$1 Billion Animated Movies Ranked

$1 Billion Animated Movies Ranked 

Toy Story 5 is the latest animated movie to make $1 billion which makes it the 16th animated movie to make $1 billion. So today I am going to be ranking the 16 animated movies to make $1 billion. 

16. Minions: When the Minions themselves are side characters in Despicable Me movies, they are fantastic and are great comedic side characters that get a lot of funny moments. The problem with the Minions is they are designed to be spice characters that add levity to the other movies, and they do not speak a speakable language to humans. So, making them the leads, front and center in a movie is a big mistake. They did not find a way to make the human characters compelling enough, there is an interesting idea with Scarlett Overkill voiced by Sandra Bullock. But she has designed to be the antagonist, so we are not really rooting for her for that reason. A lot of the jokes do not really land as they are all low hanging fruit jokes that do appeal to kids but the older you get the more, they just become annoying. So overall, Minions is a movie that I really liked when I saw it in theaters in 2015, when I was 10 years old. But as a 21-year-old college student, this movie just does not really work for me. 

15. Moana 2: For me, Moana 2 is the most mediocre movie on this list and the one that best fits the word “mid”. It’s not too surprising the film is this low on this list given that this was originally intended to be a Disney+ show but Disney needed a win so they decided to convert it into a movie and it made $1 billion, so the switch overpaid off. This movie is fine; it does not do anything that is offensive or ruins the reputation of the original. But it is also a that does not do anything to make it great or even close to the quality of the 2016 film. It is fun to spend more time with these characters, Moana and Maui are fun and charming. Maui’s song is the best song of the movie; it has some memorable bits in it. The problem is that the film follows the same plot and structure as the original. They did not really change up the formula and find a new story to tell with these characters. While it is not a remake of the 2016 film, it feels like because the plots are similar. So, if I am in the mood for more Moana adventures, 90% of the time I am going to be the 2016 film, not this film. 

14. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie: A movie that caused a lot of controversy when it came out due to the big divide between the critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the film’s placement on this list, you can assume that I was not a fan of this movie. This film has no shortage of energy and lively characters. This movie starts off with something exciting, and it never lets up until the credits roll. It moves at a breakneck pace with so many references, easter eggs, and jokes to keep audiences, specifically fans entertained from beginning to end. But that is the problem with the movie, it feels more focused on delivering the cameos and experience for the fans rather than delivering a great movie. There is not really a story in here, Mario and the other characters have a character arc. It feels like a string of ideas strung together with a basic plot. You can see how the film could have had more depth of the relationships established in the film with Mario and Luigi, Bowser and Bowser Jr., and Peach and Rosalina. Another big negative about this film, Yoshi was used heavily in the marketing and a big selling point for the film, but he’s so inconsequential to the plot of the film that if you cut it from him, then the movie wouldn’t have changed. I know some people have had a lot of fun with this movie; I was not one of them. 

13. Despicable Me 3: I feel like the Despicable Me sequels all kind of fall into this, mediocre and its fine category. Despicable Me 3 I think is easily the best of the sequels. But it is still not great and not enough to make it a worthy sequel to the 2010 original which is Illumination’s best film. This film adds in some fun new dynamics with Gru’s brother, Dru being important to the plot. Steve Carell is very funny so seeing him voice different characters that are opposites is of course a lot of fun. Our villain here, Balthazar Brett who is this ‘80s inspired is a lot of fun. He is a very energetic villain who is not necessarily in the best film, but he is a fun addition that makes it a memorable enough Despicable Me sequel. Also, beyond that, the film just feels like more of the same. Where it feels like Illumination and this franchise have a checklist of things that need to appear in the movie. So, you must have the right colors, cute sidekicks, fart jokes, and pop songs. This movie does deliver that, and it is fun, but when you have similar movies that have a similar bag of tricks, it makes the middle ones not feel super memorable. 

