2022 was one of the best years for film in recent memory, even rivaling other outstanding years for film such as 2019 or 2017 by providing us with a number of fantastic indie darlings such as Everything Everywhere All at Once and Aftersun, as well as big blockbusters that managed to stray away from typical norms and be amazing films in their own right. Some notable examples of course include Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water.

RELATED: From 'The Bad Guys' to 'Puss in Boots': The 10 Best Animated Movies of 2022, Ranked by IMDb Score

Animation was also something that gracefully succeeded in 2022, with many great and memorable releases. Even if you strip the Disney animated films away, there were still a number of striking and fantastic animated movies. These include the likes of the dark fantasy spectacle of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and many more visual delights.

10 'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish'

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Image via DreamWorks Animation

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a surprisingly great sequel to a film that nobody thought even needed a sequel in the first place. This unexpected return to the beloved character tells the story of a grand adventure to obtain a mystical wish for Puss (Antonio Banderas) to regain his lost nine lives.

The film flourishes with some of the best use of 3D animation of the year, consisting of a style that even rivals Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in terms of art direction and choreography. However, this film still feels distinct and unique in how it uses its animation to enhance the tale of Puss in Boots, serving as one of the best installments in the Shrek franchise and one of Dreamworks' best features in recent memory.

9 'Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio'

Pinocchio touching Gepetto's nose in Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Image via Netflix

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a film many people consider to be the best-animated picture of this year, and for good reason. It is a marvelous and whimsical retelling of the classic tale of Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) presented in some stunning stop-motion animation. While the film does rehash many things from the Pinocchio lore, it still has many elements that make it a fresh and unique story.

This film isn't afraid to comment on some darker themes and uses the story of Pinocchio as a device in conveying many fascinating messages about mortality and the burdens associated with death and difference. This being a del Toro film automatically evokes a more ghastly feel to the atmosphere, especially with his focus on the background of war in many of his stories. All these darker elements combined with a sense of charm and whimsy to create an important rendition of a timeless classic suitable for any age to enjoy.

RELATED: 10 Differences Between Dinsey's 'Pinocchio' and 'Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio'

8 'The Bad Guys'

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Image via Dreamworks

Dreamworks really was on a hot streak in 2022, as The Bad Guys was another very stylish and fun addition to their roster. While the film tells the simple story of the antics of an infamous group anthropomorphic of bandits, the distinct visual style and creative use of animation help it rise above any old standard children's film we see nowadays.

The film's animation really helps add so much flair and life to the character's designs and expressions as well as the many engaging action sequences the film has to offer.

7 'Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood'

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Richard Linklater is a master when it comes to personal and emotionally-driven stories, and although Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood is an animated film, it is still one that feels easily relatable and human. The film follows a man (voiced by Jack Black as an adult, Milo Coy as a child) narrating many memories of his life from his younger years and blends these accounts with a fantastical story of a journey to the moon.

A part of what makes this film feel so human is its rotoscope style. This is something Linklater has adapted in the past within his films Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly. However, the style takes its full force within this film, showcasing how this is a stable of Linklater's filmmaking, as he combines animation with stories that feel grounded in reality.

RELATED: 5 Rotoscope Animation Movies and Shows to Watch After 'Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood'

6 'The Sea Beast'

The Sea Beast

The Sea Beast is a highly thrilling animated adventure telling the story of a legendary sea monster hunter (Karl Urban) whose journey to kill a sacred beast gets flipped upside down when a young girl (Zaris-Angel Hator) stumbles upon his ship.

The film shares many elements with the story of How to Train Your Dragon but still manages to feel like a fresh take on this type of narrative, swapping out dragons for giant aquatic leviathans and ruthless Vikings for quest-hungry pirates.

5 'Wendell & Wild'

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Image via Netflix

Henry Selick's long-awaited return to stop-motion might not have been as grand as his heavy hitters like Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas, however, Wendell & Wild still manages to be a fun return to form. The story follows two demon brothers who persuade a teenage girl to summon them to the land of the living if they give her a favor in return.

While the story isn't the greatest and the film feels a bit bloated with all the different characters, the main crew is always a joy to watch on screen. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele do a fantastic job voicing the demon brothers and their fun antics paired with the amazing stop-motion work create a highly pleasing visual treat of a film.

RELATED: 10 Animated Horror Films To Watch Before 'Wendell & Wild' Hits Netflix

4 'Marcel the Shell With Shoes On'

Marcel in 'Marcel the Shell with Shoes On'
Image via A24

While not entirely animated, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On still shines as a lovely stop-motion and live-action hybrid, following a delightful little shell (Jenny Slate) who teams up with a documentary filmmaker (Dean Fleischer Camp) in order to find his lost community of friends and family.

The blend of stop-motion and live-action is truly phenomenal as it feels so seamless, Marcel authentically feels like a real-life character as he interacts with our real world. While the film largely takes place real-life setting, a best-animated feature nomination at the Oscars consolidates its position on this list. This proves that the film is a marvelous technical achievement in terms of its animation, despite its hybrid with live-action.

3 'My Father's Dragon'

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Image via Netflix

In a day and age where the animation landscape is primarily shaped by CGI and 3D models, you can always count on Cartoon Saloon to provide a more traditional experience in their beautiful 2D animated style. They are the studio responsible for releasing some of the best-animated films in recent years, including Wolfwalkers and Song of the Sea.

The Irish studio's latest effort My Father's Dragon tells the story of a kid (Jacob Tremblay) who runs away from home and befriends an atypical dragon (Gaten Matarazzo). While this film is a lot more kid-friendly than some of the studio's previous films, it's still a delightful little story full of some of the year's most beautiful animation.

RELATED: Beyond 'Wolfwalkers': The Best Irish Animation You May Have Missed

2 'The House'

The House

Netflix had its fair share of great animated films last year, and The House was undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises in terms of animation in 2022. The film showcases three different short stories that all take place in the confines of the titular house, with each separate section helmed by a different director, all expressing their own creative visions when telling the story of this peculiar house.

Each of the three stories is extremely unique, exploring a different set of characters in different eras of the house's existence. The film is such a visceral and surreal experience, with layers of subtext to explore.

1 'Mad God'

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Image via Shudder

2022 really proved itself to be one of the best years for stop-motion animation in an extremely long time. This year has marked the return of classic directors of the medium such as Selick's Wendell and Wild; provided us with unique artistic expressions such as del Toro's Pinocchio and The haunting anthology film The House, as well as giving us the glory of Phil Tippett's 40-year passion project Mad God.

This film is an absolute spectacle in terms of every aspect of its presentation and production, immersing the viewer in an uncensored post-apocalyptic nightmare. The film is truly something special that could only be spawned from the mind of Tippett, who made major contributions to classics such as Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones.

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