For years, animated movies with children as the target audience have boded well for adults, too.
Many animated films have high production and script-writing quality, which includes adult humor and themes woven throughout. Generations of parents and grandparents are easily able to enjoy the plots, characters, lessons and musical scoring alongside their young offspring.
Read on for a list of animated movies, new and old, to be enjoyed as both a child and an adult.
Animated movies aren't just for kids. Films like "Inside Out" can be enjoyed by adults too. (Diego Radames/Europa Press via Getty Images)
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- "Moana"
- "Frozen"
- "Inside Out"
- "Monsters Inc."
- "Shrek"
- "A Bug's Life"
- "Over the Hedge"
- "Despicable Me"
- "Lilo & Stitch"
- "Wreck-It Ralph"
- "How to Train Your Dragon"
- "The Lion King"
- "Ratatouille"
- "Coco"
- "Kung Fu Panda"
- "Encanto"
- "Toy Story"
- "Finding Nemo"
- "Up"
- "The Incredibles"
- "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
- "Zootopia"
- "Surf's Up"
- "Sing"
1. "Moana"
Moana, voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, is sent on a mission across the sea by her grandmother. Just before her death, Moana's grandmother shares that the young girl must find a demigod named Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, and sail him to Te Fiti, so he can restore the heart and save her people.
This movie features a captivating story, and includes catchy tunes, like Maui's "You're Welcome" sung by Johnson.
2. "Frozen"
While many classic Disney movies focus on the romantic relationship between two characters, this movie centralizes the love between two siblings.
The movie about two sisters, Anna and Elsa, whose parents died in a shipwreck, is a story for all to enjoy. More details of their parents' deaths are revealed in the 2019 sequel, "Frozen II."
After the success of the first "Frozen" movie, a second hit theaters in 2019. (Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
The story runs through the sisters' lives and shows that Elsa, the eldest, has always kept some separation between herself and Anna. Elsa holds a secret from Anna, and the rest of the kingdom she will soon come to rule.
The eldest of the two has magical powers and becomes queen of Arendelle. She accidentally traps the kingdom in an eternal winter and runs off to hide. This sends Anna and newfound friend Kristoff to find Elsa and reverse the curse.
3. "Inside Out"
"Inside Out" is a relatable movie, even for adults.
"Inside Out" perfectly illustrates, in a comedic way, the struggles that go on in a person's head.
In this movie, viewers see the emotions in the mind of young Riley. Each of her emotions are represented by a character; Joy, Disgust, Fear and Sadness. All of these emotions operate together, causing Riley to feel the way she does on a day-to-day basis.
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When Sadness and Joy get separated from the rest of the emotions in headquarters, Riley begins to make poor decisions without all of her emotions intact.
The two opposite emotions must work together to make their way back to headquarters, and get Riley on the right track.
In 2024, a sequel is expected. It will feature all the original emotions of Riley's, including a new one that developed with age, Anxiety.
4. "Monsters Inc."
In 2001,"Monsters Inc." was released. The film is about a city of monsters operating on the screams of human children.
This all changes when one of the top scares, James P. Sullivan, accidentally brings a happy girl named Boo, who isn't afraid of the scary creature, back to the city.
"Monsters Inc." is a timeless movie that never goes out of style. (Sebastien Dufour/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
A second movie starring beloved characters like Sullivan and his one-eyed partner Mike Wazowski, "Monsters University," was released in 2013.
5. "Shrek"
"Shrek" is a comedy film about a grumpy ogre living in a fairy-tale filled swamp.
The first movie came out in 2001. "Shrek 2" was released in 2004, "Shrek the Third" came out in 2007 and in 2010, "Shrek Forever After" was released. "Shrek 5" is rumored to be released in 2025.
The majority of the movies focus on the relationship between the ogre and the beautiful Princess Fiona, who ends up being much more like Shrek than she appears to be.
6. "A Bug's Life"
This 1998 movie is one loved by generations of viewers.
When an ant colony is under attack from the evil grasshoppers, an ant named Flick goes on a mission to find a group of bugs to fight back and save the colony.
