(Photo by Ketchup Entertainment/ courtesy Everett Collection. THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP.)
50 Best New Animated Movies
The latest: The Day the Earth Blew Up is the first Certified Fresh Looney Tunes movie ever! SpongeBob’s got Plankton: The Movie on Netflix. And Clive Barker (yes, the C.B.) has his name on Night of the Zoopocalypse.
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: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: That's not all folks! Porky Pig and Daffy Duck, one of the greatest comedic duos in history, are making
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#14
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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#15
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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#16
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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#17
Critics Consensus: Realizing Dav Pilkey's canine creation with a frenzied energy that never lets up, Dog Man will delight kids while throwing their parents a bone.
Synopsis: When a faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, a harebrained but
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#18
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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#19
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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#20
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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#21
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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#22
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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#23
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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#24
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After a meteor unleashes a virus that turns zoo animals into zombies, a mountain lion (David Harbour) and wolf (Gabbi
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#25
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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#26
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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#27
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After the heavenly lightning, although Ne Zha and Ao Bing survived by becoming Spirits, they would soon dissipate completely. Taiyi
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#28
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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#29
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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#30
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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#31
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Plankton's tangled love story with his sentient computer wife goes sideways when she takes a stand and decides to destroy
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#32
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Following a speedy 12-year-old sloth named Laura whose odd sloth family is left homeless by a devastating storm. Forced to
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#33
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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#34
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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#35
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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#36
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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#37
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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#38
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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#39
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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#40
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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#41
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Geralt of Rivia, a mutated monster hunter, is hired to investigate a series of attacks in a seaside village and
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#42
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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#43
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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#44
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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#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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