Introduction
Welcome back, fellow adventurers, to part 2 of my Worst to Best Animated Movies of 2023. If you want to see part 1 first, you can click here.
With that said, let us continue our 2023 look-back with the middle 15 of my list!
30. Oh My School!
A Chinese animated movie that nails the basics and has some heart in writing and animation, but that is about it. It is a decently executed animated movie that some might resonate, but that is all I could say about this one.
29. The Amazing Maurice (Rating Updated)
A certain Max C. (the creator of the “Animated Movies That Don’t Exist” list on Letterboxd) has a hate boner for UK-based streaming service Sky Cinema, but in all honestly, despite being a Sky Cinema original and produced by the same studio behind the awful Stardog and Turbocat, The Amazing Maurice is entertaining enough for me to not be terrible. A decent foreign CG animated movie, that is for sure.
28. Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Dear Cal Brunker and Bob Barlen, I owe you an apology. I wasn’t really familiar with your game with this Paw Patrol Movie sequel. Equally as bonkers and entertaining as the first, The Mighty Movie delivers what it was intending to do and for that, massive respect to these two writers that had previously worked on Arctic Dogs. More on it later in the year, but I will leave it here for now.
27. Nahuel and the Magic Book
A simple and quaint 2D animated movie from Chile and Brazil that does its job, Nahuel might not have enough depth and complexity to stand out, but it is still a good animated movie regardless, especially given how rare it is to review Latin American animated movies (and as a reprieve until I might decide to review an actually bad Latin American animated movie of Una Aventura Gigante in 2024 if I get a chance).
26. Mavka: The Forest Song
From this point onwards, the 26 animated movies, starting with Mavka, are animated movies I recommend seeing if you get a chance, as they are relatively strong animated movies with one, two or numerous strong elements worth checking them out. For Mavka, despite its uneven writing, has one of the best animation efforts under US$5 million, which is groundbreaking, not to mention this movie being produced in spite of the R***ia-Ukraine war, is worth giving a shot for.
25. Dounia and the Princess of Aleppo
A beloved festival pick, Dounia is heartwarming and mature in its storytelling, despite it being produced by relative newcomers. An under-the-radar animated movie that should not be missed.
24. Cricket and Antoinette
A surprise out of nowhere from a country not known for its animation like Croatia, Cricket and Antoinette surprises with a very good script for foreign CG animated movie standards and a great music score. A hidden gem worth giving a shot for.
23. New Gods: Yang Jian
Despite being yet another good animated movie from Light Chaser, Yang Jian is probably my least favourite Light Chaser animated movie (which I expect would change if I decide to watch Guardian Brothers and Cats and Peachtopia someday). Still, while not as memorable as other Light Chaser movies, it is worth checking out. Speaking of, I had reviewed Cats and Peachtopia on Letterboxd, so you should check it out.
22. Titina
A conventional Nordic animated movie is rare these days, since I associate the Nordic countries with weird and wacky animated movies, but also one that is very good and well-rounded. A delightful romp from start to finish.
21. Scarygirl
Speaking of surprises, this Australian animated movie came out of nowhere to deliver one of the best foreign CG animated movies of 2023, with a unique animation style and a well-developed story, Scarygirl is the Seal Team of 2023: No one expected a foreign CG animated movie to be this good like it did.
20. To the Bright Side
It is rare that I get a chance to work on the English translation of a movie, but while I contributed to the subtitles for this rare find, To the Bright Side remains one of the most wholesome animated movies of the year. Definitely worth checking out if you get the chance.
19. Goodbye, Don Glees!
Another simple but delightful animated movie from Japan, Don Glees is a different type of animated movie in terms of where the story goes, and with fantastic animation style, Don Glees that sometimes, less is more.
18. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Despite thinking that a sequel to one of the greatest stop-motion animated movies of all time might not be necessary, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget still exhibits the same charm that makes the first an iconic movie. I know that the story is not as great as the first one, but it still did not derail a fun experience I had with this one.
17. The Super Mario Bros Movie
2023 is the year Illumination Entertainment finally showed up, and this is the first example of Illumination’s resurgence. While the story lacks depth, the worldbuilding and the animation are stellar and the score packs a punch, especially with the “Peaches” song while is an earworm. A movie that pays tribute to one of the greatest video game franchises of all time.
16. Wish
Speaking of tributes, while Wish was not as great as I would hope to celebrate 100 years of the Walt Disney Company, Wish still has a lot of positives that pays homage to the classic Disney movies. Could Wish be more daring with its storytelling? Definitely. However, does it do the job for me? I’d say yes.
To Be Continued
And that is it for part 2 of the worst to best animated movies of 2023. Boy, that was a lot to take in!
Tune in next time as we wrap up the list with the top 15 animated movies of 2023 from my perspective. I will see you in part 3, and until then, see you on the next adventure!
