"Tale as old as time…" So begins the title song of Disney's greatest romance, an animated retelling of the classic tale. With a taut, engaging story, well-imagined characters, and some of the mist breathtaking art Disney has ever managed (and that's saying a lot), Beauty and the Beast stands as a shining example of 2D animation. Nominated as a Best Picture in 1991, it is the only animated film to ever earn such an honor. -CC
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9. Aladdin
The follow-up to the wildly successful Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin whisked us away to an ancient realm filled with magic, genies and Peabo Bryson. Its tale of the magic lamp is one of the oldest and most well-known Disney has animated, but they put a fresh spin on it, making Aladdin one of the most lucrative animated films of all time. Much of the credit can go to Robin Williams' spirited performance as the genie, but the film also boasts some of the most breathtaking action sequences and memorable songs in genre history. -CC
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8. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The tagline for the 60th Anniversary stated, "The one that started it all," which is no understatement. With Snow White, old Walt created the modern animated film as we know it. Before this, cartoons were only created for shorts and usually featured unrealistic-looking creatures singing, dancing and being funny. Snow White gave us realistic, human-based animation and combined comedy and drama for a piece of timeless filmmaking that holds up every bit as well today as it did in 1937. Not only a great animated movie, but one of the greatest film achievements of any genre. -JO
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7. The Incredibles
A pitch perfect action-adventure, The Incredibles has something for all ages to enjoy. Written and directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant), Incredibles combines elements from spy, superhero, family dramas and action flicks, deftly displaying suspense, action, family drama and a mid-life crisis. There's plenty of humor and references for a sci-fi or comic book fan to geek out about, while younger kids get a kick out of super-kids Dash and Violet taking on the bad guys. -BZ
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6. Spirited Away
A delightful fantasy adventure, from animation master Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), the story of 10-year-old Sen and her adventures in a haunted town, became an international sensation. Miyazaki says he made the film "for people who used to be 10-years-old and the people who are going to be 10-years-old," and we think he succeeded. Spirited Away, with its intriguing story and eerily beautiful animation, is truly a film for all ages. -BL
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5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton didn't direct this stop-motion odyssey, but his fingerprints are all over it: Jack Skellington, former avatar of the best holiday of the year (Halloween, of course), turns his attention to something decidedly more mainstream - Christmas - with disastrous effects. Chris Sarandon, best known as The Princess Bride's Prince Humperdinck, lends Jack the proper air of ingratiating self-importance, but Danny Elfman's rousing lyrics truly give the characters - including the burlap-clad Oogie Boogie (Ken
Page) - a real voice. It's also the only family-oriented flick I can imagine that's perfect viewing for not one but two different holidays. -TG
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4. Finding Nemo
Pixar's amazing run of success continued with Finding Nemo, which earned an astounding $340 million domestically. Voiced by Albert Brooks and Ellen Degeneres, it is the tale of a father fish who loses his son in the great ocean, and the journey he must make to bring him back. Told with a blend of sentimentality, madcap energy and wit, Nemo made storytelling look easy. -CC
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3. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut
Vulgar, trash-talking kids from a podunk town in a feature film? It's a musical you say? Naysayers expected little more than crass humor from the South Park movie, but Trey Parker and Matt Stone provided proof of their twisted genius with a film that was at once a great take on the TV show as well as a legitimately great musical. On top of that, the comic duo pulled one over on the MPAA, who didn't "get" the joke of the title until it was too late. -JO
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2. Iron Giant
When writer-director Brad Bird's The Iron Giant was released in 1999, fans of animation everywhere were thirsting for something fresh and rejuvenating for the genre. With no formulaic storytelling, no cheesed-out ending and not a single song-and-dance sequence, the disarmingly charming science fiction tale of young Hogarth Hughes and his 50-foot-tall, steel-eating friend from outer space was just what we had all been waiting for. -BL
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1. Toy Story 2
One of the few sequels that manages to surpass an already great original film, Toy Story 2 showed that animated sequels could exist without being inferior, cash-grabbing versions of their predecessors. With a tight storyline, superb animation and great character development (impressive in itself for a film about toys), TS2 helped cement Pixar's reputation as a studio Walt Disney himself would have been proud of. -BZ
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