These days, Pixar is likely at the top of the heap when it comes to making incredible animated films, while Dreamworks also does a great job and Sony Pictures Animation has been delivering some quality movies lately as well. There’s also the fantastic Studio Ghibli. However, Walt Disney Animation Studios has been doing it longer than anyone.
Throughout their history, they’ve crafted some of the most iconic animated movies ever made. Many of them are even held in high regard as some of the greatest films, regardless of genre. Those movies have received impressive ratings from diehard film buffs on Letterboxd.
Updated on March 10th, 2022 by Kevin Pantoja: Considering just how long this studio has been pumping out their legendary films, it’s tough to just narrow down the best Disney animated movies to only 10. That makes it even more difficult than it is for most studios to find which movies are their greatest. Thankfully, those looking to check out the top Walt Disney Animation Studios pictures are able to see which ones scored the best average rating from the movie loving users at Letterboxd. Some of the ones to rank higher than the rest might actually come as a surprise to even the biggest Disney lovers. Remember that all of these films can be streamed on Disney+.
The Princess And The Frog (2009) – 3.69
In the mid-2000s, Disney changed course and opted to release films that featured CGI effects rather than being traditionally drawn. They reverted back to the classic formula for The Princess and the Frog and it was a welcome move as the animation style was one of the highlights of this film.
It was also praised for the inclusion of Disney’s first Black princess and having her be a character with dreams beyond simply falling in love. The plot sees Tiana kiss a frog to help turn him back into a prince, only for it to backfire and she ends up turned into a frog herself. Four stars is its most common score (26%).
Alice In Wonderland (1951) – 3.70
There’s no doubt that Alice in Wonderland is one of the most iconic Disney animated films ever made. The twisty tale of a girl disappearing into a rabbit hole and entering a fantastical world has been told numerous times over, including in a live-action Disney remake.
However, many will agree that the best iteration of the story was indeed the 1951 version. 28% of the users who reviewed it on Letterboxd gave it an impressive four stars, though it does have more sub-three star ratings than a lot of others to rank as high.
Hercules (1997) – 3.70
It often feels like Hercules doesn’t get mentioned whenever the best Disney animated movies are discussed and that doesn’t really make sense. It got sparkling reviews upon its debut and it actually holds up a lot better than many older films from the studio.
Hercules follows the journey of the titular character as he sets out to prove that he can be a hero worthy of living up to his father, Zeus. What makes this work so well is that it’s among the funnier Disney movies and features a slew of great songs. Most reviews have it at four stars (28%).
Zootopia (2016) – 3.73
It’s even odder that Zootopia seems to feel like a forgotten Disney great. The film gets fewer pop culture mentions than other releases despite receiving some of the best reviews and being among the highest-grossing Disney movies in history.
The brilliance of Zootopia is that it takes place in a world of fully anthropomorphic animals, creating a fun universe that will be a highlight of the upcoming Zootopia+ series. Add in the crime story at the center surrounding a fox con artist and a bunny police officer and it was a winner. Most reviews gave it four stars (32%).
Encanto (2021) – 3.74
The most recent Walt Disney Animation Studios list has taken the world by storm. You can’t seem to go anywhere without hearing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and it’s only one of several fantastic Lin-Manuel Miranda songs from Encanto.
The film stands out for the music, fun characters, and gorgeous animation. It also marks a new world for Disney, focusing on a Colombian family while also not featuring a love story or a traditional villain. Four stars is again the most common score given out by reviewers (30%).
Big Hero 6 (2014) – 3.77
A rare Marvel movie made by Disney that wasn’t helmed by Marvel Studios themselves, Big Hero 6 feels like a different kind of superhero flick. Instead of being centered around a well-known or iconic caped hero, it has a brilliant kid named Hiro (Ryan Potter) and his bond with inflatable robot Baymax (Scott Adsit) at the heart.
It was praised for its impressive animation style, great voice cast, action scenes, and heartwarming story. It makes sense that 31% of users gave it four stars, as the film’s popularity helped it launch a television series spin-off that started in 2017 and an upcoming Baymax! show slated for a 2022 release.
Moana (2016) – 3.77
One thing that Walt Disney Animation Studios has been criticized for over the years was a lack of diversity. They changed for the better in some ways in recent years, with a shining example being the release of Moana, which put the focus on a protagonist from the Pacific Islands.
