Steve
Every year without fail, Hollywood and other foreign markets bring unforgettable cinematic experiences to the masses, feeding our senses with creativity, imagination, and in rare instances, the impossible. In many cases, we’re spoiled when it comes to live-action offerings, but what about animation? Today, we’re looking back on the year 2003, the year Ugg boots walked so Crocs could run, The Mars Volta hit us upside the headphones with their debut album De-Loused in the Comatorium, and Britney Spears and Madonna shared an unforgettable smooch at the VMAs.
Looking back, there are any number of wild pop culture milestones to mark the year people fell “Crazy in Love” with Beyoncé’s debut solo single, but today, we’re setting our sights on the greatest animated films of 2003, with a Top 5 list that’s sure to make you feel nostalgic and appreciative of the leaps we’ve made in the cinematic art form since then. Let us begin!
5) Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Before you light the torches and sharpen your pitchforks, know that I’ll be having none of that. As a child of the 80s, there’s little you can do to convince me that anything related to the Looney Tunes doesn’t deserve a spot on these lists. Okay, so maybe Space Jam: A New Legacy is the exception, but this isn’t 2021, and I can promise you that, when the time comes, Malcolm D. Lee’s live-action animated hybrid won’t make it onto the court. Today, we’re celebrating Looney Tunes: Back in Action, a fine feature directed by Joe Dante, the filmmaker behind Gremlins and Small Soldiers, that stands proudly alongside other Looney Tunes gems, such as Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters, Space Jam, and 2025’s exceptional sci-fi romp, The Day the Earth Blew Up.
Looney Tunes: Back in Action gets a bad wrap. While not on par with the live-action animated classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back in Action spoofs the spy genre for a zany adventure featuring an outstanding cast that includes Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, and Steve Martin, with Timothy Dalton, Joan Cusack, and Heather Locklear rounding out the primary cast. Larry Doyle’s script aligns with the Looney Tunes’ brand of off-the-wall comedy, embracing the characters’ penchant for slapstick, impossible physics, and surefire shenanigans. Adding to the madness that only Daffy, Bugs, and the rest of the Looney Tunes can bring is Steve Martin’s Mr. Chairman, a positively unhinged villain that harkens back to Martin’s unweildy Saturday Night Live era. When you combine these unruly elements with Joe Dante’s flair for outrageous antics and unpredictable twists and turns, Looney Tunes: Back in Action is far better than anyone gives it credit for.
4) The Triplets of Bellville
Looking back at 2003, it’s impossible to forget it was the year I found Sylvain Chomet, the French comic writer, animator, and film director. Chomet’s debut film, The Triplets of Belleville, is a mesmerizing blend of hand-drawn animation, CGI elements, and songs that stimulate the heart and soul, creating a unique soundtrack that spans the film’s duration, never letting go of your burning desire to bop along to the beat.
Featuring the voices of Lina Boudreault, Mari-Lou Gauthier, Michèle Caucheteux, Jean-Claude Donda, Michel Robin, and Monica Viegas, The Triplets of Bellville forgoes traditional dialogue, replacing conversation with melodious mutterings, semiliquid whispers, and jolts of genuine surprise. Using a combination of song and pantomime, Chomet’s film tells the tale of Madame Souza, an elderly woman who embarks on a quest to rescue her grandson, Champion. This Tour de France cyclist has been kidnapped by the French mafia for gambling purposes and taken to the city of Belleville (an amalgamation of New York City, Montreal, and Quebec City).
Nominated in multiple categories at the Academy, Annie, and Critics Choice Awards, The Triplets of Bellville is a cult favorite among animation enthusiasts who delight in the film’s eccentric look, quirky camerawork, unconventional story, and spirited soundtrack. Chomet wouldn’t return to feature-length animation again until 2010’s The Illusionist, which is also a masterpiece, but that’s a list for another time.
3) The Animatrix
After red-pilling millennials and Gen-Xers in 1999 with the endlessly influential dystopian sci-fi film The Matrix, Lana and Lilly Wachowski returned alongside an army of talented writers and directors for The Animatrix, an animated anthology exploring the world of Zion and beyond for a mixtape of sights, styles, and sounds that expand the beloved IP with unbridled imagination and action-packed vignettes.
