Top 10 Animated Movies of All Time

Direct Answer

The Best Overall animated movie of all time is Spirited Away (2001), Hayao Miyazaki's hand-drawn masterpiece that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and remains the gold standard for imagination, craft, and emotional depth. The Best Value pick — the most rewatchable, family-friendly, and widely streamable gem here — is Toy Story (1995), Pixar's genre-launching debut that still holds a near-perfect critical reputation and streams free on Disney+.

This list is built for viewers who want the very best in animation across hand-drawn, computer-generated, and stop-motion styles — whether you are watching with kids, hunting a date-night classic, or chasing the films critics rank among the greatest ever made. Every pick below is a real film with its correct director, release year, and runtime, spanning studios from Studio Ghibli and Pixar to Disney, Laika, and DreamWorks.

How We Ranked the Top 10

We weighted each film against the qualities that separate a great animated movie from a merely popular one, drawing on published data from IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Letterboxd, Roger Ebert's reviews, and Academy Award records. The weighting:

• Story and screenplay — 25%
• Animation craft and direction — 20%
• Performances and voice acting — 20%
• Rewatchability — 15%
• Cultural impact — 10%
• Where-to-watch access — 10%

A film that dazzles visually but forgets its story drops fast, and so does one that lands emotionally but looks dated. The winners balance all six and reward repeat viewing across generations.

1. Spirited Away (2001) 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Year: 2001 | Runtime: 125 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Max (rent/buy on Apple TV)

Studio Ghibli's crowning achievement follows Chihiro, a sullen ten-year-old who stumbles into a spirit world where her parents are turned into pigs and she must work in a bathhouse run by the witch Yubaba to free them. Voiced in the English dub by Daveigh Chase and featuring a transcendent Joe Hisaishi score, the film blends Japanese folklore with a coming-of-age fable that never talks down to its audience.

It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Bear at Berlin, and it sits among the highest-rated films ever on Letterboxd and IMDb. Its hand-painted backgrounds remain a benchmark no computer has matched.

Pros:

• Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
• Hand-drawn artistry of unmatched detail and imagination
• Emotionally rich story that rewards every rewatch
• Joe Hisaishi's score ranks among film music's finest

Cons:

• Dreamlike pacing can feel slow to younger kids
• Spirit-world logic is deliberately unexplained

Verdict: The most complete animated film ever made — visually peerless and emotionally bottomless.

2. Toy Story (1995) 💎 BEST VALUE

Director: John Lasseter | Year: 1995 | Runtime: 81 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

The first fully computer-animated feature film changed the medium forever. Tom Hanks voices Woody, a pull-string cowboy whose place atop a child's toy shelf is threatened by Tim Allen's flashy spaceman Buzz Lightyear. Pixar paired groundbreaking technology with a screenplay (co-written by Joss Whedon and Andrew Stanton) sharp enough to earn a Special Achievement Oscar and a screenwriting nomination.

It holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, runs a tight 81 minutes, and streams free on Disney+, making it the most accessible classic on this list for families.

Pros:

• Launched the entire computer-animation era
• Near-universal critical acclaim and a 100% Tomatometer
• Tight, kid-and-adult-friendly 81-minute runtime
• Streams free for any Disney+ subscriber

Cons:

• 1995 CGI looks simple beside modern Pixar
• Stakes feel small next to its own sequels

Verdict: The most rewatchable, accessible great in animation — the value champion for any household.

3. The Lion King (1994)

Director: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff | Year: 1994 | Runtime: 88 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

The peak of the Disney Renaissance, this Shakespearean fable follows the lion cub Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick) as he flees his pride after his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is killed by the scheming Scar (Jeremy Irons).

The Hans Zimmer score and Elton John–Tim Rice songs won two Oscars, and the film became one of the highest-grossing animated movies of its era. Its sweeping hand-drawn vistas and operatic storytelling made it a defining childhood film for a generation.

Pros:

• Won two Academy Awards for its music
• James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons deliver iconic voice work
• Hand-drawn animation at the height of Disney's craft
• Unforgettable, chart-topping soundtrack

Cons:

• Mufasa's death is intense for the youngest viewers
• Story leans heavily on familiar archetypes

Verdict: The definitive Disney epic — grand, emotional, and endlessly singable.

4. WALL-E (2008)

Director: Andrew Stanton | Year: 2008 | Runtime: 98 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

Pixar's boldest film opens with nearly 40 dialogue-free minutes as a lonely waste-compacting robot, WALL-E, tidies an abandoned Earth and falls for the sleek probe EVE. Its romance, environmental message, and silent-comedy craft earned the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and a rare Best Original Screenplay nomination.

