Gone are the days when animation was considered to be “just for kids”. The truth is that animation has always been a genre for everyone, but an influx in cutting-edge and experimental animation styles has made a lot of audiences sit up and appreciate the genre more.
Since the release of movies like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, there’s been a rolling pipeline of animated movies that have embraced different visual styles and aesthetics. Here are a few that we think are well worth a watch.
Movies with the best animation styles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The latest movie making animated waves is a reboot of everyone’s favourite childhood heroes, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem embraces the franchise’s comic book roots with a child-like, almost scribble-style computer-generated animated technique. That, paired with the fact that the story takes a more youthful approach, and actually depicts the turtles as teenagers, makes this a TMNT story full of heart and humour that you don’t want to miss.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is in Australian cinemas from September 7.
Spider-Man: Into & Across the Spider-Verse
As mentioned, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse felt like a tipping point, opening audiences to a whole new world of animated styles. Not only was the animation unique, but the story brought a new spin on such a beloved character and was funny and inspiring at the same time.
The sequel, Across the Spider-Verse, was equally as successful when it was released earlier this year, with even more brilliant animation palettes to dive into. Now everyone is just hanging out to see what happens in the third movie.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is available to stream on Disney+ and Across the Spider-Verse is available on digital VOD platforms.
Nimona
Nimona is an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, and its art style almost feels like it’s ripped from the pages of the comic itself. The movie blends 3D CG animation with 2D styling and looks beautiful in every frame. Nimona takes place in a medieval futuristic world that really lends itself to this distinctive style. The story, which follows a shapeshifter and a forsaken knight who team up to clear his name, is full of humour and heart.
Watch it on Netflix.
The Mitchells vs the Machines
Another movie from the minds of Spider-Verse producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, The Mitchells vs the Machines evokes a hand-painted watercolour approach, blended with 3D animated characters.
The story is a fun ride that depicts a family’s road trip across the country to get the eldest daughter to college, which is derailed by a robot invasion.
Watch it on Netflix.
Kubo and the Two Strings
To be fair, any animation from Laika is utterly stunning, but Kubo and the Two Strings is just one of the best examples.
The company uses stop-motion techniques for its films, utilising real 3D models of characters and sets, each filled with the tiniest of realistic details.
In Kubo and the Two Strings, the story is set in feudal Japan and makes use of inspirations like origami and ink-wash paintings. This brings to life the wonderful story of Kubo, a young boy who must find his father’s legendary suit of armour to defeat an evil spirit.
Watch it on Binge.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
We all know that Shrek is a masterpiece, but not all the following sequels and spin-offs have been as seminal. That changes with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a sequel starring the popular feline hero that uses a unique animation style to tell a wonderful story.
The Last Wish once again sees Antonio Banderas voicing Puss, who goes through an existential crisis after a brush with death leaves him pondering what to do with the last of his nine lives. The film’s animation style takes inspiration from Into the Spider-Verse, using storybook animation style and new technology to make the fairytale world more distinctive from that of past Shrek films.
Stream it on Netflix.
The Bad Guys
Adapted from Aussie author Aaron Blabey’s series of children’s books, The Bad Guys blends an illustrative style with anime inspirations. The movie stars a group of anthropomorphic animals in a criminal gang who attempt to reform themselves as model citizens after they are caught. The Bad Guys brings a heist-caper vibe but paired with an animation style you won’t be able to look away from.
Watch it on Prime Video and Binge.
Animated movies really have come a long way, and we could not be happier for this new wave to continue. Do you have any animated favourites you want to shout out? Let us know in the comments.
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