12. Finding Dory: What I'll say about Finding Dory is very similar to what I said about Moana 2 and Despicable Me 3, but the difference is that I just enjoy Finding Dory and these characters more because Pixar is just a better studio. Dory, Merlin, and Nemo are just some of Pixar’s most iconic characters and helped Finding Nemo into this film that families still love 25 years later. Of our new characters, Hank voiced by Ed O’Neil is easily the big standout for me, with the best and funniest moments of the film. Like Moana 2, Finding Dory touches on a lot of the same ideas and plot structures as the original. So, if I am in the mood for an adventure with the fishes, then of course I am going to watch Finding Nemo, not Finding Dory. But the characters are still fun and charming and there are touches of the Pixar magic. In the back half when we learn more about Dory’s backstory, it can touch on the Pixar emotions the same way that the other great Pixar movies do. But, as I just said, it feels too similar to Finding Nemo, which is already a fantastic movie that is one of Pixar’s best and most iconic films to date. I hate to sound like a broken record with this film, Despicable Me 3, and Moana 2 but the film is fine and the definition of mid. It is slickly produced and put together, but it lacks anything to make it a top tier animated film. 

11. Frozen II: If the other films I have talked about so far have all been mediocre and fine. Frozen II is a movie that I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about. Like most of the other movies I have talked about, I do enjoy spending more time in this world with these characters. There are a reason Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristof, and Sven became these household names after the original, they are fun and charming characters. Those statements absolutely apply to this film; it is fun to see them again and go on another adventure with them. I also like that with this movie we spend more time in the lore and mythology of this world. We learn more about Elsa’s powers which provides depth and character arcs for both Anna and Elsa that I think work nicely. On the negative, I wish the film had an actual villain in the third act. It felt like they could have added in a twist somewhere to set up a villain, but there is not and there are some missed opportunities with that. Also, I do not think any of the songs are memorable in this film. “Into the Unknown” is the best one, but it comes nowhere close to the highs of the songs from the 2013 film. 

10. The Lion King (2019): This is one that can be debated whether it should be included on this list. It is a 100% CGI animated movie, but it is also normally categorized as a “live action remake”. I want to talk about more movies, so I included it on this list. This film is often criticized by many for being a soulless cash grab of a movie. Is it soulless? Maybe. Was it a cash grab? Yes, and it worked because it made $1.6 billion for years it was the highest grossing animated movie of all time. I do not think this movie is bad, it is entirely watchable as a big, budgeted Disney movie. Is it as good as the 1994 animated film? Of course not. But it is taking some of the best source material that Disney has done, so naturally there is a lot in this movie that works because it is adapting great source material. Where you have very thematic elements, there’s fun characters, the voice cast is fun and can sometimes fit their respective roles nicely, and the songs are fantastic. I have seen this film once in theaters (because everybody did) and then I watched this movie at home last year. That is the impact that these movies leave, they are fun to see on the big screen but movies that are easy to forget about once they leave theaters. 

9. The Super Mario Bros Movie: This is a frustrating movie and my frustrations with the movie are the big reasons why so many people loved it. When it comes to this movie what they get right about the movie is the vibe and esthetic of the film. Everything from the look and design of the characters fits Mario so well. It is a fun and high energy film that critics did not love, but audiences did because they got the most important things right. Some of the actors they got to voice these characters are fun additions, specifically Jack Black as Bowser and Keegan Michael-Key as Toad. Both are a ton of fun and fit their characters nicely. I do not even mind Chris Pratt as Mario, it is a little bit distracting but not in a way that pulls me out of the film. On the negative side of things, the problem with these films is they seem to focus more on entertaining the fans rather than creating great stories. While I respect that, I feel like this movie could have added a little bit more depth to the characters to make you care more about them and their dynamics a little bit more. I find it weird that it is called Super Mario Bros, but Luigi is sidelined for the entire middle act of the film. 

NOTE: There is a considerable size gap between The Super Mario Bros Movie and #8 on the list. The top 8 on the list are all B+ and above, so I am going to be much more positive on these next 8 films. Also, #8 through #3 are tied. I kept on switching the order of these movies around. If I ever update this ranking, the order of these next movies will change. 

