When people talk about animated movies, many think of Disney. Disney has released some iconic and popular animated films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the recently released Moana 2. Through their partnership with Pixar Animations Studios, Disney released more memorable films like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Inside Out. Yet, while Disney animated films remain some of the best animated movies, there are many others released by other studios that are just as good as Disney animated movies or better.
With the success of the animated adventure film Flow, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, many are looking at animated movies outside the ones produced by Disney. Over the years, there have been many animated movies from studios like DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Studios that managed to win over viewers. And while Walt Disney Animation Studios remains the leading studio for animated movies, there are many films that prove that Disney isn’t the only studio releasing great animated movies.
Anastasia Is Worthy of Standing Next to Other Disney Princesses
20th Century Studios Animation
Anastasia is a classic animated movie that many still love and watch decades after the film’s release. The movie follows the story of the titular character, Anastasia Romanov, an orphaned child who, as an adult, finds out that she’s the lost princess of a fallen Russian Empire. Anastasia mixes real history with fantasy and fiction, adding details from the Russian Revolution and the fall of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, with fantasy elements like Grigori Rasputin selling his soul and cursing the Romanov family.
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The mixture of history and fiction created a unique storyline, and Anastasia became an instant classic. The animated film also features many memorable songs worthy of any Disney animated movie and a love story that remains a fan favorite. Many even believe that Anastasia is a Disney movie, and while it’s now owned by Disney after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, Anastasia was actually the first film produced by 20th Century Fox Animation. Without a doubt, Anastasia is a princess worthy of standing next to some of the best Disney princesses.
- Release Date
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November 21, 1997
- Runtime
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94 minutes
- Director
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Don Bluth, Gary Goldman
- Writers
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Susan Gauthier, Bruce Graham, Bob Tzudiker, Noni White
The Iron Giant Is an Emotional Science Fiction Film
Warner Bros. Feature Animation
Set in the 1950s Cold War, The Iron Giant follows Hogarth, a young boy who accidentally runs into a giant alien robot. Hogarth is scared at first but quickly realizes that the robot isn’t dangerous and can even understand and feel human emotions. The Iron Giant then follows Hogarth and the robot’s friendship and bond as Hogarth tries to teach English to the robot and keep it hidden from the town and the government.
The Iron Giant is an emotional sci-fi story that delivers a strong message of understanding and tolerance, especially as everyone seems scared and ready to attack the robot before they realize the robot is not a danger. The Iron Giant wasn’t a box office success, but it has since become a cult classic and one that many still fondly remember. The Iron Giant has a beautiful bond at the center of the story and an emotional pull reminiscent of some of the best Disney animated movies.
- Release Date
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August 6, 1999
- Runtime
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86 minutes
- Director
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Brad Bird
- Writers
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Tim McCanlies
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Delivered Many Iconic Lines
Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a hilarious science fiction film about an inventor, Flint Lockwood, who always seems to struggle with his experiments but who doesn’t give up. Flint continues to come up with outrageous inventions even after being mocked by his friends and townspeople and, much to the disappointment of his own father. But things take a turn once Flint creates an invention that turns water into food.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is as funny as some of the funniest Disney animated movies. The humor of the film relies not only on the premise but on the many unique characters and the talented comedy cast behind the scenes, which includes Bill Hader, Anna Faris and Andy Samberg. But what many probably still remember to this day from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is the name of Flint’s invention: the FLDSMDFR.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
- Release Date
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September 17, 2009
- Runtime
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90 minutes
- Director
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Phil Lord, Chris Miller
- Writers
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Judi Barrett, Ron Barrett, Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Brought Stop-Motion Animation Back
DreamWorks Animation
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit brought the Wallace & Gromit characters to the big screen for their first feature-length movie. The Curse of the Were-Rabbit follows Wallace and his dog, Gromit, as they start a pest control business. But things become more dangerous than what Wallace and Gromit expected after they encounter a giant rabbit.
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Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a parody of many legendary horror movies, especially Hammer horror films that feature iconic monsters such as Frankenstein, Dracula and more. While the film didn’t do well at the domestic box office, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit still won over international audiences and even won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit mixes lovable characters with funny gags and parodies for a unique film that many still find just as good as most Disney animated movies.
Megamind Turned a Villain Into a Superhero
DreamWorks Animation
Megamind follows the titular supervillain, who terrorizes Metro City and fights the city’s superhero, Metro Man. But the film adds a spin to the well-known formula of the villain and the superhero and lets Megamind win over Metro Man. Not knowing what to do now that he doesn’t have an archnemesis, Megamind decides to create his own superhero to continue the fun.
Megamind is probably one of the funniest animated movies. At the same time, the animated film delivers a unique take on the nature versus nurture dilemma, as Megamind questions whether he wants to be a supervillain or if he’s doing it because that’s what everyone expects of him. Megamind delivers hilarious one-liners and some great fight sequences that make this film even better than a few Disney animated movies.
