Best/Favorite Animated Movies of the '00s By Year, Ranked
Jan 19, 2023 15:51:26 GMT 10
Post by Captain Nemo on Jan 19, 2023 15:51:26 GMT 10
In 1989, at the tail end of an '80s decade where Disney was struggling financially, getting their asses kicked by Don Bluth's animation studio, and first experimenting with releasing their classic lineup on video for a limited time in stores to incentivize customers to buy their products, Disney would release The Little Mermaid, which would kickstart the Disney Renaissance period that would last throughout the '90s, peaking amongst critics and fans in 1994 with the release of The Lion King, which was preceded in massive critical and commercial success by Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin that came before it. By 1995, though, the honeymoon phase of the Renaissance was over, with the release of the critically disappointing (and very racially offensive) Pocahontas, which was also beaten at the box office by Toy Story, which would kick off the success of Pixar, and of CGI animation in general. Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules both significantly underperformed at the box office in comparison to the Disney Renaissance films that came before them, and Mulan was beaten at the box office by A Bug's Life, and the same with Tarzan being beaten by Toy Story 2, all of this meant that the Disney Renaissance was ending, and the Golden Age of Pixar was beginning. This would be the case of the '00s decade.
The '00s ushered in a new era in animation. Traditional 2D animation was out, and 3D CGI was in. It was the Golden Age of Pixar, and a post-Renaissance "dark age" of sorts for Disney proper. Dreamworks had truly emerged as Pixar's biggest rival with the smash success of the Shrek franchise, and other animation studios such as Blue Sky and Sony Animation wanted a piece of the pie as well. Stop motion animation, which was already niche beforehand, became even more niche due to the success of CGI. More Japanese animated movies, particularly ones from Studio Ghibli, were gaining significant recognition amongst western audiences. It was also the first decade of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, as well. It was a decade of massive change within the animation industry, and the release of a lot of exceptional timeless classics, while also being a decade that saw a lot of mediocre films that have aged poorly or were outdated to begin with.
What are your favorite animated movies of the '00s by year, and how would you rank them? Here's my list;
Also, I'm counting Studi Ghibli films for when they first came out in Japan, not when they were dubbed for the US.
#10 - 2006 - Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge was cute and fun, but there's really nothing remarkable about it. Picking this as the best animated film of 2006 certainly makes 2006 look like a very mediocre, if not bad, year for animated films, but that's because it was. All of the biggest animated films of this year were definitely made for a more kiddie audience than in years prior or since, and lacked a lot of content that adults can genuinely enjoy. Pixar films generally have a reputation of being enjoyable by both adults and children, but Cars was most certainly one of the most kiddie films of their lineup, and it was by design in order to sell merchandise, due to toy cars being a popular toy item amongst young children. Happy Feet was also very much geared primarily just to kids that wanted to see cute penguins. Over the Hedge also follows this example, I just consider it the most decent of the bunch. But yes, 2006 was most certainly a low point of the '00s decade when it came to animated movies.
#9 - 2000 - Emperor's New Groove
2000 was also a very weak year for animated films. The Disney Renaissance was over, there was nothing from Pixar or Studio Ghibli, and Dreamworks, Blue Sky, and Sony Animation were not yet competing for the CGI pie. Emperor's New Groove was the first post-Renaissance film for Disney, the musical numbers were phased out, and the film performed very disappointingly at the box office. That said though, the gap between this one and Over the Hedge is decent. Whereas Over the Hedge was simply the best of a mediocre bunch, Emperor's New Groove is actually fantastic, and only ranked this low due to preference for other films. After all, this isn't far off from being a Disney Renaissance film, and the characters and animation are still just as memorable as you'd expect from Disney.
#8 - 2003 - Finding Nemo
In terms of consecutive success, this movie is when I'd say the Golden Age of Pixar truly begun. Many of you may not know this, but this is the highest grossing animated film of the entire '00s decade, most certainly an unrivaled hit and the first Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and from The Incredibles a year later in 2004 up to Toy Story 3 in 2010, Pixar would release critically and commercially successful juggernauts in every but one year, with all of them with the exception of Cars winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. As for Finding Nemo itself, the film contains a lot of just stunningly beautiful ocean scenery, of which I, as someone who loves the ocean aesthetic, am most certainly marveled by. A lot of fun adventure elements take place on Marlin and Dory's quest to rescue Nemo, and best of all, this movie averts the common romance trope with Marlin and Dory that a lot of other films of this era would've quickly sank into. Marlin and Dory simply remain friends, and that's very admirable, something we honestly need more of in movies.
