The 20 best animated movies from the 2000s

One of Pixar’s biggest hits is the beloved and Oscar-winning Finding Nemo. In the film, overprotective clownfish Marlin worries about his son Nemo. When Nemo is abducted from the Great Barrier Reef by humans and sent to Sydney, Marlin teams up with forgetful fish Dory to travel across the sea and bring him home. The Great Barrier Reef sparkles on screen, and Ellen DeGeneres’s memorable voice performance as Dory brings all the laughs to this story of paternal love.

While Studio Ghibli has released a number of acclaimed films, their masterpiece is undoubtedly Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning Spirited Away. The unique and fantastical movie follows Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl who ends up in a supernatural world where her parents are turned into pigs. Chihiro must navigate this new world full of spirits, witches, and mythical creatures to free them. The imaginative world-building and peculiar character design is unlike anything else out there.

The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick returned to the world of stop-motion animation with Coraline, based on Neil Gaiman’s book. The film sees young Coraline discover a secret door in her new home, which leads to an alternate and idealized version of her frustrating home life and parents. However, everything is not as it seems. The film’s stunning stop-motion animation is a work of art to behold, and the film is both enchanting and terrifying simultaneously.

Everyone’s favorite green ogre made his debut in 2001’s groundbreaking Shrek, which launched DreamWorks into animation royalty. In the original film, Shrek agrees to rescue Princess Fiona for Lord Farquaad to get his swamp back but falls in love with her. Shrek became a worldwide hit thanks to hilarious characters like Donkey, a unique spin on fairy tales, pop culture references, and humor tailored to kids and adults. Shrek is still the ultimate family film.

Aardman collaborated with DreamWorks to create the hilarious clay-mation adventure Chicken Run. The film sees a group of chickens on a farm try to escape their evil owners before being turned into pies with the help of a rooster. Chicken Run was the first feature film to use stop-motion clay animation, which has become Aardman’s signature style. It is full of entertaining thrills and fun characters, making it a standout in the DreamWorks catalog. 

Long before the MCU, Pixar gave audiences one of the best superhero movies ever, The Incredibles. The film follows a family of undercover superheroes who try to live a normal suburban life, only to be forced back into action to save the world. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, and Dash all have unique powers they must use to stop the evil Syndrome. The Incredibles is an action-packed ride that also won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

DreamWorks delivers a hilarious and heartfelt underdog story with Kung Fu Panda . Jack Black voices Po, a clumsy panda chosen as the Dragon Warrior. He teams up with his kung fu idols, the Furious Five, to stop Tai Lung and his threat to the Valley of Peace. Kung Fu Panda works on every level thanks to the perfect casting of Black and the character of Po, a relatable and loveable protagonist for whom viewers can’t help but root. It may also give you a craving for dumplings.

Pixar delivered yet another classic with 2007’s food-centered Ratatouille. Set in the romantic city of Paris, the film follows Remy, a rat who loves to cook and wants to become a chef. Since people would never knowingly eat a meal cooked by a rat, Remy teams up with a young kitchen worker named Linguini to help his dream come true. Ratatouille is a beautifully made film with gorgeous imagery. It is an ode to the power of food and how it can affect people.

There is no doubt that Up is one of the most emotional and moving animated movies of all time. The film follows Carl, an older man who goes on an adventure to Paradise Falls in his floating house, where his late wife Ellie dreamt of visiting. He accidentally brings along Boy Scout Russell, and Carl gets more than he bargained for. Up’s famous opening sequence is certain to bring viewers to tears, and it is one of only three animated movies to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Howl’s Moving Castle is another fantastical epic from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. The film follows Sophie, a young woman who is cursed by a witch and turns into an old lady. She must find a way to reverse the spell with the help of a young wizard named Howl, his friends, and his legged, walking castle. Howl’s Moving Castle offers an arresting display of artistry, with strong anti-war themes interwoven into its magical story and world. It is one of the studio’s best movies.

