The release of Pixar's Toy Story in 1995 marked a watershed moment in the history of animation, when the use of CGI to tell convincing - and convincingly emotional - stories which resonate with a wide audience became a reality. Since 2000, the use of computer generated imagery for animation has become increasingly refined and detailed, while at the same time several notable animation studios have kept the spirit of traditional cel animation and stop motion well and truly alive, producing rich and vibrant features every bit as spellbinding as their CG counterparts. While animation is a medium most often associated with family friendly movies, particularly in the West, it's also been utilised to tell some surprisingly mature stories aimed at an adult audience, a welcome trend which shows no signs of abating. As the techniques become more advanced and diverse, it's great to see filmmakers emerging to reflect that in new styles of filmmaking tackling more unconventional themes. From the best that major studios such as Pixar and Ghibli have to offer to some wonderful hidden gems you may have missed, here are the 20 best animated movies released since 2000.
20. The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (2013)
Isao Takahata might not be a household name on the same level as his Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki but his animations are still very much loved and admired by fans of the medium. His latest - and possibly final - movie The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is perhaps his most beautiful movie yet, based on the Japanese folk tale The Tale Of The Bamboo Cutter and animated with literal brush strokes coming to life on screen. By Ghibli standards the pacing is more leisurely than most of the studio's output, with Princess Kaguya's mystical life delicately unfolding in a series of watercolour-inspired vignettes. Grave Of The Fireflies remains Takahata's true masterpiece, but The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya is about as visually lush as animation gets, and if this is to be his final movie it's a swansong any filmmaker should be proud of.
