(Photo by Netflix / courtesy Everett Collection. WALLACE & GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL.)
50 Best New Animated Movies
The latest: Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, the first feature with the legendary stop-motion duo since 2005’s Curse of the Were-Rabbit, debuts on Netflix in America on January 3, 2025. The epic curio Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Moana 2, once intended as a television project but re-developed as Disney’s big Thanksgiving animated theatrical release. Flow, Latvian’s entry for the Best International Feature Oscar this year. Spellbound, Shrek director Vicky Jenson’s first animated feature in 20 years, on Netflix.
If you’re someone who’s drawn to the possibilities of movies, where sitting down means tripping to worlds and galaxies beyond our own, or through memories of the perilous, personal, and beautiful journeys taken right here on our big blue marble, then check out our guide to the 50 best new animated movies, recently released in theaters and at home!
The list starts with Certified Fresh movies, where it’s apparently rabbit duck robot season with Transformers origin story Transformers One, DreamWorks’ The Wild Robot, and heartbreaking Robot Dreams. Pixar came back in a big way with Inside Out 2. And Netflix has shown they’re taking their animation game to the next level with anime The Imaginary, Charlie Kaufman-scripted Orion and the Dark, and Ultraman: Rising.
After those, you’ll find Fresh movies, like DreamWorks’ other 2024 family offering, Kung Fu Panda 4. Mars Express had critics and audiences all aboard. And the consistently steady DC animation crew began their next Tomorrowverse arc with Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, along with the start of the standalone Watchmen series with Chapter 1.
Enjoy our guide to the best of new animated movies, added as they come out!
#1
Critics Consensus: Comforting as cheese and crackers, with some gentle ribbing of modern technology sprinkled on top, Vengeance Most Fowl revives this lovable pair with all their charm intact.
Synopsis: Aardman's four-time Academy Award®-winning director Nick Park and Emmy Award-nominated Merlin Crossingham return with a brand new epic adventure, Wallace
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#2
Critics Consensus: As heartbreaking as it is heartwarming, Robot Dreams is the stuff good animation is made of.
Synopsis: DOG lives in Manhattan and he's tired of being alone. One day he decides to build himself a robot, a
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#3
Critics Consensus: Thanks to its innovative animation and mature themes, going with this Flow proves irresistible.
Synopsis: A wondrous journey, through realms natural and mystical, Flow follows a courageous cat after his home is devastated by a
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#4
Critics Consensus: A simple tale told with great sophistication, The Wild Robot is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.
Synopsis: The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot--ROZZUM unit 7134, "Roz" for short -- that is shipwrecked on an
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#5
Critics Consensus: Soulfully exploring thought-provoking themes through a beautifully animated lens, The Boy and the Heron is another Miyazaki masterpiece.
Synopsis: From the legendary Studio Ghibli and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes a new critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure. After
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#6
Critics Consensus: Just as visually dazzling and action-packed as its predecessor, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse thrills from start to cliffhanger conclusion.
Synopsis: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn's full-time,
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#7
Critics Consensus: With its unique visual style and a story that captures the essence of the franchise's appeal, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is an animated treat for the whole family.
Synopsis: After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New
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#8
Critics Consensus: Tapping a rich emotional vein with its splendid animation and thoughtful allegory, Nimona is a deeply lovable animated adventure.
Synopsis: When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn't commit,
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#9
Critics Consensus: An uncommonly ambitious animated film, Orion and the Dark benefits from a Charlie Kaufman screenplay that isn't afraid to tangle with existential ideas.
Synopsis: The thing Orion fears the most is the dark. When the embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark
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#10
Critics Consensus: A visually splendid and emotionally resonant anime film that appeals to the child in everyone, The Imaginary is a flight of fancy that audiences won't mind getting swept up in.
Synopsis: Rudger is a boy no one can see, imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger,
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#11
Critics Consensus: Spicing things up with the wrinkle of teenage angst, Inside Out 2 clears the head and warms the heart by living up to its predecessor's emotional intelligence.
Synopsis: The little voices inside Riley's head know her inside and out--but next summer, everything changes when Disney and Pixar's Inside
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#12
Critics Consensus: Dramatically satisfying with a dash of good humor, Transformers One suggests that animation might be the optimal medium for this oft-adapted franchise.
Synopsis: TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were
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#13
Critics Consensus: Ultraman: Rising adds an interesting wrinkle of childrearing to the franchise's high-octane formula, making for a colorful romp fit for the whole family.
Synopsis: With Tokyo under siege from rising monster attacks, baseball star Ken Sato reluctantly returns home to take on the mantle
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#14
Leo
(2023)
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Critics Consensus: Slick animation, catchy songs, and some winning voice work from a cast led by Adam Sandler help Leo strike an uneasy balance between satirical and sweet.
Synopsis: Actor and comedian Adam Sandler (Hotel Transylvania, The Wedding Singer) delivers signature laughs in this coming-of-age animated musical comedy about
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#15
Critics Consensus: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget offers more of the easy laughs and eye-catching animation that fans of the original enjoyed, although there's a general feeling of diminishing returns.
Synopsis: Having escaped from the farm, Ginger and Rocky welcome a new little adventurer into their lives. Back on the mainland,
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#16
Critics Consensus: A beautifully animated history lesson, The Inventor seems somewhat uncertain as to which audience it's trying to reach, but it remains amusing and often engaging.
Synopsis: "The Inventor" follows famed inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci after he leaves Italy for France. In his new country,
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#17
Critics Consensus: Elemental may not satisfy as fully as the greatest Pixar pictures, but it remains a solid story told with dazzling visual flair.
