Introduction
Welcome back, fellow adventurers, to part 2 of my Worst to Best Animated Movies of 2024. If you want to see part 1 first, you can click here.
With that said, let us continue our 2024 look-back with slightly better animated movies compared to those in part 1!
63. My Oni Girl
024 is yet another fantastic year for anime movies, so much so that My Oni Girl is perhaps the only anime movie that did not live up to its hype compared to the other anime movies, mostly because the writing is just not cohesive enough and leaves a lot to be desired.
62. Goldbeak (Rating Updated)
An animated movie that took slightly more than two years before people began to notice since its Chinese release, Goldbeak is one of the many unexpected surprises of 2024, with its bird-based animated movie that is more than just that due to its high-risk story that lands on its feet very nicely. Worth seeing if you want an actually good foreign CG bird-based animated movie for once, just not the English dub when it gets released on digital later this month.
61. Moana 2
The fact that I had more issues with this animated series-turned animated movie sequel than last year’s Wish speaks volumes to the absolute low Disney has gotten in 2024. Considering the number of controversies surrounding the business side of Disney, it is very clear they are beginning to lose its magic…
60. The Jungle Bunch: Operation Meltdown
The second movie in The Jungle Bunch series may not add much given that there are family-friendly foreign CG animated movies that are more memorable than what it provided, especially considered I covered the studio’s best movie in Terra Willy earlier that year. Still, it is a well-executed animated movie that does the job.
59. Out of the Nest
One of the biggest surprises of 2024 was how much I was having fun with this Thai-Chinese family-friendly foreign CG animated movie that is more than the sum of its parts. This is why I do not feel tired about those types of animated movies, because even if the elements are not that great, they made up for one of the most enjoyable animated movie experiences of 2024.
58. Hitpig!
Speaking of enjoyable animated movie experiences despite technical faults, Hitpig is another surprisingly enjoyable family-friendly foreign CG animated movie that is as bizarrely enjoyable as Out of the Nest, only technically better than it despite their quality differences being very minimal.
57. Thelma the Unicorn
2024 was a surprisingly decent year for Netflix animated movies, and despite not adding new to the mix, Thelma the Unicorn is proof that sometimes, a good execution of a generic concept for an animated movie is better than nothing.
56. Ozi: Voice of the Forest
The most obscure animated movie produced by the ever-reliant Mikros Animation for this year, Ozi: Voice of the Forest fulfils its mission in being a well-thought animated movie about an orang-utan that communicates in voice (to other animals) and sign language (to humans), even if it is too simple of an animated movie in terms of concept.
55. Spellbound (Rating Updated)
As always, from then on, the 55 2024 animated movies I rated 14 and above (equivalent of 3.5/5) are animated movies I can recommend with a varying level of confidence, starting with an animated movie musical that is at least an improvement for the beleaguered Skydance Animation compared to Luck. That said, given its usual problems, they need to do more than just that to at least be competitive.
54. Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back
The first of the two post-Scarygirl movies from one of the two Scarygirl animation studios Like a Photon Creative, the fourth instalment in the studio’s Tales from Sanctuary City is not only better and more exciting than its already decent first outing, but it adapted its lessons from Scarygirl and turn this superhero furry sequel into a thrill for all ages. However, that is not the only outing to Sanctuary City this year, but more on that later.
53. God with Three Eyes
This animated adaptation of Erlang Shen, the Chinese god with three eyes, might not add anything new to the already saturated Chinese animation scene, but it is a well-rounded animated movie that did its job in bringing this folk story to life, and nothing else.
52. Pigsy
Speaking of adaptations, this modern cyberpunk adaptation of Journey to the West, this time using Pigsy as the main character instead of Wukong, turned out to be surprisingly good despite its obscurity. Clearly, this is a way better Journey to the West adaptation compared to Netflix’s 2023 The Monkey King adaptation.
51. That Christmas
With Ron’s Gone Wrong being a very underrated mainstream animated movie, Locksmith Animation’s second attempt with That Christmas turns Love Actually into a well-executed Christmas animated movie for Netflix. Honestly, there was one Christmas animated movie that managed to top it, but more on it in Part 3.
50. White Snake: Afloat
The third instalment in Light Chaser’s White Snake series did not add anything new into the series, and it was clear this movie had run out of ideas to keep its storyline fresh. That said, I still enjoy it for what it is, just not as much as the first two White Snake movies.
49. The Umbrella Fairy
Arguably a disappointment of sorts, this could have been a killer and unique Chinese folklore animated movie, but despite its pristine animation, the writing in this one leaves a lot to be desired. I love its concept, just that the execution of said concept is not strong enough.
48. White Plastic Sky
2024 has three fantastic Hungarian animated movies, and despite being the weakest of the trio, White Plastic Sky nevertheless presents a very original dystopian story with great visuals that is at least a standout compared to other animated movies this year.
47. The Sloth Lane
The second of the Sanctuary City movies I covered this year and the fifth in the series, The Sloth Lane is where Like a Photon Creative embraces its new Scarygirl animation style into the movie and resulted in a movie that is not only an improvement, but the best in the series. Hopefully, the series’ final instalment in The Lost Tiger ends the Sanctuary City series on a high.
46. 10 Lives
Arguably my most favourite of the CG animated movies produced in the United Kingdom, 10 Lives might be another typical family-friendly foreign CG animated movie that I had covered way too many times for, but its novel concept and emotional ending became the highlights of a surprisingly great experience for me.
45. Maboroshi (Rating Updated)
The first animated movie I covered this year, I might have given it a high rating at the beginning, but as the average quality of the 2024’s animated movies became higher and higher, Maboroshi simply got lost at sea, but regardless, still a good animated movie.
44. The Garfield Movie
The slightly better animated movie involving a fat cat (sorry 10 Lives), The Garfield Movie also did not add much and I just wish they develop its side characters more. That said, when the original comic series utilise the same old gags over again, all it needs to do is to nail the basics, and it does that…
43. Katak: The Brave Beluga
… Unfortunately, this small Canadian animated movie about a grey beluga executed is simplistic storyline way better than The Garfield Movie. Among the many “simple but effective” animated movies for this year, this chill animated movie is a small delight.
To Be Continued
And that is it for part 2 of the worst to best animated movies of 2024. Boy, that was a lot to take in!
Tune in next time as we continue our ranking with much better animated movies of 2024. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
