10 Underrated Animated Feature Films Of The 21st Century
Animation might be considered "only for kids", but there are actually many great works that are made specifically for adults or can be interesting for people of all ages. At the same time, there are animated films that don't get as much attention as they could have
These underrated movies sometimes have a dedicated fan base, but the appreciation and praise don't move beyond that. Without further ado, here are 10 Underrated Animated Feature Films Of The 21st Century.
10 Loving Vincent (2017)
Loving Vincent is one of the most unique animated films you will ever watch. Yet, its Academy Award nomination didn't lead to a win which is especially heartbreaking considering how much effort was put into it.
Detailing the life and death of Vincent van Gogh, the film is the first animated film that was entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas resulting in 65 thousand frames. The technique used by 125 artists from 20 countries who worked on the project mimics the one used by van Gogh himself.
9 The Adventures of Tintin (2011)
The Adventures of Tintin has an impressive amount of work put into it, but it didn't get the attention you would expect such a film to get. Produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, it was also co-produced by Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy and co-written by Edgar Wright.
The story follows Tintin, a character created by the Belgian cartoonist Herge. Spielberg and Herge admired each other's work, so the director optioned the rights to make an adaptation. Jackson suggested to Spielberg that motion capture would do the right justice to the source material, so that's what was used to create the film.
8 Rango (2011)
What makes Rango stand out is that it win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature becoming the first non-Disney or Pixar film to do this since Happy Feet (2006) and the last before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Yet, this computer-animated Western is largely forgotten today.
The actors would first reenact everything, and animators would then use the footage as reference. The story is an original one: Rango is a chameleon who ends in a Wild West town isolated from the world. The film breaks a number of storytelling conventions and cliches making it truly unique.
7 Megamind (2010)
In recent years, Megamind is getting more attention, especially online, so it is only fitting to consider it an underrated masterpiece. The story follows Megamind, an alien supervillain who one day succeeds and destroys his enemy, the beloved Metro Man.
The film is an extensive examination of human nature and superhero stories. Like Rango, it breaks conventions of its genre making it one of the few animated films that decide to be less serious while talking about serious topics.
6 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002)
Perhaps one of the reasons why Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron didn't gross enough is that it was a 2D film in the time when 3D animation was taking over. Still, it is gorgeous to watch and incredibly engaging considering that its main character is a horse that doesn't speak.
The film was eventually nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but it wasn't very successful commercially. Yet, it got more appreciation in the following years.
5 Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
When it comes to underrated Disney classics, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is right up there at the top of the list. In some way, it is similar to 2009's Avatar and 1995's Pocahontas before that, but it has become a fan favorite thanks to its characters.
In fact, earlier this year, Disney had announced that a live-action remake of Atlantis was in the works. So far, the fan castings mostly envision Tom Holland as the title character Milo James Thatch.
4 A Christmas Carol (2009)
Motion-capture animated films have not always been successful, and Robert Zemeckis's A Christmas Carol might be an example of such a film. Nevertheless, many fans of the book and of Jim Carrey who played several characters loved the film.
The story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish old man who is visited by three ghosts of Christmas and becomes a better man. Carrey played both Scrooge and all the three Ghosts. The cast also includes Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and others.
3 A Monster in Paris (2011)
A Monster in Paris has been described as "a musical comedy science fantasy adventure" which already tells a lot about how special and unconventional this 3D animated film is.
Produced by Luc Besson, it is a French film starring Matthieu Chedid and Vanessa Paradis. The plot is loosely based on Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera though it does feel like a completely original story.
2 Hoodwinked! (2005)
Don't let the somewhat poor quality of animation scare you away because Hoodwinked!'s story is totally worth it. This animated musical comedy thriller takes the fairy tale characters everyone knows and creates a complicated plot with the detective frog. Yes, a detective frog.
Moreover, the voice cast is quite impressive including such big names as Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, and others. It was independently produced and took inspiration from such non-linear crime dramas as Rashomon and Pulp Fiction.
1 Robots (2005)
Though Blue Sky is known for its Ice Age franchise, it actually has such gems as Robots that many have overlooked. The cast includes such big names as Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Stanley Tucci, and many others.
What's worth pointing out is that its animation style is quite unique and detailed making the robots look very realistic. The story is set in a world of sentient robots where the main character, inventor Rodney Copperbottom, decides to pursue his dreams and goes to Robot City.