The 19 best animated sports-related movies

Animals competing in Olympic sports in an animated, fun-for-the-whole family setting. That seemed like a good idea for NBC more than 40 years to help promote the network's coverage of the Summer Olympics (with ABC the home of the Winter Olympics). Of course, the United States boycotted the Summer Games held in the then-Soviet Union, putting a damper on the summer installment. The movie was eventually released, but as one film combining events from both Olympics. Highlights include a drag-style 100-meter dash, songbird Barbara Warblers providing coverage of the events and and talent frog Boris Amphibiensky, who also happens to be a great high jumper.

Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, along with the rest of the legendary Looney Tunes gang, try to save the world against a group of aliens — who want to turn them into amusement park attractions — by winning a basketball game. This live-action/animated comedy is one of the most beloved sports movies of all time and remains a classic that can easily be enjoyed from generation to generation. Bill Murray, Wayne Knight and fellow former NBA stars Muggsy Bogues, Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson (among others) are also fun to watch. 

A two-time Academy Award nominee, The Triplets of Belleville chronicles the tale of an elderly woman who tries to find her grandson, a Tour de France cyclist, who was kidnapped by the French mafia. The journey of Madame Souza and her traveling companions is so fun, and the movie is enthralling and entertaining even though it does not feature much dialogue, but plenty of toe-tapping musical numbers.  

When it comes to animated sports heroes, Lightning McQueen is among the greatest. Owen Wilson could have made a living from voicing one of the most beloved characters in the history of the Disney/Pixar universe. The hero of the three Cars films (all covered on this list), Lightning McQueen is iconic. The popular stock car racer goes from a self-absorbed star-in-the-making to a caring and focused speedster who has finally seen the big picture in his life. It's a classic in every sense: funny, thrilling and heartwarming.

Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, William H. Macy, Brian Dennehy, Mandy Patinkin and Forest Whitaker are just a few big names voicing characters in this movie about a young boy trying to save Babe Ruth's beloved bat. However, even with all those marquee names, the movie received middling reviews and was often chided for its predictability. That said, it's cute enough to appeal to young baseball fans. Those sarcastic talking baseballs are kind of fun. Christopher Reeve co-directed the movie, which came out two years after his death.

Surfing penguins. Why not. Cody (Shia LaBeouf) dreams of becoming a superstar surfer. However, he's still a little immature, and needs some wisdom to keep him on the right track. This Academy Award-nominated animated film was a hit, and even earned a sequel (more on that in a bit). Surf's Up is somewhat of a spoof on the popular surf film The Endless Summer, as well as a quality family film whose message never tires. It also has the potential to span generations of viewers. 

Based on the popular Japanese animated series from the late 1960s, this live-action animated action comedy had been in the works for a while. However, it had to clear many hurdles to finally see the light of public viewing. While the film received rather lukewarm reception from critics, over time, it has grown to near cult-classic status. Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and the late Richard Roundtree are among those who lend their talents to the project. 

Lightning McQueen, along with buddy Mater (Larry the Cable Guy), takes part in a prestigious international World Grand Prix car race. But, while Lightning is focused on winning the race, Mater finds himself caught up in an espionage ring. Though the storyline is more complex, and honestly, not nearly as endearing as the original Cars movie, this sequel is filled with action, bright colors and plenty of excitement that should keep the attention of any viewer of any age.

Planes was just fine for younger audiences, which are likely to get behind anything animated. However, it was never able to enjoy the same success as the Cars franchise. Audiences never really felt for Dusty Crophopper, the crop-duster who wants to compete in an around-the-world aerial race, and his buddies like we did for Lightning McQueen and Co. Maybe it was just too much of these types of animated comedies. Though considered a disappointment in the realm of Disney, it spawned a sequel and plenty of merchandise.

