Top 5 Best & Worst Animated Films of 2021 

I still crack up at how in The Mitchells vs the Machines, the entire world was saved by the dog's weirdness. The robots identify him as a dog, then a pig, then a loaf of bread, and then they all explode in confusion. 😂

Encanto was such a beautiful ride, I can't say I'd blame anyone for making it their #1. For me, I thought the Mitchells vs. the Machines was one of few films that really spoke to me, both as an animation lover and an autistic nerd in general. It's a film all about special interests, and it had me grinning ear to ear all the way through. Either way, great list, as always, and I hope to keep up with more animated films in 2022!

I dont get why people call Encanto overrated. It is my favorite animated movie since Coco or the Boss Baby . I loved it way more than Moana.i literally rewatched it 5 times since it came to Disney+.

To be honest, Disney's most recent films haven't really impressed me all that much, even their more praised work I found a little overrated, Encanto on the other hand is one of my favorite Disney films in recent years!

I definitely disagree with Raya being rated above Mitchells and Luca. It was, to me, a good movie filled with wasted potential and poorly executed messages. Don’t get me wrong; I really enjoyed it, but the problems were so distracting. The comedy was awful and deeply anachronistic, the side characters were ultimately pointless and underdeveloped, and the message was a good one that was presented in a really iffy way. Trust is important, yes, but there are times when blindly trusting someone is ABSOLUTELY the wrong idea. There’s a difference between trust and having faith, and I think the message would have been much better if it had focused on having faith in someone to do the right thing rather than trusting them outright.

"I'm glad Pixar is returning to theaters", that aged poorly

Yeah, I definitely have to give Encanto the best film this year for animation, because it's just that good. What made it the best wasn't even the music or the animation, it was basically how good the characters were, to the point they felt real, and not just characters to root for. I mean hell, the argument between Mirabel and Isabela STILL has to be one of my favorite scenes in all of film this year, because it was so close to when my younger sister and I got into screaming matches that I legit felt what the characters were feeling.

I honestly forgot that Spirit Untamed was a Dreamworks animated film that came out this year. That’s how bad it is when I still remember other bad animated films of this year like The Addams Family 2. As for my thoughts on the upcoming Puss in Boots sequel, while I’m glad you’re optimistic about it, AniMat, I’m more skeptical about it considering it’s going to be coming out 11 years after the original and how everyone views Dreamworks since their purchase by Comcast which might effect its box-office performance. Maybe I could be wrong and there’s a possibility that it could still turn out to be a success, but I just feel like it’s a sequel that’s already going to come out way too late. Update: It’s been over a year since Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’s release and considering how much of an impact it’s made on the internet with many reviewers, especially Schaffrillas giving it praise, I’m glad I was proven wrong and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was a success despite the 11 year gap between the first film.

Dreamworks has been on the decline for a long time box office wise and can’t say they ever had consistent quality overall. It’s the box office decline since Rise of Guardians (with the major franchises like Kung Fu Panda and Dragons doing well still) that caused their lessened impact on pop culture.

I legitimately forgot some of those worst movies came out this year. Wow. I was actually very late in watching Mitchells vs the Machines with my family, a movie I wanted to see but couldn't due to stuff going on with my life this year. We actually saw it a week ago together, and I absolutely LOVED IT Sony is really pushing animation's boundaries and being more experimental and creative with their stories recently, and I am here for them to keep up this sort of work (instead of just making trash all the time like they used to) Actually, Sony's kind of reminding me of a villain redemption arc with this progress. Yeah I think Mitchells should have been at least 3 or 2 on your list personally. But I do really love Luca and Encanto as well, as those films have also spoken to me in such great ways, Luca with it's charming story and friendship allegory that feels refreshing from Pixar, and Encanto being such a beautiful musical and family story that from what I've heard from several other critics, has spoken to them in so many different ways, as well as myself. Yeah, Mitchells, Luca, and Encanto would be my top three personally. I can't wait for the Oscars to not give any of them the Oscar and instead give Best Animated Feature to Raya, which... I'm very sorry for people who like this film, and I don't hate Raya or anything, but it really offended me personally. Specifically with it's trust message being handled so poorly in my opinion, with little subtlety to it, as well as encouraging kids to trust strangers all the time, and just forgive people who destroy your life. That's not a good message to me. I trusted someone I thought was a friend once, and they tried to crush my artistic dreams and gave me severe trauma, and I regretted not leaving that person sooner so I could be myself. Plus I can't stand the dragon character, sorry not sorry. I think the score of Raya is excellent, and it has potential to be as great of a story as you say it is, but for me, if I were to choose between Raya and Encanto, I would pick Encanto 100%. PLEASE let's just have Covid die already so we can move on with our lives

I enjoyed watching best animated films of 2021, but I highly consider MCU's "Shang-Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings" and the awesome "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" are two of my most favorite movies of 2021!

This year's good films really go to show just how amazing animation can be as a medium. Even Sony has been breaking away from making it look more like a genre exclusive to the younger demographic lately and I hope they stick to that. Hell, as much as I love Raya, I think The Mitchells is my personal favorite.

