Inside Out 2, The Lion King and 13 other highest-grossing animated movies ever made

Global box office haul: USD 940.20 million

IMDb rating: 6.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 70 per cent

Directed by: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val, Michelle Yeoh

Voice cast: Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin

Movie duration: 1 hour 27 minutes

Synopsis: The sequel to Minions (2015), this movie continues the quest to apprise us how Gru came to control the Minions (not that we ever asked for it), the yellow, pill-shaped creatures with a penchant for mischief and mayhem. A young 12-year-old Gru (Carell) wishes to become the greatest supervillain the world has ever seen. He takes the help of his loyal Minions and joins the supervillain group called the Vicious 6.

Why it is great: Better than the original, which is rare enough in these franchise sequels. The script is leaner and meaner, and there is lots of humour, heart and charm. The retro 1970s setting is well-realised and visually wonderful.

Global box office haul: USD 970.76 million

IMDb rating: 7.3

Rotten Tomatoes: 75 per cent

Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud

Voice cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt

Movie duration: 1 hour 38 minutes

Synopsis: Almost as good as the original, the movie has supervillain Gru (Carell) settling into a quieter life of fatherhood. He has three adopted daughters to take care of and a jam and jelly business. But his peace is shattered when he is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to take on a new criminal mastermind El Macho (Bratt). Joining forces with secret agent Lucy Wilde (Wiig), Gru must tackle the dual roles of a father and a secret agent on his way to save the world from the evil designs of Macho.

Why it is great: This movie takes Gru’s character arc further in a believable way. We see him not just as a reformed villain but as a dad. There is also the hilarious awkwardness of a potential romance. Minions, of course, remain real scene-stealers, their gibberish language and slapstick antics delivering most of the laughs.

Global box office haul: USD 977.92 million

IMDb rating: 8.5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 92 per cent

Directed by: Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers

Voice cast: Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, James Earl Jones, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane

Movie duration: 1 hour 28 minutes

Synopsis: In the African Pride Lands, the young lion cub Simba (Broderick) is all set to follow in the footsteps of his father, the wise and strong Mufasa (Jones), as the next king. However, Mufasa is betrayed by his treacherous brother and Simba’s uncle, Scar (Irons), who orchestrates a plan that sees Mufasa killed in a wildebeest stampede. He also puts the blame on Simba’s shoulders, who flees in guilt. Far away, Simba meets and befriends a carefree warthog and meerkat duo, Pumbaa (Sabella) and Timon (Lane), who help instil in him a will to live and fight for what is his.

Why it is great: If you wish to wipe off the taste of the 2019 remake, the only way forward is to revisit this classic. With stunning, colourful animation that is a far cry from the drab style of the 2019 movie, it remains as beloved and influential as ever. Also, as good as Ejiofor is, Irons’ Scar brings a unique and chilling malevolence that is difficult to put into words. The Lion King is among those movies in Hollywood that are inspired by the writings of William Shakespeare.

Global box office haul: USD 1.023 billion

IMDb rating: 8

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent

Directed by: Byron Howard, Rich Moore

Voice cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Shakira

Movie duration: 1 hour 48 minutes

Synopsis: In the city of Zootopia, anthropomorphic animals live together mostly in harmony. Judy Hopps (Goodwin) is a rabbit, who as a child wanted to be the first rabbit police officer in history. Despite facing challenges such as scepticism and prejudice, she fulfils her dream. But on her first day, she is assigned parking duty by Chief Bogo (Elba). Judy teams up with a con artist fox named Nick Wilde (Bateman), to solve the puzzling case of missing animals, though the latter goes along only after Judy covertly records his confession about tax evasion.

Why it is great: A well-written movie, which is lovingly animated with vibrant visuals, it also explores relevant real-world themes of institutional and societal bias and stereotyping in a way that is not heavy-handed. It also translates these topics in a manner that is accessible to both adults and children.

Global box office haul: USD 1.028 billion

IMDb rating: 7.2

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94 per cent

Directed by: Andrew Stanton

Voice cast: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill

Movie duration: 1 hour 37 minutes

Synopsis: A spinoff of the absolute phenomenon that was Finding Nemo (2003), this movie centres around the amnesiac blue tang fish called Dory (DeGeneres). She has a sudden realisation that she has parents and goes off on a journey to the Californian coast to find and reunite with them, along with her friends Marlin (Brooks) and Nemo (Hayden Rolence), the two main characters of the original movie. They encounter a bunch of interesting characters, some friendly and others not too much and undergo various adventures.

Why it is great: The movie does not have the novelty factor of the original, but the quality of Pixar’s animation improved vastly in the intervening years. As a result, Finding Dory is gorgeously detailed and watching it on the bigger screens is quite an experience. The themes of self-discovery, friendship and family are common to nearly every Pixar movie, but that doesn’t make them any less relatable.

