Top 10 Groundbreaking 3D Animation Movies
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at films that altered the 3D animation landscape, basing our picks mainly on the technical achievements that make these projects game-changers. Which 3D animation flick do you think changed the game forever? Let us know in the comments.
#10: “Dinosaur” (2000)
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Disney is responsible for more classics than you can probably count. However, its success was primarily attributed to traditional animation. Excluding the agreement with Pixar, “Dinosaur” represented its first attempt at telling a story with 3D visuals. It follows the titular creatures as they look for a new place to call home. Although this form of animation is common now, “Dinosaur” was remarkable at the time of its release. To make it realistic, the movie incorporated live-action photography. These include backdrops like jungles, beaches, and deserts in several countries. The character models were created in separate stages – split between designing their skeletal forms, facial animation, and skin texture. “Dinosaur” wasn’t the biggest hit, but it laid the foundation for Disney to innovate in the future.
#9: “Fantastic Mr. Fox” (2009)
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Wes Anderson has a filmmaking style that remains entirely unique. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is about the titular character, as the consequences of his thievery catch up to him and his loved ones. The stop-motion animation has an impact from the get-go, carving a distinct environment for viewers to appreciate. To make the character models pop, plastiline clay was used. On Anderson’s insistence, the production team fashioned the characters’ fur with a combination of goat hair and doll fur. Meanwhile, a variety of lighting would be used to make each color stand out. Not many movies are as instantly recognizable as this. The final product is a celebration of hard work, commitment, and Anderson’s knack for unique storytelling.
#8: “Finding Dory” (2016)
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Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” was a trailblazer for the way it animated the massive aquatic landscape. Its sequel also carries creativity and innovation hand-in-hand. Since Dory, Nemo, and Marlin meet several new friends along the way, there were fresh animation challenges. Characters like Hank the “septopus” took ages to get right – Hank’s first scene actually took two years to perfect. The team made each tentacle as well-defined as possible, a big leap technologically compared to the first movie. Furthermore, the RIS system allowed “Finding Dory” to have backgrounds rendered to incorporate the tiniest of details. The movie is also notable for allowing low-vision and blind audiences to follow onscreen events through smart-syncing audio narration, ensuring true inclusivity.
#7: “WALL-E” (2008)
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What do you do when a film’s main characters barely speak? You let the scenery do the talking. “WALL-E” communicates its primary plot within its opening minutes. We watch a lifeless, barren land that is actually Earth. To give off a sense of scale while depicting WALL-E’s loneliness, a long lens was used. Even with its bleak tone, its dystopian backdrop dazzles in warm colors. The film contrasts this with WALL-E’s trip to space, where things come alive among a tapestry of stars. More broadly, each robotic movement was carefully planned out, considering functionality as well as emotion through animation. “WALL-E” definitively proved that Pixar had the visual knack necessary to tell any kind of story.
#6: “Zootopia” (2016)
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Animating anthropomorphic animals wasn’t new by the time “Zootopia” arrived. But the film perfected the formula to present us with an awe-inspiring place to behold. It features a who’s who of fauna from around the globe, represented with unparalleled authenticity. The production team spent months researching animals, including how fur appears in different lighting. Using their “iGroom” software, they produced over 2.5 million hair strands for Nick and Judy each. This attention to detail is applied to all the other characters, too. The various locations in Zootopia, meanwhile, are incredibly detailed. It’s no wonder Judy’s train sequence takes our breath away. “Zootopia” set a new benchmark for the genre, making us wish we, too, could visit the titular place to experience all its glory.
#5: “The Lego Movie” (2014)
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Animation is difficult in general. But adapting Lego is a different ballpark. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller wanted the characters to mimic the movements found in stop-motion films. The developers of “The Lego Movie” were up to the task, creating a Lego-filled world that bursts with originality. Although the animation is primarily CGI, it’s designed to replicate actual Lego. This means that everything from the characters to the buildings, and even water effects are animated like blocks. As a result, it’s like a simulation of everyone’s childhood games brought to life. “The Lego Movie”’s masterful art style contributed to its success, achieving widespread critical acclaim and kickstarting an “awesome” franchise.
#4: “Shrek” (2001)
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Despite parodying its tropes, “Shrek” provides one of the best representations of a fairytale world. With various magical creatures, Shrek’s best friend Donkey, and the lovable ogre himself to animate, there was a lot to get right, and it was done in a way that felt realistic. The character models were built from scratch – the way their muscles move, their facial expressions, and their manner of speech are all distinct. Separate renderings and lighting were used for aspects like Donkey’s fur and the grass in the environment. The animated landscape was still in its early stages during “Shrek”’s production. Thanks to the dedication displayed by DreamWorks, new doors were opened to refine the way characters emote and how audiences perceive them.
#3: “Tangled” (2010)
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Fun fact: Rapunzel’s hair is 70 feet long, comprised of over 100,000 strands! There was lots of hype surrounding how the hair would be animated in “Tangled.” And, boy, did Disney deliver. The primary goal was to fashion Rapunzel’s locks to appear long, “luscious,” and fluid. Hair simulation software achieved this. To create the broader world, an innovative “multi-rigging” method was also used. Multiple virtual cameras were used to shoot separate elements before they were all composited together. Of course, that’s all easier said than done – it notably took years to get the hair just right. But, in the end, we got a film that’s a feast for the eyes and a genuine visual spectacle.
#2: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)
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Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a film like this proves otherwise. “Into the Spider-Verse” signified the next revolution in animation. With a blend of 2D and 3D visuals, every frame explodes with colors, looking like the pages of a comic book in motion. The production team had immersion in mind, using different frame rates per character based on their personality and fighting style. 2D emulated the aesthetic found in anime films, while 3D was used to make the animation look like a “living painting.” Fans and the animation industry were blown away by how incredible the film looked. That Best Animated Feature Oscar practically ensured that this art style would become the new norm.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
“Frozen” (2013)
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“Moana” (2016)
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“Elemental” (2023)
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A Complex, Detailed City That Evokes a Sense of Wonder
#1: “Toy Story” (1995)
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Pixar’s debut feature took the boldest step possible and succeeded like none other. As the first computer-animated feature film ever, “Toy Story” wowed audiences. This was a movie that looked larger than life in the best way possible. Director John Lasseter wanted it to look “organic”, so traditional animation was out of the question. By using 3D visuals, “Toy Story” showed the world from the toys’ point of view. It also offered the camera a freedom of movement that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. Finally, after thousands of hours of work and over 100 000 frames, Pixar completed a timeless masterpiece. More importantly, it’s responsible for permanently shifting the scope of animation. The impact it’s had can be felt to this day.
