While the 2010’s were a mixed bag, its output of films, particularly animated, was strong. It’s easy to write movies off as “creatively bankrupt” and “out of ideas”, but there were some genuinely excellent cartoons released in that window. And what better than to talk about them?
This’ll be me picking my favourite animated film of each year, talking about it and giving some unique perspective. It’ll be subjective, personal and somewhat mainstream. I tried having variety, but I don’t really have the money or resources to see films that aren’t widely-accessible. If that bugs you, make your own list.
Also, there’ll be spoilers.
2010
2010 was, by far, my favourite year in film. It was also a year with relatively few animated films, but they were almost all high-profile. Yet of the three I saw in theatres, Toy Story 3 was the best. It seemed like a shoe-in, it was Pixar capping off a then-excellent trilogy, but given what Pixar’s output would be for the next few years, it seemed a miracle in hindsight that this one was as good as it was.
What made this movie work is that it provided a mature take on the franchise. I’m not the most-diehard of Toy Story fans, the first two movies are solid, but I’ve always loved the concept behind them and wanted the franchise would take more ambitious turns. Toy Story 3 does that, being a prison escape movie with a brief trip to “Toy Hell”. It’s incredible to see what the franchise was willing to do, but it did it! And it did it with an ending that (almost) made me cry.
My only complaint is Lotso. He’s not a bad villain, but his fate has always felt cheap and anticlimactic. There’s something disappointing about your big baddie ending up strapped to a truck and taking in the fumes for eternity. It feels lazy, but not enough to ruin everything else. (Which, thankfully, is amazing.)
2011
This was tougher than 2010. Despite there being more animated films, they weren’t as high-quality. Nevertheless, my pick for best of 2011 is the most out-there story-wise while also being pretty standard. I’m choosing Rango, or my favourite Nickelodeon movie. Sue me.
I haven’t watched the film in a while, but I still have it ingrained in my mind: the humour? All on-point. The character designs? Gritty, but in a palatable way. Even the writing, which feels incredibly adult, is top-notch, and that’s hard considering how easy it is to play it safe. Of course, having a set piece set to Ride of Valkyries doesn’t hurt.
My one regret is that Johnny Depp voices the lead. Considering what we know in hindsight, he’s now another Mel Gibson from Chicken Run. More than the “Liar Revealed” trope, or even some of the twists and turns, that makes it hard to appreciate this movie as much as I used to. Still, Rango’s the best Western I’ve seen this decade. It’s also the best movie from Gore Verbinski, who gave us the Pirates of the Caribbean films. I’d say it deserves more attention, but it won Best Animated Feature, so…ah, see it anyway.
2012
2012 had a much better ratio of quality-to-quantity than 2011, but it still couldn’t match 2010. Most of the animated films that year were great, but none were as excellent as Toy Story 3 or How to Train Your Dragon. My pick goes to an anime film I saw a year later. It might be “cheating”, since it debuted here in 2013, but seeing as its original release was 2012, that’s what I’ll go by. The film is The Wolf Children, by the way.
While Mamoru Hosoda’s been one to watch out for since The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, it’s his third feature-film that solidified my love for his work. And why not? Its narrative isn’t the deepest, it’s a slice-of-life story about a mother raising two kids, but the finer details matter most. Scenes like Yuki and Ame fighting, or Yuki and Ame running in the snow, feel real and relatable, while Hana’s struggle, though romanticized, is about resilience in the face of adversity. I’m sure any mother can relate.
The Wolf Children encapsulates everything that makes Hosoda great: simple, relatable stories? Fluid animation that’s lively? A powerful score, one complete with a memorable end-credits song? Timeless themes? You get all of that and more.
2013
2013, up until the last ¼, was terrible for movies. This was especially true for animation, as few high-profile releases of note came out. There were some exceptions, one of them being The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. It’s strange saying that, given my relationship with Isao Takahata’s work, but it’s true. Doubly-so considering that it’s my favourite Studio Ghibli movie of the 2010’s. Go figure!