I’ve mostly only seen the top 4 best ones, and while personally I would switch the places of Raya and Luca around (even though I think people give the former movie WAY too much hate and I still really enjoyed it.) At least I can say that those four were definitely brilliant movies and I will gladly look forward to seeing them all over again in the near future. Next year opinions, Hotel Transylvania 4 - Even though I thought the first one was okay, I am now getting so sick and tired of this franchise, but at least it’s confirmed to be the last one. Ice Age: Buck Wild - Me: “I… I thought you were dead!” Ice Age: “My death was greatly exaggerated.” Me: Also sees that it’s about the worst characters from the fifth film… Proceeds to laugh maniacally before slitting my throat. Luck - Ignoring the fact that this is coming from a certain disgraced former Pixar head, it seems like a decent idea, although I think it would work better as a short instead of a movie. Turning Red - HEAL YEAH!!! The Bad Guys - Praying that this will be DreamWorks’ return to form. DC Superhero Pets - ‘insert everyone face palming clip from Naked Gun 3’ Lightyear - Looks REALLY promising, and we’ll see if we can consider it canon or not to the Toy Story franchise depending on how it goes. Minions: Rise of Gru - The living definition of hell on Earth for most, but for me who is a fan of Despicable Me and a somewhat Illumination defender… ehh. Hopefully the franchise will rightfully conclude after this so it doesn’t go down the same route as another certain animated franchise. Wendell and Wild - Henry Selick?! AND it’s still stop motion?! The Return of the King. Bob’s Burgers and Puss in Boots 2 - Really? Those are still happening? I thought they were WAY in development hell at this point but…. Okay. Spider-Man Across the Spiderverse Part 1 - THE HYPE IS ON!!! Just don’t immediately expect it to be the best thing ever like with the first film where everyone was already saying it would sweep all the awards and be the next greatest animated film of all time even before it was released. But still… HYPE TRAIN!!!! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules - Jim Carrey Robotnick: “NOBODY CARES!!” Guillermo del Toro Pinocchio - Love Guillermo but hopefully he can do something different with the story that we haven’t already seen millions of times before and hopefully he doesn’t make the titular character too much of a douche-sack if he’s sticking closer to the book. Mario Movie - I am begging you Illumination, even if Minions turns out bad, PLEASE make this film somewhat faithful and enjoyable and don’t make me say “Look how they massacred my boy.”

For the past few years I always find myself remembering this series and coming back to recap all the animation we got in the last year and it is always so fun! Thank your for these videos! :)

Thank you for giving Raya the praise it deserves. I do agree, it probably would’ve worked better with NO JOKES, maybe just a serious movie with occasionally sarcastic remarks that don’t get old. But the jokes didn’t ruin it for me. I wish it were longer though because I wanted way more time in kumandra. Also, I don’t see the problem with all of the south East Asian cultures inspiring this movie. People keep on comparing Encanto: Colombia and Luca: Italy/portorosso with having single destinations. Aka real places. But Raya isn’t based on a real place. It’s based in the fantasy world of kumandra. FANTASY. Gosh

1. Encanto: Magical, enchanting, and amazing! Best animated film of the year for me 2. Raya and the Last Dragon: thought provoking and action packed 3. The Mitchels vs. the Machines: unique, funny, fast paced, and entertaining 4. Luca: charming, relaxing, and colorful 5. Vivo: really fun adventure with great songs

I think in terms of the best list here, I almost saw everything mentioned! I just have to get Vivo, and we're all set! Also, with Vivo and Mitchells Vs the Machines, I think Sony's starting to turn themselves around! They've had two great movies this year, and I know they've got potential to deliver more great projects down the line. But it's the Mitchells V the Machines that shine the most. It's animation really helped bring it to life!

Lol the most surreal thing to me about America The Motion Picture is that my friend worked as a character artist on it. It was her first big project out of our animation schooling. I got little bits of information about it as far back as a few years ago. I feel bad that her and her team had to face that it was a terrible end product. Luckily she is now working at Warner Bros animation on far better projects.

Happy New Years, everyone!! I still have a feeling that 2022 will be better than ever.

Shows Hotel Transylvania 4: Here we go again . . . But at least this is the last one, and this franchise won't become the next Ice Age. Shows Ice Age 6, or whatever it's called: *SPEAKING OF WITCH!!!*

Here are my thoughts on the upcoming 2022 animation releases: Belle (it's being released here in the US in January, so I'm counting it in the 2022 lineup) - This looks amazing. Hotel Transylvania: Transformania - I hope this will be the last one because as someone that liked the first two movies, even I am tired of this franchise. The Ice Age Adventures Of Buck Wild - Hasn't there been enough damage done to the reputation of this franchise after the release of Continental Drift and Collision Course? I know Blue Sky is not responsible for this one since they have unfortunately shut down (which is a bummer because I did enjoy some of their work when they weren't making Ice Age sequels), but still, can this franchise just die already?! Luck - I don't know enough information about it to really form an opinion, so we'll have to wait and see. Turning Red - This looks cute. Sure, it may seem like a simple plot conceptually, but if Pixar has taught us anything with Luca, it's that sometimes a simple story is really all you need. The Bad Guys - Not going to lie, the plot sounds pretty generic, but the animation looks amazing and it does look like it could be a fun watch, so I'll keep an open mind. DC League Of Super Pets - The animation is good, but it doesn't look like it's going to offer much outside of that. Bob's Burgers: The Movie - I've never watched any of the episodes, so we'll see. Lightyear - As a Toy Story fan, you better believe I'm hyped for this! Minions: Rise Of Gru - The wait had better be worth it if you're going to release it this year. Wendell And Wild - Sweet! A brand new stop-motion movie! Puss In Boots 2: The Last Wish - I was wondering when this was going to come out. I want to see this. Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse: Part One: I want to see this one too! Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - I hated the first one, so I hope this one will be better. Pinocchio - I love Guillermo del Toro's work (even though I wasn't too big on the Nightmare Alley remake, but that's just me), so I'm curious to see what he'll bring to the table with his take on this. Strange World - The concept art looks fascinating, and I hope the movie is too. Then again, it is Disney, so I have faith in them to deliver something good with this. Illumination's Mario Movie - Please don't suck. Please. I was a major fan of the games growing up, and I would hate to see this become another botched video game movie adaptation like the live-action Mario movie.

Pretty nice and decent video and I definitely respect your opinion on Encanto and Raya and the Last Dragon and I’m so glad that you put Sing 2 on the honorable mention of the best animated movies of 2021 because I definitely adore Sing 2 and it’s one of my favorite animated movies in the year 2021 in my opinion. Hopefully, 2022 will definitely change everything from point A to point B and hopefully, 2022 would be a lot better than 2021 and especially 2020 because 2021 in my opinion is sort of a mix bag of a year, while it does have a lot good moments but still, 2021 is kind of a mess in my opinion.

Me: "It's okay that you didn't put The Mitchells VS The Machines at #1. That's fine." Also: "I'm sorry; WHAT did you say about Atlantis and Treasure Planet?"

My thoughts on the upcoming/possible animated films of 2022: Hotel Transylvania: Transformania - Boring The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild: I'll stick with Dawn of the Dinosaurs Luck: I don't use Apple TV+ that much, so I don't plan on seeing it Turning Red: Looks like fun The Bad Guys: Finally, an actual original DreamWorks movie! DC League of Super Pets: Unless Captain Snowball makes a cameo, I'm not interested The Bob's Burgers Movie: This should be good Lightyear: Awesome! Minions: The Rise of Gru - Ok Wendell and Wild: Cool Puss in the Boots: The Last Wish - Now, that's a DreamWorks sequel I definitely want to see. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse Part One - The hype is on! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules: Another one already!?! Pinocchio (2022 Film): Is it finally going to happen? I'm open to see Guillermo del Toro's version on this fairytale. Illumination's Mario Movie: Please, don't let this film get a game over.

Out of the big three from your best list, Luca was definitely my favorite from this year. My ranking on those would be: 1. Luca 2. Encanto 3. Raya and the Last Dragon As for Dreamworks, The Bad Guys definitely looks promising and it might be Dreamwork’s return to form again. I haven’t been excited/invested for a Dreamworks film since HTTYD3 back in 2019. Abominable was also decent to me and I liked it quite a bit. I can’t wait for Turning Red next year and Lightyear should be fun. 😌

Animat: You can’t dislike a film because it’s not original. Me: Why did you criticize Arlo and wish dragon then?

Happy New Year, AniMat.

Happy New Year, 2022, ElectricDragon505!!! 🎊🎈🎆

I deleted my other comment to say that I finally watched Encanto, and it is now one of my favourite Disney movies. It really spoke to me, and was super relatable, even making me cry. (I already cried after watching Luca.) 10/10 must watch movie.

I agree with everything you said on your list, especially your top 5 favorites, and here's what I also think of your top 5 favorite animated movies of 2021 as well. 5. Vivo was actually a really great movie that I watched in 2021. The story made me cry, the 3D animation was great, but the 2D animation was STUNNING! And the most special thing that made Vivo truly shine was Lin Manuel Miranda's MUSIC. Every single song made me dance, sing along to the lyrics, and cry my eyes out too. Besides, I loved the music so much, I decided the movie would be perfect as a Broadway musical. I wrote a full script and a lot of new songs as well. Bad news is, I can't play and make music, but the good news is, I CAN write lyrics and I can write a full script because I'm all about literature and music combined, and I love writing and telling my own stories. I'm also trying to add something new to the stage musical version of Vivo. For example, I made some minor changes to make the story better, and I added some extra heartwarming and emotional scenes that weren't in the actual movie, and I even added some extra songs in those moments as well. I even made up a new character of my own. She has a minor role in the stage musical, but I did give her a sad backstory, a kind and empathetic personality, I got her to be friends with Vivo (best kinkajou ever), and I gave her a few songs in almost every scene she was in. Now, I'm literally a girl who is a high school freshie, and yet I'm trying to write a musical based on Lin Manuel Miranda's most underrated movie. As I was saying, Vivo will always have a special place in my heart. It's seriously underrated and it needs more love and praise. The movie will always make me cry, and I will always sing along to the music. Now, getting Vivo to Broadway is my newest dream, and I'm hoping I can make Lin Manuel Miranda proud with my work. 4. The Mitchells Vs The Machines is the BEST animated comedy I've ever seen! Such an amazing message, relatable family, and a road trip that I'll never, EVER forget. 3. Luca is definitely my newest favorite Pixar movie. I smiled a lot while watching the film, I loved the animation so much, the film made me want summer vacation to last forever, it made me want to go on this adventure, and I sobbed so much while watching it. 2. Raya and the Last Dragon is such an underrated film and deserves more love too. That film literally teared me up SO MUCH, my eyes were hurting very bad since my tears were gone. Everything about the film blew me away, and I really think Raya should become an official Disney Princess. And now, here comes number 1 on your list. 1. Encanto is the BEST! It's my new favorite Disney movie now, and it's everything a musical needs to be. Mirabel's personality relates a lot to mine because I'm optimistic and positive, but I don't feel like I'm really part of my family, because sometimes I get yelled at for doing something wrong by accident. But of course, every song for Encanto is written by Lin Manuel Miranda, and the songs were so catchy! "We Don't Talk About Bruno" will never get out of my head, and "Dos Oruguitas" will always get me emotional. Like I said before, "Encanto" is everything a real musical needs to be, so it needs to BE ON BROADWAY QUICKLY! The End

Encanto and Raya & the Last Dragon were easily the best movies I've seen this year and rightfully deserved their spots, although I would have tied them for first myself because I cannot pick which one I liked better. They were fantastic in their own ways

I may be biased, but I personally loved MLP A New Generation. I will admit it does have it's problems. But I appreciate it trying to show that we can all have biases, but we can work through them towards being friends with each other.

