5. The Boxtrolls
A human boy raised by a group of trolls tries to save them and his caretaker among them, Fish from the vicious Archibald Snatcher, a pest controller.
The film explores the themes of self-obsession and identification with a tickling spice of laughs and gags. The film is full of funny and cheerful sequences and is a perfect watch especially for the kids. So, yeah it’s not the very best thing that you’ll ever see, but it’s worth your time and a fine entertainer to get you through a stressful event.
The British production, ‘The Boxtrolls’ wasn’t a commercial success but was positively received by the critics and was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. The film voice stars Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Ben Kingsley and Elle Fanning in lead roles.
4. The Lego Movie
Lego bricks have been around us for a long time. We’ve been playing with them since our childhood and they have been crucial in toy manufacturing business since the 1980s.
With ‘The Lego Movie’, the bricks transform into some cheerful characters on-screen, taking the animation genre to another level. The film follows a Lego construction worker who finds himself as an aid to a resistance which aims to stop a tyrannical businessman from taking control of the city of mini-figures.
What makes this film great is not only the blend of childish humor and adventure but the amount of detail the makers have gone through to create a perfect Lego world. The production design department has made sure that from a garbage bin to a human being, everything looks Lego. The use of comic-book figures like Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman adds up to the viewer’s excitement. The film’s new take on computer-animation is worth a watch for its voice cast, story, and the titular uniqueness.
The film stars Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson and Will Arnett in lead roles. The film was a big success and won BAFTA for Best Animated Feature and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Two spin-offs, ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ and ‘The Lego Ninjago Movie’ were released in 2017, while a direct sequel is slated to release in February 2019.
3. Penguins of Madagascar
Kowalski, status! Rico, engage defenses! Private, do that thing of yours! Let’s roll!!!
The four smart and idiot penguins leave the circus behind and go on their own adventurous journey filled with thrill, mystery, villains and spies, and hundreds of hilarious and guffawing jokes and sequences which will make those 90 minutes of yours filled with joy and happiness. The ‘Madagascar’ spin-off, is the funniest movies you’ll ever come across and it has all the ingredients to make your day happening and has an amazing voice cast returning to you from the TV series and films you’ve been enjoying since the fifth grade.
Funny faces, stupid dialogues (in a good way), and the animation and voice-overs, you name it; nothing falls apart even for a second. ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ may not be the best-animated feature, it surely is one of the most entertaining and delightful ones. The film was a box-office disappointment but received critical praise for all its aspects and will always be on my top-five list of animated features.
2. Big Hero 6
Hiro Hamada, a young robotics virtuoso, teams up with Baymax, an inflatable robot and a group of friends to form a band of heroes and fight a masked antagonist.
Action, drama, comedy, superpowers and kick-ass friends; all that in 3D-animation; ‘Big Hero 6’ is a complete entertainment package. The film is a brilliant screenplay, fitted immaculately in the animated genre and the output is a sweet and sharp treat for the viewers. Loosely adapted from a Marvel Comic tale, the film’s lead and emotional touch are Baymax, the robot. Voice actor Scott Adsit give the character a unique take and turn him into something more than just a machine.
The film also voice stars Ryan Potter, T.J. Miller, and Jamie Chung. The film was a commercial as well as a critical success and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It all went on to gross $657 million at the box-office and is currently 22nd highest grossing animated movie of all time.
1. Song of the Sea
Ben discovers that his sister Saoirse is a selkie, an Irish legend who can transform into a seal, and go on an adventure to free the fairies trapped in the modern world.
I know many will argue why this film holds the no. 1 spot instead of ‘Big Hero 6’. Well, the first reason is its distinguished artwork-style animation from the modern 3D computer-animation techniques, which gives you a pleasurable “old-school” sort of feeling but is unique in its own way. Then come the sober and emotional storyline and a lovely brother-sister relationship. One of the good things about the film is that it lacks action, drama, and comedy which means a different taste of experience for the viewer, in comparison to the other inclusions to the list. The only non-American production in the list is an adorable tale of fantasy, love, and hatred which lets the viewer’s imagination evolve with itself.
The film was an international-European production with 20 production companies involved in its making. The film was nominated for an Academy Award but lost to ‘Big Hero 6’ at the 87th Academy Awards.
Read More: Best Animated Movies 2017
