TOP 10 ANIMATED MOVIES ADULTS CAN LOVE

As any 20-something couch potato can tell you, cartoons have never been just for kids. From the original risqué content of classic Looney Tunes cartoons to the explicit adult themes of Ralph Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat, and up to today’s modern animation renaissance in TV and film, grown-ups everywhere have always loved cartoons. Here are 10 animated movies that don’t have an upward age limit on enjoyment and a few that aren’t ever intended for the kiddies at all:

10. The Nightmare before Christmas

Tim Burton’s 1993 classic stop motion animated movie about the Pumpkin King’s misguided attempt to take over Christmas may, on the surface, seem like a kid’s movie, but anyone familiar with Burton’s work will warn you to screen it for kids at your own peril (unless you enjoy talking kids down from bug-fueled nightmares). Dark, stylish, and memorable, pop this one in for your friends at the Christmas party for a naughty but nice change from the sappiness of It’s a Wonderful Life.

9. Fritz the Cat

As it says right on the poster, “We’re not rated X for nothin’, baby!” This film pushed the envelope right past the edge of mainstream and ended up with the dubious distinction of being the first animated film to earn the then-scandalous X rating. Gritty, controversial, and at points downright offensive, this film featured enough animated sex, drugs, and enough seediness and radical thought to make it a favorite for any teen daring enough to sneak in, and a classic in the memories of many fans of Ralph Bakshi and R. Crumb.

8: The Animatrix
2003’s The Animatrix was created as a companion to the groundbreaking movie The Matrix. Considered by many to be far superior to the sequels (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions), this film is actually a collection of animated shorts shedding more light onto a world run by machine and mankind’s struggle against them. Featuring stunning animation, original writing, and enough violence to keep your bloodlust satisfied, this film makes a great, under appreciated addition to any sci-fi fan’s collection

7: Persepolis
Nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, 2007’s Persepolis is a poignant and personal movie telling the story of filmmaker Marjane Statrapi as she comes of age in the midst of the Iranian Revolution. This compelling and groundbreaking movie touches on issues such as feminism in a fundamentalist society, the tragic politics of the Middle East, and the family dynamic in a world where her culture and she are growing in different directions.

6: Heavy Metal

Though the animation may not hold a candle to what can be done today, at the time, no one had ever seen anything like it. Darkly erotic, violent, and quintessentially 80’s, this anthology of animated shorts features a soundtrack of Black Sabbath and Nazareth songs, the voices of John Candy, American Pie’s Eugene Levy, and the hilariously inappropriately named Rodger Bumpass among others, and is a staple in the diet of every metalhead and Dungeons and Dragons-playing nerd you’ve ever met.

5. Waking Life

In 2001, Richard Linklater’s surreal film Waking Life challenged what we thought we knew about not only animation, but dreams as well. Deliberately dense and deeply philosophical, this film follows a nameless character throughout his unconscious life. Although some purists may claim that it is not technically a completely animated film, the rotoscoping technique used to give the film it’s signature and incredibly unique look was painstakingly done by hand over a limited amount of film, lending a soft, trippy quality that causes a complete immersion in the substance of the dreamworld.

4: Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi)

The first of 2 appearances of director Hayao Miyazaki, this film was specifically created for the enjoyment of young girls, but became so much more. A breathtaking, somewhat scary movie, it makes the perfect introduction into the world of Japanese animation. The story follows Chihiro, a 10 year old girl as she embarks on an Alice-In-Wonderland-esque adventure through an abandoned theme park.  This haunting tale deals with the challenging themes of losing your childhood and facing your fears as everything you know is taken away or transformed into something unrecognizable, and keeping your humanity in the face of your nightmares.

3. The Iron Giant

Although this film seems like a generic Boy Meets Robot story, it is equally beloved by both children, parents, and childless weirdos like myself. Set in 1957, the Cold War is raging, and the stage is set for a robot from space to inflame the paranoia of the townspeople, despite befriending young Hogarth Hughes. This touching story is a valuable lesson on what really makes one human, and the damage that fearing the unknown can cause.

2. Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime)

A masterpiece created by Japanese film maker Hayao Miyazaki, and starring (in the English version) the voices  of Claire Danes, as well as Billy Crudup, Billy Bob Thornton, and Minnie Driver. In it’s native Japan,  it became a blockbuster of the biggest proportions, becoming the top grossing movie until Titanic unseated it months later. This spectacular movie combines a reverence of nature, beautiful hand drawn animation, and fantastical elements of Japanese mythology into a moving story of heroism that took 16 years to finish.

1. Wall-e

The most loved robot to come along since Johnny 5, Wall-E  manages to take such heavy ideas as crushing loneliness, the destruction of earth, and humanity’s growing dependence on technology, and wrap it all up in a touching, visually stunning, and easy to love package. Let’s face it, you loved this movie. Your kids loved this movie. Your neighbors loved this movie. The only people who didn’t love it were easily offended fat rights advocates who took exception to the idea that having robots do everything for you could lead to obesity, which is far from the center point that this film is making.

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