I agree with your top 5! Except i’d switch around the middle 3, like this: 5. Vivo 4. Raya and the Last Dragon 3. The Mitchells vs the Machines 2. Luca 1. Encanto the Masterpiece

My list is the same but boss baby and Spirit is switched because the boss baby is more of an insult of animation being a kiddie flick. Vivo and Mitchells are switches and included Koati at the best movie in 2021 in my opinion next to Raya and Encanto at #3 since it captivates the exotic nature of the Mayan forest with a touch of magic to spice things up. The story might be out there but at least the cliches aren't cringed, it introduced a character based on the obscure animal to feel that we are bonding with a diverse cast (he might be cocky but he got better in the middle while he's destined to be a hero of the story), and it shows animals that live there to show how the forest is filled with life.

I was waiting for this video and I am so proud of the way you arranged this list. I mostly have the same opinion as you. Mine is Worst: 1: America The Motion Picture - I've never seen this one but now because I heard your commentary I'm not interested in it or giving it a chance. 2: Addams Family 2 - A sequel after two years. I wasn't a fan either. It was very boring. 3: Rumble - I don't really care about wrestling monsters. 4: Boss Baby Family Business - It was ok but I think grown up Boss Baby and Timmy are a little strange. 5: Back To The Outback - Never seen this one either however it looks cute. Honorable Mentions: Spirit Untamed Ron's Gone Wrong Paw Patrol Movie My Little Pony A New Generation Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Vivo Best: 1: Encanto - Love the characters and visuals and music. 2: Luca - Again the relationships and unique setting. I enjoyed this one and watched it multiple times. It's so cute. 3: Raya & The Last Dragon - It was pretty nice 4: Sing 2 - I loved it, new characters and the song covers. 5: The Mitchells vs. The Machines - Very unique style, crazy humor.

I feel like I just want to say something about Raya in the perspective of someone who this movie marketed towards. As a Filipino who was excited for some representation thats rare to see some from the West, it felt a little bit off to me that instead of representing a single culture from SEA, we get a hodge podge of every culture itself in a movie that is basically a fantasy. Not to say that it couldnt be done like ATLA but what I mean is that the way people describe this was "a movie based on Southeast Asia" so the expectations were there to be that. I was expecting the tribes to be based on different SEA countries but it felt rather like mixing everything from each culture to fit a narrative standpoint that would be deemed convinient for the story rather than truly representing each culture in a well fleshed out manner. To me, I felt like the movie was just making each culture a spectacle of ideas rather than actually doing anything with it entirely. The core of the movie is about a girl, a dragon, factions, and about trust while mixing those SEA cultures in as the aesthetic. It felt like the culture they marketed was just a backdrop for a story that could be easily placed in any setting. What people are mad about was the cultures that were represented in Raya had nothing thats interwoven with the story. Hell, even the so called dragons were just plot devices and Sisu bringing not that much to the table rather than having a single opinion on trusting someone. Vivo blended the music culture and people's way of life in Cuba. Luca told the innocence of childhood dreams through the lense of a simple fishing town in the Italian Rivera. Encanto was heavily tied to Colombian heritage and family values. Yet, Raya was mixing everything about Southeast Asian culture as a setting and chalked it all up to "we have to trust people" as its big message. Not to mention the movie was released in theaters and Disney+ while in the middle of a pandemic where the only choice was to stream it even though almost half of SEA dont have the streaming service available to us yet. Needless to say, it left little to be desired. I'm not saying that the movie isnt enjoyable. It has a lot of merits to it. But I can't help but feel like the movie got away with this because its Disney even though many southeast asians found it a misrepresentation of our culture and the potential for story telling. Its not bad but its not that inspiring either is all im saying. You get the opportunity to tell unique Southeast Asian stories and you decide to make it all a vague setting about "needing to trust people even though they never really earned that trust in the first place" as its message? Idk, seems like something to consider.

2021: Raya & the Last Dragon - Amazing Arlo the Alligator Boy: Cute The Mitchells vs. The Machines - Phenomenal Spirit: Untamed: Dull Wish Dragon: Okay America: The Motion Picture - Didn't see Boss Baby 2: Surprisingly better than the 1st Vivo: Charming Paw Patrol: Not bad My Little Pony: Didn't see The Addams Family 2 - Awful Ron's Gone Wrong - Fun! Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Didn't see Encanto - Fantastic Back to the Outback - Didn't see Rumble - Bad Sing 2 - Enjoyable! 2022: Hotel Transylvania 4: Excited Ice Age: Skipping Luck: Cool concept Turning Red: Cute The Bad Guys: Cool DC League of Super-Pets: Concerned Bob's Burgers: YESSSSSSS Lightyear: Awesome Minions 2: Looks fun Under the Boardwalk: Interesting Wendell and Wild: Should be creative! Puss in Boots 2: Did I read that right, DreamWorks? Spider-Verse 2: YESSSSS AGAIN! Rodrick Rules: Skipping Pinnochio: High expectations Strange World: Curious Mario: Um.

