Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for animated movies like Minions & Monsters:
Sonic the Hedgehog 3
I think I like the idea of a Sonic Cinematic Universe more than any of the actual movies within it. That’s not to say the Sonic the Hedgehog films have been without their charms—Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik remains an over-the-top but mostly entertaining presence, and the animated Sonic characters, from Sonic (Ben Schwartz) to Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey) and Knuckles (Idris Elba), translate surprisingly well into a live-action world.
Incredibles 2
Incredibles 2 is about as action packed, well-conceived, and carefully executed as sequels can get in the superhero (and animated) genre. Brad Bird and Pixar Studios manage to inject new life into a world we haven’t visited in well over a decade.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse continues what the first film did so well – feel like something you’ve never seen before. An intense thrill ride that explores carving your own path and not staying constrained to the expectations set before you.
Hoppers
Hoppers feels like coked-out Pixar. A zany great time, an original story with the perfect amount of heft and weight, loaded with more jokes and gonzo energy than the studio has mustered in years. One moment in particular (spoiler: the squishing of a certain insect) had my significant other audibly gasp in the theater, which has to be a first for the studio, or close to it. Hopefully, Pixar is finding a couple of new voices to bank on going forward, because Hoppers is genuinely refreshing to see.
Despicable Me 4
Despicable Me 4 carries the same wistful, harmless energy that the other two sequels had, even if that means that they all live inside the shadow of the original 2010 hit. Because despite the limitations brought forward by the original, there were enough new characters and ideas to make worthwhile a movie.
Shrek
Shrek stays winning! I don’t think its in the pantheon of great animated movies this century (Pixar has made movies superior to this just in the last few years), but it’s pretty entertaining and funny for what it strives to be. Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy are terrific voice actors.
Dog Man
Dog Man is quick, goofy, and genuinely entertaining—a rare kids movie that doesn’t insult its audience’s intelligence. For viewers expecting a hollow, IP-driven cash grab, this ends up being a pleasant surprise. It’s a mid-tier animated film that punches a little above its weight, and for families looking for something fast, funny, and a little off-kilter, it more than delivers.
Robot Dreams
Suitable for children while also extremely relatable for adults, Robot Dreams is one of the most uncomplicatedly pleasant experiences I’ve had with a movie in 2024. It’s nice to relive an animation style that once was the norm, while also seeing it adapted in prescient and timely ways. Robot Dreams, while small scale and innocent, feels like the much needed break from convention.
WALL-E
Over fifteen years later, I’m not sure Disney Pixar Studios has made a movie nearly as insightful, colorful, and ambitious as WALL-E. As an allegory for corporate greed and environmental neglect, the film operates on such a concise and straightforward manner – Pixar’s strongest thematic statement in their catalogue.
Strange World
It’s not that Strange World is bad, it just should’ve been much better. The movie has a third act with its positives (I particularly liked the main twist that I’ll avoid spoiling in this review, but it gave me some nice food-for-thought), but not enough to redeem a story that takes too long to set up without much fun or promise. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid lead a mixed voice cast.
READ MORE: Movies Like Hoppers, Movies Like WALL-E
