Blog Talkback: Toons of the 2000s: Top 5 Animated Features

[Harley]

Radical Raven acted as editor on this topic. In it we list our favorite movies of the decade, leading up to our Top 5 and why they're on that list.

This is the official talkback for Toons of the 2000s: Top 5 Animated Features (http://blog.toonzone.net/blogs/118/toons-of-the-2000s-top-5-animated-features/)!

[Martin Juneau]

A overall great list of animated features who make this decade (minus to Wall-E i never want to rewatch it again) especially the luck to see indepedent films instead to the same Disney/Don Bluth films we endured since many years. (Here where i live, they don't give many respects to indepedent artists.)

Sita Sings the Blues is a logic choice for #1 rank. The animation is alive, the different art styles of this movie is purely magic and the fact that it's inspired by a real-life experience make the movie much real. Without forget the Hanneth Hanshaw's beautiful songs. Great article!

[Harley]

What would you have put in Wall-E's place?

[Dr.Pepper]

WALL-E and Spirited Away are the only two movies that I have seen. I like WALL-E, but Spirited Away was just to darn freaky for me.

[Martin Juneau]

What would you have put in Wall-E's place?

No offence, but i rather choosed Persepolis. But i know that Wall-E having a important impact when it shown in theaters last year.

But great list BTW Harley! I can't wait to see more! :)

[ABrown]

The movies on this list almost appear to be the opinion of just one person. Where's 2007's TMNT, or 2008's Star Wars:The Clone Wars? I haven't even heard of about 40% of the movies on this list. This is exactly why awards like the oscars mean absolutely nothing to me.

[The Cartoon]

I haven't seen almost any of the Top 5, but I can imagine that there a ton of great obscure movies. I do like the long list of honorable mentions though because there were a lot of great movies that deserved to at least be recognized. Personally, my favorite movies of the 2000's were Finding Nemo and Shrek. Overall, I may have shown a little more diversity than 4 anime movies but they all sound great so I'm sure that their selection was justified.

[Harley]

The movies on this list almost appear to be the opinion of just one person. Where's 2007's TMNT, or 2008's Star Wars:The Clone Wars? I haven't even heard of about 40% of the movies on this list. This is exactly why awards like the oscars mean absolutely nothing to me.

Six people, actually. If you haven't seen the movies on the list, consider that post our hearty recommendation for viewing them at least once.

[Rainbow Sharpie]

Great article!

I can't comment much on the actual movies chosen - I've only seen 2 movies on the list (Wall-E and Spirited Away) but the opinions on all the movies were well-said and explained.

I espically liked the Surf's Up honorable mention - IMHO it was a horribly underrated gem of a movie. You'd think it'd get more attention since 2 Disney alums directed it - Ash Brannon of Pixar and Chris Buck of Disney proper. Oh well, it's one of my top 5 favorites if it's anything :)

[creativerealms]

The movies on this list almost appear to be the opinion of just one person. Where's 2007's TMNT, or 2008's Star Wars:The Clone Wars? I haven't even heard of about 40% of the movies on this list. This is exactly why awards like the oscars mean absolutely nothing to me.

Well these people see the movies that the average Joe might miss. Then we can search for that movie. I know I'm going to look for the movie that got the number one spot.

I have not heard of Sita Sings the Blues before and now I want to.

[Harley]

It's available on the movie's website, free of charge. http://www.sitasingstheblues.com/

[Daxdiv]

Nice list, even though out of the top 5, I only saw WALL-E and Spirited Away, I am thinking about watching Waltz with Bashir, Sita Sings the Blues, and Idiots & Angels, though giving the means, I think I can only watch Waltz and Sita at the moment.

[Dudley]

The movies on this list almost appear to be the opinion of just one person. Where's 2007's TMNT, or 2008's Star Wars:The Clone Wars? I haven't even heard of about 40% of the movies on this list. This is exactly why awards like the oscars mean absolutely nothing to me.