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar's "Elemental," an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live
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#18
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 2200, private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner Carlos Rivera are hired by a wealthy businessman to track
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#19
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Popular, outgoing Fujino is celebrated by her classmates for her funny comics in the class newspaper. One day, her teacher
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#20
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: "An Almost Christmas Story" follows Moon, a curious young owl who unexpectedly finds himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined
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#21
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: KIZUMONOGATARI -Koyomi Vamp- centers around a high school student named Koyomi Araragi, who survives an encounter with a gorgeous yet
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#22
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Paulette feels guilty after unjustly punishing her daughter Linda and would do anything to make it up to her. Linda
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#23
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: He's a spy. She's an assassin. Together, Loid and Yor keep their double lives to themselves while pretending to be
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#24
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In an alternate world, the murder of a government sponsored superhero draws his outlawed colleagues out of retirement, into a
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#25
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In a mysterious and haunting dream world, a 12-year-old girl meets the 13th century young poet Rumi, as they travel
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#26
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Anti-Monitor (the Monitor's evil counterpart) is released into the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the different Earths that
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#27
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The origin story for one of Peanuts’ most beloved characters, Franklin, follows how he approaches making new friends. Franklin’s family
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#28
Critics Consensus: Beautiful animation and entertaining work from a talented voice cast help Migration take flight in spite of a story that doesn't quite stand out from the flock.
Synopsis: This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Minions, Despicable Me, Sing and The Secret Life of Pets comedies, invites
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#29
Critics Consensus: Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie will be best enjoyed by its youthful target audience, but it's sweet, thoughtful, and funny enough to entertain the entire family.
Synopsis: When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The
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#30
Critics Consensus: Kung Fu Panda 4 offers enough eye-catching entertainment to sustain the franchise's young fans, although it's starting to feel like this series is running out of steam.
Synopsis: After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior
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#31
Critics Consensus: Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken is littered with too much flotsam and jetsam from better animated features to stand as a true original, but its inherent sweetness and lively style make for likable enough family entertainment.
Synopsis: Sweet, awkward 16-year-old Ruby Gillman (Lana Condor, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise) is desperate to fit in
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#32
Critics Consensus: Always well-intentioned and once-in-a-blue-moon compelling, The Magician's Elephant is an adaptation with a message about believing in yourself unveiled with more whimsy than magic.
Synopsis: When young Peter, who is searching for his long-lost sister, crosses paths with a fortune teller in the market square,
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#33
Critics Consensus: Trolls Band Together serves up another amusing, eye-catching outing that should entertain young fans of the franchise while remaining perfectly painless for parents.
Synopsis: After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally,
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#34
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The dragons of ancient China are on the brink of extinction; their only hope is a brave young girl on
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#35
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Thelma is a small-time pony who dreams of becoming a glamorous music star. In a pink and glitter-filled moment of
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#36
Critics Consensus: More of a stocking stuffer than a proper gift from Santa, That Christmas is an amiable enough addition to the holiday canon.
Synopsis: Based on the charming trilogy of children's books by beloved multi award-winning writer/director Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral,
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#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: High school student Hiiragi Yatsuse struggles to make friends. One summer day, his life takes a turn when he encounters
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#38
Critics Consensus: Riding high on a wave of stunning animation even when its story runs adrift, Moana 2 isn't as inspired as the original but still delights as a colorful adventure.
Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical "Moana 2" takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and
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#39
Critics Consensus: While it's nowhere near as thrilling as turtle tipping your way to 128 lives, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a colorful -- albeit thinly plotted -- animated adventure that has about as many Nintendos as Nintendon'ts.
Synopsis: Mario and Luigi go on a whirlwind adventure through Mushroom Kingdom, uniting with a cast of familiar characters to defeat
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#40
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The denizens of Bikini Bottom are thrown into jeopardy when their home is suddenly scooped out of the ocean and
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#41
Critics Consensus: Often rousing, The Monkey King is an animated blur of tried-and-true -- but still appealing -- archetypes.
Synopsis: The Monkey King is an action-packed family comedy that follows a charismatic Monkey and his magical fighting Stick on an
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#42
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Tom Lee discovers he's part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians. With guidance from a
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#43
Critics Consensus: This animated deep cut from The Lord of the Rings mythos has plenty of spectacle, but its clichéd characters and uneven animation resemble middle of the road more than they do Middle Earth.
Synopsis: Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, "The Lord of the Rings: The War
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#44
Critics Consensus: Wish earns some tugs at the heartstrings with the way it warmly references many of the studio's classics, but nostalgia's no substitute for genuine storytelling magic -- no matter how beautifully animated it might be.
Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Wish" is an all-new musical-comedy welcoming audiences to the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha, a
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#45
Critics Consensus: Spellbound makes for harmless viewing thanks to its colorful animation and clever moral, but this fairy tale can't quite summon any real charm.
Synopsis: Spellbound follows the adventures of Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria who must go on a
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#46
Critics Consensus: The Garfield Movie rolls along at a zany enough clip to be diverting for kids, but this animated adventure doesn't much resemble Jim Davis' iconically grumpy creation.
Synopsis: Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure! After
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#47
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A PTSD marine goes to extreme measures to rescue his 8 year old brother from a science research facility where
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#48
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The Anti-Monitor attacks the remaining Earths and their inhabitants. Heroes and villains across time and space join the Justice League
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#49
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An endless army of shadow demons threatens to destroy the world and all parallel Earths. The only thing opposing them
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#50
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Megamind’s former villain team, The Doom Syndicate, has returned. Our newly crowned blue hero must now keep up evil appearances
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