#7 - 2004 - Howl's Moving Castle
This is most certainly a matter of personal preference more than anything. In terms of substance, the likes of either The Incredibles or Shrek 2 aught to be the winner instead, and those two are certainly more remarkable. But this one is just one I couldn't shake, and it's not just because of the Studio Ghibli bias either. The Sophie character, particularly under her elderly curse, is such a charming character, and the way she grows to care for Howl, as well as the other characters of the castle of which she first starts off in bad terms with, the way this grandmotherly kindness is portrayed as the truly heroic quality that it is, with Howl learning to truly love again from this loving kindness he is shown by Sophie, and how Sophie herself grows from it, it truly spoke to me in a way that neither The Incredibles nor Shrek 2 have. Not to take away anything from those, but Howl's Moving Castle just has to take the top spot of the year for me.
#6 - 2002 - Lilo & Stitch
Definitely the best film of the '00s for Disney proper, without question. Also, in terms of combined critical and commercial success, this was also easily the most successful movie from Disney proper at the time. It was successful at the box office, and was successful amongst the critics, a swansong of sorts for Disney before they entered what could be considered a "dark age", and part of the reason I consider Finding Nemo the start of the Golden Age of Pixar rather than Monster's Inc, since Monster's Inc came out before this swansong, and because Monster's Inc was beaten by Shrek at both the box office and Academy Awards, while Finding Nemo started a near-perfect string of being top of the town. Anyways, Lilo & Stitch is a very vibrant and very charming movie, with charm from beginning to end, with an admirable bond between both a troubled child and a runaway alien, and the portrayal of Hawaiian culture that makes it appealing while also staying true and respectful to it, and not being disrespectfully stereotypical such as in the likes of Pocahotas, or even in Aladdin and Princess and the Frog.
#5 - 2007 - Ratatouille
A major step up from Cars from the year prior, no doubt. Made by the same producer behind The Incredibles, this was a return to the style of storytelling that can actually appeal to adults just as well, if not moreso, than it could to children, and within the movie are a multitude of philosophical talking points that can really drive the viewer to think and regard these points. While none of us can relate literally relate to a talking rat controlling us, most of us do have a certain Remy in our lives in a more abstract sense, such as in the form of a passion or a goal, that can drive us to perform feats that we often claim for ourselves while failing to acknowledge the drive behind them was really not voluntary. The passion coming from a spirit that cannot be phased by fame or fortune, as truly is in the case for Remy, being a rat who naturally wouldn't receive either amongst humans due to him being a rat. The way this truly heartfelt dedication can impact even the stubbornness and most critical of people into a brief state of childlike bliss, such as in the case of the Ego character. Just as Pixar looked as if they dropped the ball a year prior, Ratatouille quickly picked it back up.
#4 - 2001 - Spirited Away
Studio Ghibli's magnum opus, and the first non-western animated film to win an Academy Award, though it had to come a year too late only because the dub came out a year later than the Japanese release of the film. In many ways, this film is like a twist of Alice in Wonderland, with Chihiro's parents joining in the trip through the rabbit hole equivalent and their indulgent behavior leading them to literally become pigs, much to the horror of Chihiro herself. Also, with a love story thrown in, but one where the lovers are not overtly romantic, and where they have to leave each other behind in the end. Like Alice in Wonderland, the film tries to entice the right brain first, with the left brain free to take personal morals from the story that will not be evident at first and won't be shared by everyone. Also, the animation and music are absolutely stunning, perfectly encapsulating the beauty of the Japanese "paint-brush" artstyle without beating you over the head with it. Spirited Away is the first movie of this bunch I'd personally consider a masterpiece.
#3 - 2008 - Wall-E
Easily the best film from Pixar, without question. And that's saying a lot, given how many exceptional films the film put out up until 2010, and even still afterwards in the case of the likes of Inside Out and Coco. But Wall-E, with it's stunning visuals, beautiful and absolutely exceptional romance between Wall-E and Eve, the space atmosphere contrasted with the more cosmopolitan paradise inside the space ship, and legendary music, this movie gives me a lot of Super Mario Galaxy vibes, and fitting that they came out around the same time. Also, the clever portrayal of the human dystopia within the spaceship, and the Auto character being a villain that was created as a force for good initially, the grim reminder of the trash-heap the world is headed towards, the way this movie tells these messages without them dragging on and annoying the viewer with overly preachiness, tying these grim reminders in with a beautiful romance, atmosphere, and music, it is easily Pixar at their utmost peak, and easily my favorite Pixar film of all time.
