# Best non-Disney animated movies. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317 "2017-05-10T21:39:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CastletonSnob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ea924/32.png) [@CastletonSnob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CastletonSnob)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/1 "2017-05-10T21:39:20Z")
We all know that Disney is the king of animated movies. So, what are some good animated movies that weren’t made by the House of Mouse? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/2 "2017-05-10T22:33:50Z")
Anything by Aardman Animations. _Arthur Christmas_ is one of the best Christmas movies ever (not just one of the best animated ones), and _The Pirates: Band of Misfits_ _Chicken Run,_ and the various Wallace and Gromit films are better than most Disney and Pixar films. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/3 "2017-05-10T23:00:48Z")
I like a few. The Miyazaki films are mostly exceptional. I also liked Anastasia, Several Dreamworks things, including Shrek and El Dorado. Chicken Run and the Wallace and Grommet film. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/4 "2017-05-10T23:48:51Z")
Here’s a list: for 2-D animation: \*\* Watership Down The Secret of NIMH The Land Before Time\*\* (but NOT the sequels) \*\*Yellow Submarine Gay Purr-ee Spirited Away Kiki’s Delivery Service My Friend Totoro Ponyo Howl’s Moving Castle \*\* Dimensional Animation \*\*The Adventures of Mark Twain Kubo and the Two Strings Coraline (The Collected Wallace and Gromet) Curse of the Were-Rabbit Chicken Run Best of Claymation The Pirates\*\* (Aardman movie – very underappreciated) **Mad Monster Party** (even though it’s Rankin-Bass, it gets points for the Jack Davis character design and the voices – Boris Karloff! Phyllis Diller!) ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/5 "2017-05-11T00:01:42Z")
Akira ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/6 "2017-05-11T00:31:25Z")
Well, if we’re including stop-motion then _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ tops my list. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/7 "2017-05-11T00:43:18Z")
Nightmare Before Christmas IS Disney. Through the Touchstone subsidiary, at first, but it’s been incorporated into Kingdom Hearts, so Disney clearly is absorbing it into the main brand. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/8 "2017-05-11T00:51:08Z")
I’m just gonna list a few I haven’t seen posted yet: [Fantastic Planet](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070544/) [The Iron Giant](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129167/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0158983/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) [Ghost In The Shell](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113568/?ref_=nv_sr_2) A personal favorite that I doubt would make anyone else’s “best” list is [Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455326/?ref_=nv_sr_2). Are we doing shorts or just features? I assume just features, or we get every Bugs Bunny cartoon pasted in the thread, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/9 "2017-05-11T01:21:49Z")
We might want to separate this into “Anime” and “Non-Anime” categories… Actually, we should probably separate it into “children’s” and “non-children’s,” as well. It’s probably not fair to put “Felidae” and “The Secret of NIMH” into the same category, much less “Ponyo” and “Ghost in the Shell.” ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/10 "2017-05-11T01:24:51Z")
**Anastasia** was lovely. **Allegro Non Troppo** still delights. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/11 "2017-05-11T01:34:25Z")
_Shrek_. Frankly, that’s the hands-down winner. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/12 "2017-05-11T02:12:19Z")
I love _How to Train Your Dragon._ ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/13 "2017-05-11T03:57:33Z")
**American:** It’s Such a Beautiful Day World of Tomorrow (2015) Rango Spirit: Stallion of Cimmaron Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (mostly for the visuals) If you’re into super heroes there’s a boatload of direct to video DC animated movies of greatly varying quality. My favorites: Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker Wonder Woman (2009) Superman\Batman - Apocalypse (mostly for the [fight scenes](https://youtu.be/lPlSdns_n1E)) Batman: Under the Red Hood Batman: Mask of the Phantasm Justice League: Flashpoint Paradox (if only to see the over the top grimdark alternate universe) **French:** Rabbi’s Cat **Japanese:** Sword of the Stranger Redline Ninja Scroll Paprika ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/14 "2017-05-11T04:13:18Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > The Miyazaki films are mostly exceptional. Right. My favorite is _Princess Mononoke_, although others listed by CalMeacham are also great: (_Spirited Away, Kiki’s Delivery Service, My Friend Totoro, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle_) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/15 "2017-05-11T04:18:13Z")
I’m going to complain once again about Dreamworks’ inexplicable decision to not release its early animation features on blu-ray. _Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken Run, Sinbad, Over the Hedge, Flushed Away, Shark Tale_; none of them have had a blu-ray release yet. Why? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/16 "2017-05-11T11:20:41Z")
Everything done by Laika and Aardman. Local studio Triggerfish has recently done some nice work with\* Revolting Rhymes\* and Julia Donaldson’s _Stickman_ ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/17 "2017-05-11T11:24:47Z")
Pixar movies are held in pretty high regard. For the twenty years prior to Disney’s purchase of it, it was an independent corporation. ---
**Author:** ![Tread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Tread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tread)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/18 "2017-05-11T11:30:06Z")
Heavy Metal. I don’t think this was a Disney Movie. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/19 "2017-05-11T11:45:28Z")
The first _Ice Age_ is better than you’d think. They get worse as they go on, slowly getting weirder. As is _Despicable Me_, and its sequel. Haven’t seen _Minions_, but a lot of people like that too. Both _How To Train Your Dragon_ movies are great fun. _The Secret of Kells_, and _Song of the Sea_ are both amazing, though kind of similar to each other. [Wolfwalkers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZdv_f9f5Jo) is next. Don Bluth’s _Anastasia_ has some good moments too. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317/20 "2017-05-11T12:23:01Z")
Fritz the Cat. And two that my children adored when growing up: The Brave Toaster and Rockadoodle. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-non-disney-animated-movies/786317.md?page=2)