My 10 Favourite Non-Disney Animated Films

I love animated films. When it comes to cinema, animation is my favourite form of art. Live-action films are cool in their own right, don't get me wrong, but animated films are always the best for me. Not only do they have no limits to what you can do, but they always tend to leave a more memorable impression for me and half the time, I feel animated films are better than most live-action films. Sometimes it feels as if animated films are more mature than live-action films too.

So for this list, I want to count down some of my favourite animated films. But there's a twist here. For this list, I'm counting down my favourite animated films NOT made by Disney. When it comes to animation, we tend to mostly favour or go for Disney anyway, so this list is a chance for animated films from other companies to get their time to shine. Besides, I don't only love animated films by Disney, so it'd be nice for me to share which non-Disney animated films I love.

For this list, it has to be animated films NOT made by Disney, so I won't be including Pixar movies on the list as well as Disney owns Pixar, ergo they're technically Disney films. Anything else? Free game for this list. Studio Ghibli, DreamWorks, Don Bluth, Warner Bros, as long as it's animated and not by Disney, it can have a spot on the list.

This list is in no particular order. So without further ado, let's dive in and count down my Top 10 Favourite Non-Disney Animated Films...

1: Kiki's Delivery Service

I haven't seen much of Studio Ghibli yet. In fact, it's only this movie and Spirited Away I've seen so far, but I DO plan to watch more Studio Ghibli films in the future. Princess Mononoke, The Wind Rises and Howl's Moving Castle are especially high on my to-watch-list. As is, Kiki's Delivery Service is my favourite Studio Ghibli film I've seen thus far, and is also one of my all-time-favourite movies, hence it's gotten a spot on this list.

I won't talk too much about this one since I already reviewed it a while ago, but I can give you the run down of why I love this film. Based on the book by Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service is just simply wonderful from beginning to end. Its story is very easy-going and surprisingly down-to-earth despite the fantasy elements present, Kiki is an extremely relatable and lovable protagonist, the animation is absolutely gorgeous and the whole thing just gives me very pleasant feelings throughout. The film, true to Studio Ghibli's usual approach to story-telling, takes a simple premise of the life of a teenage witch and manages to make it surprisingly engaging in spite of that. Somehow just watching how Kiki lives her life, adjusts to the new town she finds herself living in and interacts with the many people she meets while living there manages to be more engaging and interesting than even some of the biggest epics and biggest action movies you'll see today, and it also makes for a very laid-back viewing experience that only enhances why it's so pleasant. The fact the film is incredibly touching and heart-warming also helps. Seriously, this is just such a nice movie and it'll really have you feeling good about it when it's over.

But the story manages to be surprisingly mature too with how it uses Kiki's magical abilities as a clever metaphor for suffering burnout, suffering artist's block or losing passion for something you once loved. It's really heavy stuff and not something you'd usually get from an animated movie, especially those made in the West. In this day and age, we're all guilty of working too hard and too often and could learn to take a break every now and then, which only makes the movie's message all that more important and timely. It's ultimately a story about growing up, learning to fit in, learning to be a good person and how you shouldn't let your passion become stressful for you. Very masterful story from the masters at Studio Ghibli, and it's all gorgeously brought to life by the incredible animators and artists who worked on the movie. Seriously, the animation here is a treat for the eyes and the flying scenes are a feat of animation and artistry that really shows how you can bring a book to life so beautifully.

I can't gush enough about how much I love this movie. It's not just one of my favourite animated films, it's one of my favourite movies of all time. It's heart-warming, it's engaging, it's breath-taking to watch and it's also incredibly thoughtful with its relevant topics and real-world issues that we can relate to. Kiki definitely delivered me something very special when she dropped this movie off on my doorstep...

2: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

DreamWorks are a very hit-and-miss studio. They're capable of making absolute masterpieces one year, then making absolute garbage the next. There's just no middle ground with these guys. But when DreamWorks make a good movie, DAMN they make a good movie! Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is the best example of this.