The Mitchells vs the Machines is the antithesis of The Addams Family 2 in terms of being an animated family roadtrip movie that entertains.

love your content. would you ever consider making a video on the animated shorts from National Film Board of Canada?

Thank you for another year of edutainment 😁 (nice to know you’re a She Ra and the Princesses of Power stan too 😉 ) I think this is the first time I’ve emphatically disagreed with your conclusion on a film I genuinely loved America the Motion Picture! Honestly it was probably my favorite animated movie this year. I thought it was a hilarious, insightful beautifully poignant, tongue in cheek satire at America’s history and culture, really strongly presented with its motif of historical revisionism. It truly was everything America in the form of an animated picture. And it’s a movie, and a message we really need right now. I felt most the hate was just for it’s adult swim humor and abundance of pop culture references.Either that or it was yet another right wing review bomb because the message that everyone should have their humanity respected contradicts their delusions and bigotry.

0:50 Wouldn’t say he’s a normal president but sure…..

Encanto and Mitchells vs The Machines were definitely my favorites of this year. But if I had to pick between the two, I d choose Mitchells vs The Machines, I loved the comedy and the way they portrayed Rick and Katie's relationship and how it healed.

Ive come back to this channel every year to see these sense I was little and now I’m a teenager and it’s come a long way lol

My thoughts on the Animated Films of 2021: - Raya and the Last Dragon - Fantastic - Arlo the Alligator Boy - Average - The Mitchells vs. The Machines - My Absolute Favorite - Spirit: Untamed - Worse Than I Excepted - Wish Dragon - I haven’t seen it yet - Luca - My Second Absolute Favorite - The Boss Baby: Family Business - Better Than I Think? - America: The Motion Picture - What the HELL is that?! - Vivo - My Third Absolute Favorite - Paw Patrol: The Movie - Okay…. Sure - The Addams Family 2 - The WORST Sequel Ever? - Ron’s Gone Wrong - Better Than I Expected - Encanto - Amazing - Rumble - Mediocre - Sing 2 - Not Bad as I thought That’s all my thoughts of the Animated Films of 2021, I would like to have thoughts on what will see in 2022…. - Hotel Transylvania: Transformania - The next Cloudy 2! - Turning Red - I don’t know if I want this Pixar? - The Bad Guys - I knew if I want this DreamWorks! - Lightyear - I knew if I want this Pixar! - Minions: The Rise of Gru - Please, not another delay - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part 1) - THE HYPE IS REAL!!!! - Strange World - Interesting - The Super Mario Bros. Movie - OH MY GOODNESS, NINTENDO AND ILLUMINATION!!!!

Here's My Top 5 Best and Worst Animated Movies of 2021 so far Worst 5. Diary of a wimpy kid (5/10) 4. Spirit Untamed (4/10) 3. Rumble (3/10) 2. The Addams Family 2 (3/10) 1. America The Motion Picture (0/10) Honorable Mention The Loud House Movie (6/10) (This movie count) Luca (8/10) Paw Patrol the Movie (7/10) Sing 2 (7/10) Ron's Gone Wrong (7/10) Wish Dragon (6/10) Back to the Outback (6/10) Arlo the Alligator Boy (5.5/10) Boss Baby Family Business (6/10) Best 5. Vivo (9/10) 4. Raya and the Last Dragon (9/10) 3. My Little Pony A New Generation (9/10) 2. Encanto (10/10) 1. The Mitchells vs the Machines (10/10)

I’m warning you this is a controversial list but that’s how I feel about it for now My list: *best* 1. Sing 2 (10/10) I know I’m shocked too! An Illumination movie at the best? But in all seriousness I didn’t expect any movie to top Raya And The Last Dragon this year and yet this movie got heart, passion and soul and great message about dealing with loss. 2. Raya And The Last Dragon (10/10) back when it got announced I was a bit skeptical and thought it would be Disney’s How To Train Your Dragon but seriously this movie was a masterpiece. It feels kinda like a DreamWorks except from when they we’re actually great instead of just average which I would personally disagree on but again some of the recent ones weren’t the best so let’s move on! 3. Space Jam A New Legacy (10/10) I know it’s not completely animated but a majority of the movie was 2D animated and this made me really happy to experience those rare moments in a movie theater. 4. Ron’s Gone Wrong (10/10) Ok it’s not The Mitchell’s vs The Machines but it is better. Let me explain. It’s about a boy wanting a cool furby styled robot toy which sounds cliché but it made up by actually having a lot of funny moments and funnier than the Mitchell’s in my opinion. Yes it is similar to some movies like E.T or Big Hero 6 but if you can look besides that you can see a beautiful story with some great animation while not being the best but still greatly made in it’s own rights. 5. The Mitchell’s vs The Machines (10/10) speaking of which. The Mitchell’s is a great animated movie that definitely deserved a big screening. Which the concept doesn’t seem original it was great executed by Sony Animation. But the third act is just like they could’ve made other choices honestly they shouldn’t have chosen the hard choice. *honorable mentions* Encanto (9.5/10) Vivo (9.5/10) Luca (8/10) that was a good DreamWorks movie marked as a Pixar movie. *Worst* 5. The Boss Baby 2 (8/10) This is honestly the craziest movie of this year where I should just proceed to the next. 4. Spirit Untamed (8/10) it’s not a very great movie for from it actually but I can’t help but appreciate what it tried to do. Obviously this isn’t my target demographic but dang it is it heartwarming! Too bad some of the scenes make it harder to sit through. 3. Wish Dragon (7.5/10) it tries to be Aladdin but it doesn’t really work. 2. Addams Family 2 (7/10) it’s actually good? Well not really but almost good. As for someone who thought the first one was eh this was a pleasant surprise actually. 1. Diary of a wimpy kid (6.5/10) it’s the new peanuts movie but I would rather watch The Peanuts Movie any day. And that was my list from best to worst.