8. Inside Out 2: For about a year and a half, this movie was the highest grossing animated movie of all time. I am so surprised that this movie made this much money, especially when you look at the fact that it made $400 million more than Incredibles 2 which also made over $1 billion. For me, there is no real reason this movie is only #8 on this list and not higher. I just do not connect with the Inside Out movies the way a lot of other people do. They are fun movies with plenty of heart, and I can relate to certain sequences, but they just do not connect the way they do with other people. With that said, Inside Out 2 is a perfect example of what Pixar is great at. It is a film that is tackling very human and relatable emotions that anybody watching can connect with. But they tackle these ideas in a way that both kids and adults can understand what is going on. At its surface, kids would not be able to understand these emotions but the way it’s constructed they are 100% able to and it shows they have something special. As is the case with so many Pixar films, the characters are great and the actors voicing them are a lot of fun. I love how visually these characters are visualized to be the emotions that they are. This is another great Pixar sequel that delivers everything that fans loved about the 2015 film, which was already a great movie. 

7. Incredibles 2: I know a lot of people really did not like this sequel and were disappointed by it. It’s not as good as the original film, but to most people The Incredibles is one of the greatest animated movies of all time so there was almost no chance that this film would live up to it, but that doesn’t mean that this movie is bad. One of the things that Brad Bird is great at with these Incredibles movies is you have great world building. The original laid the foundation for all the politics of this world, and this film can expand upon it. We get introduced to new heroes with new sets of powers, so you get some cool new action set pieces. I do not mind putting that this film flips the formula and puts Mrs. Incredible in the action while Mr. Incredible is back at home with the kids. It provides some great moments of humor especially with Jack-Jack that always puts a smile on my face. Michael Giacchino’s score for both Incredibles films are INCREDIBLE and have so many great themes and melodies. I do think the film gets dragged down a bit by Screensaver not being the most memorable villain. I have just never found her motivation to be all that compelling at the end of the day. But overall, Incredibles 2 is a very solid sequel. 

6. Zootopia 2: This is another film that follows the formula and template of the original, but of those sequels that are included on the list I think Zootopia 2 is the best one. The original Zootopia built this world with characters that you enjoy and can easily have more adventures in because it is a police story and there is always another case to find. This movie is not trying to reinvent the genre or the Zootopia mythology, it is just trying to deliver a solid time at the movies, and I think it does that well. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are just as fun as ever; they are dynamic is great and through the adventure of the film they care more about each other. One of the things Zootopia films are great at is delivering great movie references. The original parodies Breaking Bad and The Godfather which are great references. This movie leans into the horror route with The Shining and The Silence of the Lambs which are fantastic references and jokes. It is not the most emotional and thought-provoking movie on this list or animated movie in general, but it is a solid adventure in a world that I like with characters that I enjoy spending time with. 

5. Toy Story 5: The latest animated movie to make $1 billion and the film that led to the creation of this post. While Toy Story 5 is the weakest film in the mainline Toy Story franchise, it is still Toy Story so even the weakest is still a solid film. Despite this film releasing when Pixar’s record of accomplishment has not been great, the film still has all the charm and magic of classic Pixar and made us fall in love with this world. This film can evoke big emotions from the audience, especially when we learn more about Jessie’s backstory that is some of the most emotional stuff that Pixar has done in recent memory. I like the fact that Jessie was made the lead character of the film, and not Woody. Because had they made Woody the lead of this film, I think it would have undone the ending of Toy Story 4. I thought that making Jessie the lead worked in the film’s favor a good bit. The idea of incorporating technology I think makes sense in the year 2026. They found the right angle to tackle it that fits in with the Toy Story world while having a clear message for kids and adults. The film’s script is easily the messiest and weakest of the Toy Story films. I feel like with this film they had to cut a few too many corners to make things happen especially in the third act that did not fully make sense. But overall, Toy Story 5 is still a very solid addition to the franchise, and it is awesome that 31 years later this franchise is still rock solid.

