Best Animated Movies Of 2023
2023 proved to be a transformative year for the world as a whole, and the entertainment industry was no exception. The double whammy of the WGA Writer's Strike and SAG-AFTRA strike put many productions on hold, while movies that would have been billion-dollar hits not even a decade ago struggled at the box office. One shining light through these tumultuous times, however, was the wonderful medium of animation.
Sure, we saw a fair share of crushing box office bombs such as DreamWorks' "Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken" and Walt Disney Animation's "Wish," but other features managed to make a notable dent. "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" hopped to victory with a total gross of $1.36 billion earned worldwide, breaking records for a video game and animated film, as well as becoming the year's second-highest grosser after "Barbie." Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" was one of the few blockbusters to come out unscathed this summer, swinging to the tune of $690 million worldwide and becoming 2023's third-highest-grossing domestic title and sixth-biggest overall. And though Pixar's "Elemental" had a record-low opening weekend for the famed animation house, it became a sleeper hit, taking in nearly $500 million worldwide and even topping the international performance of "Spider-Verse."
While animated features this year as a whole failed to top the heights of 2022, it wouldn't be fair to call 2023 a miss for the medium. A good number of these films still managed to leave a remarkable impression, with continued advances in artistic expression, inventive storytelling, and increased efforts in diversity going toward the creation of some unforgettable adventures.
Honorable mentions
As previously stated, 2023 overall didn't sport the highest caliber of animated features, especially in comparison to last year, when we had such excellent films as "Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio," "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On," and "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish." Nevertheless, even if 2023's selection was less than perfect, some of these flicks deserve a shout-out.
Pixar's "Elemental" sported one of the year's best box office comebacks, and it's easy to see why. With a charming rom-com feel, some stunning visuals, and themes relating to overcoming societal odds, the movie struck a chord with many audiences. But it's hard to call this among Pixar's best works. The plot goes down some irritatingly predictable beats, and most of the character arcs have more potential than is realized, leading to an overall hollow viewing experience.
On Netflix, Adam Sandler's "Leo" is a surprisingly sentimental watch, but its by-the-numbers third act loses that charming momentum. "Nimona" was close to getting on the list simply for its rich symbolism and high-octane pace, but the execution of its themes could have been stronger. The streamer also gave us our single stop motion entry this year with the long-awaited sequel "Chicken Run 2: Dawn of the Nugget." The follow-up to the 2000 box office hit sported fantastic animation but failed to take advantage of the narrative's more terrifying elements, leaving the sequel without much tension compared to its predecessor.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
First up on the list are the heroes in a half-shell like we've never seen them before. "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem" is the latest cinematic outing featuring the iconic Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird-created comic characters who have dominated television, movies, video games, and more for nearly four decades. The film follows the ragtag brotherly team of Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Raphael (Brady Noon), Donatello (Micah Abbey), and Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.) as they encounter a crime syndicate led by the villainous Superfly (Ice Cube) and his army of vengeful mutants who seek to rid the world of humanity.
"Mutant Mayhem" continues the ever-evolving trend of stylized 3D animation, and boy was a step taken here. While the Turtles have touched the animation medium countless times on television and in the 2007 feature "TMNT," the expertly crafted visuals of "Mutant Mayhem" are a whole other beast, with colorful sketchy designs and textures that reflect the franchise's history as a daring underground comic series. Co-directors Jeff Rowe (who also co-directed 2021's delightful "The Mitchells vs. the Machines") and Kyler Spears helm the picture with grace and expertise, giving its action sequences an inventive approach.
It's a shame that "Mutant Mayhem" as a whole doesn't quite live up to its artistic prowess. Hearing actual teenagers voice the titular characters was a refreshing take on past "Turtles" entries, and the film is at its best when it goes down a loose, improvisational path. When its actual story kicks in, however, things take a surprisingly safe turn with predictable beats, weak humor, and a messy third act. Nevertheless, "Mutant Mayhem" remains an entertaining venture that is sure to scratch an itch for fans new and old.
Suzume
We're cheating a bit with this one, as "Suzume" was first released in Japan in November 2022. However, given that the film came out in North America and several other countries early this year, it's getting a pass, if anything simply because it's a feat that deserves all the attention it can get. Coming from the mind of "Your Name." and "Weathering with You" director Makoto Shinkai, "Suzume" sees its titular teenage protagonist and a mysterious stranger, the latter who is transformed into a chair, travel across Japan to halt the opening of portals that let loose natural disasters.
The plot of "Suzume" strikes a perfect balance of engrossing world-building, quirky humor, and relatable themes, all brought to life with stunning visuals and a wonderful soundtrack. While the narrative can be considered derivative of other works by Shinkai and loses its momentum at times, its rich emotional core keeps your interest throughout. If you haven't seen this one yet, it's best to go in as blind as possible, as there are plenty of surprises in store. Simply put, "Suzume" is one of those movies that knows how to use animation to its fullest potential to deliver an experience that is hard to describe and even harder to forget.