Well, I for one fail to see how either of those movies should be on the list at all.

[jph139]

Wow, I've only seen ONE of those, though I have been meaning to watch WALL-E. Spirited Away, eh, I'm kinda lukewarm on it, honestly - it's a great movie, no doubt, but I don't think it's anywhere NEAR Miyazaki's best. Though it's probably the best of this decade.

I've heard of Waltz with Bashir, but never got around to seeing it - I'd like to, but I'm a tad skittish... so, y'know, still mulling that over. Sita Sings the Blues, well, no excuse there; I'll be checking that out as soon as possible. Idiots and Angels, too. Well, as soon as that ends up on DVD, at least.

So, I can't really speak for the accuracy of it as a Top 5 list... there's some stuff to look for, y'know?

[polkadotjewel]

I've seen quite a few of those movies, heh... but I have not seen the #1 movie. It does look good, though, and I definitely want to watch it one day.

Personally, I'm not a big WALL-E fan - sure, he's cute, and him and Eva are an adorable couple... if we're comparing it to other Pixar movies from the 2000's, I would say Ratatouille is much better than WALL-E.

There's a lot of great movies on this list, and I would like to go and rewatch some (such as the Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Bebop movies).

[FortressMaximus]

I have to say I was shocked that The Incredibles wasn't in the top five.

A great story with honest, believable characters. Plot consistency that hundreds of other movies would kill for, humor, drama and fun all wrapped up in the best animation of the decade ( the mind-boggling way they got the water to look is a visual treat in and of itself!) and it doesn't make the final cut?

Nothing against the final 5 that are listed, but not having Incredibles was a real disappoitment.

[GWOtaku]

I'll admit it, I hadn't even heard of three of the movies that made this list. I feel less bad about this knowing that I have some company. But now I really, really want to watch Idiots and Angels and Sita Sings the Blues. It's always gratifying to find out about a great work out of nowhere. Sometimes you can just fall into the delusion that you've seen it all, but no.

Out of the many movies that I have seen, Wall-E is one that I'm 100% behind for a list like this. The Incredibles is fantastic and fun and well written, but to me Wall-E is about as entertaining and about as substantive a film despite (because of?) its unusual narrative approach. By its nature the entire movie has to be mostly driven and expressed by what one sees on the screen, and this was accomplished marvelously.

[Ed Liu]

For those interested, I did review Idiots & Angels (http://news.toonzone.net/articles/23514/idiots-amp-angels-is-dark-brilliance-from-bill-plympton) when it screened at the Tribeca Film Festival (and also got to interview Bill Plympton about it (http://news.toonzone.net/articles/23350/toon-zone-interviews-indie-animator-bill-plympton-on-idiots-amp-angels), who is an incredibly nice guy). I'm not sure I would have placed it in the top 5 (not that I didn't like the movie or think it was one of the best animated films this decade, but my personal vote for the top 5 was for Persepolis). Wasn't able to get to see Waltz With Bashir at the NY Film Festival, but it's on my "to do" list (along with a stack of other stuff).

I would have also put The Incredibles or Monsters Inc. instead of WALL-E, but really the only Pixar films released this decade that I wouldn't have put in the top 5 would have been Cars and Finding Nemo. Both are fun, eminently watchable movies, but I don't think they pushed it over the top the way I think Monsters Inc. or The Incredibles did.

Also really mean to get to Sita Sings the Blues, since it hits a bunch of intersecting interests (animation, Indian mythology, and old time blues).


Where's 2007's TMNT, or 2008's Star Wars:The Clone Wars? I haven't even heard of about 40% of the movies on this list. This is exactly why awards like the oscars mean absolutely nothing to me.
If you haven't heard of them or seen them, how do you know they're not better than TMNT or Clone Wars?

Regardless, if the Clone Wars movie was anything at all like the first season of the TV show, it was deservedly ignored in the face of far, far better movies.

