Animated movies have the unwavering ability to make audiences feel every emotion imaginable. Fans could go from smiling and laughing, all giddy, to uncontrollably sobbing in a matter of minutes. They really do have a way of emotionally grabbing viewers, no matter how old you may be.

Whether 5, 13, 30, or even 60 years old, these animated adventures are always an enjoyable experience, minus the uncontrollable sobbing moments. When a new one hits the screens, there's always a level of anticipation, but how well a film ultimately does relies on many aspects. In regards to being commercially successful, they must perform well at the box office, and with a total of $11.2 billion, they typically do pretty well.

Updated on July 30, 2023, by David Caballero:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a certified success. Currently the highest-grossing film of 2023, the film broke multiple box-office records, including achieving the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film. The film has already surpassed many animated classics' commercial performances, but that doesn't mean there aren't many other great animated films that have made a considerable dent at the worldwide box office.

12 'Despicable Me 2' (2013)

despicable-me-2
Image via Universal Pictures

Box Office: $975 million

The Despicable Me series has become one of the best-performing animated franchises. The first sequel, 2013's Despicable Me 2, sees Gru recruited by secret agent Lucy Wilde to investigate a theft in the Arctic Circle. Their investigation pits them against the villain El Macho.

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Despicable Me 2 is as famous for its plot as it is for its inescapable soundtrack, headlined by Pharrell's infamous Oscar-nominated tune "Happy." The film nearly doubled its predecessor's box-office gross and received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature. More importantly, it cemented the series as a legitimate franchise, thus beginning Gru and his minions' dominance over the animated entertainment business.

11 'The Lion King' (1994)

Simba, Pumba, and Timon in The Lion King
Image via Disney

Box Office: $986 million

An iconic part of many childhoods throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, this classic part of 90s Disney continues to grip the hearts of millions even almost 30 years after its release. The film tells the somewhat emotional yet heartwarmingly inspiring story of a young lion cub as he learns and grows into the King of Pride Rock.

Catchy music, lovable characters, and an underlying message to live by make this a repetitive go-to for many. "Hakuna Matata." The Lion King remains a commercial success, garnering a new generation of fans upon the 2019 release of the remake, which gained box office success in its own right. The 1994 original earned $986 million against a budget of $45 million.

10 'Zootopia' (2016)

Zootopia

Box Office: $1.002 billion

Released in 2016, this cute Disney tale tells the story of a young rabbit who moves to Zootropolis and joins the police department. Not taken seriously due to her size and species, she is intent on proving herself, and when predators start disappearing all over the city, she gets her chance to do just that. With the help of a cheeky and cunning fox named Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), Judy the rabbit (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) embarks on quite the journey to bring the missing animals home to their families.

Zootopia was incredibly well received by those who watched it, earning a near-perfect Tomatometer score of 98% and becoming one of the best films of 2016. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, cementing its place as one of Disney's best efforts during the 2010s. A sequel titled Zootopia 2 has already been confirmed.

9 'Finding Dory (2016)

Dory and her parents in Finding Dory
Image via Disney

Box Office: $1.025 billion

The long-awaited and highly-anticipated successor to 2003's Finding Nemo finally came in 2016. The film follows Blue Tang, Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), as she embarks on finding her parents and discovering where she came from.

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As the first one did, Finding Dory did exceedingly well in the eyes of critics and audiences and was a commercial success, becoming the 8th highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Surprisingly, the film didn't receive an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature, unlike its predecessor, which actually won the prestigious award.

8 'Despicable Me 3' (2017)

despicable-me-3-minions
Image via Universal, Illumination Entertainment

Box Office: $1.032 billion

The third entry in Illumination's successful Despicable Me franchise, Despicable Me 3 centers on Gru and Lucy (voiced by Steve Carell and Kristen Wig) as they team with his long-lost brother, Dru. The team faces Balthazar Bratt, a former child actor threatening to destroy Hollywood.

With the highest budget of the trilogy at $80 million, the seventh highest-grossing animated movie brought in a worldwide total of $1.032 billion, more than doubling the first's intake and beating out its predecessor by a mere $57 million. While not as good as previous installments in the eyes of critics, it's an entertaining watch, nonetheless.

7 'Toy Story 3' (2010)

Scene in Toy Story 3 with Woody voiced by Tom Hanks, Buzz Lightyear voiced by Tim Allen as they sit in the trash about to be incinerated.
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Box Office: $1.068 billion

Pixar's iconic Toy Story gang won audiences' hearts from the moment they first appeared on the big screens in 1995. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Slinky, Hamm, Rex, the Potato Heads, and more have been entertaining generations for decades, and they'll likely continue to do so for many years to come.

