10 Under-Appreciated Animated Children's Movies

*Affiliate links are used in this post. Please see my full disclosure for more information.

I love movies. I actually graduated college with a Film concentration. My dream job was to edit movie trailers or music videos but I started popping out babies so didn't quite make it there. My husband and I probably have over 500 dvd's and at least 100 kids dvd's. 

Yes I know that's a lot but that's where pawn stores, flea markets and yard sales come in handy - $1 dvd's for the win! I will say since we started having kids and everything is becoming digital (Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, etc...) we shifted to building our kid's collection and have done pretty well. 

My kids are still young but we will randomly have family movie nights which are always fun. I've noticed that with all the "BIG" named movies out there *Disney Classics cough cough* that several good animated children's movies don't get as much credit as they deserve. 

Now there is nothing wrong with the "BIG" named movies, some of them are my favorites but lets give some appreciation to some of the movies that may of gotten swept under the rug. In no particular order, here is my list of...

10 Under-Appreciated Animated Children's Movies: 

1. Bolt (2008 - PG)

Bolt is about a dog that acts as a super hero for a show and goes on an adventure in the real world thinking he is a real super hero. It has cute animated animals and is voiced by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus. It does have explosions, weapons, etc... that may be scarier for younger children.

Bolt teaches kids about bravery and friendship. 

2. Home (2015 - PG)

Home is a super cute movie with a great sound track. It is about a girl and a Boov who travel across the world searching for her mother who was taken by other Boovs'. The main characters are voiced by Rhianna and Jim Parsons.

Home teaches kids about trust and the meaning of family.

3. Big Hero 6 (2014 - PG)

Big Hero 6 follows a young engineer and a robot whose purpose is to take care of people along with a group of friends turned superheroes to help save their town. There is more to it but I can't say much without spoiling anything. There is a lot of action, violence and a fire that may be scarier for younger children.

Big Hero 6 teaches kids a lot about emotions, friendship and how to deal with the loss of a loved one.

4. Gnomeo & Juliet (2011 - G)

Gnomeo and Juliet follows the same storyline as Romeo and Juliet except with cartoon garden gnomes. There is a lot of humor, some adult humor. Overall the movie is super cute! The main characters are voiced by Emily Blunt and James McAvoy.

Gnomeo and Juliet teaches kids about love and hate (the family feud).

5. Rio (2011 - G)

Rio follows a domesticated macaw that is captured by smugglers and the adventure he goes on after he escapes to find his owner. Rio is filled with tons of color, humor and a lot of positive energy. Rio has several well-known actors voice their characters such as Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, and George Lopez to name a few. 

Rio teaches kids about courage and facing your fears.

6. Planet 51 (2009 - PG)

Planet 51 is a reverse alien movie. It's about an astronaut who lands on Planet 51 where he finds aliens but the aliens think he is an alien. It is full of colors and humor for both kids and adults. The main characters are voiced by Dwayne Johnson, Justin long and Jessica Biel.

Planet 51 teaches kids that just because someone/something is different doesn't mean it's bad.

7. Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)

Joseph: King of Dreams is based on the Bible story that follows Joseph as he is sold into slavery and his ability to interpret dreams. It is full of color, life lessons, and even a few songs. The main character is voiced by Ben Affleck. 

Joseph: King of Dreams teaches kids about forgiveness and making the most of hard times.

8. Bee Movie (2007 - PG)

Bee Movie follows a bee who travels outside the Hive, breaks the rules and talks to a human where he learns that humans are "stealing" the bee's honey. The main characters are voiced by Jerry Seinfeld and Renee Zellweger.

Bee Movie teaches kids about the importance of bees and why we need bees on the planet to pollinate. It also teaches kids several life lessons about working, parents rules, their image, and how to use your talents for the best.

9. The Aunt Bully (2006 - PG)

The Ant Bully is about a little boy who gets bullied and takes his anger out on ants until he becomes ant sized himself thus giving him a new look on life. The main characters are voiced by Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage and Meryl Streep.

The Ant Bully teaches kids about the effects of bullying.
                  

10. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002 - G)
Spirit is about a wild stallion who becomes captured by humans who try to tame him. It's about Spirit's rebellious spirit and trying to find his way back home to his herd, while learning to trust new friends along the way. Spirit is full of bright colors. It is geared more toward older kids due to some violence. Spirit is voiced by Matt Damon.

Spirit teaches kids about how animal cruelty is wrong. It also teaches kids to stand up for themselves and what they believe in.

A few of theses movies have been on Netflix. Other's I have found at pawn stores or Walmart's Black Friday sale for super cheap.

I have seen all ten of theses movies and enjoyed them myself. This list is based solely on my opinion of the movies but my four and five year old have watched all of them and seemed to enjoy the movies as well.  Keep in mind that all kids are different and will react different to the movies!

While some of the movies have adult humor that my kids didn't pick up on thank goodness or are filled with a few action scenes that may frighten little ones, most of the movies are filled with bright colors and life lessons.

I had a hard time narrowing this list down to just ten movies. Although I think these ten movies are pretty awesome, here are a few others that almost made the list of under-appreciated animated children's movies:

• A Bugs Life (1998 - G)
• The Prince of Egypt (1998)
• The Emperor's New Groove (2000 - G)
• The Road to El Dorado (2000 - PG)
• Meet the Robinsons (2007 - G)
• Zootopia (2016 - PG)
• Sing (2016 - PG)

I'd love to know your favorite Under-Appreciated Animated Children's Movies. Comment below!

Pin this image for later: