An argument could be made that the 2010s was the greatest era in history when it comes to animated movies. Pixar was still putting out quality films, Walt Disney Animation Studios had a phenomenal decade, Studio Ghibli continued their consistency, and many other film studios also put out their best work.
When it comes to the s at Letterboxd, they have their favorites from each year of the decade. This doesn't always mean it is the best animated film from that year but it is the one to receive the most reviews, be the most watched, and also often receive some impressive reviews overall.
2010 - Toy Story 3
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Pixar ended the 2000s on a hot streak with releases like Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up before continuing that into the 2010s with Toy Story 3. Producing a sequel to the iconic first two movies in the series a decade after the most recent one was a risky move by the studio.
However, they made the brilliant decision to center the story on the idea that Andy was now too old for his toys, which is a journey that fit with the feelings of the now-adult fans of the original. This won the Best Animated Feature Oscar and is considered by many to be a perfect ending to a great trilogy.
2011 - Rango
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As impressive as other studios were during the 2010s, the majority of the most popular animated films were released under the Disney umbrella. A rare exception is Rango, which is a Nickelodeon and Paramount production with an all-star team behind it.
Starring Johnny Depp, directed by Gore Verbinski, and featuring a score from Hans Zimmer, this Western made for a unique animated picture. Rango was one of only two non-Disney movies to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards during this decade.
2012 - Wreck-It Ralph
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Disney Animation Studios began arguably its most impressive run since Wreck-It Ralph. This went an interesting route by making a typical villain into the protagonist, telling a story of his attempts to be a hero.
The titular Ralph is a video game baddie who befriends young Vanellope in another arcade game and together they help each other in major ways. With cameos from iconic game characters, pretty visuals, and a heartwarming story, this was a huge hit that spawned a fantastic sequel.
2013 - Frozen
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Before "We Don't Talk About Bruno" took the world by storm, another Disney hit song was seemingly everywhere. That was "Let It Go," which is an incredibly memorable track from Frozen. The music was just one aspect of many that made this movie so successful.
It set the record for the highest-grossing animated film at the time and was only bested by the 2019 sequel. Frozen worked so well because the love story wasn't a typical romance and instead was about the relationship between two sisters. Along with Best Animated Feature, this also won the Oscar for Best Original Song.
2014 - Big Hero 6
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Everyone knows that Marvel is one of the many companies under the Disney umbrella but their movies are mostly Marvel Studios pictures. Big Hero 6 was the rare comic book entity to be part of Walt Disney Animation Studios instead.
Although not many are even aware this is a Marvel property, there's certainly some superhero flair to it all. The story follows a young genius who forms a heroic squad with his brother's friends and a lovable healthcare robot. This Oscar-winning film led to two animated spin-off TV shows, including the Baymax!
2015 - Inside Out
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Pixar returned to the top of the animation mountain with Inside Out in 2015. This was their typical brand of creative storytelling taking place in a world that had never really been touched upon. It tells the tale of the various emotions in a young girl's body as they help her navigate a new living situation.
Also typical of Pixar, Inside Out featured gorgeous animation, some tear-jerking moments, memorable characters, and tremendous voice acting. This proved to be both a commercial and critical success that many consider one of Pixar's best films.
2016 - Zootopia
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A highlight of animated movies is that they can help bring worlds to life that otherwise wouldn't be possible. A fine example of that came with Zootopia, which is set in a world filled with anthropomorphic animals who have jobs and live everyday lives as humans do in the real world.
Once again, this is a case of Disney finding success with a story about friendship rather than romance. At the center of the plot is the bond that forms between an overlooked bunny cop and a cunning, thieving fox while they solve a mystery together. With over $1 billion grossed, Zootopia was a monster hit.
2017 - Coco
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Returning to the world of Pixar, they continued to prove that they are the masters at tugging at the heartstrings of everyone in the audience with Coco. The film sees young aspiring musician Miguel travel to the Land of the Dead to get permission from his ancestor to follow his dreams since the rest of his family forbids it.
The entire history of this studio is as impressive as it gets, so the fact that Coco is the highest-rated Pixar movie on Letterboxd means even more. Along with the Best Animated Feature Academy Award win, it also took home Best Original Song for the emotional " Me."
2018 - Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
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It's widely agreed upon that the big screen history of Spider-Man is something of a mixed bag. There have been classics like Spider-Man 2 and the Tom Holland trilogy with the MCU but also some franchise killers like Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
However, it could be said that Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, an animated take on the character. The story of Miles Morales gaining superpowers and getting help from Spider-People from other dimensions was incredibly engaging and on top of that, this also featured comic book style visuals and a great soundtrack. No wonder it won Best Animated Feature.
2019 - Toy Story 4
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If it was a tricky move to attempt a sequel to this series in 2010, it was way more daunting to add a fourth installment in 2019. Not only was it nearly another decade later but since many believed Toy Story 3 ended perfectly, it seemed there was no need for Toy Story 4.
Although a lot of fans consider this the worst entry in the series, that's only because it set such a high bar. Toy Story 4 has arguably the best visuals in any Pixar movie to date, it turned Bo Peep into a fully fleshed-out character, and it wrapped up Woody's story in an interesting fashion.
