The 13 Best Animated Movie Sequels Ever Made
By Gary Sussman You know what's weird about sequels to animated features? There aren't that many of them. But of ones we do have, here is a ranking of the best 'toon sequels you gotta see.
'Despicable Me 2' (2013)
Funnier than the original? Perhaps. There's certainly more going on with reformed supervillain Gru (Steve Carell) and his adorable adopted daughters -- a new nemesis, a love interest, and more Minion mayhem. Plus, the movie gave us Pharrell's "Happy," which will be stuck in our ear canals forever.
'An American Tail: Fievel Goes West' (1991)
The lovable immigrant mouse trades his newsboy cap for a 10-milliliter hat as he seeks his fortune on the vanishing frontier. Not as beloved (or scary) as the original “American Tail,” but it is also not without its charms. One of those is that the film's voice cast includes Jimmy Stewart in what would be his final film role.
'The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water' (2015)
A lot of fans were a little crabby about the live-action/CGI scenes in this movie, which sends naive undersea dweller SpongeBob into the scary, three-dimensional real world. Still, it's a SpongeBob story, with all the surrealism, slapstick, and silliness that suggests.
'Fantasia 2000' (1999)
59 years since the original, "Fantasia 2000" is a sequel/rebootquel with the same format: eight classical orchestral works accompanying the imaginative Disney animated shorts they've inspired. They're not as novel as those in the original movie, but the sound quality is better and the visuals crisper.
'Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted' (2012)
For many fans, this third installment, in which the escaped Manhattan zoo animals hide out in a European circus, is the series' funniest. Given that black-light Katy Perry dance number, it's certainly the most visually inventive. As usual, there's many grown-up gags here that will go over kids' heads.
'Monsters University' (2013)
Okay, technically it's a prequel, but this next installment in the world of Mike and Sully is worth mentioning. We didn't know we needed a movie to explain the origins of the friendship between the two amiable monsters, but the movie does enrich our understanding of the scream-powered monster universe and Mike and Sully's place in it. Like "Monsters, Inc.," it's also funny, weird, and sweet.
'The Rescuers Down Under' (1990)
Disney had been making celebrated animated features for more than 50 years before it ever released a theatrical sequel to one of them. Here, the heroic mice from 1977's "The Rescuers" travel to Australia to save a boy kidnapped by a poacher (a truly frightening George C. Scott). It's largely an excuse to create animated versions of exotic and fantastic Australian fauna and breathtaking flying sequences over Outback landscapes. The story is okay, but you'll be dazzled by those visuals.
'Shrek 2' (2004)
In some ways, this was even funnier than the first "Shrek," as the ogre and his princess visit her Beverly Hills-like kingdom and meet her disapproving parents. But the movie is stolen by Antonio Banderas' dashing Puss in Boots and Jennifer Saunders' hilariously wicked Fairy Godmother. This is the best of the "Shrek" sequels.
'Kung Fu Panda 2' (2011)
With Guillermo del Toro on board as a producer and Gary Oldman cast as a new villain, the story of the roly-poly martial arts hero began to take a darker turn. With a worldwide gross of $666 million, it's the top-earning film ever directed by a woman (Jennifer Yuh Nelson).
'Kung Fu Panda 3' (2016)
This surprisingly well-reviewed sequel has more slapstick than its predecessors, but it balances it out with a strong dose of heart as the series' themes of identity and family are front-and-center in this story about Po finding his father in the middle of all the kick-punching. Lots of laughs, and inspired animation, ensue -- and who doesn't love all those cute little pandas?!
'How to Train Your Dragon 2' (2014)
We'd thought everyone (human and dragon alike) lived happily ever at the end of the first film, but life is rugged and hard for a Viking, and there's still trouble smoldering and mysteries yet to be solved. In fact, this sequel actually left us eagerly anticipating the resolution of the next installment -- much like "The Empire Strikes Back" or "Catching Fire" did, two movies "Dragon 2" is on par with in terms of narrative and drama.
'Toy Story 2' (1999)
Pixar's first sequel is another search-and-rescue story. But it's also a wry commentary on the collectibles craze, and it's the first hint of the deep poignance and sorrow built into the "Toy Story" universe, with the characters coming to understand the loneliness of toys that aren't played with, a fate that awaits them all. There's still plenty of comedy in the antics of Buzz, Woody, and the rest, but this is a more mature film than the initial "Toy Story."
'Toy Story 3' (2010)
And we thought "Toy Story 2" introduced a hint of grown-up feelings of loss and sorrow into the kiddie franchise. Little were we prepared for the emotional wallop of this installment, which finds Andy heading off to college and the toys facing oblivion. If this sequel doesn't bring tears to your eyes, you're either made of stone or (paradoxically) too young to fully appreciate this particular cartoon about children's playthings.
