This year I’m sharing some of my favorite animated films of all time. Each Saturday I’ll be dropping another entry as I count down my favorites in the animated genre. Periodically throughout the year I’ll be sharing them in this Binge Watch space. Today, I offer my picks for No. 40 to No. 31, with entries appearing in ascending order. If you want to keep up weekly, follow along Saturdays on my blog.

No. 40: Aladdin (1992)
About: This was part of the heyday for animated films for Disney during my childhood. There are a group of Disney animated features I remember watching frequently and loving. They appear on this list and that begins with Aladdin. I really enjoyed the story here and the music. It still holds up for me, even years later.

No. 39: The Justice Society, World War II (2021)
About: This is one of the D.C. animated features. This one is a period piece, of sorts, that sees The Flash go back in time to help the Justice Society as they fight during World War II. I liked the story here and the animated style, making it one of the superhero films that stood out to me.

No. 38: The Hobbit (1977)
About: This is one of the oldest films on my list. It’s an old Rankin and Bass adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien book. It has a classic animated style and some fun moments. My dad used to read the story to us from a book featuring animations from this film, so it’s long had a soft spot in my heart.

No. 37: Over The Moon (2020)
About: This animated film was released during Covid and streamed on Netflix. It didn’t seem to get a lot of talk at the time, but it did make the Animated Feature list at the Oscars. I appreciated the imaginative story and the raw emotional journey here. I had a lot of fun with this one, helping it stick on my list.

No. 36: The Bad Guys (2022)
About: This one has an interesting twist, putting the villains in focus. I enjoyed the story and the ride here. It’s also got a good voice cast, including Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, and Awkwafina. The subsequent specials haven’t been as good, but this was a fun outing.

No. 35: Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023)
About: I wasn’t a big fan of the original Chicken Run film. So, I was as surprised as anyone about how much I enjoyed this sequel. I thought the story moved at a good pace and I liked the voice work. This was a good continuation of the story and one that surpassed the original for me.

No. 34: Batman: The Long Halloween, Part 2 (2021)
About: I had Part One of this film on the list in my first installment. Now, I have the conclusion. I liked the darker elements of this story—which in part served as the basis for the live-action Batman. As mentioned, Batman is my favorite superhero, and I love a good Batman story either live action or animated. This is a good Batman story.

No. 33: Trolls World Tour (2020)
About: I like the Trolls franchise. The original will be higher on this list, but this sequel was a good bit of fun. I like the music and the voice work. This film also has a special place for me owing to its release during Covid. It was fun to have a new film stream at home during that stressful situation. So, I’ll always be grateful for the fun I had with this film.

No. 32: Lightyear (2022)
About: This film is a spin-off of the Toy Story franchise, telling the tale of the real Buzz Lightyear. Some didn’t appreciate the story or the way it expanded the world, but I loved Chris Evans as the main voice, and I loved the story. There is a strong emotional core in this film that really stood out to me. I think this is an under-rated Pixar film.

No. 31: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
About: I’ve mentioned before, but 2023 was a good year for animated films. Maybe it’s recency bias, but there are several films from last year I have on my list. This re-boot of the Ninja Turtle franchise is one of them. The style of the animated was great, but it was the approach and the story that really worked here. This was an under-rated film from last year.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.