Global box office haul: USD 1.034 billion

IMDb rating: 6.2

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 58 per cent

Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda

Voice cast: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker

Movie duration: 1 hour 29 minutes

Synopsis: In many ways, Despicable Me movies are the antithesis of Pixar films, as unlike the latter, these movies are more irreverent and take a comedic approach to the story and characters. Think Bugs Bunny compared to Mickey Mouse. This movie continues the (mis)adventures of the reformed supervillain Gru (Carell). He faces an all-new adversary Balthazar Bratt (Parker). He also learns he has a long-lost twin brother called Dru (also Carell). Taking the help of his loyal Minions, Gru must choose whether he wishes to return to being a villain or stay in his newfound role as a hero.

Why it is great: While weaker than the previous instalments, Despicable Me 3 has the same zany humour and delightfully wicked characters (like Gru) that you root for, anyway. Also, for many film buffs who find Pixar films too saccharine, movies like Despicable Me 3 are a nice change of pace.

Global box office haul: USD 1.066 billion

IMDb rating: 8.3

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 98 per cent

Directed by: Lee Unkrich

Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Morris

Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes

Synopsis: Another emotionally resonant and action-packed adventure in the franchise that launched Pixar into the stratosphere of animated cinema. Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen) find themselves in a daycare, but it isn’t as idyllic as it seems. Meanwhile, Andy (Morris) is preparing to go to college and, thus, has to say goodbye to his toys, though he is still unaware that they are sentient. This movie was a poignant send-off to the franchise (until the fourth movie was announced, that is).

Why it is great: With its rich storytelling and unforgettable characters, Pixar’s Toy Story 3 also explores themes of growing up and letting go. It is a very grown-up movie in many ways, though nothing here would harm the psyche of, say, a four- or five-year-old. It will make many grown-ups teary-eyed, though, so there’s that. It is also one of the best Pixar movies of all time.

Global box office haul: USD 1.073 billion

IMDb rating: 7.7

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97 per cent

Directed by: Josh Cooley

Voice cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Madeleine McGraw, Carl Weathers

Movie duration: 1 hour 40 minutes

Synopsis: Many of us thought we were done with the Toy Story franchise after the fairly definitive ending of Toy Story 3. But Pixar’s owner, Disney, wanted more, and as it turns out, we did too. We get reintroduced to Bonnie (McGraw), the new owner of Andy’s toys like Woody (Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Allen). She creates a new toy out of a disposable spork, called Forky. Not surprisingly, it is sentient like all the other toys. But he is suffering from an existential crisis, much like Buzz earlier, and Woody decides to guide him through what it means to be a sentient toy.

Why it is great: I think the chance to see Woody and other beloved characters was enough for us to be on board with a sequel that, rationally speaking, was not necessary. And it was well-written and emotion-laden and fun much like the previous movies. Thus, even the most cynical of us were convinced. It remains one of the only three animated movies to get a Best Picture nomination.

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Global box office haul: USD 1.159 billion

IMDb rating: 6.4

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 56 per cent

Directed by: Pierre Coffin, Kyle Balda

Voice cast: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton

Movie duration: 1 hour 31 minutes

Synopsis: Did you ever wish to know how Gru came to control the cute yellow creatures, called Minions or where they come from? Whether you want to know the answers to these two questions, Minions has them covered. We undergo a journey through time, right from the Mesozoic Era (the age of dinosaurs and other such creatures) to the present. Along the way, the Minions serve masters such as Napoleon, Count Dracula, an unknown Egyptian Pharaoh and even a T-Rex before ending up with Scarlet Overkill (Bullock), the world’s first female supervillain.

Why it is great: It is fun and entertaining but do not expect anything particularly profound here. Temper your expectations and watch it just to enjoy a delightful virtual romp through history. Minions remain lovable, the animation is nice and the slapstick humour… well, slaps (as they say in the United States). Keaton, otherwise most well-known for playing Batman in movies, brings an over-the-top energy to the role of Walter Nelson, the patriarch of the Nelson family of criminals.

Global box office haul: USD 1.242 billion

IMDb rating: 7.5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93 per cent

Directed by: Brad Bird

Voice cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener

Movie duration: 1 hour 58 minutes

Synopsis: Picking up right where we left off, the Parr family of superheroes — Bob or Mr. Incredible (Nelson) Helen Parr or Elastigirl (Hunter) and their children — battles a supervillain called the Underminer and the resulting destruction forces the government to shut down financial assistance to the “supers”. Bob becomes a stay-at-home dad while Helen does the superheroics. Meanwhile, a new village called Screenslaver (Keener) wishes to enslave the world by brainwashing the people through screens. The Parr family has to pull up their socks to face the new threat.

Why it is great: A worthy successor to the original, it has exhilarating action, wit and fun family dynamics — all in equal measure. The stunning animation and visuals are complemented ably by the stellar voice cast, particularly Nelson.