Two aspects won me over: the first is the film’s desire to be something unique for Takahata, being a fantasy instead of a drama. That switch of genres allows it to fully embrace what animation’s capable of. The second is that the movie takes advantage of its runtime, with every minute feeling relevant. That’s something Takahata’s also struggled with before. It helps that the movie embraces its watercolour aesthetic, even going straight-out sketchy at times. You don’t see that often in animation.
This is a movie about loss. It touches on Japan’s patriarchal education system, and how that impacts youth. It touches on Japanese suicide/shut-in culture. It even deconstructs the princess narrative, highlighting how toxic it really is. It touches on many sad concepts, but it also embraces the struggles and beauty of living. For all these reasons, I can’t help loving it.
2014
2014 was a strong year. There were hard-hitting dramas and action movies, but nowhere was the year strongest than in animation. Yet while Big Hero 6 and How to Train Your Dragon 2 were really solid, my favourite is that one film no one had expectations for and came out pretty early on. Basically, The LEGO Movie really impressed me. I say that as someone who’s normally skeptical of big-budget films that film buffs seem to enjoy as much as, if not more than, regular moviegoers.
The movie’s great technically, even with its occasional dive into live-action. Not only does it mimic stop-motion animation perfectly, including fake smudge marks and scratches on the character models, it also takes full-advantage of its premise. Everything from the constant building of vehicles, to the weight and feel of the bricks, is all expertly realized, forcing multiple viewings to catch it all. It also has so many cameos, vocal and visual, that it’s hard not to appreciate the nods. This is also to LEGO what The MCU is to superheroes, possibly even more.
If that doesn’t fancy your interest, it’s also lots of fun. And it’s funny, especially with its brutal deconstruction of Batman. I can’t tell you how often I laughed while watching it, as well as how often I’ll continue to laugh while watching it in the future. This is storytelling that both deconstructs Hollywood while simultaneously praising it. And it does both successfully. I can’t recommend it enough.
2015
2015 would see the beginning of Disney and Pixar dominating the animated scene. In 2015, Pixar released two films. But while The Good Dinosaur disappointed critically and financially, Inside Out managed to please. It’s also one of my favourite Pixar films. And this is despite its troubled production.
This movie’s a miracle of storytelling. Pixar isn’t a stranger to using simple ideas to craft meta-narratives, it’s the studio’s modus operandi, but Inside Out was the first time that Pixar took a complicated idea, the human brain, and ran with it. And they still managed to make it easy to follow along. There’s no shortage of moments where the film could’ve collapsed, but it works! And it does so while managing to make the tears feel earned. That’s impressive!
I still find myself coming back to this one. Not only is it creative, but it’s funny. Not only is it funny, but it’s emotional. And not only is it emotional, but it’s wicked-clever. This is the film that even many seasoned talents would struggle with, but not Pixar! They thrive on challenging themselves, and Inside Out is proof that they’ve still got it.
2016
If 2015 was the year of Pixar, then 2016 was the year of Disney. This isn’t to disrespect Finding Dory, which I liked, but both of Disney’s offerings got people talking. Surprisingly, while everyone heaps praise on Zootopia, I actually enjoyed Moana more. I think part of that’s because, while not better-written, it feels a lot more cohesive. It feels like a traditional Disney movie.
At first glance, Moana isn’t even all that impressive: it’s a standard heroine’s journey. Like Kubo and the Two Strings, which also released that year, it also doesn’t hide how standard it is. Even one of the key conflicts, Moana and Maui’s argument following their failed attempt at restoring The Heart of Te-Fiti, is resolved off-screen. But it doesn’t matter, because the film makes up for it in execution.
Want a heroine you can root for? It’s there. Fantastic songs from the legendary Lin-Manuel Miranda? You got it. Some beautiful, picture-perfect animation, especially the water? Why not? And a climax that resolves on a peaceful note? If Moana doesn’t have that too, I’ll eat my metaphorical grass skirt.