Once again, I've got a full review of this movie available, so I won't dwell too long on this one. But what I can say is that this is easily DreamWorks' best movie to date. The original Puss in Boots was a very generic, very safe and very bland heist movie that even die-hard Shrek fans barely talk about because it's so forgettable. But this movie? What the hell happened that made it leap in quality so much compared to the first?! The story is anything BUT bland and generic with its engaging treasure hunt story, surprisingly dark tone, heavy themes where they deal with mortality and the importance of living a fulfilling life, enjoyable characters both heroic and villainous and some really strong comedy that isn't afraid to get a little twisted at times. Seriously, it'll catch you off-guard how much dark humour is in this movie. XD But what really caught me, and everyone else, off-guard was how this sequel played out. Everything is just amped up compared to the original Puss in Boots and the whole sequel really gives a feeling of escalation. The story, the tone, the stakes, the development of the characters, it's all cranked up to eleven here and it's so awesome to watch as a result!

And naturally, I have to bring up one of the main reasons why the sequel is so beloved. It features quite possibly the most TERRIFYING villain ever featured in an animated film with the literal personification of Death itself as the primary antagonist! Like, excuse me?! When did we suddenly go from Humpty Dumpty to FREAKING DEATH ITSELF?!?! He steals the show every time he's onscreen and gives us the movie's scariest and most intense scenes, while also playing a huge part in Puss' character arc as he learns not to exploit his last remaining life and instead make the most of his life while he has it. The Death Wolf played a huge part in my love of this movie, but everything else is still worth mentioning here. I love Puss' development, I love his chemsitry with Kitty Softpaws, I love how Perrito isn't just the comic relief and manages to be surprisingly helpful, I love how Goldilocks and the Three Bears are characterized and I also love how in the end, nobody got to make the wish and everyone's stories came to a satisfying conclusion. The animation is also beautiful to watch too with its painterly art-style, bright colours and slick action scenes that take inspiration from the recent Into the Spider-Verse movies. Everything comes together to make a beautiful picture I say and that to me is a sign of an awesome movie.

This is a fairy-tale I'll happily revisit anytime soon. Engaging, dark, intense, exciting, touching and gorgeously animated, we can safely say our wish for a great Puss in Boots movie was granted...

3: The Iron Giant

You know you're a true animation fan when you consider The Iron Giant one of your favourites. There's a reason this film has grown such a cult following in recent years to the point it's now being referenced by other movies such as Ready Player One and Space Jam: A New Legacy. It's always a shame it bombed when it first came out, but at least it's gotten the love it deserves over time.

Based on The Iron Man novel by Ted Hughes (albeit VERY loosely), The Iron Giant is a wonderful film that tells the story of Hogarth Hughes, a lonely boy who befriends a giant metal man that's fallen to Earth but has no memory of where he came from. What follows is a plot that delivers a lot of heart, action, humour and thoughtful commentary. It's so easy to see why this movie struck a chord with audiences, the few that DID see it, and has grown in popularity over the years. It's just such an amazing movie! The Iron Giant is one of those films that can simultaneously make you laugh AND cry while also giving you cool action scenes, especially during the climax when the giant unleashes his arsenal, compelling drama and touching scenes that tug on your heartstrings. Brad Bird and his team poured their hearts and souls into this movie, and it really shows with the sheer amount of effort on display here.

The highlights of the movie for me include all the scenes with Hogarth and the giant bonding. These two are the heart of the movie and it's really sweet watching them come together and form a friendship that transcends galaxies. I also love how the film isn't afraid to get serious too. Its 50's setting especially gives it some relevant political commentary with how this film's in a Cold War-era environment, and that only adds to the strength of the story as it justifies everyone's fear of the Iron Giant and how he could be dangerous. And don't even get me started on the deer scene. Oh gosh...the deer scene. There's a reason why that scene destroys everyone emotionally, even the giant himself! And yet the movie can also be really damn funny too, especially whenever Mr. Mansley's making a fool of himself or whenever General Rogard has had enough of his crap or especially when the giant's trying to adjust to Earth and he and Hogarth get up to some comical shenanigans. Point is, there's so much to like about this movie with how it tells its story, makes you laugh, makes you emotional and gets you invested in the characters and their bond together. The animation being utterly stellar is the icing on the cake too. I'll never know how they managed to blend the CGI Iron Giant so seamlessly with the 2-D drawings, but they managed it. The art-style, the character animation, the colour palette, it's just one hell of a gorgeous looking movie and some of Brad Bird's finest work, hands down. Oh and Vin Diesel is the voice of the Iron Giant, that's a major plus too.

What else needs saying? It's The Iron Giant. It's a masterpiece and deserves more attention! And I'm glad it's been getting just that in recent years. With its enjoyable story, touching friendship between Hogarth and the giant, hilarious comedy, heart-breaking drama, topical commentary and incredible animation, this movie is just as impressively constructed as the Iron Giant himself...