My favorite was flee

I've been watching this channel for about as long as I've been watching RU-vid and I'm so glad that this channel is still going strong. Very few people deserve their success more than good old AniMat.

I love Back to The Outback, It is The Best Australian Movie Ever, Honestly I don’t know why you think it is the worst but it’s not because we never have many Australian Animated Movies for a long time after Dreamworks cancelled their own one No Thanks to Boss Baby, Plus I’m a Australian and I love Back to The Outback and it has a important message about Judging Creatures unlike Peppa Pig who teaches Children to play with Spiders, So I believe Back to The Outback should be one of The Best Movies instead of The Worst.

This year went by quickly! I remember starting 2021 with virtual classes and then taking summer classes and then back to present classes!

My 3 favorite animated movies of 2021 are The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Encanto and Luca.

With how many times Animat has roasted the previous government in his best and worse videos since 2016, I'm tempted to make a compilation video that features those moments.

Say what you want but I actually enjoyed Back to the Outback. I didn't find it that bad at all. (They could have lightened up a little on the toilet humor but whatevs.) However, I totally agree with you about Luca, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto being the best.

Hey ElectricDragon505, I Think You Should Make A Classic Review On The First Lilo And Stitch Film If You Think It's A Good Idea Or Not.

The irony of saying Spirit Untamed is a HTTYD rip off is not lost on me. The hand touch scene in HTTYD is based off the war horse movie. Hell the original Spirit also referenced that movie. So in a way Spirit Untamed is at coming full circle. Even if untamed is a huge downgrade compared to the other 3 movies.

Will you do an Animation Lookback video about Michael Schoemann's movies (The Magic Voyage, Millionaire Dogs, and Little Big Panda)?

I actually agree with Animat. Encanto and Raya were my two favorite animated films from 2021. I can’t believe how much they both made me cry.

It's kinda hilarious Netflix's entries on the best list were films they bought the rights to from Sony and didn't fund the production of, while their entries on the worst list were films they green-lit and funded the production of.

It's just weird that its coming to an end, it doesn't feel like 2021 is done.

I'm curious if we will get a 1/10 review for any of the new animated films next year. I had a dream recently I saw a trailer for a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3 and it looked terrible and I thought "Hey Animat will probably give this a 1/10"

Surprisingly, Encanto was my favorite movie of this year, besides Luca. Was not expecting Disney to top Pixar, but that's seemingly what happened.

Nice, 2021 made a great comeback in cinema here Now for the 2022 movies Hotel transylvania transformania: kinda interesting concept but feels like it completely contradicts the 1st movie's message Ice age buckwild: didn't know that this movie even was a thing tbh 030 Luck: looks semi futuristic and it has bunnies, some bunny place maybe? Turning red: I love this movie to billions of bits and my hearts pounding in excitement even though it isn't even in theaters yet, really looking forward to the kind of adventure mei will endure! :D Bad guys: probably gonna be like megamind but who's to say really. DC superpets: either gonna be well made or very corporate...but hey they have the VA for smoky quartz in it so a bit of credit there. Bob's burgers: never seen the series...probably not gonna watch the movie... Lightyear: Getting a whole buzz origin story here huh? Minions: probably gonna cash in alot these yellow things are everywhere and it's insane @_@ Wendell and wild: Never heard of it 030 Puss in boots last wish: wait a second they're doing a sequel with this one? Spiderman across the spider verse: I hope this one is a great movie just as the first, maybe better Diary of a wimpy kid rodrick rules: they gotta patch it up after how ok the 1st one was Pinocchio: has a super defining art style, kinda like it :) Super mario movie: Chris pratt...mario......just think about that for a moment. Now let me relist this from most anticipating to downright dreading Anticipating 1. --Turning red-- 2. Across the Spiderverse 3. Bad guys 4. Mario 5. Pinocchio 6. --Hotel transylvania transformania-- Probably gonna pass/ok 7. Luck 8. DC super pets 9. Light year 10. Wendell and wild 11. Bob's burgers Dreading 12. Buckwild 13. Minions Revail of after movie thoughts Mostly Bad: Hotel transylvania transformania: I really wanted it to be as good and the 1st and the 2nd but nope...creators took the concept and landed it flat on its own face. Best: turning red: with its amazing characters, exciting plot line, and beautiful moments turning red surely is and truly was an amazing and touching film ❤

Shout-out to my gals Mirabel and Katie in the thumbnail. Girls with glasses are so adorable, man. :)

Encanto is honestly hands down the best Disney movie so far in my opinion, I’ve watched it 9 times and I don’t plan to stop! The plot is great, the animation is beautiful and the songs are sing along worthy! Definitely amazing ❤️

Throughout the entirety of this year it's been mixed to the point where even I don't know it's been better or still getting worse. For movies this year, has really boosted for to possibly be at it's greatest hit in recent years. Encanto, Luca, Spider-Man, ect.. really has been a List of fan favorites. Overall I can't wait to see what would be upcoming and who knows especially when Disney already has something in the works.

Sad that two of the worst ones were from DreamWorks (2021 obviously wasn't their year). Maybe _The Bad Guys_ will be able to avoid that fate.

Happy New Year Animat!