Global box office haul: USD 1.280 billion

IMDb rating: 7.4

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90 per cent

Directed by: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Voice cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff

Movie duration: 1 hour 42 minutes

Synopsis: In the fantasy land of Arendelle (somewhere in Scandinavia), Princess Anna (Bell) goes on a journey to find her elder sister and Queen Elsa, who ran away from her coronation after discovering that she has mysterious magical powers of ice and snow. Initially, these powers were suppressed by her parents, using the help of trolls. One day, she accidentally lost control of them and nearly killed Anna. On her quest to find and bring back Elsa, Anna joins forces with a lowly iceman Kristoff (Groff), his trusty and cheerful reindeer Sven and a snowman called Olaf who is somehow alive.

Why it is great: While not a Pixar movie, Frozen has many themes like belonging and self-empowerment that will be familiar to Pixar fans. It is also a modernised fairy tale and an answer to Disney’s own classic movies. For instance, the usual true love’s kiss trope is there but is redefined rather than being a man saving a woman by kissing her while she is asleep. The soundtrack is outstanding, and perhaps, it alone is worth watching the movie.

Global box office haul: USD 1.35 billion (and counting)

IMDb rating: 7.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 91 per cent

Directed by: Kelsey Mann

Voice cast: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman

Movie duration: 1 hour 36 minutes

Synopsis: Picking up from Inside Out (2015), Inside Out 2 has Riley Andersen (Tallman) on the cusp of entering high school and puberty. And naturally, her emotions visualised by colourful characters are again in some upheaval — well, there is more upheaval than usual. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Fear (Tony Hale) are joined by new emotions like Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Anxiety (Maya Hawke). The old emotions must work together to restore Riley’s balance before Anxiety’s worries take over completely.

Why it is great: This sequel more than lives up to the reputation of its successor. Also, the exploration of the messiness of teenagers is more nuanced than I expected. The movie, rightly, posits that even negative emotions, like anxiety, have to be accepted on the path to true maturity.

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Global box office haul: USD 1.361 billion

IMDb rating: 7

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 59 per cent

Directed by: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc

Voice cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black

Movie duration: 1 hour 32 minutes

Synopsis: Not the first adaptation of Nintendo’s time-honoured video game franchise, but the only one we will acknowledge. American-Italian plumbers from Brooklyn Mario (Pratt) and Luigi (Day) are transported to the Mushroom Kingdom and Dark Lands, respectively, on a bad day at work. Mario wishes to be reunited with his brother, but first, he has to team up with Princess Peach (Taylor-Joy) to stop the evil monster and king of the Koopas Bowser (Black) from taking over her Peaches’ world. He (Mario) unlocks exciting special powers to face the powerful Bowser.

Why it is great: This movie is not perfect by any means, but there is enough verve and nostalgic charm borrowed from the classic game series to satiate at least those who played the games. Visually also, the movie is quite eye-popping with ample use of colour to bring different worlds to life.

Global box office haul: USD 1.450 billion

IMDb rating: 6.8

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77

Directed by: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Voice cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad

Movie duration: 1 hour 43 minutes

Synopsis: A couple of years after the first Frozen, a mysterious voice from the wilderness appears to be calling Elsa (Menzel), and she is torn between that undeniable call and her responsibilities as the queen of her kingdom. Unable to resist, she goes after the voice and uncovers the truth behind her powers. Along with her are Anna (Bell), Kristoff (Groff), Olaf (Gad) and Sven. The adventure will test the bonds of the two sisters and reveal secrets about their parents and the kingdom’s history.

Why it’s great: Frozen II fills in a lot of the blanks from the first movie. It also takes the adventure away from Arendelle, which is refreshing. The animation is again-notch. While the songs are not as catchy as in the original, they are still pretty hummable.

Global box office haul: USD 1.663 billion

IMDb rating: 6.8

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 52 per cent

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Voice cast: Donald Glover, Beyoncé, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, Billy Eichner

Movie duration: 1 hour 58 minutes

Synopsis: This photorealistic animated remake of the beloved 1994 animated classic follows pretty much the same plot. A young lion in Tanzania’s Pride Lands called Simba (Glover) loses his father, the wife Mufasa (Jones), thanks to treachery by his uncle Scar (Ejiofor), who also banishes him from the kingdom. With the help of his carefree new friends Timon (Eichner), a meerkat, and Pumbaa (Rogen), a warthog, Simba realises his strengths and goes on an adventure to defeat Scar and regain his kingdom and family.

Why it is great: I am not sure it is, really. It was billed as the latest of Disney’s live-action remakes of its animated classics. But since the entirety of this movie, including characters and environments, is computer-generated imagery (CGI), it is really an animated movie, though extremely photorealistic. It has its appeal (the details are astonishing), but similar to Netflix’s live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, it essentially robs the story of the magic and artistry that was present in the 2D original. Still, it is clear that most fans loved it because it remains the highest-grossing animated movie in history.