2020- Wolfwalkers
Wolfwalkers is set in 17th century Kilkenny, where the recently installed English Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) puts hunter Bill Goodfellowe (Sean Bean) to work ridding the forest of a pack of wolves so that townsfolk can clear the land. Widower Bill's young daughter, Robyn (Honor Kneafsey), fancies herself a hunter, too, and goes into the forest to help her dad. There she encounters the wolves, which injure her pet falcon, Merlin. On another forbidden trip to the forest, Robyn meets Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a feral girl who's also a wolfwalker: a human with the ability to leave her physical body during sleep and transform into a wolf. Mebh convinces Robyn to help find her missing mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), the queen wolfwalker, who was captured while in wolf form. As the girls grow closer and closer, Bill continues to be tasked with wiping out the wolves -- or face dire consequences.
Wolfwalkers is a modern masterpiece with astonishing animation, an emotional and engaging story, three-dimensional characters, and strong messages on anti-sexism, environmentalism, and friendship.
2021- The Mitchells vs the Machines
Katie Mitchell (Abbi Jacobson) is a teenage girl who loves to make home movies. However, her father Rick (Danny McBride) starts thinking that she is becoming too reliant on cellphones and computers. When Katie gets accepted into the college of her dreams, Rick cancels her plane tickets and plans a cross-country road trip to spend quality time with her, along with his wife Linda (Maya Rudolph) and Katie’s younger brother Aaron. When machines start rebelling against humanity, however, the Mitchell family has to put their differences aside to save the world.
The Mitchells vs the Machines is another win for Sony Pictures with a thoughtful story with a strong allegory on overrelying on technology, creative animation, engaging characters, and jokes that rival the best of Simpsons episodes.
2022- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
In this movie, Puss’s passion for adventure has cost him eight of his nine lives. Now, in order to restore his lost lives, Puss has to team up with Kitty Softpaws and an orphaned pup named Perrito to travel through the Forest of Darkness to find the mythical wishing star. Unfortunately for Puss, there are others searching for the star: Goldilocks, who wants everything to be ‘just right’, Jack Horner, a piemaker who wants to drain the world’s magic and hog it all to himself, and Death, a killer wolf who wants Puss in Boots’s last life.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is not only one of the best animated movies of 2022, but it’s also one of DreamWorks’ best with a paper-thick story, beautiful animation, new characters that are just as engaging as Shrek, Donkey, and Fiona, a great score from Heitor Pierera, and a strong message about valuing your life. It’s a movie I recommend to every Shrek fan out there.
2023- Nimona
I know a lot of people would pick Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as their favorite animated movie of 2023, but along with the film’s darker tone and Earth-shattering cliffhanger ending, I felt Miles’s second adventure was just too long.
Nimona tells the story of a supervillain named Ballister Blackheart, an ex-knight with a bionic arm. One day, he hires a new sidekick named Nimona, a mischievous shapeshifting teenager who yearns to hurt others for pleasure. Ballister and Nimona go on a mission to clear his name and get revenge on the deceitful Director.
Nimona is Blue Sky’s best movie with a story that stays true to the source material, animation that you won’t believe was done by the same people who worked on Ice Age, engaging three-dimensional characters, and a positive message about treating others as you want to be treated.
2024- The Wild Robot
Based on the book by Peter Brown, this movie is about a helper bot named Roz, who crashes into the woods. When all the animals neglect her, Roz decides to raise an orphaned gosling that she names Brightbill so she can teach him how to eat, swim, and fly just in time for Winter.
The Wild Robot is another jewel to put on DreamWorks’ crown with a heartfelt albeit slightly familiar story, outstanding animation, engaging characters, a great score from Kris Bowers, and strong messages on tolerance and acceptance, the heart is as important as the brain, how kindness can be a survival skill, and how difficult parenting can be.
2025- David
From the songs of his mother's heart to the whispers of a faithful God, David's story begins in quiet devotion. When the giant Goliath rises to terrorize a nation, a young shepherd armed with only a sling, a few stones, and unshakable faith steps forward. Pursued by power and driven by purpose, his journey tests the limits of loyalty, love, and courage--culminating in a battle not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom.
David is the best biblical animated movie since The Prince of Egypt with a strong heartfelt tone, impressive animation, engaging albeit familiar characters, appealing character designs, and songs that easily trump lesser animated musicals in recent years.
I am so sorry that I didn’t include KPop Demon Hunters for 2025, but I find the movie to be overrated. Don’t get me wrong, the movie has another great mix of 2D and 3D animation, thrilling action scenes, and an engaging trio, but the movie also has exaggerated facial expressions that clash with the realistic character designs, an overstimulating story, and just as many plot holes as there are of demon portals: Why didn’t Celine tell Mira and Zoey about Rumi’s demon side earlier? Why does Rumi suddenly have empathy for demons? Why did Rumi’s mom marry a demon in the first place? Why don’t Rumi’s patterns disappear after the Honmoon is sealed? If Rumi is supposed to accept herself being part demon, why does she mercilessly kill other demons at the climax alongside Mira and Zoey? Wouldn't there be at least one Saja Boy fan that would be angry at Huntrix for killing them? If Rumi is half demon, then why doesn’t she act or behave like one? Maybe these questions will be solved now that Netflix plans on turning KPop Demon Hunters into a full-on franchise.
Well, that concludes my big birthday project! As for what’s next for my blog, I’ll review Charlotte’s Web in May, Toy Story 5 in June, and Paddington in Peru in July.
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