Unicorn Wars
Worthy of being in conversation alongside "Saving Private Ryan" and "Full Metal Jacket" as one of the best war movies ever made is the animated masterpiece "Unicorn Wars," which received its limited North American release in March. The Alberto Vázquez-directed film centers on a gruesome war between teddy bears and unicorns and a pair of teddy bear brothers whose contrasting viewpoints birth an even greater conflict.
"Unicorn Wars" perfectly contrasts its colorful cast of teddy bears straight out of a Saturday morning cartoon with some of the most horrific imagery ever committed to the medium. Chock-full of systematic, political, and religious subtext, the film masterfully balances all these elements to tell a story about how the inherent corruption of war strips individuals of their innocence, leading to the most thought-provoking ending of the year. All of this is supported by jaw-dropping 2D animation that is rich in color and stellar direction from Vázquez (who was reportedly inspired by "Bambi," "Apocalypse Now," and the Bible), allowing for some intense pacing and a never-ending sense of dread.
It can't be stressed enough that "Unicorn Wars" is not for children or those with weak stomachs. But viewers looking for some more bite out of their animation and can handle the extreme content are in for a treat.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
2018's "Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse" left audiences speechless. From its high-flying action and rich cast of characters to its groundbreaking stylized animation that set a new industry standard yet to be matched even by Disney, the pressure was on for its long-awaited follow-up. Thankfully, any doubts that this year's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" wouldn't live up to expectations were thwip'd away by its first frame. Once again following the exploits of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), the film sees him and Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) venture to the Spider Society with hopes of finding a way to take down the multiverse-hopping villain the Spot (Jason Schwartzman).
In a year full of forgettable comic book movies, "Across the Spider-Verse" is living proof of why animation is the superior medium. Words can't do justice to the magnitude of this film's ambitious art direction and animation. Every frame of "Across" is eye candy to the extreme, somehow managing to top the game-changing feats of its predecessor with an even more vivid array of environments and characters brought to life with bombastic energy and daring artistic strokes.
Perfectly paced from its heart-tugging beginning to its nail-biting cliffhanger finale, "Across the Spider-Verse" takes its audience on a wild ride anchored by masterfully directed action, a tight screenplay, and an eargasmic soundtrack. All of this is in service of a story that asks legitimately challenging moral questions about the responsibilities we have to ourselves and those around us, further evolving the universal themes at the heart of the best Spider-Man stories. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" is the kind of movie that will inspire kids to make movies, and for that alone, it's more than earned a spot on this list.
The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki made another movie. Enough said.
The director of some of the best movies ever made such as "Princess Mononoke," "Porco Rosso," and "Spirited Away" returned to the big screen with his latest cinematic triumph, "The Boy and the Heron." While getting used to a new home following his mother's death amid the Pacific War, young Mahito follows a mysterious Grey Heron into a fantastical world, with hopes of restoring the life he once led.
The patient and reflective approach to its storytelling makes "The Boy and the Heron" difficult to fully sum up. Rather, its richly crafted visuals and stellar musical score by Joe Hisaishi open the door to a wide range of interpretations, all while remaining emotionally resonant. Whether you latch on to its timeless coming-of-age elements or its deeper ideas about assessing our own lives and legacy, the film makes for a hefty viewing experience (better represented by its original Japanese title, "How Do You Live?"). And like the best of Miyazaki's work, the feature finely balances gut-wrenching drama, eccentric characters, and haunting imagery to deliver a perfectly paced and entertaining experience. Whether or not this is truly Miyazaki's final film — a sentiment Ghibli fans are more than used to hearing — "The Boy and the Heron" feels like the ultimate reflection of his life and achievements. The less said about this movie, the better, as "The Boy and the Heron" is an achievement that needs to be seen to be believed.
What's to look forward to in 2024?
It appears that studios are going all-in with their intellectual properties, with a grand majority of 2024's animated catalog comprising installments in different franchises. In March, DreamWorks will be kicking things into high gear with "Kung Fu Panda 4," followed that summer by Pixar's "Inside Out 2" and Illumination's "Despicable Me 4," with the Disney prequel "Mufasa: The Lion King" closing out the year in December.
Other franchises will also be seeing new animated entries, including "The Garfield Movie," "The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie," and "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." Aardman will be back with another stop-motion sequel, as an untitled "Wallace and Gromit" film is set to be released on Netflix. The streamer will also be unveiling a new Spongebob feature entitled "Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie" and the 3D animated film "Ultraman: Rising" based on the iconic tokusatsu superhero.
For those thirsting for some originality, a handful of movies are set to come out with some big names attached. After helming the "Hotel Transylvania" franchise for Sony, "Samurai Jack" and "Primal" creator Genndy Tartakovsky is directing the adult-animated comedy "Fixed" for the studio. Netflix and Dreamworks Animation have teamed up to create "Orion and the Dark," with its screenplay helmed by famed writer Charlie Kaufman. Finally, animation fans can look forward next year to "The Triplets of Belleville" director Sylvain Chomet's "The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol," a biopic about French auteur filmmaker and writer Marcel Pagnol.