4. Frozen: One of the most surprising movies to have made $1 billion, because this movie was a cultural event that nobody was expecting. The reason for that is they made a movie that connected with critics, audiences, adults, and children that people went back to the theater multiple times to see it. Disney made a movie that had songs that people connected with instantly. With “Let it Go” that won the Oscar for best song and became this song that everybody was singing because it was so memorable and catchy that everybody was listening to it. As I talked about Frozen II, they created this ensemble of characters with Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven that are such charming and likable characters. All of them have something about them that is so charming and memorable. Olaf does not really show up until the second half of the film, but steals every single scene that he is in. The third act and the big plot twist in the third act with Hans is one of the most under-appreciated aspects in recent Disney animated movies. It is a twist that works in the context of the movie, but it is also so surprising and turns the Disney formula on its head. Frozen is one of Disney’s best animated films of the last 15 years, easily in my mind. 

3. Zootopia: Another film that is a bit surprising that it made $1 billion, but if you make a good movie that connects with people, they will see it again. The big thing that I think connected with people with the themes about prejudice and inclusion. Where everybody can relate to that idea in some way so despite it being about animals, there’s very relatable themes and ideas present in this movie. The movie does follow a pretty typical set up with the by the numbers cop and the loose cannon, but Disney found a fun angle to tell this story where you have animals front and center in this adventure so it feels a little bit different from what we’d expect even in the Disney’s canon, where it doesn’t feel like your typical Disney movie. That is necessarily a bad thing, but it makes it stand out. They even created this fun world that you want to explore more of, and that’s why I was excited for Zootopia 2 to happen because they did such a great job with this movie and building out the world that more adventures seem easy in this world with these characters. The animation is top notch and super colorful and has so much texture with all the different animal skins and furs that it looks cool. 

2. Toy Story 4: There is a large group of people on the internet that do not like this movie and think it totally ruins the earlier three films as well as Woody. For me, I have always seen a different movie from the harsh critics of the film. What I think this movie did well was they did not try to tell another adventure with the toys, but rather they told a story about Woody. It is a story that is about changing, and the different directions life can take you. Woody did not abandon his friends at the end of the film; he went down a different life path. There is something so relatable and human about Woody’s character arc in the film. The film also delivers all the Pixar fun and charm that you would expect, where it is filled with laughs and funny moments that consistently put a smile on your face. They created a fun new set of characters to join along on the adventure, where you have Key & Peele voicing new characters, Ducky and Bunny. Keanu Reeves as Duke Kaboom is one of the most fun castings that the Toy Story franchise has given us. There’s constant entertainment to be had from the very start of this film to the very end of the film. As it is a Pixar film, that production of it is great where it is the best animated and best looking of the Pixar films. Where there are so many gorgeous shots and how they use color is incredible. I know a lot of people do not like this movie; I have always loved this movie. 

1. Toy Story 3: Since this film came out 11 years after Toy Story 2, they wisely decided to age up Andy as the audience themselves grew up. Because of that, this film is all about growing up and childhood nostalgia and the toys learning to find their place when their kid is growing up and moving on but still having this need to be there for their kid. Early in the film they put this idea in the audience’s head that these toys are trash, and nobody wants to play with them anymore. And you have a third act that acts like a metaphor to what was set up earlier on where it takes place at a dump, leading to this moment where the toys are heading towards the incinerator accepting their fate. It is such a powerful moment that works so well, that even though this is a kid’s movie, they had the audience believing that our toys were going to die. The third act of this movie is one of the best third acts ever as it constantly builds conflict on top of conflict, it has the victorious moments and here comes the Calvary scene with the aliens. This film also has one of the best animated movie villains of all time with Lotso. Lotso is such a tragic character with a tragic backstory, who was hurt in his past, so he wants to make everybody hurt because of it. Since this film is acting as a prison escape film, he is the evil warden that you hate, and you want to see defeated. Toy Story 3 is the best of the bunch as it brings the Andy trilogy together so well in such a satisfying manner that is also just as fun and charming as you expect.