Flick ends up recruiting what turns out to be a group of circus bugs. Though they weren't what Flick was expecting to find, they are the ant's only hope.
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7. "Over the Hedge"
"Over the Hedge" is a 2006 film about a group of animals who steal food from humans.
This effort is initiated by a greedy raccoon named RJ, who has become quite good at stealing food from human families.
RJ recruits a group of gullible woodland creatures to help him repay his debt to an angry bear named Vincent. They help RJ gather food from humans, thinking they are building a stash for themselves.
8. "Despicable Me"
A villain named Gru is planning his biggest evil plan yet. He already has the help of his army of minions, but he needs more in order to be successful.
In his heist to steal the moon, he adopts three sweet orphans, who slowly begin to change his outlook on life.
In 2013, "Despicable Me 2" was released. In 2017, audiences were introduced to "Despicable Me 3." There were also spinoffs centered on the lovable minions titled "Minions" and "Minions: The Rise of Gru," released in 2015 and 2022.
The goofy, lovable minions are a fan favorite in the "Despicable Me" movies. (Luca Teuchmann/FilmMagic)
9. "Lilo & Stitch"
"Lilo & Stitch" is about two unlikely friends who turn out to need each other.
Lilo lives in Hawaii with her older sister Nani. She gets herself into quite a bit of trouble, and doesn't really fit in with everyone else.
Her older sister brings her to the pound to pick out a dog. Lilo ends up choosing a "dog" she names Stitch.
As it turns out, Stitch is an alien experiment from another planet.
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Jumba, Stitch's creator, and another alien named Pleakley head to Earth to get him back.
Stitch experiences life on Earth with Lilo, while trying to evade his capture.
This movie tells an enduring story. It also intertwines hits by the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis.
There have been additional movies, including "Lilo and Stitch 2: Stitch Has A Glitch" and "Stitch! The Movie," released based on the intergalactic characters, and Earth-born Lilo.
10. "Wreck-It Ralph"
Ralph, the bad guy in a video game matching the title of the movie, is tired of being the villain.
This sets him out on a mission through video games to prove that he can be the hero after all.
A sequel, "Ralph Breaks the Internet," came out in 2018.
11. "How to Train Your Dragon"
On the Islands of Berk, dragons are fought by the people of the land. This is until a teen named Hiccup finds an injured dragon named Toothless, and they quickly become friends.
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" followed the original film in 2014.
If you love the imaginative world you see in these movies, you can experience it in real life – kind of.
The newly opening Universal's Epic Universe theme park is a land based on the movies called "How to Train Your Dragon-Isle of Berk."
12. "The Lion King"
"The Lion King" is a timeless movie that has stuck with generations of fans.
This movie about a young lion raised by a meerkat and warthog after his father's death is an unforgettable one.
Simba's eventual return to the Pride Lands to fight for his rightful spot as king is a triumphant story that both kids and adults can appreciate.
A modern rendition of this story was told in the 2019 film with the same title.
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In 2016, a TV series came out continuing the story of the beloved movie. This series revolves around Simba's children. (Disney Junior via Getty Images)
13. "Ratatouille"
Remy loves to cook, and aspires to be a chief. There's only one thing standing in the way of Remy's lifelong dream. He's a rat.
Remy shares his cooking abilities with a chef who is less than ideal at his job.
Remy hides under Lou's hat and becomes somewhat of a puppeteer, by pulling his hair to make it look like the human chef is doing all the cooking himself, while it's really the rat who is behind the dishes.
14. "Coco"
"Coco" is a great movie for kids and adults to learn a bit about Dia de Los Muertos in a fun way.
The 2017 movie is about a young boy named Miguel who wants to be a musician. This leads him on a magical trip to the Land of the Dead. He goes on a quest to meet his great-great-grandfather, who used to be a famous musician.
15. "Kung Fu Panda"
Jack Black voices a clumsy panda who loves kung fu. He ends up joining a group of elite kung fu fighters trained by Master Shifu.
"Kung Fu Panda 2," "Kung Fu Panda 3," and "Kung Fu Panda 4," were developed after the success of the first film.