The only one I saw on your Worst List was "America: The Motion Picture," and even then I was kind of mixed on that movie. I'll admit I got some chuckles from its absurdity and some of the animation was decent, but it could've used some retooling. Speaking of mixed feelings, my biggest disagreement has to be with "Raya and the Last Dragon." As much as I enjoyed the animation, loved the awesome designs and musical score, and liked some of the characters, I couldn't get behind how it handled some of the humor, its pacing, and themes. While some of the jokes worked fine, others felt like they tried too hard to be funny, like they were attempting to emulate other modern animated films (i.e. some of Raya and Namaari's catty insults). The movie also could've used more time to give the other allies more development as a group with Raya and Sisu. It would've made both their own character and the 'found family' aspect even stronger. And as important as its theme of trust may be, the movie kind of faltered when it came to Namaari's part near the end. It's pretty terrible considering how she backstabbed Raya a second time and tried to (partially) blame her for their predicament for arbitrary reasons, thus making her redemption feel unearned. As much as I hate to say it, this is one of my least favorite animated films of not only 2021, but also maybe from the Disney Animated Canon. As for the rest I've seen: "Arlo the Alligator Boy" was okay, "My Little Pony: A New Generation" and "Wish Dragon" were solid, "Vivo" was pretty good, "Encanto" was great, and "Luca" and "The Mitchells vs. The Machines" are practically tied for my favorite of the year. Now for 2022: I can't wait for "Turning Red," "Lightyear," "The Bob's Burgers Movie," "Wendell and Wild," "The Bad Guys," "Across the Spider-Verse: Part 1," and Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio." "Luck," "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish," "Strange World" and the "Mario" movie are a wait-and-see deal, and I'm not interested in the rest.

30:07 Only a week and that statement already aged like milk...

I kinda fell off animated movies last year, the only two I saw were Mitchell’s vs the machines and Hilda and the mountain king (I know it came out two days before New Years but it was still 2021 so it counts in my eyes) and between the two I would say I loved Mountain king more. While Mitchell’s vs the machines was more hilarious, hilda and the mountain king was much more dramatic, had GORGEOUS 2d animation, and had more hype from me since it was following up after the show’s second season ended on a cliffhanger. So for all those reasons, it is my favorite animated film of 2021. Edit: okay, I watched encanto yesterday, I say it and mountain king are tied. I enjoyed it more than Mitchell’s, but Mitchell’s is still FAR from bad. I’ve only seen both mountain king and encanto once each, so I’ll see what my opinions are after watching both of them again.

Well Matt, you've got me rethinking my decision to wait for Encanto to come out on DVD.

So good to see you Animat!

Awesome video!! Here are my top 3 movies of this year!😁 3. Raya and the Last Dragon (9/10) 2. Encanto (10/10) 1. Luca (10/10)

Why did he have an entire political rant at the beginning I’m just trying to watch a video on animated movies dude

What a great year for some mixed bag of animation. I can’t wait to see how the 2022 films will turn out!! Let’s just hope films like Spider Verse 2 and the Mario Movie doesn’t constantly get delayed like what Minions 2 faced

I agree with your two Best selections. Both Encanto and Raya were beautiful. Regarding 2022's upcoming releases, I'm looking forward to both Turning Red and The Bad Guys.

As much as I love Animat’s videos, I wish he would keep politics out of it

I've watches Encanto 4 times and it still doesn't get old 😄

Happy new year and love the new thumbnail of the best and worst list

Firstly, I didn't know about #4 and #1 on the Worst list. Secondly, I completely forgot about #3 on the Worst List. Thirdly, you were kinder to #2 on the Best list than a lot of people on social media and other animation critics on RU-vid!

Here are my thoughts about the upcoming movies. Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania - Certainly is a good excuse to celebrate 10 years, so the delay was a blessing in disguise. Can’t wait to see what wacky Drac and his posse have to go through to get back to normal. At least he’s sunning himself. The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild - The franchise may have run out of ideas and was getting more weird sequel by sequel, but at least this will celebrate 20 years of Ice Age. Aside from me being ambivalent by the rendering by Bardel Entertainment, famous for providing animation for countless shows and films, similar to what Nelvana did, I am still in it for the dinosaurs. Especially the Proceratosaurus and Microceratus. Luck: Don’t know the whole story behind it yet, but looks cute. Should be considered a girl and her cat story. Funny how John Lasseter’s directing this, the manging git. Turning Red: Looks fun and cute. Pixar’s art direction seems to have evolved immensely with its more rounded character design, unless it depends on the director and designers. Plus, Red pandas are adorable as hell and I have friends who like red pandas too. The Bad Guys: Looks awesome. Nice to see Dreamworks do something that isn’t looking or feeling so childish for a change. The cel shading looks amazing too. I’m getting GTA vibes from this. Plus the character designs remind me of my 3-dimensional illustrations I produce via ProCreate. League of Super Pets - Looks good, but I’m in no rush to see it. But hey, at least there’s no Mammoth Mutt present to become DeviantArt fodder. Bob’s Burgers Movie: Goodness knows when that will be coming out. I wonder how they’ll make it stand out as a film? Probably shading throughout like Simpson’s Movie. Lightyear: Ho yes, this is gonna be epic. Like a live action styled fan art come to life. Forget about Woody’s Finest Hour, try “Buzz Lightyear’s Finest Near Two Hours”. Time for lift off to the max!! TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!!! Rise of Gru: Well, it may be a 10 year Anniversary celebration down the drain for Despicable Me. Let’s just look forward to it getting released. And no, this is not to celebrate 10 years of Illumination’s The Lorax. Wendell and Wild: Looks really good actually. The bold visuals, gross out moments and the aesthetics makes it look and feel like a film from the 90s or early 2000s. The visuals on Wendell and Wild themselves look toy-like, which I love. Puss in Boots: the Last Wish: We’ve been waiting a long time for our ginger tabby hero to get a sequel of his own. But at least they’re not forcing a Shrek 5 down our throats. Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse Part one : I like, I like. Having an interesting plot with loads of hype is great enough. But making an animated film into a two-parter like Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games? Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Roderick Rules: I was ambivalent at best with the first animated Wimpy Kid and I am once again ambivalent with Roderick Rules. I wonder how Dog Days and Long Haul will be executed when remade into animation. Still, it’s like a reverse of the Disney films getting live action remakes. So what goes around, comes around, I guess. Tim Burton’s Pinocchio: Puppets, toys and stop motion are a perfect mix. Plus Burton’s signature creepy twist ought to do it justice. I bet we’ll get a “They’ll never come back as BOYS!” Mk II for this remake and I bet every donkey scene will be uneasy. Illumination’s Super Mario Movie: Sounds like it has a lot of potential. Very surprised Kevin Michael Richardson is one of the main cast. It’ll be funny to hear his iconic voice as a common enemy in Mario. Jack Black seems like a perfect fit for Bowser and Chris Pratt as our main plumber himself, Mario. I wonder if there will be re-used Charles Martinet like “It’s a me, Mario”, or “Yahooo!”? Plus, Disney’s Strange World: Looks super duper wonderful and amazing. Getting vibes of the Crash 4 It’s About Time level “Crash Landed” and Horizon Zero Dawn with seemingly prehistoric aliens.

