Is 2010 the best year for animated movies in the 21st Century?

[Lepidopterous]

Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, Chico & Rita, The Secret World of Arrietty, The Illusionist, Despicable Me...

It’s hard to believe we got all of these in the same year I think the only other years that come close are 2016 and 2001.

2016: Zootopia, Moana, Kubo and the Two Strings, Your Name, The Red Turtle, Trolls, My Life as a Zucchini

2001: Spirited Away, Monsters, Inc., Shrek, Millenium Actress, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by DjMethod

Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, Tangled, Chico & Rita, The Secret World of Arrietty, The Illusionist, Despicable Me...

It’s hard to believe we got all of these in the same year I think the only other years that come close are 2016 and 2001.

2016: Zootopia, Moana, Kubo and the Two Strings, Your Name, The Red Turtle, Trolls, My Life as a Zucchini

2001: Spirited Away, Monsters, Inc., Shrek, Millenium Actress, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Cowboy Bebop: The Movie

Well, I like one of the 2010 movies you listed...so I'll say "no".

[AaronJ]

No. It isn't.

That would be whatever year Frozen came out.

I'm just joking around, obviously. I really don't see enough animated films to make any sort of valid judgement anyway.

[MifuneFan]

2009 was a pretty strong year

Coraline, Fantastic Mr Fox, Up, Princess and the Frog, Mary & Max, 9, The Secret of Kells, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Summer Wars, Redline, My Dog Tulip, A Town Called Panic

[h0h0x]

Out of those years, I'd say 2010's were the best. Also very good years:

2004: The Incredibles, Shrek 2, and The Polar Express.
2009: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Coraline, The Princess and the Frog, and Up.

[Al_The_Strange]

Nostalgia makes me lean heavier on 2001.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within really knocked my socks off--it was the first time I've seen an animation that attempted to bring photo-realistic characters to life, and I'd argue that parts of it hold up okay (some parts don't, I'll admit). Even if the film is largely forgotten now (and possibly outclassed by other Final Fantasy and Resident Evil animations), I think it deserves credit for being the first of its kind to push the technological boundaries. I also appreciate that the film attempted to tell an emotional story, which is more than can be said for the other FF and RE films.

As did Monsters Inc back in the day. Toy Story may have been the first feature-length Pixar film, but I felt that MI was more ambitious and pushed the limits further. The film holds up well today, even visually.

Can't say I'm a fan of Millennium Actress or Shrek (been meaning to reevaluate the latter now that I'm aware of the anti-Disney themes involved--in that context, I can at least appreciate Shrek as a post-modern fairy tale). The Cowboy Bebop movie wowed me on the first few viewings, but since then I've grown to love the TV series more and the movie a lot less.

But let's not forget that 2001 also gave us one more exquisite film: Spirited Away. Some other gems I really enjoy: Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Rintaro's Metropolis, and the ROD: Read or Die OVA. I think all of these have ambition and impressive quality in their own ways.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

2009 was a pretty strong year

Coraline, Fantastic Mr Fox, Up, Princess and the Frog, Mary & Max, 9, The Secret of Kells, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Summer Wars, Redline, My Dog Tulip, A Town Called Panic

You know, I almost mentioned 2009 in the OP. Just a great year for film in general.

I’m especially a big fan of Coraline and have been meaning to revisit Kells. Up is an undeniable classic, especially for the beginning and ending.

[phobicsquirrel]

Eh... Animated films aren't nowhere near the greatness of snow white, Bambi, sleeping beauty, Pinocchio, little mermaid, Aladdin, or Lion King.

I'd go so far and say, not even the rescuers, secret of nimb, and many others in the 20th century.

Sure, Up, Toy Story, and some others are great but more lack something special that so many animated films had in the 20th century.

[A Sith Lord?]

In a weird way, I still consider Ready Player One as an honorary animated movie since most of it takes place in the Oasis. Actually has anyone done the math on how much screen time is in the Oasis v. Real World.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by phobicsquirrel

Eh... Animated films aren't nowhere near the greatness of snow white, Bambi, sleeping beauty, Pinocchio, little mermaid, Aladdin, or Lion King.

I'd go so far and say, not even the rescuers, secret of nimb, and many others in the 20th century.

Sure, Up, Toy Story, and some others are great but more lack something special that so many animated films had in the 20th century.

Maybe you prefer the older style of animated film, but in terms of film quality, resonance, and all-time animated classics, I think Spirited Away, Toy Story 3, and Princess Kaguya are staple films to the genre just like any of the 20th century titles you mentioned. I would even throw in a few more Pixar films, like Up, Monsters Inc., and Inside Out.

My favorites include The Lion King, Grave of the Fireflies, and Princess Mononoke, but I consider the above mentioned films absolute treasures alongside them.

Not to mention we are comparing 20 years to a span of 60+ years since Snow White? So that’s already pretty impressive.

[ctujackbauer]

TripleDent Gum Will make you smile
TripleDent Gum It lasts a while
TripleDent Gum Will help you, mister. To punch bad breath right in the kisser

[Bn43]

I refuse to watch any more CG animations, so hell no. I'll probably keep ignoring them until Disney and Dreamworks stop utterly ignoring what I want, traditional animation.

[Lepidopterous]

Originally Posted by Bn43

I refuse to watch any more CG animations, so hell no. I'll probably keep ignoring them until Disney and Dreamworks stop utterly ignoring what I want, traditional animation.

I also wish we got more traditional animation. I think the only new traditional animation I go and see now are mostly Hosoda and Ghibli films. It makes me quite sad.