The Top Five BEST Animated Movies I watched in 2023

 

You know, doing a list of the best animated movies is always difficult. Not picking the movies or even ranking them, honestly that is usually the easy part, and I do love when that is the difficult part. Unfortunately, when that is the easy part, the hard part is finding anything to really say about these movies. Like, you probably know why these movies are good, or you have probably heard people say similar things about why these movies are good. I guess you could make the same arguments about Worst lists, but I always find it much easier to explain why something doesn't work than why it does. I mean, I don't need to be a mechanic to see a broken chain on a machine, and I don't need to be an animator to know that some movies just don't work.

You know, I've been told a couple times that "You should learn to do something before you criticize it", well I learned how to animate, it's actually made me more critical of animation. In some strange way, you would think that would make me better at recognizing good qualities in movies, but ultimately, these type of lists aren't about what is "good" or "bad", those are things that measure the quality of the writing, acting, animation, cinematography, choreography and everything that goes into the movie, lists like these are ultimately about whether or not we liked these. Sure, some movies don't work and are "bad" because of that, but if that was the case one hundred percent of the time, Plan 9 From Outer Space would have faded into obscurity years and years ago.

None of this is really relevant to the list proper, all of it is really to say "If this list feels underwritten, please know I tried", on with the show.

5. Elemental

Is Elemental one of the "best animated movies of 2023"? Honestly... no. It's a good movie, but it is kind of a weak entry in Pixar's line-up. I'll be damned if I don't respect it a lot though.

Elemental seemed to be doomed from the get go, everyone was worried it would be Onward again, or Zootopia again, the trailers were not that great (Though really most animated trailers are pretty bad now-a-days), and on opening week the movie was underperforming like mad. Yet, someone at Disney or Pixar had faith in this movie, and... against all odds it did pay off. Elemental was a sleeper hit, and people seem to agree it's a fine movie. It's the kind of movie that I'm glad succeeded, because it does lessen my worries about Pixar's treatment by Disney.

This actually is similar to last year's list where I put the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Rehydrated at number ten, where even though I wouldn't argue it as one of the best movies, I had enough respect for it to want to give it a shout out. Elemental deserves a shout out for... not being Onward.

4. The Boy and The Heron

The Boy and The Heron is an interesting movie. It's interesting in that, I do like it, but I also kind of hate it. I mean, it's a Miyazaki movie, and his standards are usually pretty high. I love the slower pacing and quiet ambience of the movie, it's pretty much a hallmark of Ghibli movies that they're gonna take more of their time and have plenty of moments where you just let the scene sink in. Honestly, Miyazaki is kind of like the anti-Baz Luhrmann in my opinion. I think the moment I knew I was going to put this movie on my best list was a really small scene, just the lead character lying on a bed and breathing. The animators actually animated his body rising and falling to his breathing, and that's the scene, it's not really a scene you would find in any typical American animated film, though I can't say that for absolute sure.

But the second half, I honestly really began feeling the length of this movie, like the first half, nearly an hour went by and it felt like ten minutes, but the second half went by and it felt like an hour went by. It kind of became a movie akin to Suzume or Night is Short, Walk on Girl at the end, just a bizarre and strange trip through... something? I did like those movies fine, but this isn't really what I watch a Ghibli movie for, I watch Ghibli movies because they are usually ambient and let the mood sink in, and it's not like the second half wasn't that, it just expected us to take in a lot of stuff at the same time. I mean, it is definitely a movie worth watching, but I don't know if I'd say this is Miyazaki's "Magnum Opus".

Oh yeah, I also watched the Subbed version, in case anyone is Curious.

3. Suzume

Between The Boy and The Heron and Suzume, I think I have to pick Suzume as my favourite anime movie this year, even though it is technically a release from last year and it got a theatrical release in the West this year, look one day release dates aren't going to matter too much for most people.

Suzume is the kind of movie that really shows what animation can be and can do. It is a visual delight that has charming characters and an interesting story. This is from the same guy who directed Your Name and The Garden of Words, so if you're into Makoto Shinkai's work, I think this is definitely gonna be up your alley. If you're new to his work, I don't think this is a perfect starting place, but being a newcomer myself, this movie definitely tells me to keep my eye on his future works.

