At one point, a theater-released sequel to an animated feature was unheard of, with most of them going straight to video without the original voice actors. But once animated features moved to predominately computer animation, there seemed to be more of a demand for true theatrically released sequels. This started with Pixar’s Toy Story franchise and continued through the years, with multiple movie releases from other animation studios, like Disney, Dreamworks, and Sony.
Part of this may be that animated features, these days, have more of a family appeal. The films are geared towards kids, but also include nods to parents in the form of jokes only adults would get. Whatever the reason, audiences have been treated to more of the movies and characters they love, and by averaging IMDb’s scores for each movie in a franchise, fans can get an idea of which animated franchises are fan favorites.
The Croods – 7.1
When a family of neanderthals loses their cave to a natural disaster known as “The End,” they seek the help of a mysterious stranger to lead them to a new world. This search continues in the sequel, A New Age, where the Croods are challenged by another family who claims to be far more advanced.
With the voice talents of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds on hand, it’s no wonder The Croods was a hit. Even less surprising was the release of a sequel to carry on the pre-historic adventure.
Frozen – 7.15
A new queen with magical ice powers accidentally sends her kingdom into an endless winter in Frozen. It’s up to her sister, a mountain man with a reindeer, and a living snowman to track down the queen and break the spell.
In part two, the group continues their adventure to an ancient land in the hopes of discovering the secret of ice magic. Kristen Bell and Josh Gad lend their voices to these magical tales that include catchy musical numbers that appeal to children around the world.
The LEGO Movie – 7.2
The LEGO Movie was a stop motion-style adventure that follows an ordinary LEGO construction worker who is inadvertently thrown into a quest to save the land of LEGO from an evil tyrant bent on world domination.
With a plethora of appearances from other pop culture icons, including Batman, Han Solo, and Gandolf, The LEGO Movie and its two sequels are nonstop action, one-liners, and fun. The voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, and Will Arnett deliver comedy gold to moviegoers everywhere.
Kung Fu Panda – 7.3
A clumsy panda dreams of being a kung fu master on par with the legendary Furious Five, only to discover he is in fact the prophesized Dragon Warrior. Though it takes time and a ton of training, the Kung Fu Panda known as Poe becomes a master and defeats servants of evil through three movies.
A star-studded cast that includes Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan, and Dustin Hoffman, Kung Fu Panda delivers a family-friendly fight fest that pleases audiences and keeps them begging for more.
Wreck-It Ralph – 7.4
A restless arcade villain called Wreck-It Ralph leaves his game on a quest to become a hero. On his way, he slides through other video game worlds and ends up in a Candy Land-style cart racing game where he teams up with a young “glitch” to face an evil that threatens all game worlds.
The two return in the sequel for another adventure that takes them into the internet through a router in the arcade. John C. Reilly heads up a talented voice cast and both movies include appearances from iconic video game characters from arcade games of the past.
Monsters, Inc. – 7.65
In an alternate world, there exists a city populated by monsters and powered by the screams of children. These screams are collected by expert scarers at a factory called Monsters, Inc. When a human child (who the monsters believe is toxic) infiltrates the company, chaos ensues and a secret plot is uncovered.
This hit movie was followed up by a prequel in Monsters U that shows how the main monsters met in college. With John Goodman and Billy Crystal leading an all-star cast that also includes Steve Buscemi, this franchise remains a fan favorite.
Finding Nemo – 7.7
A beautifully animated tale that follows a clownfish father’s quest to find his missing son, Finding Nemo introduced audiences to some of Pixar’s most beloved characters. Among these is a forgetful blue tang fish, who goes on to be the focal point of the sequel, Finding Dory.
A huge cast of talented actors supply the voices for these colorful characters, including Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Willem Dafoe, and Alison Janney
How To Train Your Dragon – 7.7
Hiccup is a young Viking with a desire to prove himself by becoming a great dragon hunter. Instead, he befriends a dragon and soon learns the creatures are far more complex than anyone realized.
Unlike many animated franchises, the audience sees Hiccup mature through the three How to Train Your Dragon movies and prove himself time and again as a great Viking warrior. High flying adventures with Jay Baruchel, Gerard Buttler, Cate Blanchett, and many more supplying the voice acting.
The Incredibles – 7.8
In a world where superheroes have been grounded by the government to cut back on the collateral damage they cause by conflicts with supervillains, The Incredibles are a family of powerful beings who are having trouble adjusting to life among mortals.
When a mysterious group secretly activates Mr. Incredible, the rest of the family is forced to get involved when a mission goes awry. The adventure continues in The Incredibles 2 when the family must face an even more dangerous threat. Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, and Jason Lee are among the actors who bring these characters to life.
Toy Story – 8.0
Children play with toys every day, concocting imaginary worlds and creating amazing adventures, oblivious to the fact that those toys come to life when they aren’t looking. Buzz Lightyear and Sherrif Woody were first introduced to moviegoers in Toy Story, and their suspenseful and often touching journey continued through three sequels.
Claiming the first full-length, computer-animated release, the Toy Story franchise is at the top of the list for fans around the world. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen lead a phenomenal line-up of voice actors throughout all four movies.