[Radical Raven]

Overall, I may have shown a little more diversity than 4 anime movies but they all sound great so I'm sure that their selection was justified.

Actually, only one of the top five movies is an anime - Spirited Away.... the rest are either American or, in Bashir's case, Isreali (Isralean?).


I have to say I was shocked that The Incredibles wasn't in the top five.

A great story with honest, believable characters. Plot consistency that hundreds of other movies would kill for, humor, drama and fun all wrapped up in the best animation of the decade ( the mind-boggling way they got the water to look is a visual treat in and of itself!) and it doesn't make the final cut?

Nothing against the final 5 that are listed, but not having Incredibles was a real disappoitment.

Incredibles was a very heavy contender, but in the end, I thought there was a pretty heavy disconnection between it being a superhero movie, a superhero parody, and a movie. I also thought some of the characters, like Violet, Dash, and Frozone, were given shockingly little attention and end up not being much more then they're defining traits (awkward teenage girl, annoying younger brother, and old friend).

For those who it concerns, Persepolis was another heavy contender - in fact, if this was a top six list, it would've been the sixth movie.

Also, I can't say this enough, or in big enough font: WATCH SITA SINGS THE BLUES. I can understand the public's shunning of Bashir and Idiots, - neither of them are exactly what you'd call mainstream - but Nina Paley and Sita deserve to be household names.

[Urusei Yatsura]

Wow, I've only seen ONE of those, though I have been meaning to watch WALL-E. Spirited Away, eh, I'm kinda lukewarm on it, honestly - it's a great movie, no doubt, but I don't think it's anywhere NEAR Miyazaki's best. Though it's probably the best of this decade.

I've heard of Waltz with Bashir, but never got around to seeing it - I'd like to, but I'm a tad skittish... so, y'know, still mulling that over. Sita Sings the Blues, well, no excuse there; I'll be checking that out as soon as possible. Idiots and Angels, too. Well, as soon as that ends up on DVD, at least.

So, I can't really speak for the accuracy of it as a Top 5 list... there's some stuff to look for, y'know?

But this is the list for this decade...

Anyways, only saw 2 of these. Wall-E and Spirited Away

[Terra Branford]

I'm going to admit it: I've never seen any of those movies. I will watch Sita Sings The Blues though since it's been put ahead of Spirited Away and Wall-E.

[HG Revolution]

Seen all of them except Idiots and Angels. All great choices, though I'd probably put Persepolis ahead of Bashir on the grounds that Persepolis is actually rewatchable (Bashir was just too painful to sit through again) as well as being better animated. The Incredibles would be in my Top 5, but I remember Raven saying he only wanted one Pixar movie on the list for the sake of variety so Wall-E's the better choice.

[Matthew Williams]

I worked on this project, I'm pleased with how it turned out. Radical Raven did a great job ensuring that the films that made the list were diverse, fair, and enjoyable. It's refreshing to see a list that isn't just four Pixar movies and Spirited Away.

Personally I prefer Up to Wall-E, but just barely. Nearly all of the Pixar movies made this decade deserve to make the list (I'll exclude Cars).

I wrote the listing for Waltz With Bashir. I scanned Rotten Tomatoes reviews of this movie when I was writing it and I saw a phrase that sums my view of the film up perfectly. "It's not an easy film to watch, but it is a film worth watching." It earns its R rating and it's the strongest content I've ever seen in an animated product to date... but it's a masterfully done film.

[Harley]

Personally, I'm not a big WALL-E fan - sure, he's cute, and him and Eva are an adorable couple... if we're comparing it to other Pixar movies from the 2000's, I would say Ratatouille is much better than WALL-E.


Seen all of them except Idiots and Angels. All great choices, though I'd probably put Persepolis ahead of Bashir on the grounds that Persepolis is actually rewatchable (Bashir was just too painful to sit through again) as well as being better animated. The Incredibles would be in my Top 5, but I remember Raven saying he only wanted one Pixar movie on the list for the sake of variety so Wall-E's the better choice.


