2009-10-30

The Blogger’s Dozen Best Animated Feature Films in the Thteed Collection

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Inspired by Time Out's deeply flawed (but very fun) top-50 list, Kohl Glass wrote his "Top 10 Underrated Animated Film List".

Wanting to get in on the fun, I've combed the Thteed Family Film Collection and curated a list of my own.

First, only animated films that are clearly features were deemed eligible. We own hundreds of animated shorts, some of which are among my favorite films of all time, but that's too hard a task, combing through those babies. So a film had to be animated, a feature, and excellent to qualify. And owned by the Thteeds. Those are the criteria. Then came the narrowing down to a blogger's dozen.....

Which was really hard. Getting from 15 to 14 was the hardest part. I love some films that didn't make the final cut. If I'd made this list a day earlier, it would have been a different list. Same with tomorrow. So I didn't bother ranking them --- this is just alphabetical order.

(The links go to the films' Wikipedia pages. My comments are in the rollover text.)

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Free bonus! The other animated features we own are listed below to help you kvetch that I chose the wrong fourteen. Again, when possible, I linked to the film's Wikipedia page. If there was none, then IMDb.

13 comments:

  1. I was surprised by how much my kids loved My Neighbor Totoro. I prefer non-dubbed Miyazaki, but since the kids can't read yet those are out for a while. Have you seen Disney's Chicken Little? It's actually a ton of fun and we really like it.

    I still don't like Finding Nemo very much but have yet to figure out why.

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  2. That's it? Where are the rest of your feature length, animated films? :)

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  3. .

    I was surprised their weren't more too. As it ends up, most of our animation is collections of shorts.

    I haven't seen Chicken Little but would certainly give it a chance. I've heard good things. (Mostly.)

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  4. Incredibles and Iron Giant are among my all times . . . Go Brad Bird!!!

    One time on my mission Winnie the Poo was on at an investigators house and afterward that night I cried myself to sleep.

    I need to watch a Boy Named Charlie Brown again. Growing up we had (and repeatedly watched) It's a Race for You Life Charlie Brown. I loved it.

    Cowboy Bebop is great too . . . actually it's just a long great episode where the old gang is back together again.

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  5. I saw Goofy Movie in the theatres as a kid and laughed my holy head off when Max said "Beat it dufus" and slaps the Possums head around (and he's then carried away by children). So. Awesome. We bought it on DVD and it is still one of my favorites. Also, this one's not animated, but it is amazing: Milo and Otis. Please tell me you've seen it!!

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  6. I personally have some Iron Giant angst, but that's only because seeing it coincided with another unsettling movie experience, so I can't grumble too much.

    I would have whined if you'd owned Howl's Moving Castle and hadn't put it on, but since you don't, no foul. Maybe Steamboy, too.

    I wouldn't vote in favor of Chicken Little, given the chance. My experience was interrupted, but I didn't care for it.

    LOVE Pooh and Charlie Brown. Glad to see Dumbo there.

    I have changing feelings about Nightmare.

    I know its not in your collection, but I really liked Meet the Robinsons.

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  7. .

    The possum scene is, yes, hilarious.

    My third favorite Miyazaki film (not in order, but in total number) is Howl's and I wish we did own it --- I want to watch it again. But I've never seen Steamboy.

    I just watched Meet the Robinsons with my brother on his suggestion and while I enjoyed it, I didn't enjoy as much as he does.

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  8. Thoughts:

    Fievel Goes West is possible my all-time favorite animated movie. I often ask myself, "Schmett, how is it that you don't own that movie?" Myself invariably responds, "I'm poor, yo. Ain't got no skrilla for to spend upon yon movie." (Myself speaks a really idotic mix of achaisms and gangsta slang.)

    Finding Nemo is, I believe, still my favorite Pixar.

    I love A Goofy Movie. Haven't seen it in years, but the music still gets stuck very pleasantly in my head sometimes.

    I watched The Nightmare before Christmas just a few days ago with Katie. It occurred to me while I was watching it that I love that movie and I love every song in it. I guess, then, Singin' in the Rain is not, in fact, the only musical I like. (Tangentially related: I recently saw The Court Jester and decided that I probably spoke too hastily when I told you I don't like musicals: 'tis a very fine movie, and the music augments the storytelling.)

    Were this my list, Meet the Robinsons would definitely rank very highly.

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  9. .

    If you too like the Court Jester, then I suppose it's time I gave it a shot.....

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  10. You haven't seen The Court Jester?. Sorry, I'm just surprised. It's such a staple of my "films my parents knew and loved" experience. All I'll say is, it's Danny Kaye through and through. Not perfect, but it's a classic. Oh, and I occasionally break out in the last few lines of the opening/closing number with no discernible cause.

    Schmett,

    Have you seen The Slipper and the Rose? Even if Richard Chamberlain isn't the best singer or dancer, he does a decent imitation of one. I think this is my favorite Cinderella film, and it's a fun musical. It's too bad we don't have more film work from Gemma Craven.

    I'd like to see another really good live action musical come out, but I don't know who could do it right. I think Into the Woods might be a good candidate, though.

    Th.,

    Visually, I agree with you about Nightmare,, but I think a lot of the movie has been ruined for me by the way Jack has been used as an icon of certain social forces. On the other hand, I did see a great Sally outfit at the ward party tonight. Best costume there, easily.

    Oh, and just to be long-winded, Steamboy is Katsuhiro Otomo, rather than Miyazaki (which I'm sure you knew), but it's visually stunning, as it ought to be after 10 years of production, and deals with some interesting themes. Patrick Stewart voicing the grandfather doesn't hurt, either. I've been wanting to write an essay on it, but I have to find it and watch it again first. I don't own it, unfortunately.

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  11. .

    I knew it wasn't Miyazaki, yes, but I was too lazy to look it up. But 10 years? I'm intrigued. Is it hard to find?

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  12. I still haven't seen any Miyazaki. Yes. I'm a horrible person.

    I enjoy parts of Bambi. But, to be honest, not very many parts of it. Mostly just the parts about being twitterpated. And Thumper. I like Thumper. And Flower.

    I totally love Fievel Goes West! And I agree about the crazy-eye sequence. Then again, I'm kind of a sucker for eye-related humor. Go figure.

    And on a final, Charlie-Brown-related note, is it bad that the only part of Halloween I truly enjoy is watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?

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  13. .

    If so, then don't miss my related link in today's svithe (forthcoming).

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