Great Animated Films

I LOVE animation. The summer after freshman year of college I watched almost every Disney feature cartoon in order. And of course you all know I like anime (the good stuff, anyway). Here we go!

Great Animated Films

• Beauty and the Beast: Easily the best Disney movie ever, it's the only one that made me feel anything, and boy, I felt a lot. I don't know how it pulls it off...I mean, they fall in love over the course of a montage, a big movie no-no. Somehow it works. The music's great, too.

• Fantasia: Some bits are better than others (Rite of Spring, anyone?), but most are too good to believe. Fantasia 2000 was very pale in comparison (except for the excellent Rhapsody in Blue bit). Man, Disney used to be art!
  

• My Neighbor Totoro: May be the best kids' film ever. Like all Miyazaki, it's a mix of strangeness and quiet realism that works incredibly well. So cute!
  

• Spirited Away: I already reviewed this movie on the dramatic films list, 'cause it's my favorite.

• Whisper of the Heart (aka If You Listen Closely): A Miyazaki film that ISN'T epic, this quiet slice of life is real and lovely. We watched it in Japanese class in high school!
  

Good Animated Films

• 101 Dalmations: My second-favorite Disney feature. I adore the first twenty minutes when Pongo tries to bring his owner and Perdita's owner together (also, isn't Roger hot?), and the rest is good fun. The animation and music, while sparse, work very well in context.
  

• The Castle of Cagliostro: If you get beyond the uber-1970's-ness of Miyazaki's take on the anime Lupin the Third, you will be in for a treat. As with every Miyazaki, a nice blend of weird and magical action and subtler, serene moments of beauty.

• The Family Guy movie: It's just a long episode, really, but it's funny all the same. Too bad Brian was out of commission throughout most of it.
  

• Finding Nemo: I love this movie every time I watch it. It has literary value, something unheard of in a Disney movie, and is sweet and funny. I speak whale, too.

• Kiki's Delivery Service: A fun Miyazaki movie. It's not his best, but it's sweet and full of magic, like the rest.

• Lady and the Tramp: One of the better Disney movies, with good music and one of the more believable romance plots I've seen in any movie.

• The Last Unicorn: Not as good as the book, which is one of my very favorite books ever, but it made me cry when I was, like, seven, which is a real accomplishment since I didn't understand the themes until high school. And beautiful music by America :)
  

• Rurouni Kenshin OAVs: Trust and Betrayal: Also stupidly labeled Samurai X in the states, which is a really stupid translation of something more along the lines of "Kenshin the Wanderer," this four part series (OAV stands for original animated video, meaning it has higher production values than the TV series) is beautiful and complex. While the TV show is silly fun fantasy, the OAV, a prequel set during the Meiji Restoration, is historical, very violent, and very serious. It's also full of pretty symbolism, a nice addition for this former English major.

• The Secret of NIMH: Again, not as good as the book, and they change the main character's name from Mrs. Frisby to Mrs. Brisby, but it's lovely. Also Mrs. Frisby/Brisby is one of the best animated characters of all time.
  

• Who Framed Roger Rabbit?: It's wonderfully silly and knowingly over-the-top. The characters are all...wonderfully...drawn.............. Um. If you like that, you'll like this movie.