Ben Burtt's sound design gives the robots more personality than most live-action leads, and the film holds a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score. It is science fiction with a heart as big as its ideas.

Pros:

• Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
• Daring near-silent first act of pure visual storytelling
• Gorgeous, photo-real rendering of space and Earth
• Genuinely moving robot love story

Cons:

• Second half is more conventional than the opening
• Satire of consumer culture is unsubtle

Verdict: Pixar's most ambitious swing — a silent-era romance dressed as sci-fi.

5. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Director: Isao Takahata | Year: 1988 | Runtime: 89 min | Rated: Not Rated | Where to watch: Netflix

The other masterwork from Studio Ghibli, Isao Takahata's wartime drama follows teenage Seita and his little sister Setsuko struggling to survive in Japan after the firebombing of Kobe. It is widely cited as one of the most devastating films ever made in any medium, animated or not, and Roger Ebert placed it on his list of great movies.

The hand-drawn realism and unflinching emotional honesty prove animation can carry the heaviest themes. It holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score and a near-legendary reputation among critics.

Pros:

• Roger Ebert named it among the greatest films ever
• Profoundly moving anti-war human drama
• Restrained, realistic hand-drawn animation
• Proof the medium can tackle the gravest subjects

Cons:

• Emotionally crushing and absolutely not for kids
• Relentlessly sad with little relief

Verdict: The most powerful animated drama ever — a masterpiece you may only watch once.

6. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman | Year: 2018 | Runtime: 117 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

This Sony Pictures Animation triumph reinvented what computer animation could look like, blending comic-book halftone dots, hand-drawn lines, and CGI into a style no film had attempted. It follows Brooklyn teen Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he becomes Spider-Man and teams with heroes from parallel dimensions.

It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature over heavyweight Pixar and Disney rivals and holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score. Few films have pushed the visual vocabulary of the medium this far this fast.

Pros:

• Won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
• A genuinely new, comic-book-on-screen visual style
• Diverse, heartfelt coming-of-age story
• Propulsive soundtrack and kinetic action

Cons:

• The busy visual style can overwhelm at first
• Multiverse plotting gets dense

Verdict: The most influential animated film of its decade — it rewrote the rulebook on style.

7. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Director: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise | Year: 1991 | Runtime: 84 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

The first animated film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, this Disney Renaissance centerpiece follows the bookish Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) as she falls for a cursed prince trapped in monstrous form. The Alan Menken–Howard Ashman songs won two Oscars, and the ballroom sequence blended hand-drawn characters with early CGI to dazzling effect.

Its blend of Broadway-caliber music and timeless fairy-tale romance set the template every modern Disney musical follows.

Pros:

• First animated film nominated for Best Picture
• Won two Oscars for its landmark songs
• Groundbreaking hand-drawn-plus-CGI ballroom scene
• Belle is among Disney's most beloved leads

Cons:

• Romance arc reads differently to modern eyes
• Slim plot stretched by the musical numbers

Verdict: The Disney musical perfected — proof animation belongs in the Best Picture race.

8. Coco (2017)

Director: Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina | Year: 2017 | Runtime: 105 min | Rated: PG | Where to watch: Disney+ (included)

Pixar's vibrant celebration of Mexico's Día de los Muertos follows young Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez), a boy who dreams of becoming a musician and is whisked into the Land of the Dead to uncover a family secret. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Remember Me," and its richly researched depiction of Mexican culture earned wide praise for authenticity.

The film holds a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score and a famously tear-jerking final act about family and memory.

Pros:

• Won two Academy Awards including Best Animated Feature
• Stunning, color-drenched depiction of the Land of the Dead
• Heartfelt, authentic celebration of Mexican culture
• An emotionally devastating, beautifully earned finale

Cons:

• A mid-film twist is easy to see coming
• Pacing sags slightly before the climax

Verdict: Pixar at its most heartfelt — a gorgeous, culturally rich crowd-pleaser.

9. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Year: 1988 | Runtime: 86 min | Rated: G | Where to watch: Max (rent/buy on Apple TV)

The gentlest of Miyazaki's films follows two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside and befriend the giant forest spirit Totoro. With almost no villain and barely any conflict, it works purely through wonder, warmth, and a child's-eye sense of magic.

Totoro became the face of Studio Ghibli itself, and the film is a fixture on critics' lists of the best family movies ever made. Its quiet, observant storytelling is a tonic in any era of loud blockbusters.