4: Help! I'm A Fish

You may remember when I reviewed this movie years ago and how much I gushed over it, so don't be surprised this one is on the list. It's frankly criminal this movie is so underrated and unknown to the general public, because it's so friggin' good!!!

Help! I'm A Fish is a story about three kids who turn into fish and are in a race against time in order to get the antidote and turn back human again. As I've gushed about before, the story gives me classic Disney vibes in the sense that it's a movie that seems fun and innocent at first, but isn't afraid to get dark at times. I use that as a compliment by the way, because classic Disney films are the standard all animated films should follow. I just love the slow but gradual raising of the stakes over the course of the movie. First our heroes have to find Stella, then they need to find the antidote, then they need to escape from Joe and his forces, and then at the end they need to get the antidote as their time begins to run out and Fly is badly injured, thus making it possible he could die at any time. The film takes its time and lets the story gradually increase in scope instead of immediately jumping from one problem to the next without giving us time to catch up. The characters are also enjoyable too, especially the main trio and the villainous Joe. It helps that he was voiced by the late Alan Rickman, and you're always going to get a deliciously enjoyable villain when he's involved.

I also love how the movie will give us slower and quieter moments that let us just take a breather and drink in the atmosphere. The scenes where Stella walks around and just watches ocean life around her are especially beautiful to watch, as is the "Ocean Love" sequence at the beginning where it's accompanied by a peaceful song to further add to the whimsical atmosphere of the ocean itself. Speaking of songs, this film's a musical and it has some very memorable tunes that add to the enjoyment of the movie. "Suddenly", "Intelligence" and "I'm A Little Yellow Fish" are my favourites and the ones I always enjoy listening to in or outside of the movie. The film also has some truly sensational visuals too. The animators spared no expense here, delivering an atmospheric, beautiful and eye-catching looking film that can rival even the likes of Disney in terms of incredible hand-drawn animation. Yeah, the CGI looks a bit dated and sticks out like a sore thumb, but the animation is still utterly jaw-dropping and makes the movie worth watching just for that alone.

Help! I'm A Fish is a great example how it's not just America and Japan that can make awesome animated films. The Danish gave us a truly spectacular feature with a great story, enjoyable characters, visual eye-candy and fun, unforgettable songs. This is a movie I'll always be happy to dive into the ocean to see anytime...

5: Flushed Away

Of all the movies DreamWorks and Aardman Animations made together, this is my favourite of the bunch. Flushed Away to me is one of the funniest animated movies ever made, and also one of the most creative too. Such a pity it's not as beloved as other Aardman properties such as Chicken Run and Wallace and Gromit, because this really is one of their best works.

Flushed Away has a pretty creative story that has the kind of ideas you won't get anywhere else. I mean when's the last time you saw a movie where the World Cup final was an important plot point for example? The creativity doesn't stop there as the movie takes us into this imaginative sewer world populated by rats that clearly had a lot of thought put into it with how everything looks and operates. It also helps give us some creative action and chase scenes too whenever Roddy and Rita are being pursued by the Toad and his henchmen. These are just some of the reasons why Flushed Away is so enjoyable for me and why I always have a good time watching it. Other reasons include the likeable cast of charming, funny and memorable characters from Roddy to Rita to the Toad to his henchmen and more. I liked watching the growing bond between Roddy and Rita and the comedic scenes with the Toad and his henchmen. They're always the highlight for me, as is the movie's message about loneliness and finding companionship with others. That kind of message is always touching and an important lesson to take onboard.

But the primary reason for why I love this movie is the comedy. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the funniest animated films ever made, and one of the funniest movies I've seen period. There are so many great jokes and creative gags throughout the movie and it makes for a very enjoyable watch as a result. I'm an adult who's in his 30's and I still laugh my arse off when I watch this movie, it's that damn funny! Then again, this is a movie made by Brits, and we Brits are the kings of comedy, so of course this movie's hilarious. It's just a pity no Aardman movie we've had since Flushed Away has been as funny. Their comedy really did peak with this one. The creative setting I think played a large part in the great humour, as well as the witty dialogue, the performance of the voice actors and also the character animation. Speaking of animation, it still astounds me how well the unique Nick Park art-style worked well in CGI. While it would've been nice to see this in Aardman's signature Claymation style, the computer animation here is still brilliant with plenty of details everywhere and still keeps true to Nick Park's signature art-style he popularised with Wallace and Gromit.

