Welcome to the final and most current chapter of our epic animated movie rewind! We’re now exploring the incredible films of the 2020s, an era defined by stunning stylistic diversity, the dominance of streaming platforms, and the emotional, heartfelt stories that connect us all. This post is your ultimate, complete guide to the animated movies from 2021 to 2025.
Missed an Era? Explore the Complete Rewind! 🎞️ - The Ultimate Guide to Every 90s Animated Movie (1990-1999) - The Ultimate Guide to Every 2000s Animated Movie (2000-2009) - The Ultimate Guide to 2010s Animated Movies (Part 1: 2010-2015) - The Ultimate Guide to 2010s/20s Animated Movies (Part 2: 2016-2020)
This is where we talk about the Madrigals, swing across the Spider-Verse (again!), and see our favorite emotions level up. It’s an era where animation isn’t just one style, but a boundless playground of creativity. We’ll cover the massive hits you’ve already seen and loved, and then take a peek into the highly anticipated animated movies still to come. Let’s dive into the now and the next! ---
2021: We Don’t Talk About Bruno, but We Do Talk About These Movies! 🦋
| Film Title | IMDb Rating | Genre | Studio Name | Awesome Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Encanto | 7.2/10 | Family, Musical | Walt Disney | A magical, musical phenomenon with songs that took over the world. The Family Madrigal! 🕯️🇨🇴 |
| The Mitchells vs. the Machines | 7.6/10 | Action, Comedy | Sony Pictures Animation | An outrageously funny and creative film about a dysfunctional family saving the world from robots. 🤖👨👩👧👦 |
| Luca | 7.4/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Pixar | A beautiful, sun-drenched story of friendship and sea monsters on the Italian Riviera. Silenzio, Bruno! Vespa 🇮🇹 |
| Raya and the Last Dragon | 7.3/10 | Action, Adventure | Walt Disney | A gorgeous fantasy epic about trust, teamwork, and a legendary dragon. 🐉💎 |
| Vivo | 6.6/10 | Adventure, Musical | Sony / Netflix | Lin-Manuel Miranda brings the music in this vibrant tale of a kinkajou on a mission to deliver a song. �💌 |
| Ron’s Gone Wrong | 7.0/10 | Comedy, Sci-Fi | 20th Century / Locksmith | A socially awkward kid gets a malfunctioning robot best friend. A charming and funny surprise! 🤖❤️ |
| Wish Dragon | 7.2/10 | Comedy, Fantasy | Sony / Netflix | A modern-day fairy tale about a cynical but all-powerful dragon who grants wishes. 🐉🍵 |
| Spirit Untamed | 5.5/10 | Adventure, Family | DreamWorks Animation | A new generation finds their connection with the legendary wild stallion. 🐎👧 |
| Paw Patrol: The Movie | 6.1/10 | Adventure, Family | Paramount / Nickelodeon | The heroic pups are on a roll as they take their rescue missions to the big city! 🐾🚒 |
| Back to the Outback | 6.6/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Netflix Animation | A group of Australia’s “deadliest” creatures escape the zoo to find a home where they belong. 🐍🐨 |
| Tom and Jerry | 5.3/10 | Comedy, Family | Warner Animation Group | The iconic duo takes their rivalry to a fancy New York hotel in this hybrid film. 🐱🐭 |
| America: The Motion Picture | 5.7/10 | Action, Comedy | Netflix Animation | An R-rated, hilariously inaccurate, and wild retelling of the American Revolution. For adults! 🇺🇸😂 |
2022: Turning Red and Finding a Last Wish 🐼
| Film Title | IMDb Rating | Genre | Studio Name | Awesome Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | 7.9/10 | Action, Adventure | DreamWorks Animation | A surprisingly deep, action-packed, and visually stunning sequel that blew everyone away. 🐺👢 |
| Turning Red | 7.0/10 | Comedy, Family | Pixar | A charming, funny, and relatable story about growing up, friendship, and turning into a giant red panda. ❤️🐼 |
| The Sea Beast | 7.0/10 | Action, Adventure | Netflix Animation | A grand, swashbuckling high-seas adventure about monster hunters and a stowaway girl. 🌊🦑 |
| The Bad Guys | 6.8/10 | Adventure, Comedy | DreamWorks Animation | A slick, stylish, and hilarious heist-comedy about bad guys trying to be good. 🐺🐍 |
| Minions: The Rise of Gru | 6.5/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Illumination | The origin story of how the world’s greatest supervillain met his iconic Minions. #Gentleminions 🍌GRU |
| Lightyear | 6.1/10 | Action, Sci-Fi | Pixar | The sci-fi adventure movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy! 🚀👨🚀 |
| DC League of Super-Pets | 7.1/10 | Action, Comedy | Warner Animation Group | When the Justice League is kidnapped, it’s up to Superman’s dog and his shelter pals to save them! 🐶🦸♂️ |
| Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers | 7.0/10 | Action, Comedy | Walt Disney | A shockingly clever and hilarious comeback for the chipmunk duo, full of amazing cameos! 🐿️🕵️ |
| Strange World | 5.5/10 | Action, Adventure | Walt Disney | A family of legendary explorers travels to a mysterious, uncharted land. 🧭🐙 |
| Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | 6.0/10 | Comedy, Family | Sony Pictures Animation | Van Helsing’s new invention turns Drac and his friends into humans, and Johnny into a monster! 🧛♂️🤪 |
| Luck | 6.4/10 | Comedy, Fantasy | Skydance Animation | The unluckiest person in the world stumbles into the hidden Land of Luck. 🍀🐈⬛ |
| The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild | 4.2/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Bardel Entertainment | The thrill-seeking weasel Buck Wild gets his own prehistoric adventure on Disney+. 💥🦕 |
| Scrooge: A Christmas Carol | 6.2/10 | Fantasy, Musical | Netflix / Timeless Films | A supernatural, time-traveling, musical adaptation of the definitive Christmas story. 🎄🎶 |
2023: Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond! 🕷️
| Film Title | IMDb Rating | Genre | Studio Name | Awesome Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse | 8.6/10 | Action, Adventure | Sony / Marvel | A mind-blowing, jaw-dropping sequel that pushed animation and storytelling to unbelievable new levels. 🎨🎸 |
| The Super Mario Bros. Movie | 7.0/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Illumination / Nintendo | Let’s-a-go! The beloved video game hero smashed the box office in this fun, faithful adventure. 🍄⭐ |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | 7.2/10 | Action, Comedy | Paramount / Nickelodeon | A fresh, funny, and visually inventive take on the heroes in a half shell. Cowabunga! 🐢🍕 |
| Nimona | 7.6/10 | Action, Fantasy | Netflix / Annapurna | A rebellious and hilarious shapeshifter teams up with a disgraced knight. METAL! 🤘🎸 |
| Elemental | 7.0/10 | Comedy, Romance | Pixar | A fiery young woman and a go-with-the-flow guy discover how much they have in common. 🔥💧 |
| Leo | 7.0/10 | Comedy, Musical | Netflix Animation | Adam Sandler is a 74-year-old class pet lizard in this surprisingly heartfelt musical comedy. 🦎😂 |
| Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget | 6.4/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Aardman / Netflix | The chickens are back! This time, they’re breaking IN to a high-tech farm. 🐔🧡 |
| Migration | 6.7/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Illumination | A family of ducks tries to migrate south for the winter with hilarious results. 🦆✈️ |
| Wish | 5.6/10 | Fantasy, Musical | Walt Disney | Disney’s 100th anniversary film explores the origin of the wishing star. ✨🌟 |
| Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken | 5.8/10 | Action, Fantasy | DreamWorks Animation | A shy teenager discovers she’s a legendary sea kraken destined to rule the seas. 🐙👑 |
| Mummies | 5.9/10 | Adventure, Comedy | Warner Bros. Pictures | Three ancient mummies end up in present-day London and embark on a wacky journey. 🇪🇬🇬🇧 |
| Megamind vs. The Doom Syndicate | 2.5/10 | Action, Comedy | DreamWorks Television | The blue hero is back in a new direct-to-streaming movie on Peacock! 💥💡 |
2024: New Feelings and Familiar Faces 🤖
| Film Title | IMDb Rating | Genre | Studio Name | Awesome Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Out 2 | 7.8/10 | Comedy, Drama | Pixar | Riley’s a teenager, which means Joy and the gang have to deal with new emotions like Anxiety! 😬🧡 |
| Kung Fu Panda 4 | 6.3/10 | Action, Adventure | DreamWorks Animation | Po must train a new Dragon Warrior while facing a powerful new shapeshifting villain. Skadoosh! 🐼💥 |
| Despicable Me 4 | 6.3/10 | Action, Comedy | Illumination | Gru and the family are back, this time with a new baby and a new supervillain to face! 👨👩👧👦GRU |
| The Wild Robot | TBD (Upcoming) | Sci-Fi, Adventure | DreamWorks Animation | From the director of How to Train Your Dragon comes this beautiful, highly anticipated film! 🤖🌲 |
| Moana 2 | TBD (Upcoming) | Adventure, Musical | Walt Disney | The surprise announcement that has everyone excited! Moana sets sail on a new adventure. 🌊⛵️ |
| Sonic the Hedgehog 3 | TBD (Upcoming) | Action, Adventure | Paramount Pictures | The hybrid adventure continues, promising the debut of the iconic Shadow the Hedgehog! 🦔💨 |
| The Bad Guys 2 | TBD (Upcoming) | Adventure, Comedy | DreamWorks Animation | (Working Title) The stylish criminal crew is set for another heist! Highly anticipated! 🐺🐍 |
2025: A Glimpse into the Animated Future! 🔮
| Film Title | IMDb Rating | Genre | Studio Name | Awesome Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zootopia 2 | Announced | Adventure, Comedy | Walt Disney | We’re officially heading back to Zootopia! Details are secret, but the hype is real. 🦊🐰 |
| Toy Story 5 | Announced | Adventure, Comedy | Pixar | Just when we thought it was over… Woody and Buzz are reportedly returning for another adventure! 🤠🚀 |
| Frozen III | Announced | Fantasy, Musical | Walt Disney | Get ready for new songs to get stuck in your head! The story of the two sisters will continue. ❄️👑 |
| Shrek 5 | Announced | Adventure, Comedy | DreamWorks Animation | The original cast is expected to return! Get ready to go back to the swamp! 🧅💚 |
| Elio | TBD (Upcoming) | Sci-Fi, Adventure | Pixar | A boy is accidentally beamed up to space and becomes Earth’s intergalactic ambassador. 👽🌌 |
| Transformers One | TBD (Upcoming) | Action, Sci-Fi | Paramount Animation | An all-CG animated origin story set on Cybertron! (Actually releasing in 2024!) 🤖🔥 |
| Super Mario Bros. 2 | Announced | Adventure, Comedy | Illumination / Nintendo | The sequel to the smash hit is officially coming, but you’ll have to wait until 2026! 🍄⭐ |
And that brings us to today and beyond! 🎬 From groundbreaking visual styles to the rise of streaming giants, this era proves that the magic of animation is constantly evolving and reaching incredible new heights. What a perfect way to cap off our ultimate animated movie rewind!
You’ve Reached the End! Start the Journey All Over Again! 📼 - The Ultimate Guide to Every 90s Animated Movie (1990-1999) - The Ultimate Guide to Every 2000s Animated Movie (2000-2009)
This has been an epic series! Which movie of the future are you most excited to see? Let us know your final thoughts in the comments below! Thanks for coming along on this amazing ride through decades of animated brilliance! 🎉✨
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