The 20 Most Innovative Animated Films (VIDEO)

Animation has long experienced the stigma that it is a medium designed for children, yet examples can be seen that defy this classification.

Many critics mistake the genre's ability to fascinate as a characteristic of children's programming, but great animation transcends demographics altogether. They not only stimulate, but immerse the viewer in a world that goes beyond what even the imagination could produce.

Here are 20 films that not only reinvented the genre, but exposed the never-ending possibilities of animation.

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Comments

[LaVera Mahshid]

09:30 AM on 01/06/2012

Many classics - many favorites.
If I could add one more, I would add The Illusionist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdLrxxo4mg

[Bloementuin]

12:48 PM on 01/02/2012

Krek (1968) Zagreb, Croatia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63eABBbDcNU&list=WL308B8BA90FC9CC31&feature=mh_lolz

[FGDinVA]

11:35 AM on 01/02/2012

Fantastic Planet is a favorite of mine.

[goatboyslim]

10:49 AM on 01/02/2012

Lupo the Butcher?

[Splevich]

07:48 PM on 12/31/2011

Animation has come a long ways since the traditional cel animation process became obsolete.. Today, animators' drawings are either scanned into or drawn directly into a computer system. Software programs are used to color the drawings and simulate camera movement and effects. The final animated piece is output usually to traditional 35 mm film and newer media such as digital video.

[Satirist1]

03:24 PM on 12/31/2011

"Allegro Non Troppo" (Bruno Bozzetto) spoof was much better than Fantasia.
The satyr in "Afternoon of the Faun" is hilarious and Valse Triste is heartbreaking,

[SangZe]

12:37 PM on 12/31/2011

Some nice films here, but most are rather ordinary. The best of the lot is probably Svankmajer. The critic didn't spend much time looking around.

[Satirist1]

03:22 PM on 12/31/2011

Yep.
To ignore astonishing animation produced by Russian Sovietmultfilm and Canadians
is unforgivable.

[ConfuciusSay-]

12:30 PM on 12/31/2011

Glad to see several favorites here. Miss the Iron Giant though.

[MarcEdward]

11:16 PM on 12/30/2011

Very good list, except for Wall-E.
It didn't really belong.

[kramereng]

09:49 PM on 01/02/2012

Why? It's animation and no more mainstream than Jungle Book, Fantasia, Akira or Spirited Away. I thought it was groundbreaking. 20 minutes of silence in the beginning that was incredibly powerful.

[MarcEdward]

08:19 AM on 01/03/2012

Taste is subjective - I thought the story was awful. I hate "cute" (except when it comes to kittens)

[Rudderman]

11:16 PM on 12/30/2011

Lots of classics...still Fantasia remains my favorite.
Setting classical music to animation was pure genius.
All without computers...amazing.

[David Gerrold]

08:47 PM on 12/30/2011

Any list like this is incomplete without George Pal's puppetoons or Jiri Trnka's astonishing Midsummer Night's Dream.

[ConfuciusSay-]

12:29 PM on 12/31/2011

I have a book here with your name as the author...

[Alex Krislov]

11:34 AM on 01/15/2012

A lot of omissions, but overall it's a good list. I'd like to have seen more of the "little" animated shorts that didn't get wide distribution, but were influential on the animation community. Stuff like "Hunger" and "Great" (the IKB bio).

[Vrano]

05:11 PM on 12/30/2011

What, no Song of the South? I am disappointed.

[et0hman]

04:50 PM on 12/30/2011

You missed "Twice Upon a Time", George Lucas Executive Producer, Music by Bruce Hornsby and Maureen McDonald, voices of Lorenzo Music, Marshall Efron, James Cranna, Julie Payne, Hamilton Camp, Judith Kahn, Paul Frees. First full length in Lumage (South Park).

[Travis Mamone]

06:03 PM on 12/30/2011

Oh yeah, I remember that!

[FearlessFreep]

04:40 PM on 12/30/2011

Nothing from Canada's National Film Board? It's produced some great cartoons by people like Norman McClaren.

How about the German silent animated film THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMET?

[dad4lifesl]

04:37 PM on 12/30/2011

I love allot of those movies... I think Spirited Away should have been replaced with Howl's moving castle though.