The titular Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) goes on a quest to save her people when she is chosen by the Ocean to lift a terrible curse. Not only was the representation praised but so was the lack of a romantic subplot, proving this heroic female didn’t need love like past Disney princesses. Add in music from Lin-Manuel Miranda and the rating is understandably high, getting four stars most often (32%).
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) – 3.81
In many ways, The Emperor’s New Groove is one of the most underrated movies from the studio. It debuted after the Renaissance era of the ’90s and before the more CGI-heavy blockbusters like Frozen. A lot of the releases around the same time were commercial misfires, including this one.
However, those who have seen The Emperor’s New Grove can attest to its greatness. The film was lauded for its comedic characters and even scored an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, proving its versatility. 30% of those who reviewed it gave it four stars, making it the most common rating.
Fantasia (1940) – 3.85
The oldest film to score this high on Letterboxd, Fantasia is kind of a great look at what Walt Disney Animation Studios was at the time. Rather than produce feature-length stories consistently, they were often putting out films that included a number of shorter stories.
Fantasia features eight animated segments set to classical music, making for a unique experience. The most famous is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which helped Mickey Mouse return to the spotlight. Though four stars is the most common rating (30%), there is an impressive number of five star scores (20%) as well.
Tangled (2010) – 3.85
This film studio has been known to adapt famous stories for their own unique retellings. That was the case again when Tangled told the tale of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a legendary fairy tale character known for having hair long enough to reach the ground from the top of a tower.
Characters like Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) were welcome, while Rapunzel was praised for being tougher than your average Disney princess. 28% of the reviewers gave it four stars, and this was also a commercial hit that audiences loved enough for it to lead to a short film follow-up and a TV series years later.
Lilo & Stitch (2002) – 3.89
Not many Disney movies from the early 2000’s spawned franchises but Lilo & Stitch was different. It was a commercial hit to the point where multiple sequels, a TV series, a manga, and more have been produced, with a live-action adaptation reportedly on the horizon.
Focusing on the relationship between a young girl from Hawaii named Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and an alien she adopts and names Stitch (Chris Sanders), the film is a beautiful tale of friendship and family. Interestingly, it has the same scores as Fantasia in terms of four (30%) and five star ratings (20%).
Aladdin (1992) – 3.89
The Renaissance era for Disney is often viewed as the peak of the studio, as they were putting out movies that were met with universal acclaim and were box office successes. Aladdin was another one of those, telling the tale of a street urchin named Aladdin (Scott Weinger) who gets help from a powerful genie (Robin Williams) to change his life and win the heart of a princess.
The animation style still holds up nearly three decades later, the story is timeless, and the music is so good that fans still listen to the songs today. 34% of the users gave it four stars and it still gets plenty of rewatches from fans on Disney+.
Beauty And The Beast (1991) – 3.89
One of the first films to be part of the Disney Renaissance was Beauty and the Beast. It is indeed a “tale as old as time” as it sees a bright woman named Belle (Paige O’Hara) fall in love with a man cursed to live as a beast (Robby Benson) when she works as his prisoner.
The film featured some of the most iconic songs in Disney history and went on to be a big part of the Broadway musical adaptation. It also made history as the first animated movie to score a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, so the impressive five star rating total (22%) seems accurate, though four stars is still more common (30%).
Mulan (1998) – 4.03
It might come as a surprise to many to see that Mulan is above some of the early ’90s releases. The quality of the film is certainly not in question, though it’s just not often mentioned next to Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. Letterboxd users have rightfully given Mulan its due though.
The titular character (Ming-Na Wen) is one of the toughest ladies in any Disney movie and she showcases it by disguising herself to fight in a war so her elderly father won’t have to. 32% of users gave it four stars, while a whopping 24% have it at five. The musical numbers and characters like Mushu (Eddie Murphy) are why it’s more beloved than the live-action take.
The Lion King (1994) – 4.20
Whenever the greatest animated movies are discussed, The Lion King tends to be brought up. From the epic “Circle of Life” opening to the heartbreaking death of Mufasa (James Earl Jones) to Simba’s (Matthew Broderick) return to reclaim his home, the story is a classic.
The Lion King was a massive box office hit, spawned a hit stage play, several sequels, and a blockbuster remake. It’s rare that a movie has five stars as its most common rating on Letterboxd but The Lion King pulled that off, getting a perfect score 35% of the time.