This franchise of four, soon to be five, follows the toys through their many adventures, trials, and tribulations over multiple years. Arguably the saddest of the lot, Toy Story 3 centers on them finding their way back to Andy after they're mistakenly donated to a daycare center. Recently beaten out by its successor, Toy Story 3 is currently the 6th highest-grossing animated movie.

6 'Toy Story 4' (2019)

Toy Story 4 - 2019

Box Office: $1.073 billion

Toy Story 4 followed the toys, now living and playing with young Bonnie (voiced by Madeleine McGraw). After jumping out of a moving RV window to rescue Bonnie's new favorite toy during a road trip, Woody and the makeshift toy Forky must attempt to find their way home to their new-found family.

A bittersweet ending that later turned out to be a cop-out, Toy Story 4 was a popular success, becoming only the second film in the series to breach $1 billion at the box office. Critics and audiences liked it well enough, although many considered it an unnecessary fourth installment to an otherwise great trilogy. Still, Disney doesn't seem to care because they've already greenlit a fifth film.

5 'Minions' (2015)

Two minions hang out by a water cooler and giggle at the bubbling noises it makes
Image via Universal Pictures

Box Office: $1.157 billion

Everyone's heard of the minions before, right? Bright yellow interesting creatures with their own unique language and quite a fondness for bananas. These little guys made quite a lasting impression when introduced 13 years ago in the popular animated adventure from Universal Pictures, Despicable Me.

The first release at the beginning of the new decade sparked a trilogy for the Despicable Me franchise as well as numerous spin-offs, short films, and commercial appearances, perhaps most notably the 2015 film, Minions. It follows these adorable beings in their pre-Gru era as they search for a leader. Commercially, the film was ultimately a success, outgrossing their source films and cementing Illumination Entertainment as a worthy competitor to Disney.

4 'Incredibles 2' (2018)

Elastigirl meeting other superheros

Box Office: $1.242 billion

If there were ever an animated sequel fans wanted, it would be Incredibles 2. The superhero family of five was first introduced all the way back in 2004 with the release of The Incredibles, which remains a favorite. The sequel follows Elastigirl returning to superhero duty while Mr. Incredible remains a stay-at-home dad.

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Despite receiving a more tepid critical response than its predecessor, Incredibles 2 did not disappoint by any means. It made for a highly enjoyable film that was well worth the 14-year wait. Incredibles 2 was a financial and critical success, earning over a billion at the box office and receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature; ironically, it lost against another superhero-themed film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

3 'Frozen' (2013)

Ana and Elsa embracing in Frozen
Image via Disney

Box Office: $1.284 billion

Ten whole years have passed since this gem was released, and every kid on the planet started driving their parents crazy with that earworm of a song. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Snow Queen, Frozen follows two sisters as they struggle to connect after their kingdom becomes buried in an eternal winter.

Frozen remains among the biggest box-office surprises of the 2010s. It overshadowed other films, including the underrated gem Big Hero 6, released around the same time. Frozen paved the way for a sequel six years later, but the original stands just as strong, remaining among the strongest Disney efforts in the 2010s.

2 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

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Box Office: $1.355 billion

Based on arguably the most popular video game character in the medium's history, Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a spectacular success. The plot follows Mario as he travels to the Mushroom Kingdom and joins Princess Peach against Bowser, the Koopa King who holds his brother captive.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie received notoriously divisive critical reviews, with many considering it a mediocre effort lacking originality. However, the film was a smashing box office success, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023 and nearly claiming the top spot as the all-time highest-grossing animated film.

1 'Frozen 2' (2019)

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Sven looking offscreen in Frozen II
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Box Office: $1.453 billion

With the success of the first one looming in the shadows, there was an undeniable curiosity surrounding how well number two would stand against its predecessor. Frozen II sees Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf traveling to an enchanted forest to unravel the mysteries of Elsa's origins.

While undoubtedly a good movie, Frozen II wasn't as universally adored as its predecessor. However, it was still an undeniable box-office triumph, grossing $1.453 billion and becoming the highest-grossing animated film in history. A third Frozen adventure will continue the series, cementing it among Disney's most acclaimed and commercially successful trilogies.

NEXT: The Highest-Grossing Superhero Movies Of All Time