Worst to Best Animated films of 2017 Finale

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Here we are! The final part of the Worst to Best Animated Films of 2017! You know the drill. If you have not yet seen part 1, 2, or 3, then I will make sure to hyperlink them into this paragraph. The final stretch really showed how strong indie films were in 2017, and I hope more people are able to see them after this list. Now then, let’s get started!

 

10. The LEGO Batman Movie

While it may have had too many hurdles to jump over during the award season to get nominated or win, LEGO Batman was still able to combine both a very funny comedy, a great homage/tribute to everything that is Batman, and still have a pretty good story attached to it with probably one of the best versions of the caped crusader.

9. My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea

I don’t think 2017 will have a weirder or more entertaining dark comedy than My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea. It might have relied too much on abstract visuals in the third act, but I found this to be the best comedy in the animation scene of 2017. You just don’t see them get this weird and unusual.

8. Bird Boy and the Forgotten Children

The foreign indie films got pretty dark in 2017, and Birdboy’s tackling of depression, drug abuse, struggling with inner demons, and death was probably the darkest film in terms of the animation scene. It might focus a bit too much on the symbolism at times, but the animation is beautiful, the atmosphere is somber, but hopeful, and it was just another great example of animation being able to tackle more adult subjects.

7. Napping Princess

While it might mess up the mixing of both the dream and real world in the third act, I found myself loving Napping Princess. It was creative, it had good animation, the dialogue was funny, the characters endearing, and it was fun to get a non-anime franchise adventure film! I highly recommend this one!

6. The Girl Without Hands

For a mostly one-man team, The Girl Without Hands is a beautiful and dark fantasy tale that actually warrants going into it with the mind of a child reading one of these fairy tales. It’s a gorgeous minimalist experience that is told through striking visuals. I wish more people got to see this visually stunning flick. Go out and buy a copy now!

5. In This Corner of the World

To me, this was Shout! Factory saying that they want to be taken as seriously as GKids with foreign animation distribution. In This Corner of the World was a film that caught many off guard with the cute water color art style, but also combined it with the horrors of the bombs dropping on Japan. Yeah, it might be an intense thing to see such cute designs go through such horrific situations, but the story is still powerful, the female lead is a great character, and the animation is incredible. Definitely give this one a watch!

4. Loving Vincent

While many indie/foreign animated features can go into the style-over-substance territory, Loving Vincent balances out its unique art style with a somber tale of trying to find reasoning behind the suicide of the famous painter. This is one of the few films of this decade that rightfully deserves being called unique. You can tell this was a loving passion project, as it respects and pays homage to the famous painter. It definitely deserved that Oscar-nomination.

3. Mary and the Witch’s Flower

You could say that Studio Ponoc’s first film is a bit too reliant on Studio Ghibli tropes, but I welcome them with open arms. Yes, they should be able to stand out as their own studio, but until Ghibli is done with Miyazaki’s two films and Goro’s one film, I say let the Ghibli heritage run wild! Mary and the Witch’s Flower is a delightfully whimsical tale that was one of GKids most successful hits. It has great animation, another strong female lead, and it just made me smile while watching it. I’m fully on board with Studio Ponoc, and I can’t wait to see what they do next after Modest Heroes.

 2. Coco

While Pixar has become more inconsistent with its quality, and the big fiasco and departure of John Lasseter, Coco still shows that when Pixar put their minds to it, they can craft a touching tale about family. Coco was one of the few films I saw back in 2017 that caught me off guard with how intimate it was. While it might not beat Inside Out or Up, Coco is one of Pixar’s top five best films!

1. The Breadwinner

While there were many incredible animated-features in the foreign scene in 2017, The Breadwinner was the full package. It has incredible animation, a mature storyline, two different visual styles, had a great female director and producer, and was a powerful tale of perseverance in a troubled country. I was so mad that I was the only one in my theater when I saw this, because it truly deserved more love, to make more money, and to be seen by many more people. It’s as of this date, still on Netflix, and it’s available on DVD. Please do whatever you can, and go watch this incredible film. Good job Cartoon Saloon, you are three for three now.