TOP TEN ANIMATED FILMS...

THE WRITER'S LIST

1. Bambi
It may be infamous for its haunting death scene, but Bambi is at the top of this list mostly for its animation. Long before CGI sauntered in and gave everything a somewhat unnatural sheen, director David Hand and his team of animators created a stunning, hand-drawn, look at cutesy animals that hasn‘t been bettered since. The opening, in which the camera pans across a beautifully hand-painted forest, is a gorgeous example of Disney at its very best.

2. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Yes, it may only be part-animated, but Robert Zemeckis’ zany trip through Toon Town is a triumph of technical achievement, which is also steeped in cartoon history. Betty Boo has a melancholic appearance in a club, while Bugs Bunny is seen parachuting with Mickey Mouse in one of the film’s most memorable sequences. The corking, film noir-informed plot, only adds to its brilliance.

3. Toy Story
Pixar are the company that really began the current boom in computer generated animation and, despite some fine efforts from other studios, they are the only ones to repeatedly produce brilliance. Picking the best of the bunch then is difficult, but while the likes of Monster‘s Inc, Cars and The Incredibles are all superb, it‘s this first effort (and, to a slightly lesser extent, its sequel) that still shines the brightest. John Lasseter’s ‘toys come to life’ tale is simple but brilliant and touches upon the big themes of friendship and mortality in a way most modern animations can only dream about.

4. The Iron Giant
One of the last great hurrahs of traditional animation, Brad Bird’s adaptation of Ted Hughes’ short story retains all the original’s subtext, but infuses it with a modern sensibility so it still applies to today’s youth. The fact that it’s pretty much all hand drawn (with only a few computer-powered embellishments here and there) simply adds to its poignancy and shows 2-D animation still has a place in our CG-drenched world.

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Even to this day, the baffled TV networks seem confused as to when it’s best to schedule NBX: Halloween or Christmas. Of course, the festive period is always a good time to watch this tale of Jack Skellington’s commandeering of December 25th, but Tim Burton’s magical story and some stunning animation from stop-motion master Henry Selick mean that it’s universal enough to be enjoyed at any time of the year.

6. Grave of the Fireflies
This heartbreaking tale of two children trying to survive in wartime Japan is certainly not for sensitive kids. Dark, complex and incredibly upsetting at times, it does away with the magical escapism often associated with Studio Ghibli films, in favour downbeat realism and an ending which is by far the most tragic the animated medium has ever produced.

7. Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong Trousers
It may only be a short, but The Wrong Trousers is brimming with wit and ideas. From villainous penguin Feathers McGraw disguising himself as a chicken via the cunning use of a rubber glove, to the thrilling train set chase which brings our disunited heroes back together, Nick Park’s film boasts an imagination and sense of love missing from the cookie-cutter world of modern animation.

8. Kiki’s Delivery Service
Many would opt for Spirited Away from Hayao Miyazaki’s impressive oeuvre, but I’m going for this intimate tale of a young witch. The Japanese maestro can do epics such as Princess Mononoke and Howl’s Moving Castle like no-one else, but the smaller, more low key stories are when he really shines and this one is the pick of the bunch, with our young heroine coming of age in a sweet, simple story that also stars a talking cat. What more do you need?

9. Finding Nemo
Pixar’s fifth effort marks the point at which CG animation really matured. Along with human skin, water had always been the most difficult thing to reproduce with pixels, but directors Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich make it look easy with some lush deep sea visuals in this tale of a fishy father looking for his lost son. Throw in some great set-pieces, vegetarian sharks and, in Ellen DeGeneres’ forgetful Dory, one of the best characters Pixar have ever created and you have a real classic.

10. South Park: The Movie
As someone who was never really into the TV series, I was pleasantly surprised by the South Park movie. Sharply satirical, it also has some surprisingly toe-tapping musical numbers, including the barnstorming Blame Canada. Trey Parker and Matt Stone came nowhere near matching it with their funny but rather hollow Team America: World Police.

THE EDITOR'S LIST

1. Spirited Away
The film that introduced me (as it did for many others I assume) to the world of Studio Ghibli, Spirited Away is still the one I keep coming back to despite the amazing other works of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. With an amazing story, delightful score and some sumptuous visuals (most memorably the train seemingly gliding across the water) Spirited Away is the most complete of all the Ghibli films.

2. Transformers: The Movie
A real nostalgia choice here, but I seriously cannot imagine too many other kids' cartoon movies having the sheer drama, excitement and emotional impact of Transformers. With the biggest battle imaginable at the start, plus the shock death of Optimus Prime, plus the voice talents of people like Orson Welles (seriously), Leonard Nimoy, Scatman Crothers and Eric Idle, it's got everything. It's got The Touch...

3. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs
The original Disney movie and still the classic by which all others are judged, and really by which all animated films are judged. It's very old-fashioned and of its time, but the songs are great, the story is timeless and the animation is excellent. Considering it was known as "Disney's Folly" while in production, it's pretty obvious who had the last laugh.

4. Fantasia
Ground-breaking in so many ways, Fantasia not only eschewed a traditional storyline, but it also introduced stereophonic sound and to this day is probably the first real classical music that children are exposed to. It has had its critics, not least Pauline Kael and some classical purists, but there's just nothing like it out there and you really can't imagine modern day Disney (or any other major studio) doing anything this adventurous can you?

5. South Park: The Movie
South Park was funny before the movie came out, but it was still a fairly basic comedy that relied on offensive humour without really making a point of it. The Movie however, was a instant triumph, using its license to swear like never before, making for a hilarious film that also had a strong anti-censorship message. Buoyed by its success, Trey Parker and Matt Stone went on to really thrive with the vastly-improved TV series, even if its popularity over here was hit by some bizarre scheduling...

6. Pinocchio
Classic early Disney, Pinocchio is one of the darkest of their films, but also one of the most magical and enduring. When You Wish Upon A Star is the all-time best Disney song, perfectly summing up the innocent appeal of it, even now that its such a cynical gigantic behemoth of a company. The mixture of light and dark is perfectly judged and it's almost impossible not to enjoy.

7. Laputa Castle In The Sky
Not as famous as some of the other Miyazaki movies, Laputa is nevertheless one of the best. It starts off as a fairly routine adventure story with action and chase scenes, but like most Ghibli films there is an ecological and pacifist message behind it all that becomes clear as it reaches its climax. The visuals are stunning and Joe Hisaishi's score is typically lovely.

8. Belleville Rendezvous
It came out at a time when Spirited Away had revitalised animation at the cinemas, and Belleville did a lot better because of it. Some of the anti-American jibes are a bit much, but Sylvain Chomet's fairly surreal tale is still very entertaining and at times affecting even though the overall tone is fairly satirical and bizarre. Endlessly creative and entertaining, it's a modern classic.

9. Dumbo
The most emotional of all the Disney films. Bambi might have the death of his mother, but when Dumbo is separated from his mum at the circus, it takes a heart of stone not be upset by it. A tale of the plucky underdog and hopeless outsider, this flying elephant is the most appealing of all of Disney's heroes. With the legendary 'drunk' scene counting amongst the most surreal of all of the House of Mouse's musical numbers, Dumbo really does fly.

10. The Flight Of The Dragons
Another personal choice, this Rankin and Bass movie from the early 80s was never particularly acclaimed or particularly famous, but is one that seems to have touched those who have managed to see it, as it has an impressive 7.7/10 rating on IMDB. The late John Ritter stars as a writer who goes back in time to an era when dragons fly and the worlds of science and magic are coming into conflict. It's never been on DVD, so you'll struggle to find it, but it's well worth searching for the VHS...