When we started putting together a list of the best animated movies around, we noticed that the name "Disney" kept popping up. Sure, there are plenty of animated movies that weren't made by Frozen Walt & Co., but most of those are poorly drawn or incredibly boring. The legacy of Disney animation can be seen in these inferior copycats; almost every single animated movie you'll see today involves movie star voices, slapstick sidekicks, and a mushy forgettable pop song. So we'll use this list as a chance to pay homage to the company that started this trend, but did it a thousand times better.

1. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)

At Disneyland in Anaheim, California, there is a store called "Disney Villains." A shop dedicated entirely to the villains of Disney films, it proves that the real energy of a Disney flick lies in how nasty the villain is. The villain of Beauty and the Beast catches you off guard, becoming one of the most effective villains in Disney history, by threatening the protagonists but still allowing them to shine on their own.

The film features Belle as the most beautiful (but bookwormiest) woman in a French provincial town. Her suitor is Gaston, the most handsome man in town. Being vain, vapid, and entranced by his own muscles, he naturally believes that he and Belle are destined to marry. Belle just as naturally rejects him, wanting more excitement in her life . . . and excitement she gets. Through a turn of events, Belle is held prisoner by a beast in a castle filled with enchanted objects (a talking clock, a talking candelabra, a talking teapot . . . you get the idea - it's a chatty place). As the title of the film intimates, Belle and the beast fall in love with each other, and everyone in the castle sings and dances. But Gaston, humiliated by the fact that Belle chose a beast over him, has other plans for the couple.

Other reviews of this film will talk about its portrayal of feminism, the catchy songs, and the cute personalities of the talking bric-a-brac. Phooey. It's really Gaston who keeps the film moving, creating a modern connection through his focus on exteriors, beauty, and material possessions. Yes, Gaston is exaggerated, but he's the closest Disney has ever come to creating a realistic villain.

Notes:

  • Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (the first, and to date only, animated film to ever be nominated for Best Picture). It also received 3 Best Song nominations

  • Won 2 Academy Awards: Best Score and Song

  • Won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, the first animated film to win

  • Became an incredibly successful Broadway musical

2. FANTASIA (1940)

Though others of his films became more famous, Walt Disney always considered Fantasia his masterpiece. Attempting to capture what music looks like, Fantasia is actually made up of several animated segments, all inspired by classical music, and all devoid of any speech.

Though you'll probably recognize most of the music ("The Rite of Spring," "Night on Bald Mountain," "Ave Maria," etc.), the most famous segment is called "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." In this story, Mickey Mouse is a helper to a powerful sorcerer. Naturally, Mickey wants to be a powerful sorcerer, too (and he's pretty sick of lugging bucketfuls of water up the stairs). So when the sorcerer leaves, Mickey steals the wand and uses magic to make a broom spout arms and carry the water for him. Chaos ensues, and Mickey quickly learns that he should not play with powers that he can't control. Several over-analytical film critics have likened "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" to a cautionary tale about sex (Mickey can't control the broom, which keeps dipping into the water until, well, until they both get sucked down the drain). We think these people should get lives. Take it for what it is: an amazing piece of storytelling set to beautiful music.

By the way, if you ever have a party and want to have something interesting on TV in the background, this is perfect. As film critic Rex Reed once said, "It's even better when you're drunk."

Notes:

  • Presented with a special Academy Award for its "unique achievement in the creation of a new form of visualized music"

  • Though Walt Disney poured his heart, soul, and money into this film (it was the most expensive animated film ever at its time, requiring theaters to install new sound systems), it was originally a colossal flop

  • The Sorcerer in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is named "Yen Sid", which is "Disney" spelt backwards

3. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS (196

We already spoke a little about Disney villains in Beauty and the Beast, but to get sheer over-the-top evil incarnate, one can't look any further than Cruella De Vil. She's ugly, she smokes, and she kills puppies. Why not give her a grenade launcher or Ebola while they're at it?

