besides, come on, Jeremy Irons as the bad guy? Gotta love that man’s voice. Rowan Atkinson as Zazu? It’s only now that I can truly appreciate him (as I had no idea who he was when I was younger). The infamous JTT? (haha). James Earl Jones perfect as the majestic Mufasa. I could go on, but we all know. Disney’s last, great movie…and now I want to watch it so I can see Ed chewing on his own leg. 9. The Hobbit I haven’t seen this in f o r e v e r, but I remember always loving it when I was younger. From the rolling hills of Hobbiton to the treasure filled room where Smaug the dragon lies, from hiding in barrels to escape elves and telling a single bird to tell one man where the dragon’s weakness is, and then on to an all out war, this was my first introduction to The Hobbit in non-book form. I was enchanted, and though I’m willing to bet that years later, I might now find it a little silly, but I know that nostalgia would kick in and refuse to let me knock the movie down a few stars. I remember being on the edge of my seat and getting all excited or sad depending upon what was happening on screen, and that doesn’t always happen with movies, even when you’re younger. So long live The Hobbit. Many happy returns. 10. The Lorax I could have said The Grinch Stole Christmas, but that’s more my mom’s favorite. Me? I’ve always been a huge fan of The Lorax and if you haven’t seen it or read the book, you should. It’s got a good message, and while it is rather sad, it’s well put together and hits right where it should. Even when I was a kid I understood what was going down and it made me want to cry. That doesn’t make it bad, or even a hopeless movie, because at the end there is some hope. Maybe the boy can plant the seed in a sunny place and the Lorax and all the fish and birds will come back as more trees grow. Let’s hope we never get to that point in our world. And there you have it! From loving the near-impossible to learning how to be environmentally aware, 10 movies I have a personal affinity for and think you should take a look at, our of sheer curiosity if nothing else. Come on! Be a kid again! Or just say, “Screw it” and watch it without being a kid again. After all, who stipulated that animated stuff had to be for kids?? Nicole’s Top 10 Top 10 Lists: Top 10 Dumb But Fun Movies Top 10 Feel Good Romance Movies Top 10 Die Laughing Movies Top 10 Love ‘Em / Hate ‘Em Movies Top 10 Hell Yeah! Movies Top 10 Fun for Fun Movies Top 10 Back Then Movies Top 10 Movies Living in Obscurity Top 10 Movies the Award Goes To...  |
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