#2 - 2009 - Coraline
Like Spirited Away, this one is also a twist of Alice in Wonderland of sorts, but with an added bonus of bringing the titular character through an adventure through both the ordinary world as well as the fantasy world, and portraying the fantasy world initially as a paradise that makes the ordinary world look horrible in comparison, until she learns deeper about it and has an about-face view of both worlds, but is already too deeply entangled within the fantasy world, particularly with the Other Mother, that she is now in danger of being stuck in the sweet dream - turned nightmare fantasy world and losing out on the safety and sincerity of the real world forever. Like both Alice in Wonderland and Spirited Away, it speaks to the right brain first and gives the left brain more freedom when discovering the deeper morals of the story, but the deeper morals on the spiritual level I feel go way deeper with this one than it did with either Alice in Wonderland or Spirited Away. There are children in this movie trapped in the nightmare world, you feel deep tension as Coraline risks being trapped there herself, her emotions regarding all that is going on with her all feel deep and somberly relatable. Truly a masterpiece of Henry Selick's that I'd argue even surpasses Nightmare Before Christmas, and that's saying a lot as Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney movie of all time. That being said, I can understand why Up took home the Academy Award for this year and Coraline didn't, and no, it's not because the Academy Awards has a Pixar bias. 2009 was arguably the best year of the '00s in terms of the combined components of quantity and quality for animated films. Earlier in this post, I listed Over the Hedge as my personal pick for the best animated film of 2006. Arguably the Top 10, certainly the Top 8, best animated films of 2009, are all better than Over the Hedge, and 2009 had a lot of high quality films amongst multiple genres and niches, including Fantastic Mr. Fox, Secret of Kells, Ponyo, Mary and Max, 9, and Princess and the Frog to name a few, alongside Coraline and Up. Certainly choosing anything other than Up would be pandering to a certain niche, Coraline is certainly part of a niche that I'm apart of but many others aren't, while Up is more versatile while also being remarkable in it's own right with it's opening monologue with Carl and Ellie, as well as with it's memorable characters and having a story that those literally of all ages, including the elderly, can relate to. Up was certainly the safest and smartest choice and I won't say it didn't deserve it's Academy Award, but Coraline is a masterpiece on a whole different level of cinema, and had to be my pick for the year.
#1 - 2005 - Corpse Bride
When I was a little kid, I was huge into Nightmare Before Christmas, and this film was being advertised as some spiritual sequel to it. Seeing it as a kid, I liked it, but not as much as I did Nightmare Before Christmas. Now, however, as an adult, I like this film more than Nightmare Before Christmas. Don't get me wrong, as I said above in the Coraline review, Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney film of all time. However, being a Disney film, that movie had to be bogged down for kids. Corpse Bride, on the other hand, is truly for adults. Don't let the PG rating fool you, especially since it's borderline PG-13 due to it's use of alcohol, tobacco, mild swear words, and the themes of death that may be distressing for children. Also, the deeper philosophical and spiritual meaning of this film, regarding love, the way everything in the living world is portrayed as grim due to everyone needing to be perfect while everything in the dead world is colorful and vibrant because no one was perfect, the way Victor comes to appreciate Emily and consider the benefits of eternal love with her instead of trying to make it work with Victoria in the cruel judgmental living world. The way the musical scores composed by Danny Elfman recall the magic of Nightmare Before Christmas while also invoking some Phantom of the Opera vibes in certain areas. Both this movie and Coraline were advertised as spiritual sequels to Nightmare Before Christmas. If you ask me, the main common theme these movies share is not so much the spooky atmosphere as it is the contrast of the ordinary world and the extraordinary world, and all three of these films do this phenomenally well, but I think Corpse Bride does it best of all. While the contrast between Halloween Town and Christmas Town for Jack is very one-sided until he learns to appreciate Halloween Town for what it is, and the contrast between the main world and other world for Coraline is very one-sided in one way at first and then about-faces to one-sided in the other later on, the contrast between the living world and dead world for Victor is never lop-sided. In spite of all the vibrancy and colors of the dead world, Victor still wants to return to the living world to return to his loved ones, and he only slowly starts to appreciate the dead world and wanting to stay after considering Emily might just be the better option, and he still ends up staying in the living world happily ever after after Emily gives him his blessing to marry Victoria instead. Truly a masterpiece from such a wonderful film maker, and definitely my pick for my favorite animated film of the '00s decade.
