I’ll let you in on a little secret – I am a huge fan of animated movies. It’s something I have never really grown out of. I still feel that sense of wonder when I watch them (though I am a lot more difficult to please these days).
Top Ten Animated Movies
Frozen was a bit of a revelation – it really hearkened back to the Disney films of old. It really was a wonderful film but watching it again recently got me thinking about some of my favourite animated films from childhood and how much they meant to me.
I thought it might be interesting to do a post on these old favourites of mine so here goes!
Here is my list (in no particular order):
1. Beauty and the Beast
One of Disney’s finest, this classic has always been one of my all-time favourites. From the fantastic animation, to the extremely catchy songs – this film was guaranteed to be a winner for me.
2. Flight of Dragons
Hardly anyone has ever heard of this film which is a real shame because it is an underrated gem. I love dragons (always have) and this film probably has a lot to do with that.
3. The Lord of the Rings
The much-maligned Ralph Bakshi cartoon version was what first encouraged me to read Lord of the Rings all those years ago. I hated the fact that the film cuts off at such a pivotal moment (half-way through the second book The Two Towers) and I just had to find out what happened. And so, my love for fantasy was born.
4. The Last Unicorn
Made by the same people who were responsible for Flight of Dragons (Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr) this was another favourite of mine. I did not love it quite as much as Flight of Dragons but it was still a wonderful film (or at least so my memory tells me – I haven’t seen it since I was a child).
5. All Dogs go to Heaven
This movie made me bawl my eyes out when I was a kid (it’s even sadder when you consider what happened to its young star Judith Barsi – this movie was released after her death but I didn’t hear about it until many years later). I can remember being totally enthralled by this movie.
6. Watership Down
Oh Watership Down – you both scared the living daylights out of me and completely stole my heart in equal measure. This movie is one of my absolute favourites (though I love the book even more).
7. The BFG
Roald Dahl was one of my favourite authors when I was a child so it is no surprise that this little film makes it onto my list. This really is a forgotten treasure!
8. The Jungle Book
Probably my most favourite animated movie of all time! I adored The Jungle Book when I was little and watched it non-stop. I could recite it line for line and knew all the songs (I can still recall them even now with no prompting at all 😉 ). This is Disney for me – the most magical film of all.
9. An American Tail
I just loved this film – so touching and sad! An American Tail was another film I watched over and over again. I still tear up a bit when I watch this!
10. The Little Mermaid
This movie was one of the very first I ever went to see on the big screen. I remember my mum taking me and us getting lots and lots of sweets and goodies! It was a magical experience – one I will always treasure.
Honourable mentions:
Dumbo: it really saddened me to leave Dumbo off this list but I was trying to make it less Disney-oriented!
The Lion King: see reasoning above for Dumbo!
The Land Before Time: very close call between this and All Dogs go to Heaven.
Shrek: I was a bit older when I saw this but it is still what I would consider to be a classic!

Now it’s your turn! Which animated movies would you consider to be your favourites? Either recent or from childhood? I would love to hear from you!

I haven’t even heard of most of those. :/ I’m missing out!
You should check them out – some of them are on youtube. 🙂
Wow, I didn’t know half these movies existed as animated versions, such as Lord of the Rings, the BFG, and Watership Down. Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite animated movies. I also love Hercules, Anastasia, and Mulan.
They were all staples of my childhood – Watership Down in particular!! Agreed on Anastasia and Mulan – both awesome films!! I haven’t actually seen Hercules though. 😉
You must watch Hercules some day! It has some awesome musical numbers, and if you’re into greek mythology than you’ll definitely like it.
I will definitely check it out. 😀