Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for animated movies like Zootopia 2:
Elemental
Elemental acts as a surprising return to the roots of Pixar. It’s a movie with a host of relevant themes and messages rolled into a sincere and effective love story. It’s been a a minute since Pixar landed an original story with such a clear balance of narrative and comedy.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fantastic Mr. Fox is more than just one of the best Wes Anderson movies or one of the best animated movies—it’s one of the best movies, period. A singular work of creativity and charm that continues to inspire, entertain, and resonate.
Nimona
Nimona tries to strike at the same imaginative core that worked so well for a few of Netflix’s animated releases from a year ago, namely The Sea Beast and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, but instead comes out overbaked – trying to have its way in so many directions that it just ultimately feels lost within so many ideas.
Sing 2
Sing 2 is occasionally more entertaining than the first movie, but it rarely competes with some of animation’s recent bests. Hopefully someday they’ll make Kids Bop-adjacent animal movies that are better than this.
The Wild Robot
The overall package of The Wild Robot is ultimately quite honorable and noteworthy. The animated genre offers just a few great movies a year, and The Wild Robot falls into that category. It’s probably the frontrunner for Best Animated Picture at the Academy Awards, and I’d add that we’ve had much worse winners should this take home the prize. It’s sweet and effortlessly likeable, even if you can see the mechanisms of it working behind the scenes.
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.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The glorious animation in the newest Shrek installment Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is enough to drive you to the theater by itself. Led by a star-studded cast and a script with enough heart, The Last Wish is one of the better animated movies of 2022.
In Your Dreams
In Your Dreams wants to hit the jugular and the funny bone at the same time, and it rarely connects with either. The voice cast does what it can, Craig Robinson most of all, but the film’s tonal split and unfinished look turn a promising idea into an inert watch.
The Bad Guys 2
The Bad Guys 2 keeps the zippy, sketchbook energy that made DreamWorks Animation’s first film easy on the eyes, then stalls once the heist machinery starts clicking. The hybrid 2D/3D look still pops, indebted or comparable to the splashy stylings of Sony’s Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. The Machines and even Pixar’s Turning Red. The trouble is everything wrapped in that packaging. Two movies in, this world and its reformed crooks still feel thin.
Luca
Whether its shortcomings are the result of its direct-to-streaming release or broader creative decisions, Luca ultimately stands as Pixar’s weakest effort of the 2020s so far. It’s not a misfire, but it is a forgettable entry in a filmography that typically sets the standard for original animated storytelling. For all its good intentions and lighthearted charm, Luca just doesn’t make much of a splash.
READ MORE: Zootopia 2 (2025)