Lilo & Stitch is a genre-bending and heartwarming Disney film set in Hawaii. The film sees a young, parentless girl named Lilo adopt a "dog" from an animal shelter. That "dog" is Stitch, an alien seeking refuge on Earth from his creator and those who think he is a dangerous scientific experiment. The comedic sci-fi focuses on the bond between Lilo and Stitch, proving that family can come in all different forms, even from space.

Monsters aren’t so scary in Pixar favorite Monsters, Inc. In the film, monsters live in a city that is powered by the screams of children, meaning they have to scare them. Mike and Sulley work for the titular corporation, but their world is turned upside down when they befriend a human girl named Boo. Monsters believe children are toxic, but the pair of friends discover this might not be true. Inventive, colorful, funny, and emotional, Monster Inc. is an absolute delight.

Ice Age is in the top tier of animated comedies from the 2000s. The film sees mammoth Manny, sloth Sid, and saber tooth tiger Diego go on a quest to return a human baby back to his family while squirrel Scrat chases after his beloved acorn. Their prehistoric journey is full of laughs thanks to Sid the Sloth and Scrat’s never-ending pursuit of his acorn, and features emotional depth and stakes. It spawned a franchise that continues the adventures of this crew.

Treasure Planet is one of Disney’s most underrated films and was truly boundary-pushing for its time. It is based on the classic novel Treasure Island but is set in space instead. The story follows Jim Hawkins, who journeys across the universe to find a hidden treasure with a space pirate. Treasure Planet keeps the source’s materials and period but combines it with sci-fi, creating a visually unique world. It deserves to be up there with the Disney greats.

Iconic British duo Wallace and Gromit made their feature film debut in DreamWorks’s Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. When a large beast threatens the village’s annual Giant Vegetable Competition, Wallace and Gromit set out to solve the mystery. The cheese-loving Englishman and his silent dog had previously starred in a few shorts, but this movie put them in the spotlight, winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The duo return in 2024’s Vengeance Most Fowl.

Director Wes Anderson brings his signature visual flair to the world of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox . Based on the children’s novel, the film follows Mr. Fox, a family man who goes back to his old habits of stealing from farmers. As a result, the farmers threaten to kill him and his kind. The film features all the staples of a usual Wes Anderson affair, complete with rich, detailed stop-motion characters and design. George Clooney and Meryl Streep voice Mr. and Mrs. Fox.

Presented in a comedic mockumentary format, Surf’s Up follows the annual Penguin World Surfing Championship and its newest star, Cody Maverick. Cody wants to honor Big Z, a deceased champion he idolized as a child. A camera crew follows Cody and his competitors around in this hilariously heartfelt and sharply funny comedy. A fan favorite from the movie is Chicken Joe, Cody’s spaced-out and spiritual friend voiced by Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder.

No animated movie from the 2000s will make viewers more hungry than Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs . Bill Hader voices Flint Lockwood, a scientist often seen as a failure until he invents a machine that makes food fall from the sky. While at first a miracle, the contraption creates chaos as mounds of food fall on the town and freak weather/food events occur. With vibrant animation and fast-paced humor, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a treat worth savoring. 

Another underrated Disney movie that deserves more attention is The Emperor’s New Groove. The story follows the selfish Emperor Kuzco, who is transformed into a llama by his ex-advisor, Yzma. He must regain his throne and turn back into a human with the help of Pacha, a gentle llama herder. The film offers a chaotic and comedic adventure, elevated by characters like the dim-witted Kronk and Yzma; the latter brought to life by a spectacular vocal performance from Eartha Kitt.

One of Pixar’s most timely and thematically rich movies is the adorable and thought-provoking sci-fi WALL-E. WALL-E is a robot who lives on a futuristic, uninhabited Earth, where his role is to pick up garbage. He meets and falls in love with fellow robot EVE, and the two journey across the galaxy to save humankind. WALL-E features many messages around environmentalism and protecting the planet, as it depicts humankind living a life of laziness in space after having destroyed Earth.