What about you, what are your favorites by year ranked? Let me know in the comments below.
The '00s ushered in a new era in animation. Traditional 2D animation was out, and 3D CGI was in. It was the Golden Age of Pixar, and a post-Renaissance "dark age" of sorts for Disney proper. Dreamworks had truly emerged as Pixar's biggest rival with the smash success of the Shrek franchise, and other animation studios such as Blue Sky and Sony Animation wanted a piece of the pie as well. Stop motion animation, which was already niche beforehand, became even more niche due to the success of CGI. More Japanese animated movies, particularly ones from Studio Ghibli, were gaining significant recognition amongst western audiences. It was also the first decade of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, as well. It was a decade of massive change within the animation industry, and the release of a lot of exceptional timeless classics, while also being a decade that saw a lot of mediocre films that have aged poorly or were outdated to begin with.
What are your favorite animated movies of the '00s by year, and how would you rank them? Here's my list;
Also, I'm counting Studi Ghibli films for when they first came out in Japan, not when they were dubbed for the US.
#10 - 2006 - Over the Hedge
Over the Hedge was cute and fun, but there's really nothing remarkable about it. Picking this as the best animated film of 2006 certainly makes 2006 look like a very mediocre, if not bad, year for animated films, but that's because it was. All of the biggest animated films of this year were definitely made for a more kiddie audience than in years prior or since, and lacked a lot of content that adults can genuinely enjoy. Pixar films generally have a reputation of being enjoyable by both adults and children, but Cars was most certainly one of the most kiddie films of their lineup, and it was by design in order to sell merchandise, due to toy cars being a popular toy item amongst young children. Happy Feet was also very much geared primarily just to kids that wanted to see cute penguins. Over the Hedge also follows this example, I just consider it the most decent of the bunch. But yes, 2006 was most certainly a low point of the '00s decade when it came to animated movies.
#9 - 2000 - Emperor's New Groove
2000 was also a very weak year for animated films. The Disney Renaissance was over, there was nothing from Pixar or Studio Ghibli, and Dreamworks, Blue Sky, and Sony Animation were not yet competing for the CGI pie. Emperor's New Groove was the first post-Renaissance film for Disney, the musical numbers were phased out, and the film performed very disappointingly at the box office. That said though, the gap between this one and Over the Hedge is decent. Whereas Over the Hedge was simply the best of a mediocre bunch, Emperor's New Groove is actually fantastic, and only ranked this low due to preference for other films. After all, this isn't far off from being a Disney Renaissance film, and the characters and animation are still just as memorable as you'd expect from Disney.
#8 - 2003 - Finding Nemo
In terms of consecutive success, this movie is when I'd say the Golden Age of Pixar truly begun. Many of you may not know this, but this is the highest grossing animated film of the entire '00s decade, most certainly an unrivaled hit and the first Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and from The Incredibles a year later in 2004 up to Toy Story 3 in 2010, Pixar would release critically and commercially successful juggernauts in every but one year, with all of them with the exception of Cars winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. As for Finding Nemo itself, the film contains a lot of just stunningly beautiful ocean scenery, of which I, as someone who loves the ocean aesthetic, am most certainly marveled by. A lot of fun adventure elements take place on Marlin and Dory's quest to rescue Nemo, and best of all, this movie averts the common romance trope with Marlin and Dory that a lot of other films of this era would've quickly sank into. Marlin and Dory simply remain friends, and that's very admirable, something we honestly need more of in movies.
