10 Animated Movies Better Than Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Animated movies are constantly improving, becoming more emotionally resonant and visually stunning with each new release. While films like the 2018 Marvel movie were highly praised, the best animated films truly stand out as masterpieces.

The animation in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is brilliant, successfully combining modern computer graphics with the feel of traditional comic book art. It’s a really well-written and funny movie that both Marvel enthusiasts and general moviegoers will enjoy. While it’s a fantastic Oscar winner, there are other animated films that excel even further in character depth, story, and visual artistry, and are definitely worth checking out.

Toy Story Remains One of the Best of All Time

You can’t beat an animated movie that holds a 100% RT score over 30 years after it came out. The isn’t unique in the sense of the idea of toys coming to life. But the heart of the film is what makes it so emotionally beautiful that kids and adults can’t stop watching it.

Toy Story was a hit thanks to its incredible voice cast, including Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, and Don Rickles. The movie also wowed audiences with its groundbreaking computer animation and heartwarming story.

The messages about change, growing up, and friendship apply to those of every age watching Woody, Buzz, and the gang on their adventure. No matter how old you are, that he really is a toy punches you right in the gut.

Kubo and the Two Strings is an Underrated Masterpiece

Stop-motion films have a unique charm, and the 2016 animated movie is particularly moving with its story of family and loss. It also boasts a great voice cast, including Charlize Theron, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, Matthew McConaughey, and Art Parkinson.

Directed by Travis Knight, with a screenplay by Chris Butler and Marc Haimes, Kubo and the Two Strings is an epic fantasy adventure in feudal Japan through the remaining eye of 12-year-old Kubo. It’s one animated movie that needs multiple rewatches purely to catch all the stunning scenery. That is, if you can handle the three big tear-inducing scenes more than once.

Fans clearly love this film, as evidenced by its impressive 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With 67 award nominations and 33 wins, Kubo and the Two Strings truly stands out as a magical and award-winning animated movie.

Spirited Away Is a Stunning Japanese Fairy Tale

The animated film Spirited Away, released in 2001, takes viewers into a magical world inspired by Japanese folklore, full of fascinating gods and spirits. Created by Hayao Miyazaki, the story centers on Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl, and her journey to the spirit world to rescue her parents.

The animated movie tells a beautiful story, and the music truly enhances it with a dreamlike quality. Composer Joe Hisaishi, working with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, crafted a soundtrack that feels as important to the film as the characters themselves.

The film Spirited Away is a captivating story about growing up, and it explores important ideas about greed, excess, and the value of money. Released in the early 2000s, it was a critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards – including the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature – and still boasts a remarkably high 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Swings Past Its Prequel

While the first Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a hit, the 2023 sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, has now surpassed it in popularity. The new animated Marvel movie, boasting a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, expands on the concept of the Spider-Verse, taking Miles Morales on an adventure through different dimensions.

Okay, so as a huge animation fan, I thought the first Spider-Verse was amazing, but Across the Spider-Verse really takes things to another level. It’s not just flashy visuals – the story feels more grown-up, tackling some seriously tough questions. What I really loved was how much deeper they went with the relationships between the characters; it felt so much more emotionally resonant than the first film.

In terms of visuals, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is even more impressive than its predecessor, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Each universe boasts a unique animation style, and the film cleverly incorporates classic comic book visuals – it’s everything fans could hope for. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait until 2027 for the next installment.

Shrek Continues to Enchant Audiences

Even though it has an 88% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, don’t underestimate Shrek! This beloved family film is based on a children’s book by William Steig, originally published in 1990. It’s an animated parody of fairy tales that offers a fun escape from everyday life, reminding us that everyone—even ogres and princesses—has hidden depths.

This movie offers something for everyone – funny moments for kids, jokes adults will appreciate, and a clever sidekick animal. Plus, it features a ridiculously catchy song and plenty of memorable lines you’ll be quoting all day long.

Though the later Shrek movies are enjoyable, nothing compares to the original 2001 film. It’s a genuinely funny adventure that also touches on important themes like self-doubt, embracing who you are, and the value of real friendship. With a fantastic soundtrack and memorable voice acting, Shrek is an animated classic worth revisiting again and again.

