As we sail through summer and enter the second half of the year, there’s no better time to take a look back at all the animated triumphs of 2023. It’s a well-known fact that animated features are often overshadowed by their live-action counterparts, especially as big-shot production companies like Marvel, Paramount, A24, and many more, continue to pump out successful blockbusters. But 2023 has been a monumental year for animation, particularly as it pushes the boundaries to discover new creative techniques.
Would you believe it, out of the three highest-grossing movies of 2023, two of them are animated. The other being Barbie, which is absolutely killing it at the box office as we speak. And it’s no surprise that a Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling venture would be climbing the ranks so effortlessly. But don’t underestimate the animations that have overtaken competitors like Avatar: The Way of Water, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, and Oppenheimer.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Currently the highest-grossing movie of 2023 with a total of $574,173,895 at the domestic box office, The Super Mario Bros. Movie has certainly made history. From the minds at Universal Pictures, Illumination, and Nintendo comes a computer-animated adventure that retells the story of Mario and Luigi, two plumber brothers who reside in Brooklyn, New York, and find themselves in the middle of a heated war between the Mushroom Kingdom — ruled by Princess Peach — and the Darklands — under the control of Bowser.
It was after the total commercial failure of the live-action Super Mario Bros. (1993) that Nintendo decided to collaborate with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto to produce an animated movie instead. Having grossed $1.357 billion worldwide, The Super Mario Bros. Movie set multiple box-office records, including the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the highest-grossing film based on a video game.
Nimona
Originally intended to be a Disney vessel, Nimona was later canceled for featuring a same-sex kiss. It was revived by Annapurna Pictures and Netflix, a streaming service known for producing LGBTQ+ content. Nimona was based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson, which is set in the Middle Ages and follows a teenage shapeshifter named Nimona, who becomes an outcast and teams up with a former knight named Ballister Boldheart to clear his name after he’s accused of murdering the kingdom’s queen.
Stevenson also created and executive produced She-Ra and the Princess of Power, another major LGBTQ+ hit for Netflix. Nimona was profusely praised for its stunning animation, thoughtful allegory, and fearlessness in the face of adversity. Although it was a project that Disney and Blue Sky never intended to see the light of day, it eventually sparked larger discussions about LGBTQ+ representation in media, thereby becoming a massive influence on other like-minded cartoons.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
After the resounding success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Sony had some huge shoes to fill. Thankfully, it didn’t disappoint. Shameik Moore and Hailee Steinfeld return as Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy embark on an adventure across the Spider-Verse, wherein several Spider-People from all walks of life reside. Eventually, after a mishap with the supervillain the Spot, Miles comes under fire from the so-called Spider-Society. Across the Spider-Verse is the longest animated film ever produced by an American studio, clocking in at 140 minutes.
The sequel was set to focus on the relationship between Miles and Gwen, which is considered both platonic and romantic. Starting with Into the Spider-Verse, this trilogy pioneered a new style of animation, blending computer-generated imagery with hand-drawn artwork to mimic the cartoonish look of a comic book panel. There have yet to be many animated spectacles on the same level as Sony’s Miles Morales storyline, which has been confirmed to continue with Beyond the Spider-Verse (currently in development).
Suzume
Suzume no Tojimari, known in English as simply Suzume, is a coming-of-age fantasy anime from Toho Co. It was written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, who also worked on Your Name and Weathering with You. The movie focuses on 17-year-old high school student Suzume, who teams up with a “Closer” named Souta Munakata to prevent a giant supernatural worm from wreaking havoc by sealing it behind a series of doors scattered across Japan. Suzume‘s premise was inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and both a novel series and manga premiered prior to the movie’s release.
Although Suzume received some criticism for following the structure of Shinkai’s other works too closely, critics praised the animation, characters, emotional weight, and soundtrack. It went on to become the fourth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, earning $324.2 million. Suzume and Souta are voiced by Nanoka Hara and Hokuto Matsumura, respectively.
Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie
Based on the widely successful animated series Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, the movie follows two Parisian teenagers, Marinette and Adrien, who are endowed with magical gems known as the Miraculous that grant them the powers of Ladybug and Cat Noir, two mystical heroes. Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie was directed and written by the co-writer of the animated series, Jeremy Zag. In addition to following a similar premise to the show, the movie is a musical, featuring self-composed songs from Zag.
In general, the movie was panned for a lack of originality and songs that felt out of place with the rest of the story, but fans were able to appreciate all the small callbacks to the animated show, as well as the on-screen chemistry between Marinette and Adrien, which has been more of a slow-burn romance thus far. It was the animation style and action sequences that truly tipped the scales for the audience, who could forgive the small qualms.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
Acting as the seventh theatrical Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film and a reboot of the series, Mutant Mayhem is directed by Jeff Rowe, who co-wrote the screenplay with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Dan Hernandez, and Benji Samit. In the movie, the turtle brothers — voiced by Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon — emerge from the sewers to be accepted as normal teenagers by performing acts of heroism. On the hunt for a notorious crime syndicate, the brothers are confronted by a band of mutants.
As it stands right now, Mutant Mayhem has failed to break even at the box office, but it was beloved by audiences, who even gave the early test screening a six-minute standing ovation. A follow-up TV series, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, is set to premiere on Paramount Plus, while a sequel is confirmed to be in development.