- Release Date
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November 11, 2010
- Runtime
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96minutes
- Director
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Tom McGrath
- Writers
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Will Ferrell, Brad Pitt
Ice Age Took Audiences Back in Time
Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Studios
Ice Age took viewers back to the Pleistocene ice age and follows a grumpy woolly mammoth named Manny, a friendly ground sloth named Sid, and the villain turned ally Diego, a smilodon. The unlikely group comes across a baby and decides to deliver it to its tribe. However, Diego has other plans for the baby and pretends to help Manny and Sid until he can take the baby back to his pack.
Ice Age won over audiences with a mixture of comedy, lovable characters, and an emotional story. The animals bonding with the baby, as well as bonding with each other, deliver some of the funniest and heartwarming moments. The scenes following Scrat, a “saber-toothed squirrel,” as he tries and fails constantly to bury his acorn add to the comedy that made Ice Age a popular animated film. A new sequel, Ice Age 6, is officially in the works.
- Release Date
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March 27, 2002
- Runtime
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81 minutes
- Director
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Chris Wedge, Carlos Saldanha
- Writers
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Michael J. Wilson, Michael Berg, Peter Ackerman, James Bresnahan, Galen T. Chu, Doug Compton
Kung Fu Panda Made Martial Arts Fun
DreamWorks Animation
Kung Fu Panda took the world by storm when it was first released, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of the year worldwide. The animated film follows a panda named Po, who accidentally becomes the prophesied “Dragon Warrior,” even though he knows nothing of kung fu. But Po’s positive attitude and love for the martial arts and the kung fu masters are enough for him to train like no one’s ever trained before, to prove that he is worthy of the title of “Dragon Warrior.”
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Kung Fu Panda has many hilarious scenes and jokes, and the character of Po particularly shines thanks to the incredible talent of Jack Black, who voices the character. Kung Fu Panda also delivers some emotional scenes and a compelling hero’s journey as Po learns to believe in himself and becomes a kung fu master. Kung Fu Panda spawned a large media franchise, and a fourth sequel was released in 2024.
Kung Fu Panda
- Release Date
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June 4, 2008
- Runtime
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95 minutes
- Director
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Mark Osborne, John Stevenson
- Writers
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Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
Madagascar Became an International Sensation
DreamWorks Animation
Madagascar follows a group of zoo animals: an African lion named Alex, a zebra named Marty, a giraffe named Melman, and a hippopotamus named Gloria, who accidentally end up on the island of Madagascar. Without any experience in the wild, they must adjust to their new life or find a way to return home to the zoo. Madagascar is a survival comedy film with hilarious characters and a catchy soundtrack that is still part of pop culture today.
Madagascar became an instant sensation not only because of the main characters but also thanks to the funny side characters, from the group of penguins trying to escape to Antarctica to King Julien, a lemur who rules over the lemur community in Madagascar. King Julien’s iconic song “I Like to Move It” was everywhere at the time and remains popular today. Many still quote and reference Madagascar, especially the group of penguins led by Skipper and Skipper’s iconic “smile and wave” and “cute and cuddly” catchphrases.
- Release Date
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May 27, 2005
- Runtime
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86 minutes
- Director
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Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
- Writers
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Mark Burton, Billy Frolick, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
How to Train Your Dragon Brought to Life a Beloved Children’s Book Series
DreamWorks Animation
How to Train Your Dragon follows Hiccup, who lives in a mythical Viking village where Vikings and dragons have been in a long-lasting conflict. Hiccup wants to become a dragon slayer but changes his mind after meeting a rare dragon known as Night Fury, and even though Hiccup manages to injure the dragon, he can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup befriends the dragon and realizes that the Vikings might be wrong about the species.
How to Train Your Dragon is full of heart and emotion, and the bond between Hiccup and his dragon, which Hiccup names Toothless, is one of the best parts of the film. As Hiccup tries to convince the rest of the villagers that dragons aren’t dangerous, things turn out worse than expected. How to Train Your Dragon is, for many, even better than most Disney animated films, thanks to its heartfelt story, shocking twists, and beloved characters.
Shrek Created a Unique and Hilarious Fantasy World
DreamWorks Animation
Shrek is, without a doubt, one of the best animated films of all time. The movie introduced the titular green ogre named Shrek, a character that has since become part of pop culture and the face of many different products. Shrek is also a smart and hilarious parody of many other animated films, most of which are Disney animated movies.
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Shrek sees the titular ogre as he goes on a quest to save Princess Fiona to get his beloved swamp back. Shrek is accompanied by the talkative Donkey, who ignores Shrek’s grumpy personality and does his best to befriend the ogre. The many references to Disney characters and storylines, as well as the sharp comedy and memorable characters, make Shrek an animated film that’s as good as any Disney animated film, or even better. Since Shrek’s release, several sequels and spin-off films have followed, becoming one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
- Release Date
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May 18, 2001
- Runtime
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90 minutes
- Director
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Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
- Writers
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J.M. Barrie, Carlo Collodi, William Steig, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, Ted Elliott, Roger S.H. Schulman