Combining the storytelling prowess of the Wachowskis with top-tier talent such as Mahiro Maeda, Kōji Morimoto, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Shinichirō Watanabe, and Peter Chung, The Animatrix boasts a variety of eye-popping animations from Studio 4 °C, Madhouse, and Square USA, the makers of projects like All You Need Is Kill, Death Note, and much more.
Each compelling chapter of The Animatrix expands the Wachowskis’ mind-bending world of reality-distorting drugs, programmable protagonists, self-replicating villains, and mysteries that lie beyond the veil of reality. With visual styles that harken back to MTV’s Liquid Television, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, Kōji Morimoto’s Tekkonkinkreet, and more, The Animatrix is the perfect companion for the sci-fi franchise that had your friends imitating bullet time in high school halls, and wondering if their lives are nothing more than a simulation, helping to turn us all into Energizer bunnies.
2) Tokyo Godfathers
After disturbing audiences with anime’s answer to films like Black Swan and The Substance, with the introspective nightmare titled Perfect Blue, and tumbling down a rabbit hole of memories with 2001’s Millennium Actress, Satoshi Kon stuffed everyone’s stockings with a heartfelt animated marvel set on Christmas Eve with the animated holiday adventure Tokyo Godfathers.
In this legendary feat of Japanese animation, three unhoused individuals – a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin, a transgender woman named Hana, and a teenage runaway named Miyuki – discover an abandoned newborn while rummaging through the garbage. Attached to the infant is a note asking that whoever finds the child take care of her, along with a key that leads to a locker containing clues about the parents’ identity. The mission to reunite the child with her parents sends the trio on a whirlwind trip through Tokyo, as the Yakuza, a Latino hitman, and the limits of their lot in life introduce one obstacle after another to the urgent errand.
Tender, beautifully rendered, and packed with emotional gut-punches, Tokyo Godfathers reminds us to care for one another and not measure a person’s worth by appearance, but by deeds, actions, and the kindness in their heart. While not as heady as Kon’s 2006 mind-job Paprika, or as psychotic as the filmmaker’s 2004 mini-series Paranoia Agent, Tokyo Godfathers is a shining example of why Kon’s passing in 2010 is a blow to the industry that reverberates to this day, with his ability to amaze and astound with endearing characters and stories like so many greats alongside him.
1) Finding Nemo
After changing the animation game forever with Toy Story in 1995, presenting a hilarious tale about resistance and subjugation with A Bug’s Life in 1998, and exploring the world beneath our beds in 2001 with Monsters Inc., Pixar invited audiences under the sea for Finding Nemo. This thrilling father-son adventure tested the limits of Pixar’s in-house technology, creating a typhoon of entertainment for moviegoers of all ages.
The story revolves around Marlin, an overprotective clownfish who, after losing his partner and more than four hundred of his unborn children, vows to protect his only surviving son, Nemo, with every ounce of his being. After Nemo gets taken by a human dentist to give as a gift to his troubled niece, Darla, Marlin forces himself to go beyond the safety of his home to rescue his son. Starring the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, and more, Finding Nemo was a revelation in the year of its release, establishing a high-water mark for computer-generated animation unlike the world had ever seen.
Beyond its lush underwater environments, the stunning depiction of aquatic life, and the heartening tale of heroism in the face of seemingly impossible odds, Finding Nemo reminds audiences that perseverance is key to survival, especially in a world filled with bigger fish who would sooner devour you whole than let the current lead you to calmer waters. Upon its release, Finding Nemo set a new standard for Pixar and CGI animation, inspiring artists to push the boundaries of their talents and believe that if you just keep swimming, you’ll create something memorable, aspirational, and enduring.
There you have it, folks. What do you think about our Top 5 Animated Films of 2003 list? Are your favorite films represented here? Are there any grievous omissions? Leave us a comment and let us know what your Top 5 Animated Films of 2003 are! Until next time. Cheers!