I just can't emphasize enough how much I enjoy Flushed Away if I tried. It's just such a charming, funny and creative movie and easily my favourite movie Aardman Animation has ever produced. There's no need to ever flush this movie down the toilet in my eyes...

6: The Secret of NIMH

The movie you should be the least surprised to see on this list given how highly I've sung its praises in the past. I have a full review here where I do just that. And who can blame me? It's just an incredible movie.

Don Bluth made an amazing first impression with this movie. He managed to adapt Robert C. O'Brian's novel into a surprisingly dark animated film starring talking mice that isn't as innocent as it looks. This is one of those few animated films that shows character's bleeding for example. The story itself is full of mystery, intrigue and suspense as we follow Mrs. Brisby's adventure that sees her going through some really intense, threatening obstacles in order to save her sick son Timmy. The sheer determination of this widowed mother who is always anxious is admirable and is a large reason why I consider Mrs. Brisby one of my favourite animated characters of all time. Seriously, female protagonists today could learn something from Mrs. Brisby and remember that there's more to being a strong female character than just being a badass. Even meek and mild ones can be compelling characters, and just as strong too.

The Secret of NIMH also excels at suspense. There are a lot of moments where you get slow, ominous build-up before something threatening comes to threaten Mrs. Brisby, whether it's Dragon the Cat approaching or Brutus the Guard Rat taking his job way too seriously. The scary moments are very effective here because of the great suspenseful build-up to them and it only makes the danger Mrs. Brisby faces all the greater. The climax even gives us a tense swordfight that's surprisingly violent compared to what you'd usually see in animation and another tense moment where it seems Mrs. Brisby's house could be lost forever. It all makes for an exciting watch beginning to end, and is also admirable to see what animated films could get away with back in the day. The film's theme of nature, science and magic also makes for intriguing world-building that gives the film its own identity and makes it even more interesting to watch. It's quite impressive how they get all these seemingly unrelated things to work together and neither part feels out-of-place. Combine all this with Don Bluth and his team's masterclass animation and Jerry Goldsmith's incredible score, and you have yourself one heck of a movie. It's no wonder even Don himself considers it his best movie.

Suspenseful, heartfelt, exciting, interesting, thoughtfully crafted and beautifully animated, it's no secret that this film is one heck of an animated masterpiece...

7: Chicken Run

Who doesn't love Chicken Run? This movie is an Aardman classic and a great first impression for the studio's attempt at making a full length feature rather than a short for a change. Pity the sequel was a bland, forgettable follow-up no one asked for, but Chicken Run itself is still a great movie.

The plot is basically a prison break movie, but with chickens. Sounds pretty silly when you put it that way, but the movie just runs (no pun intended) with its premise and delivers a very solid stop-motion animated film that has everything you need for a good, enjoyable, fun time. The story is engaging and manages to make us root for the chickens to escape from the farmers, the characters are memorable and a really fun bunch, the animation is top-notch and the humour is hilarious. Even the soundtrack is pretty enjoyable too. Chicken Run is a pretty smartly crafted movie, even with its rather silly premise of "The Great Escape with chickens". Making this a movie about chickens trying to escape from a farm is just a fantastic idea for a kid-friendly prison break movie, and the story makes the most of its premise by not just making the story intense and gripping at times, but also very funny with whatever gags the writers can cook up with this kind of setting. A well-crafted story takes advantage of its premise after all, and this movie is no exception. I love how the movie plays up the danger our heroic hens are in and makes their situation truly seem hopeless with no possible way of surviving in sight. The fact the movie opens up with a montage of Ginger's plans constantly failing also sells that hopelessness too. But the movie never feels like it's going too far in that direction and in the end, the chickens' hope for freedom pays off in what's a very satisfying climax at the end. Kinda like why The Shawshank Redemption's ending is considered so satisfying too now I think about it...