Finding Nemo is the Ultimate Family Movie

Get ready for a rollercoaster of emotions! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll never forget the address: P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. The beloved 2003 animated film, Finding Nemo, boasts a 99% rating and reminds us that fish are friends, not food.

Andrew Stanton directed and co-wrote the story for Finding Nemo, along with Bob Peterson and David Reynolds. The film centers on Marlin, a clownfish, and his desperate search for his son, Nemo. From the very beginning, it’s clear this isn’t a typical animated movie for children; it’s emotionally impactful from the start.

We immediately connect with the ocean animals in this heartwarming story. It explores themes of loss and finding family, showing how ‘home’ can be found in unexpected connections. While the story itself is lovely, it’s the stunning animation – truly bringing the ocean to life – that will leave you feeling deeply moved.

Wolfwalkers Honors Irish Culture and Folklore

Sean Bean famously doesn’t often make it to the end of his movies, but he survives in the 2020 film ‘The Independent.’ This family-friendly adventure has been highly praised (with a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and tackles important issues like religious tolerance, protecting the environment, the benefits of faith, and the importance of understanding others.

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, Wolfwalkers is set in 1650s Ireland. It’s the third film in Moore’s Irish Folklore Trilogy and received widespread acclaim, earning 33 awards from 65 nominations.

Get ready to be enchanted by Wolfwalkers, a film that feels like a storybook brought to life with stunning animation and a beautiful soundtrack celebrating Irish music. It’s easily one of the most visually impressive animated films of the last ten years.

The Wild Robot Brings Nature and Technology Together

The world needs more compassion and empathy, and the film ‘2024’ offers a hopeful vision of what’s possible if we could all live together peacefully. This family-friendly sci-fi movie is based on a book series by Peter Brown and was directed and written by Chris Sanders.

A robot named Rozz becomes stranded on an empty island, only to become a surrogate mother to a little baby goose. The film explores how technology and nature co-exist, if they can at all, and what it means to close the gap between them.

I absolutely loved The Wild Robot! It’s not just a critically acclaimed film – it actually earned a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and received more Academy Award nominations for DreamWorks than any other film that year. But what really got to me was the story’s heart – it’s all about becoming a mother figure, and knowing how much everyone connected with that theme made it even more special.

Robot Dreams Speaks Volumes Without Saying a Word

It’s common for children to create imaginary friends and engage in pretend play, often building or combining toys to invent their ideal companions. The 2023 animated film Robot Dreams explores this theme with a lonely dog who orders a robot kit to build himself a friend.

Inspired by Sara Varon’s graphic novel, Pablo Berger wrote and directed this moving and funny independent film. Robot Dreams earns its 98% Rotten Tomatoes score by powerfully conveying emotion through visuals alone – you might not even notice there’s no dialogue!

Though it’s an animated film, Robot Dreams explores surprisingly complex ideas. It beautifully portrays the pain of moving on from a cherished relationship and acknowledges how life can lead people apart, even when love remains – all without any spoken dialogue.

The Iron Giant Wants You to Choose Who You Want to Be

As a movie fan, I have to say Brad Bird really knocked it out of the park with this one. It’s just a beautiful, emotional film. It’s an animated sci-fi movie from ’99, set in the 1950s, about a boy who becomes friends with a robot who doesn’t remember anything. They end up going up against the government, which sounds wild, but it totally works. It’s technically a kids’ movie, but honestly, I think a lot of adults will appreciate how surprisingly dark and thoughtful it is.

Yes, The Iron Giant has a packed voice cast including Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr, Vin Diesel, and Christopher McDonald, but you don’t even notice—or care—about that. The movie is so funny, so emotional, so moving, you’ll have to decide if you can take it, wrecking your heart more than once.

As a film lover, I’ve always been struck by how deeply this movie connects to real life. It really makes you think about things like whether we truly have free will, the importance of friendship, and what it means to do the right thing, even when it’s hard. And honestly, the questions it raises about our relationship with technology still feel incredibly relevant today. But what really gets me, every single time I watch it, is that emotional punch when the robot comes to life and rolls away at the end. It’s just… powerful.

2026-05-26 02:11