The Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards often defies public opinion, with many exceptional films receiving top honors despite divergent user ratings on platforms like Letterboxd. Take Monsters, Inc., for instance, which lost to Shrek in 2001 despite boasting impressive voice performances and groundbreaking animation technology. While Monsters, Inc. received an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 on Letterboxd, Shrek’s rating was slightly lower at 4.0.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Howl’s Moving Castle, another film that failed to receive top honors, lost to Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2004. Despite being a fan favorite, Howl’s Moving Castle received a remarkable 4.3 out of 5 average, placing it above Wallace & Gromit’s 3.7. In 2006, Cars, a Pixar film, lost to Happy Feet, likely due to its timely environmental message. However, Letterboxd users preferred Cars, giving it a 3.5 out of 5 average, significantly higher than Happy Feet’s 2.9.
Fantastic Mr. Fox, a stop-motion animated film, lost to Up in 2009 despite receiving critical acclaim. Letterboxd users preferred Fantastic Mr. Fox, giving it a 4.2 out of 5 average, placing it in their top 250 films of all time. Wreck-It Ralph, another loss for Pixar, lost to Brave in 2012. Despite being a fan favorite, Letterboxd users preferred Wreck-It Ralph, giving it a 3.6 out of 5 average, surpassing Brave’s 3.3.
A Still From Fantastic Mr. Fox (Photo: Fantastic Mr. Fox)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, a Studio Ghibli film, lost to Big Hero 6 in 2013. Despite receiving critical acclaim, Letterboxd users gave it a solid 4.2 out of 5 average, placing it in their top 250 films. My Life as a Zucchini, a Swiss-French animated film, lost to Zootopia in 2016. Despite being a fan favorite, Letterboxd users preferred the former, giving it a 4.1 out of 5 average.
Klaus, a Spanish animated film, lost to Toy Story 4 in 2019. Despite being a visual masterpiece, Letterboxd users connected more with Klaus’s visual styling, giving it a 4.1 out of 5 average, surpassing Toy Story 4’s 3.5. Wolfwalkers, an Irish animated film, lost to Soul in 2020. Despite being a fan favorite, Letterboxd users preferred the former, giving it a 4.1 out of 5 average, narrowly beating Soul’s 4.0.
Lastly, Flee, a Danish animated film, lost to Encanto in 2021. Despite being critically acclaimed, Letterboxd users preferred the former’s sad and heartbreaking story, giving it a 4.1 out of 5 average, significantly higher than Encanto’s 3.7. These films, even though they didn’t win the Best Animated Feature award at the Academy Awards, have a special place in the hearts of modern film enthusiasts on Letterboxd.
