There’s nothing cartoonish about these great films
WALL-E (2008)
Andrew Stanton’s extraordinary sci-fi fantasy — about a futuristic robot that collects the leftover bits and pieces of our ruined society — is also an ecological warning, a love story and, most of all, a vividly imagined piece of speculative fiction. Wall-E isn’t human, but he embodies the best of us: He’s loyal and brave and curious, and his obsession with the detritus of our society (he’s especially fond of the soundtrack of Hello Dolly!) makes him one of the most lovable heroes in animated film history.
FINDING NEMO (2003)
A baby clown fish goes missing, and his neurotic father, memorably voiced by Albert Brooks, goes looking for him, along with a forgetful anglerfish (Ellen DeGeneres). The casual technical brilliance of Pixar movies — this one is also directed by Stanton — takes second place to the heart-wringing emotions of parental loss and the hilarious series of encounters of the voyage (a group of tough-guy sharks is especially memorable).
RATATOUILLE (2007)
Brad Bird (who also made the estimable The Iron Giant) directed this unique adventure about a rat that dreams of becoming a great chef in Paris. The result is one of the best food films ever made, a wonderful behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen of a great restaurant and an engaging adventure about an unlikely hero. It also features a food critic, named Anton Ego, whose heart is opened when he is served a stew that evokes memories of his mother, a note of nostalgia that is deliciously poignant.
UP (2009)
The most emotional animated film in memory. It tells the story of 78-year-old Carl (voiced by Ed Asner) who attaches balloons to his house and flies off (in the company of an eight-year-old boy trying to earn a merit badge) to the South American adventure he never had with his late wife, Ellie. The voyage is memorably quirky, but what stays with you is the astounding sequence in which Carl’s life with Ellie is told in a series of photographs. It’s one of the greatest examples in history of visual storytelling.
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009)
Director Wes Anderson steps into the world of stop-action animation for this offbeat, endlessly creative story about a fox who just can’t stop raiding chicken houses, no matter how many promises he keeps making to his wife. The fact that the couple are voiced by George Clooney and Meryl Streep helps. So does the wonderful storytelling, based on a Roald Dahl novel. Anderson — best known for such offbeat comedies as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums — nails the exacting stopmotion process, and tells a zonkedout story to boot.
OTHER GREAT ANIMATED MOVIES
Toy Story 2, Dumbo, Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong Trousers, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.