Today’s quote:
Dean McCoppin to Hogarth Hughes, talking about the bullies at school: “Look, it’s really not my business, kid, but who cares what these creeps think, you know? They don’t decide who you are, you do. You are who you choose to be.”
With the list below, I will include the year the movie was released along with its rating and runtime. Movie ratings follow the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) system which ranges from G (general audiences – all ages admitted) to NC-17 (adults only – no one 17 and under admitted). PG (parental guidance) comes after G and is followed by PG-13 (parents strongly cautioned) and R (restricted – under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian).
Each section will contain a link to the film’s info page on IMDb.com. Click the link found with the release date, rating, and runtime to access the Internet Movie Database, view photos and trailers, read a synopsis and reviews, and meet the cast and crew.
Without further ado, here are the top 5 animated movies I’ve seen.
Number 1: The Iron Giant
Witty and clever, humorous and heart-melting, The Iron Giant speaks volumes on honorable character traits such as taking responsibility for one’s decisions. As a young child watching this movie I was deeply impacted after observing the wide range of commendable attributes some of the main characters exhibit.
The film was directed by Brad Bird and based on Ted Hughes’s 1968 novel, The Iron Man. The story follows Hogarth Hughes, a young boy who crosses paths with the Giant in the woods near his home. Hogarth later meets Dean McCoppin, the owner of a junkyard who delivered today’s quote.
The Iron Giant is in many ways and for many reasons my favorite movie of all time. The film gives me chills every time I watch it. Rewatching as an adult presents me with opportunities to catch details I may have missed or underappreciated as a kid.
For its 20th anniversary, The Iron Giant aired in theaters and included a never-before-seen clip featuring a dream the Giant has while sleeping in Dean’s junkyard. The Giant’s dream gave the viewer a sneak peek at his origins.
If you have not watched The Iron Giant, stop reading and stream the movie on YouTube or Amazon Prime. You won’t regret it. After you’ve seen my favorite movie, we can quote Hogarth together: “Welcome to downtown Coolsville. Population: us.”
Number 2: Toy Story
I could quote Toy Story by the time I was 6. I would always burst out laughing when Buzz and Woody zoom off on RC after Woody says, “Wait a minute. I just lit a rocket. Rockets explode!” Needless to say, the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will forever be linked in my mind to Woody and Buzz.
I have a Woody doll, and I wanted to write my name on the bottom of his boot, just like Andy does in the movie. However, the doll’s boots are made of cloth instead of hard plastic, so I wrote my name on the underside of Woody’s cowboy hat.
Number 3: The Emperor’s New Groove
A second Disney movie made it into my top 3 favorites. Wikipedia describes this film as an animated slapstick comedy. I have to agree. Most memories associated with watching this film as a kid involve laughter, especially resulting from scenes that featured Kronk and Yzma.
Yzma to Kronk: “I’ll put that box in a box, then I’ll put that box in another box, and then I’ll mail that box to myself. And when it arrives…Ah hah! I’ll smash it with a hammer! Or, to save on postage, I’ll just poison him with this! Feel the power, Kronk.”
David Spade and John Goodman voice the two main characters, Kuzco and Pacha. If you want a good laugh, check out The Emperor’s New Groove.
Number 4: WALL-E
WALL-E is a trash-compacting robot left on Earth after humanity has taken to the sky to live aboard giant spaceships. There is minimal dialogue throughout the film which leaves us time to admire the visuals despite the devastating condition in which Earth finds herself. I love to see WALL-E’s organization skills at work as he sorts and stacks cubes of waste and rubble left behind by humans, all the while saving a few valuable trinkets.
While you can’t help falling in love with a seemingly insignificant, metal waste-gathering machine, WALL-E poses a serious question about the direction in which we are headed on a global level. Is this how our future will look?
WALL-E holds a special place in my heart because I watched the French dubbed version with a special someone while in France. It was the first time my now wife and I held hands.
Number 5: Fantastic Mr. Fox
This is no traditional animated movie. Wes Anderson chose to exhibit the screenplay using stop motion animation. Fantastic Mr. Fox features puppets and realistic, small-scale scene building. It’s based on the children’s book of the same title by Roald Dahl. For more information on the book, read my recommendation here.
An impressive cast was arranged to voice the animals in Fantastic Mr. Fox. George Clooney takes the lead role and voices Mr. Fox. You’ll also hear the voicing talents of Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Willem Dafoe. Wes Anderson himself takes the role of a minor character.
If someone can please just explain the rules of Whackbat, that’s all I want to know.
Riddle:
What has four letters, sometimes has nine, and never has five.
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