Iconic animated movies throughout the years
The special storytelling behind well-loved animated films is like no other; no matter what age you are, these films have touched corners of our lives and have had a huge influence on their industry. Be warned, spoilers ahead!
Toy Story
Released in 1995, this tale of toys coming to life changed the world of animation. The film was a collaboration between Pixar and Disney that earned a Special Achievement Academy Award and was nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Musical or Comedy Score, and Song. Toy Story takes you through the adventures of toys owned by a little boy named Andy. This little boy’s favourite cowboy toy, named Woody, is overcome with jealousy when Andy receives a new space ranger toy. This space man, Buzz Lightyear, doesn’t realize that he is just an action figure and takes on a mission almost bigger than he can manage. Disaster strikes when Woody and Buzz are taken by a peculiar kid from next-door.
Earning a whopping $361 million worldwide during its release, Toy Story became the first fully computer-animated feature film and changed the game of the industry. One of the founding fathers of Pixar studios was Ed Catmull; he and a team of computer scientists built the software that animators used for the film. RenderMan allowed for photorealistic computer images to be made, lessening the time and effort that animators need to spend on creating realistic lighting. Recently, this software was used for films including Inside Out 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Elio.
A first year student in Film studies, Seamus Walker, looks back in awe at the animation in Toy Story. “For the time, it was mind-boggling! It’s dated but it still looks pretty good,’’ he said. “It opened up a new way of thinking about how to incorporate animation into a movie. It delved into the story of toys and that’s a movie that can only be animated.’’
It opened up a new way of thinking about how to incorporate animation into a movie. -Seamus Walker, film student, UofR
Howl’s Moving Castle
Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli is well-known for many of its films and its particular animation style. This 2004 movie adaptation of Diane Wynne-Jones’ book, Howl’s Moving Castle, is a story of a young woman named Sophie whose normal life as a hatter is swept away when she meets the wizard Howl and the Witch of the Waste, who transforms her into a 90-year-old woman. This stunning film takes its viewers on a free ride on Howl’s moving castle as these unforgettable characters find a way to break their curses and survive the waging war between kingdoms.
It was nominated for Best Animated Feature by the Academy Awards and awarded Best Music by Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards. This film will move you both visually and aurally. Supervising animator Akihiko Yamashita recalls not having work-life balance for the two years that he worked on the project. The background and characters were drawn and painted by hand before being digitized manually to reproduce that hand-drawn look. Yamashita told Variety that he could not remember how many pages of drawings they did, but it was a huge amount. Joe Hisaishi’s score adds a delicious touch to the film; most of us have probably heard its main theme song, “Merry-Go-Round of Life.”
Walker also shared his love for Studio Ghibli movies. “That gentle animation you don’t see a lot today really lends itself to childhood,’’ he said. “[They] are simple ideas but executed magnificently.’’
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
In 2023, this highly-praised sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse continues the story of Miles Morales as he finds himself battling another supervillain and, surprisingly, the other Spiders. Viewers are taken through the multiverse while Morales struggles between his duty and saving his father. The film is bound to keep you glued to your seat with its distinct art style and vibrant colours offering a feast for the eyes.
Earning $683.3 million at the worldwide box office, Across the Spider-Verse became Sony’s highest grossing animated film. With 106 awards and 164 nominations, a third installment in the Spider-Verse series is set to release in 2027. The series will be remembered for bringing elements of comic books to life, like the iconic ‘’twhip’’ sound of web slinging scenes being brought to life.
First year film student Josh Box said that the film is loved because of its style. “Everyone loves Spider-Man! [The sequel] went a lot bigger, with crazy stuff happening in every scene,’’ he said. “It definitely inspired a lot of people to [adapt its] unique style. It popularized cutting frames for action scenes.’’
Often tossed aside as a genre restricted to children, animated films are severely underappreciated. -Lee Lim
KPop Demon Hunters
In June of this year, Netflix released an animated film that quickly became their most viewed movie on the platform. KPop Demon Hunters follows the story of Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, three K-pop idols who have taken on the responsibility of fighting demons and sealing the Honmoon with their voices. Conflict ensues when Rumi starts losing her voice and her secret of being a half-demon is threatened after the Saja Boys, a demon K-pop group, start topping the charts and stealing souls.
This Sony Pictures Animation film with another distinct animation style gave the internet many new GIFs and reaction memes. Another widely celebrated aspect of the film is its original soundtrack, with “Golden’’ staying at the top of Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks on the day this article is being written. Additionally, HUNTR/X’s “How It’s Done’’ and the Saja Boys’ “Soda Pop’’ and “Your Idol’’ ended up on the top 10 list of Hot 100. As if its success isn’t already overflowing, a sing-a-long version was released for limited time in theatres last month.
Often tossed aside as a genre restricted to children, animated films are severely underappreciated. It’s time to give these animators, directors, and voice actors their flowers for delivering us stories that people across generations can relate to. Though they’re just a handful of iconic examples, these four films are guaranteed to stimulate your senses, so just sit back, watch, and enjoy the ride.