2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Poor Spider-verse, forever stuck as my second favourite animated film of the year. Into the Spider-Verse was just topped by Isle of Dogs, and now Across the Spider-Verse ranks as number two on this list. Like last time, it was a pretty close call, but there are a couple things that keep it from being number one.

Across the Spider-Verse genuinely feels like this was what the first movie was building towards, little things that carried over from the previous movie and a deeper exploration of this universe-portal technology all feel like a natural step for these movies, and the introduction of these new Spider-Heroes like Spider-Byte, Spider-Punk and Spider-Man 2099, among others is fascinating. Spider-Verse, both into and across, feel like movies made by people who love Spider-Man, and it shows. The focus on Gwen is also a welcome shift, but it doesn't take away from Miles' story, it balances out, and it gives me high expectations for the second part.

Which brings me to why I can't justify putting this film at number one. Production sounds like it was a bit of a nightmare for a lot of the staff on this movie, to the point where the second part is said to be delayed from it's original 2024 release. This is a good thing, I would rather have a movie be made under fair conditions than not, and I hope that 2023 is a wake-up call to many executives and filmmakers that the staff that don't get their names celebrated are just as important to the film.

I can't justify putting Across the Spider-Verse at number one, because there is one movie that has a better ending to it's production nightmare, and don't act like you didn't see it coming.

1. Nimona

I mean... how could I not have chosen Nimona as my favourite animated movie of 2023? It has been my most anticipated movie since it was announced, and all my fears and worries have been quashed by a string of fortunate events. I was worried Blue Sky was involved, than they made Spies in Disguise, a really good movie. Blue Sky shut down, then Netflix picked Nimona up. I was worried about Netflix's involvement, then 2022 had a string of really good Netflix releases, so finally the only worry I had to deal with was that this movie would not meet expectations.

Nimona was everything I wanted it to be, fun, exciting, dramatic, and kept the theme of the book. Sure I would have liked a more one-to-one adaptation, but I like to view them as the same story told two different ways. I compared it to Coraline in my First Impressions blog, saying that Nimona was a different story but kept the theme close to the book that it didn't feel that different. Really, the only thing I can say I didn't like about Nimona, is that it isn't a complete one-to-one adaptation, but that does mean that the characters, animation, story and writing are all such top notch work, it stopped mattering that Nimona the movie was different from Nimona the graphic novel.

Congratulations Nimona, you crawled out of Development Purgatory and became one of the best movies of the year. Your success makes me hope for two things, that Bob Chapek is kicking himself that he's the reason this can't be a Disney movie, and that other cancelled projects have a shot at redemption. Looking at you Warner Bros.

Ponyo (2008) - An Adorable and Charming Take on a Classic Tale

 

I guess I just am on a bit of an anime kick right now, not really surprising since I've been getting more into graphic novels lately, and that includes manga. It may also be that I really wanted something comforting to watch, and you can't really get more comforting that Studio Ghibli. One of the most recognizable animation studios in Japan, Studio Ghibli is probably what most American audiences think of when they think of "Anime Movie", and it's easy to see why, these stories are cute, charming, resonant, powerful, exciting, creative, Studio Ghibli is a unique brand of animated movie that I don't think we really have an equivalent to in the west, nor does there need to be one. I haven't talked much about Studio Ghibli, mostly because I want to really explore animated movies and find things I wouldn't normally watch on my own, but I did take a look at Whisper of the Heart as my fiftieth movie review, and I thought, it's been a while so maybe I should take a look at another Studio Ghibli movie, and why not make it the first Studio Ghibli movie I ever watched, Ponyo.

At it's core, Ponyo is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, in that it's about a girl from the sea who falls in love with a human boy and wants to become human herself. Ponyo, or Brunhilde, is one of the daughters of Fujimoto, a formerly human sea wizard, yep this is definitely a Studio Ghibli movie. Anyway, Brunhilde swims off and comes across Sōsuke, a five-year old boy who lives on a Cliff by the sea. This is where she gets the name Ponyo, and wishes to become human, and she does, she begins to turn into a human. The problem is, something about the sea world and the human world never being able to fully cross, so either Ponyo has to give up her powers to fully become human, or the world ends. The plot moves along, kind of at it's own pace, there are a lot of scenes that don't really advance the main plot in anyway, but they still work because they serve to show Ponyo learning about and interacting with the human world, and as far as Ghibli movies go, Ponyo is actually not that slow. You can still tell this is a Ghibli movie, it has the pacing and editing, but it's not to the same extent of Whisper of the Heart or My Neighbor Totoro.

It may also not feel slow-paced because Ponyo herself is a highly energetic character. She's usually always running around and laughing, and it never gets too annoying, it also helps that she is just super cute too. The rest of the characters are pretty good, Sōsuke is a good kid, kind, hopeful, I think he's just well developed for the story being told. I think the only character I have some issue with is Lisa, Sōsuke's mother, she does clearly love her son and she's not unlikable, but I do think she can be a bit of an irresponsible parent, like leaving two kids alone during a flood is not something a responsible parent would be doing. Honestly, the characters aren't too complex or deep, pardon the pun, but they work, besides, this story is about Ponyo, and she's a fun and charming character. I also watched the Japanese version available on Netflix, and not the Disney dub this time, and I will say the voice acting was quite excellent, though Fujimoto's voice actor was a bit... I mean when he says the world is gonna end, he doesn't say it with a lot of weight.

Where the movie really shines is in the animation, and yeah, this is a Studio Ghibli movie and they have high quality animation. Not only is it really bright and colourful, but the way they make the water look, with flat colours and different shades of blue is incredible, and the backgrounds are just filled with tiny details, like Ponyo's wet footprints on the concrete, all kinds of creatures moving around. None of which is wholly necessary, but it's all appreciated, it makes each scene come alive, while it also doesn't overstuff each scene with things. When a scene needs to be empty, the scene is empty, like Sōsuke and Ponyo finding Lisa's car on the road, there is only Sōsuke and Ponyo in that scene, and it works so much better because of that. Really, this is kind of a standard for Ghibli movies, what else can I really add about the animation?

And really, what is there more to say about Ponyo? It's just a good movie, solid and likeable characters, a good story, wonderful and detailed animation. Honestly, there is not much else to say about Ponyo, it's a cute, charming, enjoyable watch, and I think this is a great starting place for anyone who wants to get into Studio Ghibli's features. Like, people will always bring up stuff like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, but if you want something that is more accessible, I think Ponyo is a good place to start. This and Castle in the Sky would be my picks for starting points if you want to get into Studio Ghibli, in fact I should consider doing a review of Castle in the Sky as well. I can't say Ponyo is their best movie, but that is a really high bar to reach considering, and regardless it is a good movie and I definitely recommend it to anyone, consider this one of those "Almost High" recommendations.

Whisper of the Heart (1995) - Corny, silly and a total mood movie.

 

I've looked at animated movies from Japan before, but never from the most well known studio, Studio Ghibli, and there was a reason for that. I wanted the first Studio Ghibli film I reviewed to be one that I held close to my heart. I also wanted it to be a special occasion, and while fifty reviews may not seem special, it means a lot to me. So, I want to celebrate by looking at one of my all time favourite movies; Whisper of the Heart.

I feel like Whisper of the Heart gets overshadowed a lot by the other Studio Ghibli movies. When talking about all of them, it's always Totoro, or Spirited Away, or Kiki's Delivery Service, Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, or something else. I think most animation fans have that one Studio Ghibli movie that they feel is overlooked by the big names, which is why I wanted to look at Whisper of the Heart first. A large part of why I do this is to shine a light on movies some people may not have checked out, so if you haven't looked at Whisper of the Heart directed by Yoshifumi Kondō, should you?