Hey, what's that movie called at around 30:00? I don't think I have heard of it. Please answer. Thank you and happy new year! 😉 Also the one at 30:47 😀

I've only seen 3 animated movies this year and yet their were two more that I wanted to see

"We live with too many stupid people!!!" I can agree with this on many levels.

My top 5 (From what I saw) Worst: 5. Sing 2 (Illumination) 4. Rumble (Paramount Animation) 3. The Boss Baby: Family Bissness (DreamWorks Animation) 2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2021) (Disney+) 1. The Addams Family 2 (MGM) Best: 5. Ron's Gone Wrong (20th Century Studios) 4. Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Animation Studios) 3. Luca (Pixar) 2. The Mitchells Vs. The Machines (Sony Pictures Animation) 1. Encanto (Walt Disney Animation Studios) Honable Mentions: Space Jam 2: A New Legacy (Warner Animation Group) Tom and Jerry (Warner Animation Group) Spirit: Untamed (DreamWorks Animation) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (Paramount Plus, Nickelodeon Movies)

It's a little late, but thank you very much for putting my thoughts of 2021 into words (at the beginning of this video). Dankjewel!

When the Netherlands is barely mentioned. And when Animat finally puts us in a video It is about the riots here...

Encanto with such a great movie, and I would say that even if I wasn't Hispanic. I agree with how you characterized the movie and the reasons why you chose it as your number one pick. I'm not sure what movie would have been number one on my list but this would have been near the top.

I'll give The Boss Baby Family Business this: compared to the film that came out in 2017 it at least tried to be good. Can't say the same thing about the previous film. And as for the Addams Family 2, as someone who liked the first film i wanted to give it the sequel a chance to be good but it ironically made me feel dead on the inside.

2:53 boss baby 2 5:23 back in outback 7:33 spirit 9:50 the Addams family ✌🏿 12:03 a America tall 15:41 Arlo 17:57 vivo 19:51 connected 22:00 Luca 24:06 raya 26:31 encanto

Are you Canadian? I bet you are because I saw the french translations of the movie titles on the sides of your dvd cases.

this year was crazy and just as packed as the last one!

I love encanto. I just can't get enough of it. I just wish we would have gotten more of each character. to see what everyone's rooms look like and more into the actual characters themselves

Happy New Year!

what was the song playing between the takes? thanks

1:37 - That is very true. It made me wish to sabotage 'tis NFT nonsense and to become some sort of a gremlin.

My thoughts on everything I saw this year: Raya and the Last Dragon - A vibrant fantasy epic that flows well but folters a little bit in the comedy department. The Mitchells vs. The Machines - A family film actually for families with a great personal story, tons of visual flair and absolutely hilarious moments. Wish Dragon - For totally-not-Aladdin it was actually surprisingly okay. Some of the animation does rub me the wrong way though. Luca - Simple story + wondrous visuals and likable characters. An absolute delight from start to finish. Spirit Untamed - ....that was a movie. Most memorable part was seeing my mum's friend in the credits. Vivo - I really like the tone and setting here, but the songs range from great to kind of a chore to listen to. The Loud House Movie - A prime example of how to destroy a TV series' storytelling style. Ron's Gone Wrong - It starts with almost the exact same set up as Mitchells, but manages to branch off and tell a very sweet friendship story. The Boss Baby: Family Business - An absolutely bonkers madhouse. I liked it slightly more than the first one because its emotional core was at least tangible. Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Greg is an ass for an hour. That's it. Encanto - FANTASTICO!!!!!!!!! The family drama is compelling, the entire soundtrack is pure fire, Disney is truly reaching their peak once again.

new year new films to see i cant wait for new films coming up

The thumbnail is very unique and the video is amazing like your other best and worst films

FINALLY SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY REALIZES HOW GOOD RAYA IS I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE