Best Animated Films of the 80s
by frankitownusa | created - 07 Feb 2018 | updated - 10 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 247,918 | Gross: $1.11M
2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Not Rated | 89 min | Animation, Drama, War
A young boy and his little sister struggle to survive in Japan during World War II.
Director: Isao Takahata | Stars: Tsutomu Tatsumi, Ayano Shiraishi, Akemi Yamaguchi, Yoshiko Shinohara
Votes: 206,819
3. The Little Mermaid (1989)
G | 83 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker | Stars: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes
Votes: 220,783 | Gross: $111.54M
4. The Secret of NIMH (1982)
G | 82 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever suspected.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Elizabeth Hartman, Derek Jacobi, Dom DeLuise, Arthur Malet
Votes: 34,078 | Gross: $10.14M
5. An American Tail (1986)
G | 80 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Dom DeLuise, Christopher Plummer, Erica Yohn, Nehemiah Persoff
Votes: 46,055 | Gross: $47.48M
6. All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)
G | 84 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A canine angel, Charlie, sneaks back to earth from heaven but ends up befriending an orphan girl who can speak to animals. In the process, Charlie learns that friendship is the most heavenly gift of all.
Directors: Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Dan Kuenster | Stars: Dom DeLuise, Burt Reynolds, Judith Barsi, Melba Moore
Votes: 33,561 | Gross: $27.10M
7. The Land Before Time (1988)
G | 69 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
An orphaned brontosaurus teams up with other young dinosaurs in order to reunite with their families in a valley.
Director: Don Bluth | Stars: Pat Hingle, Gabriel Damon, Judith Barsi, Helen Shaver
Votes: 75,105 | Gross: $48.09M
8. American Pop (1981)
R | 96 min | Animation, Drama, History
The story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.
Director: Ralph Bakshi | Stars: Mews Small, Ron Thompson, Jerry Holland, Lisa Jane Persky
Votes: 4,014 | Gross: $6.00M
9. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Two childhood friends find themselves forced to become enemies.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens | Stars: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson
Votes: 79,224 | Gross: $63.46M
10. The Last Unicorn (1982)
G | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A brave unicorn and a magician fight an evil King who is obsessed with attempting to capture the world's unicorns.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, Alan Arkin
Votes: 22,977 | Gross: $6.46M
11. Akira (1988)
R | 124 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by two teenagers and a group of psychics.
Director: Katsuhiro Ôtomo | Stars: Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama, Tesshô Genda
Votes: 147,292 | Gross: $0.55M
12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A toon-hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 172,063 | Gross: $156.45M
13. Rock & Rule (1983)
PG | 77 min | Animation, Fantasy, Music
A malevolent rock star kidnaps a female singer to force her to participate in the summoning of a demon and her band must help her stop him.
Director: Clive Smith | Stars: Don Francks, Gregory Salata, Susan Roman, Samantha Langevin
Votes: 2,892 | Gross: $0.03M
14. Animalympics (1980)
78 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
The animal kingdom stages its own olympic games.
Director: Steven Lisberger | Stars: Gilda Radner, Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, Michael Fremer
Votes: 1,752
15. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
G | 74 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
Basil, the rodent Sherlock Holmes, investigates the kidnapping of a toy-maker and uncovers its link to his arch-enemy, Professor Ratigan.
Directors: Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, John Musker | Stars: Vincent Price, Barrie Ingham, Val Bettin, Susanne Pollatschek
Votes: 41,566 | Gross: $38.60M
16. When the Wind Blows (1986)
84 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A naive elderly British rural couple survive the initial onslaught of a nuclear war.
Director: Jimmy T. Murakami | Stars: Peggy Ashcroft, John Mills, Robin Houston, James Russell
Votes: 9,152 | Gross: $0.01M
17. The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
Not Rated | 90 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A group of dated appliances embarks on a journey to the city to find its master after being abandoned in its cabin in the woods.
Director: Jerry Rees | Stars: Jon Lovitz, Timothy Stack, Timothy E. Day, Thurl Ravenscroft
Votes: 22,636
18. Alice (1988)
Not Rated | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
A surrealistic revision of Alice in Wonderland.
Director: Jan Svankmajer | Stars: Kristýna Kohoutová, Camilla Power
Votes: 10,603
19. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
G | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A young witch, on her mandatory year of independent life, finds fitting into a new community difficult while she supports herself by running an air courier service.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Minami Takayama, Rei Sakuma, Kappei Yamaguchi
Votes: 103,033
20. Twice Upon a Time (1983)
PG | 74 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Two wannabe heroes and their friends must stop a madman from giving everyone nightmares.
Directors: John Korty, Charles Swenson | Stars: Lorenzo Music, Judith Kahan, Marshall Efron, James Cranna
Votes: 1,053
21. The Plague Dogs (1982)
PG-13 | 103 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Two dogs escape from a laboratory and are hunted as possible carriers of the bubonic plague.
Director: Martin Rosen | Stars: John Hurt, Christopher Benjamin, James Bolam, Nigel Hawthorne
Votes: 6,351
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