As mentioned earlier, Chicken Run is another movie that excels with its comedy. Whether it's visual humour, spoken humour, dark humour, slapstick humour or the like, they pull it off so well and deliver non-stop laughs throughout the movie. I know I still giggle at Mr. Tweedy's "Why you thieving little buggers!" line. So funny. XD The performance of the cast also helps with the humour too with Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson especially delivering a lot of laughs as their characters. And of course, it's an Aardman movie with its signature Claymation animation, and they show why they're the masters of their craft with this movie. The sheer amount of detail put into the sets is admirable, the animation on the chickens and their designs are great too with a lot of expressive facial animation and body language, and they pull off some pretty impressive scenes despite working with clay models, big sets and big props. The scene with Rocky and Ginger in the pie machine and the escape scene at the end are especially incredible scenes that show just what stop-motion is capable of and how it can be just as impressive as hand-drawn or computer animation. It always astounds me what Aardman animators can do with their clay figures...

Chicken Run was a great first outing for Aardman Animation's foray into feature length films. With its smart story, thoughtfully crafted world-building, enjoyable characters, excellent humour and impressive Claymation, you'd have to be a bird brain in order to NOT like this movie!

8: Kung Fu Panda 2

To this day I consider it one of DreamWorks's best sequels and the moment the Kung Fu Panda franchise peaked. Seriously, it's just felt like it's downhill from here with the fourth movie being a real stinker.

Kung Fu Panda was already a great movie, but the second movie manages to be even better. Kung Fu Panda 2 is an incredible movie that takes everything that made the first film great and incorporates it here while also adding in new stuff to expand the world and characters and also make the story feel even grander than before. I love how the second film increases the scope of the first film by letting us see the world outside of the Valley of Peace and also giving us higher stakes than before. Last time it was just one powerful leopard threatening a village, here it's one powerful peacock with an entire army at his beck and call threatening the world at large as he's invented a weapon so powerful that even kung-fu masters are no match for it. A sequel should expand on the world and make everything bigger and grander than before, and this movie succeeds with flying colours in that regard. With everything ramped up like so, it makes Po's situation all the more dire, which also makes the movie very exciting and engaging to watch.

It's not just that that also makes the second film so strong though. The emotional core is another thing that makes this feel bigger than before. Need I remind you how Kung Fu Panda 2 is notorious for making people cry? Yeah, a movie title KUNG FU PANDA and starring JACK BLACK is able to make people cry! That's unthinkable, yet somehow this movie managed it! The movie does keep the trademark humour of the franchise, but is also darker and more emotional than the other movies with some truly tear-jerking scenes throughout, namely with Po's backstory and Shen's genocidal massacre of the pandas. The more serious tone also makes the threat feel bigger too as it genuinely feels like Po and the Furious Five could die at any point here. Lord Shen being as bloodthirsty and as threatening as he is also helps too. Seriously, how did these filmmakers make a PEACOCK of all animals intimidating? That beggars belief! XD And let's not forget the animation too. This film is able to deliver some really impressive action scenes, just like its predecessor, and they can get really chaotic at times, especially the scene with Lord Shen destroying his own tower just to try and kill Po. All this and more makes for a really impressive and powerful sequel that easily trumps the first and also stands tall above the other sequels as no Kung Fu Panda movie has ever reached the levels this film has.

It's easy to see why the franchise peaked with this movie. Kung Fu Panda 2 is just an awesome sequel that stands as an example of how a good sequel should be handled. Strongly written, emotionally compelling, expertly animated and featuring a cast of characters old and new, this is a movie that'll go down as a legend even greater than Po himself...

9: Transformers One

I'll forever be grateful for this movie's existence since we finally, FINALLY got a good Transformers movie! Just too bad it flopped and we'll never get a sequel to it...

I have a full review of the movie right here, but like with the other movies, I'll give you a quick sum-up of my thoughts here as well. Transformers One really is the only Transformers movie that's actually good, aside from Bumblebee of course. The story is a tragic tale of two friends becoming bitter enemies as we see the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron as two lowly miners named Orion Pax and D-16 respectively rise up and become greater than the sum of their parts. As predictable as the outcome is, it still feels heart-breaking to watch these two become enemies at the end and the eventual formation of the two rival factions that have defined the franchise in its long history. This is a movie that actually has you feeling sorry for Optimus and Megatron as they go from friends to enemies. It also helps that everything else about the story is very strong too with a conspiracy uncovered that changes how the world of Cybertron can be viewed, the transformations of our cast as they go from nothing miners to powerful warriors in their own right and so much more. I also love how this movie, for once, is set ENTIRELY on Cybertron and we have no humans to kill the mood or steal screentime from the Cybertronians. No, Predacons Rising doesn't count because it's not really a movie, it's an extended epilogue to Transformers Prime. This movie delivers what it promises. It's got "Transformers" in the title and it delivers on that front in spades! Isn't it nice to have a Transformers movie actually be ABOUT the Transformers themselves? Yes, I suppose the 80's film was too, but Transformers One is set entirely on Cybertron with no humans at all, thus making it feel the most about the Transformers.