#7 - 2004 - Howl's Moving Castle
This is most certainly a matter of personal preference more than anything. In terms of substance, the likes of either The Incredibles or Shrek 2 aught to be the winner instead, and those two are certainly more remarkable. But this one is just one I couldn't shake, and it's not just because of the Studio Ghibli bias either. The Sophie character, particularly under her elderly curse, is such a charming character, and the way she grows to care for Howl, as well as the other characters of the castle of which she first starts off in bad terms with, the way this grandmotherly kindness is portrayed as the truly heroic quality that it is, with Howl learning to truly love again from this loving kindness he is shown by Sophie, and how Sophie herself grows from it, it truly spoke to me in a way that neither The Incredibles nor Shrek 2 have. Not to take away anything from those, but Howl's Moving Castle just has to take the top spot of the year for me.
#6 - 2002 - Lilo & Stitch
Definitely the best film of the '00s for Disney proper, without question. Also, in terms of combined critical and commercial success, this was also easily the most successful movie from Disney proper at the time. It was successful at the box office, and was successful amongst the critics, a swansong of sorts for Disney before they entered what could be considered a "dark age", and part of the reason I consider Finding Nemo the start of the Golden Age of Pixar rather than Monster's Inc, since Monster's Inc came out before this swansong, and because Monster's Inc was beaten by Shrek at both the box office and Academy Awards, while Finding Nemo started a near-perfect string of being top of the town. Anyways, Lilo & Stitch is a very vibrant and very charming movie, with charm from beginning to end, with an admirable bond between both a troubled child and a runaway alien, and the portrayal of Hawaiian culture that makes it appealing while also staying true and respectful to it, and not being disrespectfully stereotypical such as in the likes of Pocahotas, or even in Aladdin and Princess and the Frog.
#5 - 2007 - Ratatouille
A major step up from Cars from the year prior, no doubt. Made by the same producer behind The Incredibles, this was a return to the style of storytelling that can actually appeal to adults just as well, if not moreso, than it could to children, and within the movie are a multitude of philosophical talking points that can really drive the viewer to think and regard these points. While none of us can relate literally relate to a talking rat controlling us, most of us do have a certain Remy in our lives in a more abstract sense, such as in the form of a passion or a goal, that can drive us to perform feats that we often claim for ourselves while failing to acknowledge the drive behind them was really not voluntary. The passion coming from a spirit that cannot be phased by fame or fortune, as truly is in the case for Remy, being a rat who naturally wouldn't receive either amongst humans due to him being a rat. The way this truly heartfelt dedication can impact even the stubbornness and most critical of people into a brief state of childlike bliss, such as in the case of the Ego character. Just as Pixar looked as if they dropped the ball a year prior, Ratatouille quickly picked it back up.
#4 - 2001 - Spirited Away
Studio Ghibli's magnum opus, and the first non-western animated film to win an Academy Award, though it had to come a year too late only because the dub came out a year later than the Japanese release of the film. In many ways, this film is like a twist of Alice in Wonderland, with Chihiro's parents joining in the trip through the rabbit hole equivalent and their indulgent behavior leading them to literally become pigs, much to the horror of Chihiro herself. Also, with a love story thrown in, but one where the lovers are not overtly romantic, and where they have to leave each other behind in the end. Like Alice in Wonderland, the film tries to entice the right brain first, with the left brain free to take personal morals from the story that will not be evident at first and won't be shared by everyone. Also, the animation and music are absolutely stunning, perfectly encapsulating the beauty of the Japanese "paint-brush" artstyle without beating you over the head with it. Spirited Away is the first movie of this bunch I'd personally consider a masterpiece.
#3 - 2008 - Wall-E
Easily the best film from Pixar, without question. And that's saying a lot, given how many exceptional films the film put out up until 2010, and even still afterwards in the case of the likes of Inside Out and Coco. But Wall-E, with it's stunning visuals, beautiful and absolutely exceptional romance between Wall-E and Eve, the space atmosphere contrasted with the more cosmopolitan paradise inside the space ship, and legendary music, this movie gives me a lot of Super Mario Galaxy vibes, and fitting that they came out around the same time. Also, the clever portrayal of the human dystopia within the spaceship, and the Auto character being a villain that was created as a force for good initially, the grim reminder of the trash-heap the world is headed towards, the way this movie tells these messages without them dragging on and annoying the viewer with overly preachiness, tying these grim reminders in with a beautiful romance, atmosphere, and music, it is easily Pixar at their utmost peak, and easily my favorite Pixar film of all time.