One Hundred and One Dalmatians is, unsurprisingly, a story about dalmatians: Pongo, Perdy, and their 13 puppies. Cruella De Vil wants the puppies so she can make them into fur coats, so Pongo and Perdy have to enlist the help of their doggy friends to save their pups from certain death. Standard 60s kids' fare. Car chases, cute puppies, a last minute rescue, underdogs *snicker*, and a whole mess of puppies (making, what we assume, are a whole mess of puppy messes).

Notes:

  • It has been re-released so many times that it has made more money than any other film originally released in 1961

  • Remade into a live-action movie starring Glenn Close in 1996

  • Someone once counted all of the spots in this film. He counted 6,469,952. He must have been a very interesting guy.

4. TOY STORY & TOY STORY 2 (1995/1999)

When Toy Story premiered in November of 1995, the quality of the computer animation blew everybody out of their seats. It all looked so real. Sure, there was a story in there somewhere too. Woody, a toy cowboy, is afraid of being replaced in his owner Andy's heart when Andy gets a new Buzz Lightyear toy. The rest is pretty much what you'd expect: Woody and Buzz help each other get out of tight situations, they become friends, and Andy loves them both equally. Story, schmory, Toy Story was amazing because it showed that computer animation was just as viable an art form as the old-fashioned hand drawing kind.

The bigger feat occurred in 1999 when Toy Story 2 premiered. Audiences were now used to computer animation (having seen Antz and A Bug's Life) and they walked into this sequel with some huge expectations. Astonishingly, their expectations were more than fulfilled. Toy Story 2 picks up where the first one left off, with Buzz and Woody living harmoniously in Andy's room. That is, until, Woody discovers that he's actually a member of "Woody's Roundup," a TV series for which he represents collectable merchandise. Thus, Woody faces a moral dilemma: should he spend his life on a display in a Tokyo museum, forever enshrined but no longer with Andy, or should he return home, where he will eventually be discarded. And you thought you had problems?

We suggest that you watch these two flicks back to back and have a party. Everyone can bring his or her favorite childhood toy, and while the tapes are rewinding, you can act out little scenarios where your toys are the stars. OK, so that sounds pretty lame, but you won't think so after watching these.

Notes:

  • Toy Story was nominated for 3 Academy Awards (including Best Screenplay). It won none. It was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards (including Best Picture)

  • Toy Story 2 was nominated for 2 Academy Awards (again, winning none), and for two Golden Globe Awards. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, making it the ONLY sequel to win a Best Picture Golden Globe Award (in 1975, Godfather II lost to Chinatown).

  • Toy Story is considered to be the first full-length 100% computer animated film

5. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988)

OK, we're cheating a little with this one; Who Framed Roger Rabbit? is actually both an animated and live-action film. But with almost every single scene of the film containing animation, we think that it fairly belongs on this list.

We're going to be honest with you - plot-wise, this movie is a mess. It's 1947 Los Angeles, and 'toons and humans live together side by side. Then there's something about a murder, a weirdo judge with a freeway fetish, a concoction called "dip," and a place called Toontown that exists for no apparent reason. Amid all this chaos is the voluptuous Jessica Rabbit. A sultry nightclub singer who looks like the ultimate femme fatale, Jessica claims, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way." With cleavage like Jessica's, you'll know that you've left the land of Disney and hit PG country.

The only reason to see this film is because of its amazing technical achievement. The animation blends in seamlessly with the live action. Cartoon characters hold real guns, and real characters hold cartoon guns. It's also a must-see if you're a fan of Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, and all of those other 1940s cartoons. There are hundreds of hidden references planted in the film for sharp-eyed viewers, so whip out your scoresheet and see what you can catch. For bonus points, see if you can find the errors. (Here's one: the Roadrunner wasn't around until after 1947, but he appears in the film.)

Notes:

  • Nominated for 6 Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography

  • Won 4 Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Visual Effects, Sound Effects Editing, and a special achievement award

  • Though she was uncredited, the Kathleen Turner was the voice of Jessica Rabbit

  • This movie was the first (and only) time that Disney and Warner Bros. characters appeared on film at the same time.

  • Terry Gilliam considered directing this movie, but thought it would be too difficult, so Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) directed instead.