2017
Rotating the roster again, 2017 was the year of dual Pixar releases. But I have to give it up for Coco. Not only is it Pixar’s most culturally-unique film, focusing on Mexico’s “Day of the Dead” festival, it’s also an interesting take on mortality. And no, it’s not a shameless “rip-off” of The Book of Life. Base concept aside, the two films are drastically different.
Coco continues the tradition of Pixar tackling heavy ideas. In this instance, like I said, it’s all about mortality. Whether it’s accepting the slow decline of dementia, playing a song to someone who’s fading, or realizing you were cheated out of fatherhood, this movie doesn’t play around. Everything, right down to the songs, is done with nuance and sincerity. It’s something that could’ve gone awry, but it didn’t. Because it’s Pixar.
If I had a complaint, it’s that Coco’s somewhat predictable. It does all the familiar plot beats well, including the twist villain, but still. You know all the developments before they happen, making their inclusions feel obvious. Especially the villain! Still, none of this hurts the end-product. Coco’s an absolute joy, right down to its tearful finale. I highly-recommend it!
2018
2018 was strong for animation. There was a lot of good content with Dreamworks (Captain Underpants), Pixar (Incredibles 2), Disney (Ralph Breaks the Internet) and anime (Mirai). But, for my buck, the most fun I had was with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. It sounds like I’m cheating to go with the movie everyone loved, especially one so “corporate”, but it really is that good! It’s easily the best Spider-Man movie, that’s for sure! I guess that’s what happens when the duo behind The LEGO Movie are project overseers, huh?
Where do I begin? Do I talk about the technical aspect, the blend of comic aesthetic and CGI animation, and how it looks amazing and unique? Do I bring up how the movie, by making Miles Morales relatable, updates the Spider-Man concept for the 21st Century? Do I mention how great the voice acting is, especially from Nicholas Cage? Do I compliment the blend of humour and drama? Or do I remind everyone how the movie has the best post-credits stinger ever?
All of that’s important, but stopping there does it a disservice. Not only is the movie technically impressive and fun, but it manages to be both while remaining relevant. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is about the universality of Spider-Man, as well as what makes it so appealing. There’ve been many Spider-People over various comic runs, and there’ll probably be many more to come. Because Spider-Man is the every hero, and this movie embraces that. If that’s not enough to win Best Animated Feature fair-and-square, then I don’t know what is.
2019
We’re ending this with another Pixar film, obviously. 2019 was a solid year for film, even if I don’t think it was as good as the previous year. The only surprise was that Toy Story 4, a movie in the works for way too long and mired with production struggles, managed to be good. And not only good, but great. And not only great, but arguably the second-best entry after Toy Story 3. Considering Pixar’s hit-or-miss output in the 2010’s, especially with sequels, that’s impressive. Never doubt the power of Woody and Buzz, I guess?
The biggest tick in its favour is how it made an unnecessary plot-point from the previous movie, the disappearance of Bo Peep, and turned it into its greatest asset. Bo was never the most-interesting character prior, but this movie somehow gave her an arc and likeable personality. She also opens up a whole can of worms that was never addressed prior: what do you do when you’re not wanted as a toy? Do you get chucked, or do you embrace your “lost toy” status?
The movie also questions what it means to be a toy through Forky, emphasizing that a child’s love is more important than what you’re made of. Even the film’s antagonist, who’s tied to this theme, feels like an interesting take on the “twist villain” trope Pixar usually does, making for something unique. But that’s Toy Story 4’s legacy: expanding the scope of what was possible, enough to actually get me to cry. Was it required? No, but I’m glad it exists. And I think the previous movies are enhanced because of it.
That about wraps it up for this reflection on the past decade’s animated films. Be sure to give each one a watch, and I’ll see you next time!
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