While Disney has historically been the leader in animation, it isn’t the only company to create critically-acclaimed films in this category. Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Searchlight Pictures, and more have also released animated movies with fascinating concepts, compelling stories, and stunning graphics. We thought it was time to look closer at these now.
To stack up the best, we’ll be using the Adjusted Tomatometer Scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Every non-Disney animation has been assigned one, based on factors including the year it was released, the number of reviews it has, and its standard Tomatometer Score (a percentage created from the positive and negative reviews of critics).
With the logistics explained, it’s time to bring some magic to life. Here are the best non-Disney animations of all time, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Yellow Submarine (1968): 97%
The Beatles pile into their trusty ol’ Yellow Submarine to save the world through music in this British animation.
The story has the music-loving citizens of Pepperland getting hated on by the Blue Meanies. So, the Lord Mayor of Pepperland enlists Paul, John, George, and Ringo to play their songs for the melody-loathing group, hoping they can change their minds.
Only Yesterday (1991): 100%
In Only Yesterday, a drama created by Studio Ghibli, a 27-year-old woman named Taeko leaves her Tokyo home to attend the safflower harvest in her sister’s rural town.
Along the way, Taeko has flashbacks to life as a child. This has her questioning whether the place she’s at in life now is what her younger self truly wanted.
My Life As A Zucchini (2017): 99%
The Swiss-French stop-motion animation My Life As A Zucchini tells of a young boy, Icare, who accidentally pushes his alcoholic mother down the stairs when she goes after him one day. This results in her death and his transport to a foster home.
While Icare at first has difficulties adjusting to his new life, he starts to rediscover what it means to trust again.
Shaun The Sheep Movie (2015): 99%
Shaun the Sheep has the lazy animals of Mossy Bottom Farm attempting to put their farmer to sleep. Though they hope this will help them escape hard work, their plan doesn’t go smoothly and instead sends them on a journey into the city.
It’s up to Shaun and the rest of his friends to bring their master back to the countryside.
How To Train Your Dragon (2010): 99%
Though How to Train Your Dragon has become a successful franchise today, it all started with a single film.
This 2010 fantasy has a Viking teen named Hiccup dreaming of becoming a dragon slayer despite his small stature. However, after encountering a Night Fury, he realizes that instead of killing dragons, he wants to befriend them. But convincing his village won’t be so easy.
Kubo And The Two Strings (2016): 97%
Kubo and the Two Strings has a 12-year-old named Kubo being visited by a spirit set on revenge. In order to stay safe and unlock secrets about his past, he must fight a series of gods and monsters.
Kubo is accompanied by a snow monkey and beetle who can help him achieve his goals.
Isle Of Dogs (2018): 90%
In Isle of Dogs, the pets of Megasaki City are transported to Trash Island after canine influenza breaks out.
Missing his own pet, young Atari sets out to find his bodyguard dog, Spots. However, getting there and determining the pups’ future will present many challenges.
The LEGO Movie (2014): 96%
The star of The Lego Movie, Emmet, is a completely average construction worker. That’s why his life gets a little crazy after he is identified as the “Special,” a prophesied being who will stop the villainous Lord Business from gluing all of Bricksburg into a perfect, unmovable city.
Along the way, Emmet is forced to team up with a gang of Master Builders, including the self-obsessed Batman, the revenge-driven Metal Beard, the colorful Princess Unikitty, and the toughened-up Wyldstyle.
Paddington 2 (2018): 100%
While the original Paddington has the titular young bear beginning his new life in England, Paddington 2 has him being framed for a crime he didn’t commit.
The story begins with Paddington coming across a pop-up book inside an antique shop that he hopes to give his aunt for her 100th birthday. Unfortunately, a thief takes the gift away, leaving Paddington to be arrested instead. The bear must find the true culprit to be let free.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018): 97%
Topping off the list as the highest-rated non-Disney animation of all time is Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
This computer-animated superhero film follows a Brooklyn teen named Miles who acquires spider-like superpowers after he is bitten by a genetically modified spider in the subway. Though he at first believes he is forced to take on the role of Spider-Man alone, he soon discovers that there is a multiverse of others like him. When these heroes get transported to his world, Miles must find a way to return them home.
