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Best animated movie

The 32 movies of the “Best animated movie” bracket, with year, director, runtime and rating for each — then play the knockout tournament and let your own duels pick the winner.

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What is in this bracket

The bracket spans 30 years of cinema, from 1988 to 2018, with an average TMDB rating of 7.9/10. The dominant genres are Animation (32 movies), Family (28 movies), Adventure (19 movies), Comedy (12 movies). Brad Bird appears 3 times, Pete Docter appears 3 times, Hayao Miyazaki appears 2 times — a good sign of how much one filmography weighs on the outcome. Watching the whole line-up back to back would take about 53 hours. The 2000s are the best represented decade with 12 entries.

The highest-rated entry going in is Spirited Away (2001) at ★ 8.5/10 — but a bracket is not a ranking: it only takes one duel against a favourite of yours for it to go out in the first round.

The full line-up (32 movies)

Seeded in the order they enter the bracket. 32 titles means 5 rounds and 31 duels to a champion.

  1. Spirited Away 2001 · Hayao Miyazaki · 125 min · ★ 8.5/10

    A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

  2. The Lion King 1994 · Roger Allers · 89 min · ★ 8.3/10

    Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.

  3. WALL·E 2008 · Andrew Stanton · 98 min · ★ 8.1/10

    After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E— a robot designed to clean up the earth—discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of t

  4. Toy Story 1995 · John Lasseter · 81 min · ★ 8/10

    Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.

  5. Ratatouille 2007 · Brad Bird · 111 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Remy, a rat, possesses a palate far more refined than that of his fellow comrades. He aspires to become a chef, one who creates rather than scavenges. When fate leads him beneath one of Paris's finest restaurants, he forms an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker to pursue his culinary ambitions. As his double life unfolds, Remy must navigate the suspicions of the calculating Head Chef Skin

  6. Up 2009 · Pete Docter · 96 min · ★ 8/10

    Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.

  7. Coco 2017 · Lee Unkrich · 105 min · ★ 8.2/10

    Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock

  8. Inside Out 2015 · Pete Docter · 95 min · ★ 7.9/10

    When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.

  9. Finding Nemo 2003 · Andrew Stanton · 100 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.

  10. Princess Mononoke 1997 · Hayao Miyazaki · 134 min · ★ 8.3/10

    Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.

  11. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2018 · Bob Persichetti · 117 min · ★ 8.4/10

    Struggling to find his place in the world while juggling school and family, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales is unexpectedly bitten by a radioactive spider and develops unfathomable powers just like the one and only Spider-Man. While wrestling with the implications of his new abilities, Miles discovers a super collider created by the madman Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk, causing others from across the Spid

  12. Shrek 2001 · Andrew Adamson · 90 min · ★ 7.8/10

    It ain't easy bein' green -- especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot -- a wisecracking donkey.

  13. The Incredibles 2004 · Brad Bird · 115 min · ★ 7.7/10

    Bob Parr has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children with his formerly heroic wife in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it's time to get back into costume.

  14. Monsters, Inc. 2001 · Pete Docter · 92 min · ★ 7.9/10

    Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.

  15. How to Train Your Dragon 2010 · Dean DeBlois · 98 min · ★ 7.9/10

    As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.

  16. Your Name. 2016 · Makoto Shinkai · 106 min · ★ 8.5/10

    High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other.

  17. The Iron Giant 1999 · Brad Bird · 86 min · ★ 8/10

    In the small town of Rockwell, Maine in October 1957, a giant metal machine befriends a nine-year-old boy and ultimately finds its humanity by unselfishly saving people from their own fears and prejudices.

  18. Toy Story 3 2010 · Lee Unkrich · 103 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.

  19. Zootopia 2016 · Byron Howard · 109 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.

  20. The Prince of Egypt 1998 · Brenda Chapman · 99 min · ★ 7.3/10

    The strong bond between two Royal Egyptian brothers is challenged when their chosen responsibilities set them at odds, with extraordinary consequences.

  21. Fantastic Mr. Fox 2009 · Wes Anderson · 87 min · ★ 7.8/10

    The Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.

  22. Kubo and the Two Strings 2016 · Travis Knight · 102 min · ★ 7.6/10

    Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

  23. Coraline 2009 · Henry Selick · 100 min · ★ 7.9/10

    Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.

  24. Kung Fu Panda 2008 · Mark Osborne · 90 min · ★ 7.3/10

    Chosen by prophecy but doubted by all, Po is an unlikely choice for the mystical title of the Dragon Warrior—a clumsy panda thrust into the world of kung fu as a deadly enemy threatens the Valley of Peace. Under reluctant guidance by Master Shifu and the Furious Five, Po must embrace who he is to unlock the power that no scroll can teach.

  25. Aladdin 1992 · John Musker · 91 min · ★ 7.7/10

    In the boorish city of Agrabah, kind-hearted street urchin Aladdin and Princess Jasmine fall in love, although she can only marry a prince. He and power-hungry Grand Vizier Jafar vie for a magic lamp that can fulfill their wishes.

  26. Beauty and the Beast 1991 · Gary Trousdale · 84 min · ★ 7.7/10

    Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.

  27. Frozen 2013 · Chris Buck · 102 min · ★ 7.3/10

    Young princess Anna of Arendelle dreams about finding true love at her sister Elsa’s coronation. Fate takes her on a dangerous journey in an attempt to end the eternal winter that has fallen over the kingdom. She's accompanied by ice delivery man Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf. On an adventure where she will find out what friendship, courage, family, and true love really means.

  28. Moana 2016 · Ron Clements · 107 min · ★ 7.6/10

    In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.

  29. Tangled 2010 · Byron Howard · 100 min · ★ 7.6/10

    Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.

  30. Ice Age 2002 · Chris Wedge · 81 min · ★ 7.4/10

    Manny the mammoth, Sid the loquacious sloth, and Diego the sabre-toothed tiger go on a comical quest to return a human baby back to his father, across a world on the brink of an ice age.

  31. The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993 · Henry Selick · 76 min · ★ 7.8/10

    Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

  32. Grave of the Fireflies 1988 · Isao Takahata · 89 min · ★ 8.4/10

    In the final months of World War II, 14-year-old Seita and his sister Setsuko are orphaned when their mother is killed during an air raid in Kobe, Japan. After a falling out with their aunt, they move into an abandoned bomb shelter. With no surviving relatives and their emergency rations depleted, Seita and Setsuko struggle to survive.

How this tournament works

  1. 32 movies enter a knockout bracket.
  2. Two titles face off at a time — you pick the one you would rather watch.
  3. Winners advance round by round until one champion is left: your pick for tonight.

There is no “right” answer and no algorithm deciding for you: the bracket only forces a series of small, easy comparisons instead of one impossible choice in front of a catalogue. You can also play it with friends — everyone votes the same duels from their own phone in a Brawl Room.

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