#10: The Lego Movie
Phil Lord & Christopher Miller should be (and probably are) considered modern day revolutionaries in animation as they have pushed the boundaries in animation with 2 certain movies in the 2010s. The first movie being ‘The Lego Movie’. How well they were able to animate legos is INSANE and very well done. There’s not a lot of animated movies like this and you would expect the Academy to highlight this. The movie did receive an ‘Original Song’ nomination but not an ‘Animated Feature’ nomination, which is considered a major snub. Honestly, you’d expect them to give them a more major award nomination such as ‘Best Picture’. But this is all that they received.
#9: Zootopia
Now I'm going to be honest, I hate politics. Any movie that tries to shove political propaganda in my face, I will gladly avoid, no matter how relevant it may or may not be. That is pretty much my case with ‘Zootopia’, I hate this movie. However, that does not mean there is not some things that I admire about it. For example, placing prey and predators in the place of races is actually kinda creative. I kinda thought due to its commentary that the Academy would find a reason to nominate another animated movie for ‘Best Picture’, but unfortunately that did not happen. And I would’ve been happy for it regardless. It did win ‘Best Animated Feature’ though.
#8: It’s Such A Beautiful Day
‘It’s Such A Beautiful Day’ is another unique film in the industry. The film’s animation is not groundbreaking as it only consists of stick-figure animation. But it is to my understanding that the way in which it expresses its themes and humor is very effective in a way that probably wouldn’t be the same even if it was fully animated. That’s very impressive considering its animation. You’d expect a unique movie like that to be recognized by the Academy for more than simply the animation category (not that that’s not an accomplishment) but it was not recognized at all by the Academy.
#7: Akira
Akira is considered influential in many ways for both Japanese and American animation along with cyberpunk, sci-fi, adult animation, etc. The movie caused a shift and growth in Japanese anime as well as its culture in western countries. This was probably the movie that introduced a lot of 80s and 90s kids to anime as a whole. I’m not saying that the movie probably should’ve been nominated as a whole based simply on popularity, but it would have been nice if its influence was recognized and its animation is incredibly mesmerizing. This was most likely released during a time when anime is not always acknowledged by the industry, but I wished it was not completely shut out by the Academy.
#6: Inside Out
I really wanted ‘Inside Out’ to be nominated for more than just the animation category. The many ways it depicts the human mind is so creative and poignant. I did get my wish in a way, as the movie was nominated for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and won ‘Best Animated Feature’. I won’t deny that the screenplay nomination was very well deserved and I was very happy when It won the animation category, but at the same time, there could be more. Due to its acclaim, I had a little dash of hope that it would receive a ‘Best Picture’ nomination. And I know I’m not the only one who thought that It deserved one, so I hoped that there was a small chance it could get it. I was very disappointed when it didn’t, and it really deserved it.
#5: The Lion King
‘The Lion King’ was probably one of the biggest animated movies of all time and is still influential to this day. Not only is the movie incredible (and anyone who disagrees needs to go to a mental hospital), but It has made so many accomplishments. The movie is a 2 time Oscar winner, was the 3rd animated movie to win the Golden Globe for ‘Musical-Comedy’, and for a while was the highest grossing animated movie of all time before getting outgrossed by ‘Finding Nemo’. It should also be pointed out that the movie was able to mix a somewhat child friendly environment with dark themes such as death, betrayal, grief, etc. I feel like with all this, this masterpiece should’ve been recognized for more than simply its music (not that its music isn’t fantastic and it didn’t deserve its wins). And while winning the Golden Globe is great, it's kinda easy to win one while it’s not easy to win an Oscar and I feel that this movie should’ve received at least a picture nomination.
#4: Wall-E
Like I said earlier I really hate politics, so it’s kinda surprising that I love the movie ‘Wall-E’. It’s most likely because I watched it at a time when I only paid attention to the characters and not to the subject matter. I also adore the relationship between Wall-E & Eve and as I got older I realized how unique their relationship is as It has very little dialogue. You simply feel the romance between the 2 and that’s not easy to write, but it worked. The film was actually recognized for more than animation and music as it received 6 Oscar nominations, including for ‘Original Screenplay’. However, the one nomination that was probably missing was ‘Best Picture’. But that’s just me.
#3: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
As I mentioned in my 10th pick, Phil Lord & Chris Miller had 2 revolutionary movies in the last decade. The second, the best, and my favorite being ‘Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse’. This movie is AWESOME!!!!!!!!. Its writing is fantastic, the voice acting is excellent and the characters are complex. But probably the best thing about the movie is its LEGENDARY animation. It literally looks like a comic coming to life. And how well it was able to mix both computer and traditional animation is just incredible. This movie is extraordinary, and it deserved its Oscar, but at the same time there could be more. If it was nominated for ‘Best Picture’, it would’ve been very well deserved and well earned.
#2: Fantasia
‘Fantasia’ is probably one of the most influential movies of all time in both animation and movies as a whole. Each of its segments (mainly ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ and ‘Night On Bald Mountain’) has a special place in pop culture and the film industry as a whole. All it received was an honorary award from the Academy, which is fine but I'm surprised that it never received any type of competitive nomination. And I know this is the 1940s and how the industry looks at animation is probably different than now (different, not improved), but it would’ve been nice if the movie was at least considered for ‘Best Picture’ for its influence and its artistry.
Now before I reveal my top pick, here are a few honorable mentions..............
-Mainly box office and impact related -For the way it approaches culture and death
-Probably the most impactful anime movie of all time - One of the first non-Disney films to outshine Disney
#1: Toy Story
As the first full-length computer animated movie, ‘Toy Story’ is the reason why half the movies on this list even exist. There’s no denying its revolutionary animation but the writing is also quite sophisticated. The idea of seeing the world from a toy’s point of view is more mind-blowing as I get older and the series as a whole makes you more appreciative of your toys. The film received 3 Oscar nominations (including ‘Original Screenplay’) and a special achievement award for John Lasseter. I know it’s a first for CGI, but part of me wonders if it was considered for ‘Best Picture’. It would’ve been great if it were nominated.
Feel free to comment down below. Like always there is a link down below to a slideshow. Thanks for reading.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1etkxqB0ny8d1ljwIUubz1hgVGQTxqqsTebShU8rTW5M/edit#slide=id.g1995963d0ef_1_45
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