Many of our childhoods have been enriched over the years by the animated movies we’ve grown up watching. Some of these films are now timeless classics that still hold up today. Oftentimes,sequels were madeif and when the films proved successful and this continued the legacies of these movies for younger audiences to enjoy for years to come. Perhaps most importantly, though, these films have created everlasting childhood memories for millions of fans all over the world. The 1980s were filled with great characters across many media, such as video games, comic books, toys, and of course movies and television shows. This was the era of MTV in its heyday, withbold fashion choices, and it was the last decade that socializing happened without the use of the Internet in some form. People dreamed of owning a DeLorean like inBack to the Future, mixtapes were a thing, andmovie franchises were biggerand better than ever before.
It is important to mention there are countless great 1980s animated films not on this list. It doesn’t mean they are not worthy of being mentioned. In many cases, they are still highly loved by kids of that time period. However, oftentimes they didn’t cross over into the mainstream consciousness of current generations as well as other films highlighted here. Examples of this includeOliver and Company, The Secret of NIMH, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective,andThe Brave Little Toaster, among others. There were also multiple Japanese-based animated films from this time period that should be watched by kids of today, such asMy Neighbor TotoroandKiki’s Delivery Service, to name a few. You also could find popular animated films fromHannah-Barbera, Looney Tunes,and previously establishedDisneycharacters in the 80s as well. Now onto the festivities! Here are the best-animated movies from the 1980s, ranked.
Related:6 Best Movies Based on Popular 80s Cartoon Shows
6The Care Bears Movie (1985)
Originally created as characters for early-80s greeting cards, The Care Bears soon became a popular television show and toy line, which led to three feature films in the 1980s.The Care Bears Moviewas the first film of the series, which focused on friendship and caring for others. The Care Bears' ultimate weapon was the “Care Bear Stare,” a move where the bears stand together and have colorful light radiate out of the symbols each bear has on their stomachs. In the film, the bears help two young kids who lost their parents in a car accident, as well as a magician’s apprentice from the influence of an evil spirit. Released in 1985, the film also co-starred the Care Bear Cousins, a group of non-bear Care Bears.
5All Dogs Go To Heaven (1988)
The Don Bluth film set in 1939 New Orleans,All Dogs Go To Heavenis a story about Charlie B. Barkin, (voice acted by Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds). Charlie was a German Shephard who was killed by another dog he considered his friend named Carface Carruthers. Barkin, now in Heaven, makes the decision to give up his place within the pearly gates and returns to Earth to take revenge on Carruthers and see his best dog friend Itchy Itchiford (which famed actor Dom DeLuise portrayed). Barkin also befriends a young orphan girl named Anne-Marie in the process, who despite her misfortune in life still has a kind heart. There are various lessons about friendship, doing the right thing, and caring for one another throughout the movie. This film led to movie sequels and a television series due to its popularity in theaters and with home rentals.
4An American Tail (1986)
Fievel Mousekewitz is a mouse on a search to find his family. In the process, he comes as a Jewish immigrant to the United States from Russia and goes on an epic adventure. Set in 1885,An American Tailtells the story of how Fievel gets separated from his family during a boat ride to the United States from Germany. After being washed overboard, thankfully Fievel floats to New York City on a bottle and survives. His family, however, thinks he didn’t make it and is devastated at his loss. When Fievel arrives in New York, things don’t go as planned. He gets conned into working in a sweatshop, which he ultimately escapes along with a few new friends he makes in the process. From there, Fievel gets caught up in a political scheme between the cats and the mice of the city. Throughout the film, there are references to real-life tensions that occurred between various immigrant groups in New York City during the late-1800s and beyond. All the while, his family has a slight hope Fievel is still alive. Eventually, they are eventually able to reunite and topple the cats’ nefarious plans. Much likeAll Dogs Go To Heaven, the movie went on the spawn various sequels and a television series over the next decade and a half.
3The Land Before Time (1988)
BeforeJurassic Parkbecame all the rage,The Land Before Timewas a glorified hit about dinosaurs in its own right. This was another film directed and produced by Don Bluth, but was also executive produced by iconic directors Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, among others. The story focuses primarily on a pre-historic Apatosaurus dinosaur named Littlefoot, a young orphan whose mother is killed by a Tyrannosaurus. Soon, he is not alone, joined by four other young dinosaurs Cera the Triceratops, Ducky the Saurolophus, Petrie the Pteranodon, and Spike the Stegosaurus. The spirit of Littlefoot’s mother also helps guide him on his journey to the Great Valley, a sanctuary area sparred from earlier devastation. It’s a heartwarming tale that can and will bring up a lot of emotions. As of the time of writing, 14Land Before Timefilms have now been made, with a video game and a television series to boot.
Related:Best Don Bluth Movies, Ranked
2Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Thelive-action and animatedcomedy-mystery film that was directed by acclaimed director Robert Zemeckis,Who Framed Roger Rabbitwas a crossover hit, combining both live-action humans and animated cartoons together on the big screen. Set in Los Angeles in 1947 in a city called ToonTown, private detective Eddie Valient investigates the mysterious death of Marvin Acme, owner of both the Acme Corporation and ToonTown. Acme’s will is missing, which is said to will give ToonTown’s ownership to the toons themselves and is thought by some to be the reason for his murder. However, evidence points to toon Roger Rabbit as the culprit in revenge for Acme playing patty-cake with Roger Rabbit’s wife, Jessica. Roger is innocent, however, and the photos with Roger’s wife Jessica were staged by the bad guys, in an effort to cover up their own wrongdoing and pin the crime on someone else. Of course, being in ToonTown, no one is safe from numerous cartoon characters and their wild comedic antics.
The film star renowned actors Bob Hoskins (Eddie Valient) and Christopher Lloyd (as Judge Doom), ToonTown’s superior court judge who helped frame Roger Rabbit for Acme’s murder. The film sports cameos from many toons of the golden era of animation throughout. Upon release, both critics and fans loved the movie, and it’s considered by many to be one of the best-animated films of all time. For over 30 years, there’s beentalk of both a prequeland a sequel to the original movie, however, neither has occurred.Who Framed Roger Rabbitis one of the few instances where the original animated movie has been able to stand completely on its own merit and stayed relevant.
1The Little Mermaid (1989)
Walt Disney’sThe Little Mermaidexplored the world “under the sea” unlike Disney had ever done before. The movie stars Ariel, a young mermaid who wants to know what it is like to live on land. This leads to her making secret visits to the surface, which are strictly forbidden by Ariel’s controlling father, King Triton. During one of these land visits, she begins to develop romantic feelings for a human prince, named Prince Eric. In an act of defiance and out of determination to be with her new crush, Ariel makes a dangerous deal with a villainous sea witch named Ursula to temporarily become human for three days. The drama only builds from there when Ursula makes it so that Ariel cannot talk on land. Perhaps in an attempt to lighten the mood for audiences, Ariel is friends with a whole cast of ocean creatures who make memorable appearances alongside her in key underwater scenes. A live-action reboot movie ofThe Little Mermaidlooks to be on the horizon next year, with actressHalle Bailey tappedto play Ariel. Other recognizable names in the upcoming film include Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Awkwafina as Scuttle, andHamiltonstar Daveed Diggs as Sebastian. This is only further proofThe Little Mermaidhas permeated pop culture for over three and a half decades and shows no signs of going away any time soon.