I also think the film's as strong as it is because it's not only fantastic for us fans, but it's just a great stand alone movie that even non-fans can enjoy. I can so easily imagine this movie inspiring a whole new legion of Transformers fans to get into the franchise and that this movie is their jumping-on point. It'd be a great place to start, that's for sure! There's a lot of little Easter Eggs and neat fan-service-y moments for the fans, but the film doesn't feel alienating to non-fans and I feel they could get into it just as easily as the fans could. And as expected from a Transformers film, we get some truly incredible action scenes that take advantage of the fact these are giant transforming robots. The action can get chaotic, intense, exciting and even brutal at times with some characters having pretty grisly deaths. Sentinel Prime being ripped in half much? While we're talking about the action, this should be a good time to bring up the animation too. This is an amazing looking movie that has one of the best visual depictions of the Transformers ever put to screen. The designs are very G-1 inspired but also have their own unique features to make these incarnations of the characters their own, the environment is creatively designed and depicted with how everything functions and there is a lot of detail everywhere. Not only is this the strongest Transformers movie in terms of story, it's the strongest in terms of visuals too. I don't think any Transformers movie will ever top this one...

I'll sing this movie's praises from now and forever. It's THE Transformers movie we've all been wanting and I couldn't be happier with what we got. With a story that actually focuses on the Transformers themselves, a heart-breaking tale that sees friends become foes, many twists and turns, a compelling cast and amazing visuals that bring it to life, this is a movie that's more than meets the eye...

10: The Polar Express

It's my favourite Christmas movie, and it's a non-Disney animated film, so why not include it on the list?

I reviewed this a while ago on Christmas Eve, so it's only fitting I talk about it again during the festive season. The Polar Express is just like no Christmas movie that's ever been made before or since in my opinion. Truly one of a kind if you ask me. The story is a whimsically enjoyable journey to the North Pole that tackles themes of belief and the importance of it while also giving us an exciting ride that makes the journey itself even more memorable and enjoyable. Despite being based on a book, and a pretty short one at that, the story manages to expand itself well into movie length without feeling overly padded out or full of unnecessary stuff (Illumination Entertainment could do with learning that whenever they adapt Dr. Seuss' books!) and is still pretty true to the story of The Polar Express overall. I even think some of the stuff that was added to the movie makes the story more interesting, especially the mysterious ghost hobo and the gradual build-up to Santa Claus' eventual appearance.

The Polar Express is a movie that is engaging from start to finish. It's easy for us to root for Hero Boy (or Chris as he's apparently called) given we've all had doubts and struggles with our beliefs in our lives and we want to see him come out alright in the end. I also like watching him make friends with Hero Girl and Billy and seeing the three come together to make a team and also learn something valuable about themselves in the process. Then there's the train ride itself in how it can get pretty exciting and even crazy at times, especially with the scene where they have to get the Polar Express across a frozen lake. I always love watching that part, it's so thrilling. Robert Zemeckis's directing is top-notch here with a lot of great angles and cool visuals that makes the movie visually dazzling to watch at times. I can agree that yeah, the humans do look a little dodgy and the animation is looking rather dated, but I still think it's one pretty looking movie overall with a lot of detail, a lot of creative shots and angles and some colourful visuals, especially when we reach the North Pole. Some will disagree, but I still think the film's pretty good looking overall and I enjoy the visuals, uncanny valley aside.

The Polar Express is my favourite Christmas movie for many reasons, and those reasons also make it one of my favourite non-Disney animated films. With a charming story, likeable characters, memorable train ride, awesome cinematography and heartfelt tone, this is a train I'll buy a ticket to board any time of the year, not just Christmas...

And that's it for my list of 10 favourite non-Disney animated films. I hope you enjoyed the list and enjoyed listening to me geek out about animation. I'd love to hear from you guys as well. What non-Disney animated films do YOU love? Comment down below and let me know!

Join me for the final time this year as we say goodbye to 2025 and pave the way for 2026. See you then media fans!

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