Pros:

• The definitive gentle, all-ages Ghibli film
• Pure wonder with no scares or violence
• Iconic creature design that became Ghibli's mascot
• Beautiful, unhurried celebration of childhood

Cons:

• Plotless structure frustrates some viewers
• Conflict-free story lacks dramatic tension

Verdict: The warmest film on this list — perfect for the youngest viewers and tired grownups alike.

10. Akira (1988)

Director: Katsuhiro Otomo | Year: 1988 | Runtime: 124 min | Rated: R | Where to watch: Hulu (rent/buy on Apple TV)

The film that introduced much of the West to adult anime, Katsuhiro Otomo's cyberpunk epic is set in a dystopian Neo-Tokyo where biker Kaneda races to stop his friend Tetsuo, whose awakening psychic powers spiral out of control. Its fluid, hyper-detailed hand-drawn animation set a new bar for the medium in 1988 and influenced filmmakers for decades.

Dark, violent, and visually staggering, it remains a touchstone of science-fiction animation and a frequent fixture on greatest-anime lists.

Pros:

• Landmark, hyper-detailed hand-drawn animation
• Hugely influential cyberpunk science fiction
• Ambitious, mature themes rare in animation
• Iconic imagery referenced for decades since

Cons:

• R-rated violence makes it strictly adults-only
• Dense plot compresses a sprawling manga

Verdict: The genre-defining adult anime — essential for grown-up sci-fi fans, off-limits for kids.

Which One Should You Watch Tonight?

What Makes a Great Animated Movie

• A story that works without the animation — The best ones, like *Spirited Away* and *Grave of the Fireflies*, would move you as live action; the medium amplifies a great script rather than hiding a weak one.
• A distinct visual identity — *Into the Spider-Verse* and *Akira* prove that a film looking like nothing before it can define an era.
• Emotional honesty — *Coco*, *WALL-E*, and *The Lion King* earn their tears because the feeling is built, not manufactured.
• Voice performances that disappear into character — James Earl Jones, Tom Hanks, and Jeremy Irons make you forget there is an actor at a microphone.
• Rewatchability across ages — A true classic reveals new layers to a child, a teenager, and a parent watching the tenth time.

What matters less than the hype: raw technical polish and render resolution. The simple 1995 CGI of *Toy Story* still outshines slicker modern films because the story and characters carry it. Craft serves the story, never the reverse.

FAQ

What is the greatest animated movie of all time? Spirited Away (2001) by Hayao Miyazaki tops our list for its unmatched hand-drawn artistry, emotional depth, and Academy Award win, and it consistently ranks among the highest-rated films ever on IMDb and Letterboxd.

What is the best animated movie for young kids? My Neighbor Totoro and Toy Story are the gentlest, most kid-friendly picks here — both are rated G, conflict is mild, and Toy Story streams free on Disney+.

Which animated movies won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature? On this list, Spirited Away, WALL-E, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Coco all won the Oscar; the category began in 2001, which is why earlier classics like *The Lion King* could not compete for it.

Are these all cartoons for children? No. Grave of the Fireflies and Akira are intense, mature films made for adults — Akira is rated R — and prove animation is a medium, not a genre limited to kids.

Where can I stream these animated movies? Most Disney and Pixar titles stream free on Disney+; Grave of the Fireflies is on Netflix, Akira is on Hulu, and the Studio Ghibli Miyazaki films are on Max or available to rent on Apple TV.

Is Spirited Away appropriate for kids? It is rated PG and generally fine for older children, though a few dream-logic images may unsettle very young viewers; its dreamlike pacing also suits patient kids better than restless ones.

Bottom Line

The greatest animated movie of all time is Spirited Away (2001) — Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning, hand-drawn marvel that no film has equaled for imagination and feeling. For the most rewatchable, accessible, family-ready classic, Toy Story (1995) is our Best Value pick, streaming free on Disney+ and beloved by critics and kids alike.

If you want a gentle film for little ones, a grand musical, an adult sci-fi epic, or a good cry, use the decision tree above to route yourself to Totoro, The Lion King, Akira, or Coco. Animation is a medium without limits, and these ten prove it across every style and every age.

Sources

• IMDb — Top Rated Animated Movies
• Rotten Tomatoes — Best Animated Movies of All Time
• Metacritic — Best Animated Films
• Letterboxd — Highest Rated Animated Films
• Roger Ebert — Great Movies: Grave of the Fireflies
• Variety — Animation coverage and Oscar tracking
• The Criterion Collection — Studio Ghibli releases
• Disney+ — Pixar and Disney animated library
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — Best Animated Feature winners

*Animated movies review — best animated films, rankings, ratings, where to stream, and a review of the top animated movie picks for fans.*