#2 - 2009 - Coraline
Like Spirited Away, this one is also a twist of Alice in Wonderland of sorts, but with an added bonus of bringing the titular character through an adventure through both the ordinary world as well as the fantasy world, and portraying the fantasy world initially as a paradise that makes the ordinary world look horrible in comparison, until she learns deeper about it and has an about-face view of both worlds, but is already too deeply entangled within the fantasy world, particularly with the Other Mother, that she is now in danger of being stuck in the sweet dream - turned nightmare fantasy world and losing out on the safety and sincerity of the real world forever. Like both Alice in Wonderland and Spirited Away, it speaks to the right brain first and gives the left brain more freedom when discovering the deeper morals of the story, but the deeper morals on the spiritual level I feel go way deeper with this one than it did with either Alice in Wonderland or Spirited Away. There are children in this movie trapped in the nightmare world, you feel deep tension as Coraline risks being trapped there herself, her emotions regarding all that is going on with her all feel deep and somberly relatable. Truly a masterpiece of Henry Selick's that I'd argue even surpasses Nightmare Before Christmas, and that's saying a lot as Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney movie of all time. That being said, I can understand why Up took home the Academy Award for this year and Coraline didn't, and no, it's not because the Academy Awards has a Pixar bias. 2009 was arguably the best year of the '00s in terms of the combined components of quantity and quality for animated films. Earlier in this post, I listed Over the Hedge as my personal pick for the best animated film of 2006. Arguably the Top 10, certainly the Top 8, best animated films of 2009, are all better than Over the Hedge, and 2009 had a lot of high quality films amongst multiple genres and niches, including Fantastic Mr. Fox, Secret of Kells, Ponyo, Mary and Max, 9, and Princess and the Frog to name a few, alongside Coraline and Up. Certainly choosing anything other than Up would be pandering to a certain niche, Coraline is certainly part of a niche that I'm apart of but many others aren't, while Up is more versatile while also being remarkable in it's own right with it's opening monologue with Carl and Ellie, as well as with it's memorable characters and having a story that those literally of all ages, including the elderly, can relate to. Up was certainly the safest and smartest choice and I won't say it didn't deserve it's Academy Award, but Coraline is a masterpiece on a whole different level of cinema, and had to be my pick for the year.
#1 - 2005 - Corpse Bride
When I was a little kid, I was huge into Nightmare Before Christmas, and this film was being advertised as some spiritual sequel to it. Seeing it as a kid, I liked it, but not as much as I did Nightmare Before Christmas. Now, however, as an adult, I like this film more than Nightmare Before Christmas. Don't get me wrong, as I said above in the Coraline review, Nightmare Before Christmas is my favorite Disney film of all time. However, being a Disney film, that movie had to be bogged down for kids. Corpse Bride, on the other hand, is truly for adults. Don't let the PG rating fool you, especially since it's borderline PG-13 due to it's use of alcohol, tobacco, mild swear words, and the themes of death that may be distressing for children. Also, the deeper philosophical and spiritual meaning of this film, regarding love, the way everything in the living world is portrayed as grim due to everyone needing to be perfect while everything in the dead world is colorful and vibrant because no one was perfect, the way Victor comes to appreciate Emily and consider the benefits of eternal love with her instead of trying to make it work with Victoria in the cruel judgmental living world. The way the musical scores composed by Danny Elfman recall the magic of Nightmare Before Christmas while also invoking some Phantom of the Opera vibes in certain areas. Both this movie and Coraline were advertised as spiritual sequels to Nightmare Before Christmas. If you ask me, the main common theme these movies share is not so much the spooky atmosphere as it is the contrast of the ordinary world and the extraordinary world, and all three of these films do this phenomenally well, but I think Corpse Bride does it best of all. While the contrast between Halloween Town and Christmas Town for Jack is very one-sided until he learns to appreciate Halloween Town for what it is, and the contrast between the main world and other world for Coraline is very one-sided in one way at first and then about-faces to one-sided in the other later on, the contrast between the living world and dead world for Victor is never lop-sided. In spite of all the vibrancy and colors of the dead world, Victor still wants to return to the living world to return to his loved ones, and he only slowly starts to appreciate the dead world and wanting to stay after considering Emily might just be the better option, and he still ends up staying in the living world happily ever after after Emily gives him his blessing to marry Victoria instead. Truly a masterpiece from such a wonderful film maker, and definitely my pick for my favorite animated film of the '00s decade.
What about you, what are your favorites by year ranked? Let me know in the comments below.
