I’m a sucker for lists. I’m a big fan of animated movies. So when Time came out with a list of its Top 25 animated movies, I was as happy as if someone had given me a year-long membership to the Bacon Club. So many movies! So many opinions with which to quibble!
And that’s really the beauty of lists: You’re bound to disagree with what someone thinks is the best (fill in the blank) ever. And when it came to this powerhouse ranking compiled by Time critic Richard Corliss, there were more than a few entrants that left me scratching my head.
Pinocchio, at No. 1, made all the sense in the world. The 1940 Disney classic is a work of art (though with all the kidnapping puppeteers and angry whales and boys turning into donkeys, it’s pretty scary, too). WALL-E, at No. 2, is a far gentler movie—even though its message is probably more tuned to adults than kids.
But I think Richard Corliss cheats a little in putting 1979’s The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie at No. 3. Hey, I love those Warner Brothers shorts, too, but throwing a collection of old shorts together and shipping it to theaters does not a movie make.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut at No. 6? Happy Feet at No. 16? Fantastic Mr. Fox, an incredibly charming (if fairly adult) stop-motion animated tale, only managed to hit No. 24 … behind Kung Fu Panda? Craziness. And where are The Incredibles—ranked by some as Pixar’s best film? Where’s Beauty and the Beast, the first animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture? Where’s The Emporer’s New Groove?
OK, not too surprised about that last one.
Overall, Corliss slotted eight Disney pics into his list (not counting Pixar’s output), from its earliest (1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at No. 13) to its most recent (2010’s Tangled at No. 19). Pixar notched five films, all of which made the Top 12. And, supporting my point that we’re in a new golden age of animation, 13 of the Top 25 films were made since 2000—and seven in the last four years (even though they omitted DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon! The Horror!). But fans of old-school animation may just dismiss that as our culture’s fascination with anything new and shiny.
But enough from me: Here’s Time’s list in all its wholesome goodness. Take a look and tell us what you think.
1. Pinocchio (1940)
2. WALL-E (2008)
3. The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie (1979)
4. Dumbo (1941)
5. Spirited Away (2001)
6. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)
7. Up (2009)
8. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
9. Finding Nemo (2003)
10. The Little Mermaid (1989)
11. Toy Story 3 (2010)
12. Toy Story (1995)
13. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
14. The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926)
15. Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
16. Happy Feet (2006)
17. Akira (1988)
18. The Lion King (1994)
19. Tangled (2010)
20. Paprika (2007)
21. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
22. Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
23. Yellow Submarine (1968)
24. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
25. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
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