Anthomation Assesses The Top 5 American Animated Films Currently on Netflix

Howdy guys, Anthomation here. Today I shall review the top 5 American Animated films currently on Netflix.

Netflix is obviously a site that a lot of people go on to watch their favorite movies or tv shows. But it may not be the ultimate site for animated films, considering that Disney+ now exists. After looking deep into the treasure chest, there were some riches that could struck out, whether with ease or with deep searching. Here are my top 5 starting with number 5 and ending with number 1 (retroactive to September 31 as Mask of the Phantasm was taken off Netflix on October 1st).

5. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Being that it’s a Disney film, it’s a little strange to see it on the site of the company’s biggest streaming competitor. Oh well, all that matters is that Ralph is on here and that it’s a good movie. Video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz must risk it all by traveling to the World Wide Web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, “Sugar Rush.” In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet — the netizens — to help navigate their way, including an entrepreneur named Yesss, who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site BuzzTube. While this story has been done before, it concept is executed well (The Emoji Movie wishes it did this well on the technological contraption), the computer animation is superb (as usual for Disney), and the builds off the main leads to make them even more well-rounded than its predecessor.

Score:

7/10

4. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

In a time where most non-Disney animated films were trying to rip-off the lead dog, Mask of the Phantasm was one of the rare exceptions that gave us something new and exciting as opposed to something we had already seen. Only grossing $5,795,524 at the box office, the filmmakers blamed Warner Bros. for the unsuccessful marketing campaign. Despite this, Mask of the Phantasm eventually turned a profit with its various home video releases. Set in the 1940s, the troubled yet heroic Batman (Kevin Conroy) is pitted against a mysterious figure who is rubbing out Gotham City’s most dangerous criminals, and who many believe is the caped crusader himself. Batman’s alter ego, millionaire Bruce Wayne, is about to get married to the lovely Andrea Beaumont (Dana Delany), who helps him recover from his need to avenge his parents’ murder — meaning that his crime-fighting days may be numbered. This story is fantastically written with maybe the best plot twist I’ve seen in an animated film, the animation is able to capture the darker tones of Batman and Gotham City, and the characters, especially Bruce Wayne, are fleshed out with dilemmas that strive their actions and them as people.

Score:

8/10

3. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Visiting the House of Mouse once again, it was the traditionally animated film Disney had made since Home on the Range (2004). With another Disney princess musical coming out around the same time (Tangled (2010)), this film was arguably not as commercially successful as hoped, even with its positive reviews from critics. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) dreams of one day opening the finest restaurant in New Orleans. Her dream takes a slight detour when she meets Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), who has been turned into an amphibian by evil Dr. Facilier. Mistaking her for a princess and hoping to break the spell, Naveen plants a kiss on poor Tiana — thereby turning her into a frog as well. The pair hop along on an adventure through the bayous to seek the help of a powerful voodoo priestess. Just like our lead protagonist, this film is hardworking and ambitious; featuring the first African-American princess Disney would put on the big screen. The story is well conceived, the animation is wonderfully displayed, and the characters are likeable (especially Tiana, who is probably my favorite Disney princess). 

Score:

8/10

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

When you think of the majority of films that Sony Animation has put out there, it’s really hard to believe that this came from the same studio who made The Angry Birds Movie and The Emoji Movie. But no matter who made his movie, it’s universally agreed that this is a must-watch. Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world. The story is really well thought-out, the animation is stunning to look out with its comic book animation that leaps off the page, and it features a Spider-Man that’s 10 times more likeable and well-rounded than Peter Parker in the form of Miles Morales.

Score:

9/10

1. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

The second and final sequel to be featured on this list, HTTYD 2 is one of the few animated sequels that embodies that a sequel should represent. After the first movie became a smash mouth hit for DreamWorks (grossing $494.9 million at the box office), it only made sense that this needed a follow-up. Five years have passed since Hiccup and Toothless united the dragons and Vikings of Berk. Now, they spend their time charting the island’s unmapped territories. During one of their adventures, the pair discover a secret cave that houses hundreds of wild dragons — and a mysterious dragon rider who turns out to be Hiccup’s long-lost mother, Valka (Cate Blanchett). Hiccup and Toothless then find themselves at the center of a battle to protect Berk from a power-hungry warrior named Drago. The story is great to follow, the animation is as breathtaking as its predecessor, and characters of old are built to be even more developed and even more likeable and the characters of new are great additions to the movie.

Score:

9/10