I’ve thought about making this list for a long time. Big budget studios release blockbuster animated films each year. But what about those “smaller” animated films that may have underperformed at the box office, but were strong with critics? Or even those that may have had neither. Here is a list of animated films that have been released since I started reviewing films in 2006 that didn’t get the box office they deserved:
TOP 10 UNDERRATED AT THE BOX OFFICE (in alphabetical order)
“Arthur Christmas” – Last year’s “instant holiday classic” has an impressive 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But going up against “The Muppets” and Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” hurt its box office (just $46M).
“Astro Boy” – A 2009 animated movie based on the Anime character that had a more complex storyline than I expected. The distribution by Summit Entertainment didn’t help the B.O. – just under $20M.
“Bolt” – 2008’s Disney (non-Pixar) comedy about a TV dog who accidently goes out into the real world is clever, funny and full of heart. Even better than that year’s “WALL-E”, but made a lower than expected $114M.
“Fantastic Mr. Fox” – 2009’s Best Movie starred George Clooney and Meryl Streep as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, based on the Roald Dahl book. Beautiful stop-motion and a witty script. Some (including me) thought it was better than the Oscar-winning “Up”, but it didn’t catch on with audiences, making just $21M.
“Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil” – This sequel to the first film I ever reviewed was released last April after being shelved for over a year. Clearly not as good as the original (which will make my next list), but deserved better play in theaters. B.O.: $10M
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits” – Aardman’s first claymation movie since “W&G: Were-Rabbit” is filled with nonstop laughter from start to finish. But it being moved from a decent Mar. 30 release to the buried Apr. 27 hurt it tremendously – $25M so far.
“The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A Veggie Tales Movie” – Yes, a second animated pirate movie made this list. Most moviegoers may not even have realized this came out in theaters January 2008. And while it’s geared for young ones, it’s fun. B.O.: $13M
“Surf’s Up” – A “mockumentary” about surfing penguins. An idea no one had come up with before and it worked. An Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature in 2008, but only made $59M because of a crowded Summer 2007.
“The Tale of Despereaux” – Based on the popular book about a mouse who wants to prove he’s a hero. One of my favorites in this genre in 2008. But with mostly mixed reviews and some competition around the holidays, it made only $50M.
“Winnie the Pooh” – My favorite animated film of last year also had a higher RT approval rating than the Oscar-winning “Rango” (91% to 88%). It put a smile on my face the entire time and the same went for most critics. But Disney didn’t know how to treat or market the film, putting it up against the final “Harry Potter” last summer and then followed that with a terrible October DVD release date. Box Office: $27M
Coming Soon: My List of the 10 animated films that were underappreciated by a majority of the critics