Unlike our list of Best Films of 2021 and Best Documentaries, this list will be much shorter. It’s a mixed bag of really great, and some that, in any other year, wouldn’t have made it to the theater. But it seems like the big animation studios were keen to finally “get out there” after the long Covid pause.
#1 The Wish Dragon
I know this isn’t on most ”Top” lists, but I watched this twice – once with my 11 year old, and I stand by my praise for this Sony Pictures Animation feature that went straight to streaming. It’s a delight. Here’s my full review.
#2 The Mitchells vs. the Machines
Smart, irreverent and funny. This seems to have come out of nowhere last spring, but the surprise was welcome. Here’s my review.
#3 Luca
There was a lot of pearl-clutching going on when this Disney/Pixar feature was released last summer. Mainly because it represented a “departure” from the Pixar brand, artistically and content-wise. Who cares? It was very good. Here’s my review.
#4 Raya and the Last Dragon
Disney’s first Southeast Asian themed film is otherwise an amalgamation of their greatest hits, but it is gorgeous to behold. I worried that its relatively complex narrative might exclude younger viewers, but, hey, not every animated film has to be for tiny tots. Here’s my review:
#5 Encanto
Disney’s awards-contender for the year has all the elements you’ve come to expect. For me, I put this film in the Top 5 only because of the memorable lead character and the handsome art. What I did not like were the songs. I am burned out by modern musicals this past year (which obviously doesn’t include the amazing West Side Story) because they all sound the same in style and construction. I know that Lin-Manuel Miranda is the God of current Broadway, but he steals too many things from his own bag of tricks. Oh, how I miss the 90s Disney musicals with songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.
And Some Lesser Releases…
Spirit: Untamed from DreamWorks Animation had some good bits, even if it’s not in the same class as the films above – here’s that review:
Boss Baby: Family Business is, in truth, quite flawed, but it’s never gonna not be cool to hear Jeff Goldblum’s voice coming out of a cartoon character – here’s my review of that.
Paw Patrol: The Movie. I hate this phrase, but it works well for this film: “It is what it is.” It has a built-in audience who love PP on TV.
FLEE is a really good film, and I see that some are trying to position it as an animated film for awards consideration. For me, it is a documentary that uses animation, quite effectively, to help the filmmaker give us visuals, since his key interviewee preferred to remain anonymous, except for his voice. Great doc, but I don’t think it belongs with the films above.