To describe the story would be difficult, not because the story is complicated, at its core, the story follows Shizuku Tsukishima and follows her as she decides what she wants to do with her life. It is a simple story, but it is so compact and so much happens before the one hour mark. I will say that some of these things don't really get completely resolved, or at least, they're resolved in small and quiet ways. There is a character in the movie that has feelings for Shizuku, but Shizuku's friend has feelings for him, but his friend has feelings for Shizuku's friend. While this plot point does get resolved, it isn't really sent off with much fanfare, it's just kind of over in a couple sentences. Strangely, this doesn't actually make the plot rough or sloppy, and I think I know why. This is probably the best example of a slice of life movie I have ever seen. Think about it, lots of situations in life kind of just stop short at the end. This movie exceeds at that idea, and I feel like this is something that Studio Ghibli captures in a couple of films.

Speaking of which, this movie is corny. It can be corny, silly and really awkward. Normally I would be critical of these scenes, but again, that is life. Life can be awkward, corny and silly. I guess that doesn't really encourage people who hate awkward and corny moments, trust me I get it, but I don't think these scenes are unwatchable. I don't know, maybe I personally relate to the weird kid that shows off their writings to anyone even if it is... really cringey. God why didn't any of my high school teachers slap me upside the head?

Character wise, we have to start with Shizuku. Shizuku Tsukishima is, in my opinion... One of my all time favourite fictional characters. Top five hands down. There are not a lot of characters I feel I can really relate to, but I can really relate to Shizuku. I was probably a couple years older than her when I first saw this movie, but we were both students that enjoyed writing, and while we often found our work to be corny or cringey, we both tried to push ourselves, and we both were still wondering about what we wanted to do with ourselves. Even without all of that, I enjoy her cheer and optimism, but she isn't totally optimistic, she has her outbursts of anger, she gets overly emotional, she has self doubt. None of this distracts us from the fact that this is the same character that excitedly followed a cat into an antique shop though, it really does feel like we are watching a real person. Shizuku is also a total mood character for me and it is awesome.

To round out the other character, Shizuku's parents are... fine, maybe a bit unrealistically lenient, but not too bad. The old man who runs the antique shop is very warm and friendly, Shizuku's sister reminds me too much of my brother from when we were younger to really like, and Shizuku's friends are very realistic, poking some fun at her, but also being concerned for each other. You can see two of them go from playfully having some fun to being concerned for Shizuku, just by the expression of their faces. The only other character to really note is Seiji, and I'm going to be honest, I only ever came across a character like this once, and that was Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars, a character you just started off wanting to punch in his smug, git face, but by the end you actually kind of like.

I think the dubbing cast did a great job too. I know I should have watched this in the original Japanese language, but, come on The Dread Pirate Roberts himself voices the coolest cat ever! In fact, this cat was so cool, that The Cat Returns was made, and I am convinced it was entirely to give us more of Carey Elwes as the Baron.

On a technical level, this movie is beautiful. The animation, well it is Studio Ghibli animation, so it is really good. Characters are well designed and I didn't notice any errors. What is more interesting to talk about thought is the music, or the lack of music. One of my Twitter mutuals, PowerLoud Girl made a tweet a while ago calling Studio Ghibli movies a form of ASMR, and yeah I totally get it. Studio Ghibli movies do tend to be a lot quieter, and in this movie, often the only background noise you get is literal background noise. Echoing footsteps, the sounds of bugs, even some bits of dialogue, which you can make out more often than not. I think that is a really nice touch. When there is background music, it can be really good, and I think the best example is the music in the antique shop. I think it's a harpsichord, but correct me if I'm wrong, but whatever instrument it is, it really does sell this scene as being right out of a fantasy story.

On some level, I really should hate this movie. It is slow paced, corny and awkward, and has a very compact and hard to outline plot. That being said, I love the atmosphere of the settings, I love the character relationships, I love Shizuku's character, I love the animation, I love the Baron, I love a lot of this movie. Upon a critical viewing, this movie does have some flaws, but I don't think they are movie breaking. I really do think this is a movie that anyone who wants to go into an artistic field should see. This movie almost, defies being reviewed by my typical style, and I am super glad I saved it for this occasion. It is one of my all time favourite movies, and I highly recommend it.