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2024 Animated Feature Oscar Analysis

2024 was a pretty strong year for animation and the Academy’s slate reflected on that very well. This was the year when they chose some of the best movies to represent this medium, resulting in one of the best slates in the history of this award. There is a Pixar sequel that didn’t deserve to be here, but two stop-motion charmers deserved their inclusion while of course the battle that eventually brew between an indie European masterpiece and an endearing DreamWorks flick was an unexpectedly exciting one.

My Ranking of the Nominees:

5. Inside Out 2

Yes, a Pixar film got a dead last spot on this list and for a very good reason – it is such an uninspired sequel. Inside Out 2 is definitely funny and adventurous at times. Anxiety as a character fully worked in concept, design and voice. However, it lacked the strong world building, sophistication and imagination that the original possessed in spades. This is one of those Pixar sequels that nobody really needed and that is perfectly solid in its own right, but when compared to this stellar list of nominees, it doesn’t even come close.

4. Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

Yes, this year’s slate was one of the best in the history of this particular award. Every single one of these next four movies are pretty great. The newest Wallace and Gromit movie is nowhere near as clever or as inspired as its predecessor, but it’s still a wildly entertaining and genuinely funny flick that is also reliably charming in its character interactions and very well made overall. It doesn’t have the best plot, but Feathers is a delightfully memorable villain here and the movie oozes British charm throughout.

3. Memoir of a Snail

Memoir of a Snail is only the second feature film from writer-director Adam Elliot after his last film that ranks among my favorite animated movies ever made. This one is similar in some aspects to that film and it was initially a bit too dark and depressing for me, but it ended in such an inspirational fashion with a beautiful message about the importance of hope and perseverance. It’s an existential, but still positive movie that is all about moving forward instead of dwelling on the past. It’s another winner for him and I am so glad that he finally got nominated.

2. The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot is a wonderful animated film that is a treat for both adults and children. There is so much warmth in its characters and so much importance in its messaging that preaches the importance of community and friendship. The animation is a gorgeous mix of modern and traditional techniques and the voice acting is fantastic. This movie would have won this year had it not been for my number one choice and it would have deserved it any other year as it’s that good. This is easily one of the best DreamWorks Animation movies to date and a terrific return to form for the struggling studio.

1. Flow

The small movie that could, Flow wasn’t just nominated for best animated film, it was also nominated for best foreign film, and it ended up winning in this category against all odds stacked against it, proving that the Academy has finally begun to recognize the best and most artistic animation out there. This Latvian masterpiece is entirely animal-centric and it has no spoken dialogue, but is deeper and more engaging than any mainstream animated fare out there. This diverse group of animal friends was easy to root for and the ending was so beautiful. Gints Zilbalodis wrote, directed and scored this film on his own, signaling a major talent arriving on the scene. Flow is a film like no other and one of the best animated movies of the decade so far.

Films That Should Have Been Nominated:

The Imaginary – For the love of me I could never understand why this movie got so sidelined and underseen by everyone. Studio Ponoc’s second feature, The Imaginary is not just a gorgeous and charming flick, but it’s also one that genuinely moved me to tears how emotional and nostalgic it was. It’s the second best animated film of the year.

Kensuke’s Kingdom – Kensuke’s Kingdom is a wonderful film that teaches children about the importance of respecting nature and the values of companionship and responsibility. It’s also a lovely watch for adults due to its gorgeously drawn backgrounds, elegant filmmaking and a subtle exploration of its themes. This one is also sadly underseen.

Transformers One – Transformers One almost made me a fan of this IP how damn good it was. An underrated gem, this flick is genuinely entertaining, so well animated and particularly well developed in the central relationship between the two main characters. It got great world building and very cool action scenes.

Look Back – Look Back did disappoint me a bit with its emotional manipulation, but this Japanese heartbreaker still impressed me with its beautiful animation, a moving yet simple story and an excellent score. It’s an elegantly made and very short flick that was still quite emotionally impactful.