Personally I prefer Up to Wall-E, but just barely. Nearly all of the Pixar movies made this decade deserve to make the list (I'll exclude Cars).

I wrote the listing for Waltz With Bashir. I scanned Rotten Tomatoes reviews of this movie when I was writing it and I saw a phrase that sums my view of the film up perfectly. "It's not an easy film to watch, but it is a film worth watching." It earns its R rating and it's the strongest content I've ever seen in an animated product to date... but it's a masterfully done film.

You know, I appreciate The Incredibles and what it accomplished technically, but I never liked it all that much. I also preferred Ratatouille to Wall-E. I've seen Waltz with Bashir twice now and may go back for a third. I don't think it should be discounted because it contains strong material that is difficult to process emotionally. The whole point of it is that the horrors committed were difficult to process emotionally. It succeeds in its anti-war message without being preachy. I would love to see more stories of this depth told in animation. Were it my personal list, that would've been my first pick.

[~Shoяe]

Of all the Pixar films, Wall•E is definitely not the best. Its a really great film, and I love it, but I felt that UP is not only the best Pixar film, or one of the best animated films, but one of the best films of the decade, period.

But, everyone has their favorites, and not everyone's favorites can go up there. I'd like to see Waltz with Bashir, sounds awesome.

[ShadowDemon]

"Clone Wars" absolutely deserves a mention in the list, so does "Titan AE". I'd also put "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" and "Justice Leage: Starlost" up for at least the Top 10.

[HG Revolution]

"Clone Wars" absolutely deserves a mention in the list, so does "Titan AE". I'd also put "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" and "Justice Leage: Starlost" up for at least the Top 10.

Starcrossed was 3 TV episodes, not a theatrical movie. 3 great episodes, but still doesn't count.

As for Clone Wars...
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/thumb/3/33/Ziro.jpg/250px-Ziro.jpg
I believe this abomination unto humanity hurt its chances greatly.

[ShadowDemon]

Starcrossed was 3 TV episodes, not a theatrical movie. 3 great episodes, but still doesn't count.

Return of the Joker was never released in theaters, and it made the list. Starcrossed was first released as a single movie, so I think it should count.

[MonkeyFunk]

"Clone Wars" absolutely deserves a mention in the list, so does "Titan AE".

Which two films would you take out to make room for them?

[ShadowDemon]

Which two films would you take out to make room for them?

That's a fair question. A lot of those films I haven't seen, and (based on the description) I probably wouldn't want to see.

As a roundabout way of answering your question, I'll give you my top five of the decade (in rough order):

5. Titan AE
4. Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
3. Clone Wars
2. The Incredibles
1. Justice Leage: Starcrossed

If we include OVAs, my top 5 would be:

5. Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles
4. Clone Wars
3. The Incredibles
2. Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
1. Justice League: Starcrossed

Titan AE would drop several places (at least to #8) because I'd put Ultimate Avengers/UA2 and Green Lantern: First Flight ahead of it.

[Mek]

Starcrossed was 3 TV episodes, not a theatrical movie. 3 great episodes, but still doesn't count.

As for Clone Wars...
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/thumb/3/33/Ziro.jpg/250px-Ziro.jpg
I believe this abomination unto humanity hurt its chances greatly.

Hey man, I like Ziro. =/

And tbqh, I liked the movie, but I don't think it's one of 'the best'. The cartoon show (esp. the second season which, so far, has rivaled most anime I've been forced to watch) has gotten a lot better and the animation has greatly improved over the movie.

[Harley]

"Clone Wars" absolutely deserves a mention in the list, so does "Titan AE". I'd also put "Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles" and "Justice Leage: Starlost" up for at least the Top 10.

I adore Titan A.E., but I still wouldn't include it on that list. Good idea, poorly voice-acted and executed. There are several songs on the movie's soundtrack that I still listen to, with my favorite being Electrasy's Cosmic Castaway.

