Animation
Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model, and then photographing the result. When the frames are strung together and the resulting film is viewed at a speed of 16 or more frames per second, there is an illusion of continuous movement (due to the persistence of vision). Generating such a film is very labour intensive and tedious, though the development of computer animation has greatly sped up the process.
Here Alice has assembled all the very best of this craft; scroll below alphabetically or search using the sub-categories in green on the left. 'Family Animation', 'Classic Animation', 'Cult Animation' or 'JapanAnime'.
Right: Nick Park's endearing Wallace and Gromit.
A Scanner Darkly (2006)
7.1/10
Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane
Director Richard Linklater returns to the animation style of his earlier 'Waking Life' for this adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel. In the not-too-... Read more
Steamboy (2004)
6.9/10
Director: Katsuhiro Otomo
Starring: Voices Of, Anna Paquin, Alfred Molina, Patrick Stewart
The long-awaited new film from 'Akira' director Katsuhiro Otomo does not disappoint. One of the most expensive animes ever made, this is a retro-styl... Read more
Robin Hood (Disney) (1973)
6.7/10
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Starring: Voices Of, Brian Bedford, Phil Harris, Peter Ustinov, Terry-Thomas
Disney's animated version of the legend casts Robin as a fox battling the evil wolf sheriff of Nottingham for freedom in Sherwood Forest. Peter Ustin... Read more
Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001)
7.9/10
Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
The popular anime series "Cowboy Bebop" gets its own feature-length film with the aptly named "Cowboy Bebop: The Movie". Set in the late 21st century,... Read more
Toy Story (1995)
8.3/10
Director: John Lasseter
Starring: Annie Potts, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, John Ratzenberger, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, W...
A very clever, incredible-looking computer animated feature film telling the tale of a boy's favourite toy, a cowboy doll named Woody who's feeling th... Read more
Neon Genesis Evangelion 0:3 (1997)
Director: Hideaki Anno
Starring: Animation
Episodes 9-11. It's triple jeopardy as the Angels continue to attack and the forces of NERV are finding themselves sorely pressed to find new ways to... Read more
Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
7.1/10
Director: Nick Park, Steve Box
Starring: Peter Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Liz Smith
Wallace and Gromit return for their first feature length film, a rip-roaring comedy that sees the wacky inventor come up with a new way to get rid of... Read more
Treasure Planet (2002)
7.1/10
Director: John Musker, Ron Clements
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short, Emma Thomps...
Disney's dazzling animated sci-fi swashbuckler transplants the Robert Louis Stevenson adventure classic 'Treasure Island' to outer space and features... Read more
Dr Seuss' The Lorax (2012)
Director: Kyle Balda, Chris Renaud
Starring: Danny DeVito, Betty White, Zac Efron, Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Rob Riggle
From the "Despicable Me" team comes this charming, computer-animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' cautionary fable about Ted (voiced by Zac Efron), a 12-y... Read more
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
Director: Jim Kammerud
Starring: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Samuel E Wright
The aquatic adventures continue in this all-new animated feature. Young Princess Melody, daughter of Ariel and Eric, dreams of a life under the sea, b... Read more