5. Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists (2012)
The Bathtub Scene: Aardman animations could have taken up this whole list, their love for the genre and perfectly balanced family-friendly wit means all their creations are beloved like a British Pixar. Morph, Wallace & Gromit, Creature Comforts, Chicken Run & Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' video are all benchmarks for stop-motion and with their latest offering they're still hitting new highs...in 3D! That's right the only film shot in 3D stop-motion on this list means that we now see every leg of ham, pirate galleon and bushy beard in stunning high-definition. The film itself maintains the Aardman blend of wide eyed innocence, animal sidekicks and silliness whilst having some of the best scenes of mayhem and hilarity they've ever done. The bath-tub scene itself shows off the kind of roller-coaster thrills that Wallace & Gromit were always getting into but tenfold and the stop-motion looks sensational. OK there are moments of CGI in the film but that doesn't take away the warmth and hands-on feel that make stop-motion films what they are.