So, far as Clone Wars goes, we're in disagreement there. I think it really only has lasting appeal to staunchly committed fans of the franchise. If the latest live-action trilogy hadn't done enough to chase me away, the Clone Wars film and show drove a permanent wedge between us.

[Craig Crumpton]

Coming in late on this one, but I haven't really had time for fan forums this year.

It's funny -- I questioned some titles included as "honorable mentions" but didn't question any of the top 5. But of the top 5, I've only seen Spirited Away anyway. I'm so ashamed! :o I've missed out on a lot of animation in this decade due to life stuff, and I haven't seen more than half of the films that made this list.

But of those I have seen, here's some I don't feel should have been honorable mentions:

- Treasure Planet
While it's a great visual spectacle, that's exactly what I feel caused the film to lose its focus. The core of the story is Jim Hawkins and his adventure, and his relationship with Long John Silver. But it seems Disney got sidetracked during production on this film. First, they became enamored with their new toys -- advances in computer-animation (and an attempt to compete with then-rival Pixar). These "toys" seemed used just because they could (like making Silver a 2D/3D hybrid). It also appeared as though Disney got caught up in trying to make the film *epic* in a sci-fi spin on a classic adventure story and make Silver an even larger-than-life and more outrageous character than he was in the original.

In the process, I feel Disney lost sight of the heart of Stevenson's story and what makes it memorable and timeless.

- Atlantis: The Lost Empire
The boy in me wants to love this film, but the animation critic in me refuses because it's just too flawed. It had many good things going for it, but it fell apart in the execution.

- Meet The Robinsons
This movie is like watching a mash-up of three different films, and what takes place in the middle is a smattering of quirky characters (which is what the book originally was) rapidly introduced but they don't help to advance the plot. They're more of a diversionary time-filler. And sadly, that's actually the most interesting part of the film.

And this movie is also something of an odd duck for Disney since it was in production during the Disney/Pixar merger, which brought in John Lasseter as producer. If it had been released without Lasseter's involvement (he helped change more than half the film), it could very well have been a much different film and possibly a complete box office flop for Disney.

And while the movie has some redeemable qualities and charm, overall it's just weak -- especially when compared with Pixar's films and even some of Dreamwork's better CG-features. And thus it bothers me that it's considered a "Walt Disney Animated Classic".

(And don't even get me started on "Chicken Little.")

- The Road to El Dorado
Just mediocre overall. And proof that celebrity voice casting does not automatically equal big box office returns. The film's budget was $95 mil, and it only made $75 mil total worldwide. Even after home video release, it barely broke even.

- The Simpsons Movie
It just wasn't very memorable for me. Perhaps if it had been produced earlier in the Simpsons' history (like 15 years earlier) before most of the best gags had already been done on the show, I might have enjoyed it more. Also, I'm sick of animated entertainment (esp. primetime animation) being continually used as a platform for proselytizing and affirmative action. And the anti-political subtext of this film was an annoying distraction.



Well, I for one fail to see how [TMNT, Clone Wars] should be on the list at all.I for two agree with you.


"Clone Wars" absolutely deserves a mention in the list, so does "Titan AE".Only if this list were made by Star Wars fans. But the Clone Wars feature film was largely panned by critics and animation fans (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars:_The_Clone_Wars_(film)#Critical_reaction). Heck, there were a lot of SW fans who didn't like it either. There have been single episodes of the TV series that were better than the feature film.

And I really enjoyed Titan A.E. too, but Harley nailed everything that's right and wrong with it. I don't think it deserved to make the list either.


Return of the Joker was never released in theaters, and it made the list. Starcrossed was first released as a single movie, so I think it should count.That is a valid point. Also, Hellboy: Blood and Iron was a D2V release.

[Time Wizard]

I've only seen two movies on that list....I liked the honorable mentions though.