2023 has been a great year for animation, as the past couples of years have been, especially for more stylized animation. Until around 2018, when “Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse” was released, most studios were afraid to stray from the standard “Pixar Style” type of animation, because that was the top of the industry! But after Spider-verse and other more stylized films were released and did incredibly well, uniquely animated movies have shot to the forefront of the animation world, and fans of animation everywhere are loving it. So here I am now, as one of those fans, Rating some of the top animated movies of 2023 (no spoilers).

“Nimona”(7/10)

This movie was not only hilarious and very well animated, it was also very impactful. “Nimona” had an interesting style of animation, and also an interesting setting and plot! The animation was incredibly charming, with lots of glittering lights and geometric shapes. As for setting, Futuristic-Medieval isn’t something you see a lot anywhere, and I thought it was a really good choice. The movie focused on themes of identity, and also spoke out about the struggle of trans or gender-non-conforming people and kids through metaphor, all while managing a riveting plot full of twists, and turns, flipping expectations upside-down! The only reason I rated it lower than a ten was because of some moments that I thought were “cringey”, causing some secondhand embarrassment for me. That type of thing is very subjective, though, and I still enjoyed it regardless!

Elemental (7/10)

Honestly, I got a lot of annoying Spotify ads for this movie, and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did! It’s been a little while since we’ve gotten a cute Pixar romance, and it did remind me a bit of Zootopia (which is 100% better, sorry), but it wasn’t such a similarity that it seemed unoriginal. The relationship between the main characters was really cute, and I teared up a bit at a few parts (I relate to Wade on the fact that I get emotional easily, haha). All the characters were endearing, and the animation was also very pretty, especially the lighting. It felt very experimental, and I think it worked out! The world–building was also very well done, and they managed to do it in a way that didn’t distract too much from the plot or the characters.

“The Mario Movie” (8/10)

I had heard about Chris Pratt voicing Mario, and like many others, I was skeptical, but in my opinion he actually did very well! The animation was very good, and it fit super well with the movie and the characters. The story was enjoyable, fast-paced, and I loved how they tied in references to so many of the various Mario games and shows. I especially appreciated hearing lots of classic mario video game music. I thought that they did a good job fleshing out the characters and introducing the world, white still focusing mostly on the plot. It had a real, interesting story that managed to be both thrilling and light-hearted! Also, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that Jack Black’s Bowser was amazing, his character was the highlight of the film in my opinion (especially his song, “Peaches”). I thought that they may have sacrificed some of the plot to fit in more references, but it wasn’t too crowded.

“TMNT: Mutant Mayhem”(9/10)

This movie was a wild ride, and incredibly fun to watch! I loved the sketchy, messy animation style, and the characters felt so alive thanks to their amazing voice actors, who, for the first time in TMNT history, are voiced by actual teenagers! I was surprised by the amount of references to pop culture, which is always risky in a piece of media, due to how it can date the piece, but I think it works here. The whole thing felt very gen z, which I loved. The only real criticism I have is just a preference, I thought the humans looked pretty ugly, but I think the point may have been to make the Turtles more appealing, which definitely worked!

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse (10/10)

I have to give this one a perfect score, because I loved everything about it! I saw this movie in theaters 3 times, because I just couldn’t get enough of the STUNNING animation, incredible attention to detail, captivating soundtrack, and extraordinary plot, humor, and cast. I could go into detail about each of these aspects if I had time. I loved all the new characters as well as the old ones, plus all the minor roles that fit in many spider-people from hundreds of comics. The villain(s?) were also very well done, feeling both scary and humorous at times.The themes of individuality and finding your own path were also very meaningful. Every second of it looks and sounds like a masterpiece. It’s a joy to both new and old Spider-man fans alike. I was left speechless at the jaw-dropping cliff-hanger, and can’t wait for the final installment in the trilogy.

“Honorable mention: Puss in Boots:The Last Wish” (10/10)

I know that this movie didn’t come out in 2023, but it was right on the edge of 2022, and it’s one of my favorite animated movies of all time. It’s another one that I have rewatched many times (I can’t remember how many at this point) with an animation style that really made an impact on me with all of its interesting colors and textures, as well as beautiful use of effects and varied frame rates. The story was also very compelling! It drew me in right away and kept me there. I also can’t forget to mention how Genuinely Terrifying one of the villains was. I cannot remember the last time an animated villain actually prompted such a reaction in me, great job, Dreamworks!!!!

And so, with all of the amazing films that came out this year, It leaves me incredibly hopeful for the future of animation, even with the threat that AI poses. All of these pieces of art have human soul and emotion woven into every thread, every frame, and AI could only ever make cold copies of them. I hope that you all enjoy these movies as much as I did, and if you haven’t any of these, I hope I’ve given you some incentive to give them a watch!