16. "Encanto"
This 2021 film is about the Madrigal family, where each member has a magical power.
That is everyone but Mirabel – or so she thinks. This movie includes well-received music, including "We Don't Talk About Bruno," a song that topped the Billboard charts.
17. "Toy Story"
The 1995 film "Toy Story" is about toys that come to life outside the eyes of humans. It has stolen the hearts of viewers young and old for decades.
From Woody, to Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head to Slinky Dog, there are so many lovable characters in these movies. As the movies progress, even more begin to be added to the bunch.
So far, there have been four "Toy Story" movies made.
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The newest of the "Toy Story" films came out in 2019. (Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
18. "Finding Nemo"
"Finding Nemo" resonates with adults and children as a story highlighting many valuable lessons, like the importance of family and friends, and listening to the advice of parents.
Marlin has a hard time letting his young Nemo go. When he reluctantly sends him off to school, Nemo finds himself falling into peer pressure, and makes a decision that leads him to be caught by a diver and sent to a dentist's office fish tank.
Marlin heads into the deep depths of the ocean with a forgetful new friend named Dory on a mission to find Nemo.
In 2016, a spinoff was released titled "Finding Dory."
"Finding Nemo" teaches valuable life lessons, making it a perfect movie for parents to watch with their kids. (Hiroyuki Ito/Getty Images)
19. "Up"
In many animated movies, the main characters are young kids, animals or even a sort of fictional being.
This movie is led by Carl, an elderly man who misses his dear wife Ellie, who has passed.
Carl makes it his mission to get to Paradise Falls, an adventure he and his wife dreamed of doing together.
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In order to get there, he travels in the home he shared with his late wife, as it's lifted off the ground by balloons.
As his house rises from the ground, a young Boy Scout named Russell happens to be on the porch, unaware of the events about to happen. This causes Carl and Russell to be forced into traveling to Paradise Falls together.
20. "The Incredibles"
In "The Incredibles," a family of superheros must trade a life fighting crime for a much more normal one after the government bans them and other heroes from using their powers.
That is all until Mr. Incredible gets what he sees as the opportunity of a lifetime, to fight crime once again.
The Incredibles spend years living life as normal citizens, until duty calls once again. (SGranitz/WireImage)
Mr. Incredible's mission winds up going sideways as it's an enormous setup. His family goes after the patriarch to bring him safely home.
A second movie, "The Incredibles 2," was released in 2018.
21. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
In "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," a young teen named Miles Morales is Spider-Man.
He must join forces with others who possess spider-like powers from different dimensions in order to defeat a dangerous threat.
A second movie, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," hit theaters in 2023.
22. "Zootopia"
"Zootopia" is filled with comedic scenes that resonate with adults, such as sloths working at the DMV.
This movie is about a rabbit named Judy who joins the police force, a job not common for her species. She is often given the more mundane jobs, even though she knows she is capable of more.
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When animals begin to go missing, Judy is on the case. She joins forces with a con-artist fox named Nick Wilde, who helps her solve the mystery.
23. "Surf's Up"
"Surf's Up" is unique in its filming style as an animated documentary.
The movie follows a penguin named Cody Maverick, leaving Antarctica and making his way to Pen Gu Island for the Big Z Memorial Surf Off.
He ends up coming across a former professional surfer named Geek, who teaches the penguin lessons more important than the sport.
A sequel of this film came out in 2016.
24. "Sing"
"Sing" is filled with great covers of songs that adults will love. The movie's playlist includes "I'm Still Standing," "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" and "My Way."
These movies are mixed into a plot starring a koala named Buster Moon, who owns a theater that is going through financial problems.
In order to save his business, he hosts a singing competition, where the winner will receive $1,000.
Moon's elderly assistant, Miss Crawly misprints the fliers, adding three too many zeros. When animals from around the city see the whopping $100,000 prize, they flood to the theater to audition.
Moon bookmarks this typo as a later problem, seeing the potential in front of him to put on the show of a lifetime.
A second "Sing" movie was released in 2021, and includes more classic songs like "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," "I Say a Little Prayer" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
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