Not the most creative script out there, but fun nonetheless. In the end, that's what a good animated action comedy should do. Ryan Reynolds voices main character Theo (aka "Turbo"), your typical garden snail whose dream of competing in and winning the Indianapolis 500 after he earns the power of superspeed. Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Turbo is a fun, entertaining movie that should not be looked into too deeply. 

The animated American version of an Argentine story (known as Metegol in Spanish) about a bullied boy who receives help when his favorite foosball players come to life to take on those challenges. Ariana Grande, Nicholas Hoult, Taran Killam, Shawn Mendes, Katie Holmes, Bella Thorne, John Leguizamo, and Mel Brooks all lend their voices to the U.S. version that is offers a common tale, but does so in an enjoyable and endearing way. 

Though still the lowest grossing of the three Cars films, this third installment of the franchise made a cool $383 million, and its premise is partly a return to why most fell in love of the franchise in the first place. In the span of the three Cars movies, Lightning McQueen went from a young hotshot racer to international celebrity to on the verge of being washed up. This time around, McQueen must prove he can hang with the young generation of sleeker, souped-up race cars with improved technology. Lightning is back to doing some soul-searching while again trying to find his purpose. 

Yes, this sequel to the massively popular Surf's Up went straight to video. Shia LaBeouf does not return for this film. Instead the cast is dominated by WWE stars (the movie is co-produced by the company) such as John Cena, The Undertaker, Triple H and even Vince McMahon himself, who all voice a group of extreme surfing penguins, a puffin, and an otter, known as "The Hang 5." In terms of entertainment value, Surf's Up 2 isn't a waste of time, especially those of a younger fan base.

We go across the pond to the U.K. for this rather obscure stop-motion animated movie about a young mole named Mongo Morrison, and his dream of becoming a famous soccer player (aka footballer), no matter the obstacles in front of him, instead of working in the mine like most of the rest of his townsfolk. This, at least on some level, can be considered a lighter, animated version of Bend it Like Beckham.

Cartoon monsters that wrestle. Why did it take so long for this concept to reach the big screen? Will Arnett stars as Steve/Rayburn Jr., the reptilian monster, who is an underachieving and middling wrestler thrown into competition to help save the wrestling stadium in his hometown of Stoker. Geraldine Viswanathan, Terry Crews and Tony Shalhoub also lend their voices to a comedy that's fun for the whole family.

The original Space Jam movie made $250.2 million. This live action/animated standalone version starring the NBA's current superstar LeBron James, barely broke even. That said, it's likely entertaining for younger kids who are fans of James, the NBA and cool-looking visuals, with AI — essentially playing the villain — taking up the underlying theme of the movie. It's understandable why this movie was made to cater to a new audience, but that doesn't make it right.

For those unaware of this animated feature that can be found on Netflix, it's worth a look, if anything else. Soccer greats Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Megan Rapinoe are turned into rampaging mutants by an evil force. So, it's up to a group of youngsters to help turn them back into the good-natured soccer stars they are before the biggest game of the season. It's certainly a strange movie that isn't really sure if it wants to be a comedy, action or drama movie. Oh yeah, and 'Weird Al' Yankovic is also part of the cast.

Rally Road Racers didn't spend a lot of time in theaters, but it was well received, and worth checking out by those fans of animated action movies. In this case, it's the story of an amateur race-car driving animal, Zhi, who tries to save his village from a greedy real-estate developer Archie Vainglorious (John Cleese), and a band of evil racers. The tale is somewhat well-told, but that doesn't stop it from delivering a good-hearted picture that is entertaining enough to keep the attention of any age level. J.K. Simmons, as racing mentor goat Gnash, is quite charming.

The film sequel to the wildly popular Japanese series Haikyu!!, found its way into American theaters and enjoyed a good deal of success at the box office. High school volleyball players found themselves flocking to theaters to catch the highly anticipated animated matchup between Karasuno High School and Nekoma High School. While Japanese anime might not be for everybody, it works on a niche level, but is good enough to keep just about any audience satisfied.