Every time I watch an animated movie, it brings a smile to my face. Even though it is set in an imaginative world, animated movies instil so much hope and always carry a positive message, making them a must-watch to distract yourself from all the negativity going around right now. Wondering which one to start with? Let us help you. Here’s a list of feel-good new and old animated movies that you can watch over and over again by yourself or with your family.
1. Soul
Having bagged the Oscar award for the Best Animated Feature Film this year, Pixar’s Soul is about a middle-school jazz teacher, Joe, whose life takes an unexpected turn when he has a near-death experience and gets stuck in the Great Before (where souls are born) just before his big break with a famous Jazz band. While contemplating his choices and regretting the existence that he mostly took for granted, Joe helps a soul find its passion but also discovers what it truly means to have a soul. The movie reminds us to cherish our life and live in the small moments.
Watch It On: Disney+Hotstar
2. Onward
How far would you go if you had a chance to spend time with a lost loved one for just one day? Set in a fantasy world where magic exists, two elf brothers, Ian and Barley, set out on a quest in search of a precious stone that will bring back their dead father to life for one day. When their mom finds out her sons are missing, she takes help from the legendary manticore to bring her boys back home.
What is heart-warming to watch is that even though Ian has never seen his father, he realises how Barley, his big brother, has always been a father figure in his life and raised him like his own son. Don’t be surprised if this film leaves you with happy tears.
Watch It On: Disney+Hotstar
3. Klaus
Even though Klaus is a lovely holiday film to watch during Christmas, you can still enjoy it any day. Here’s its plot: after proving himself to be the worst postman at the academy, Jesper is posted to a frozen town in the North where the conflicting locals barely exchange words, let alone letters. Almost about to give up, Jesper finds an ally in local teacher Alva and befriends Klaus, a mysterious toymaker. He comes up with an idea for children to write a letter to Santa Klaus. In exchange for a letter, the kids receive a toy.
The unlikely friendships not only return laughter to the town but also its Christmas spirit. The message here is that even one act of kindness can spark a change.
Watch It On: Netflix
4. How To Train Your Dragon (Part 1, 2, and 3)
Ever wondered what it would be like if you had a pet dragon? Well, How To Train Your Dragon is an animated film set in a time where Vikings and dragons are enemies, but Hiccup, the son of the Viking leader, discovers dragons are not harmful when you treat them with love and kindness after he befriends the Night Fury, Toothless. The movie portrays friendship, love, and loyalty beautifully. And the tale of Toothless and Hiccup continues with even more adventurous plots in the second and third instalments.
Watch It On: Netflix
5. Coco
If you’re passionate about music, Coco is a must-watch. The story revolves around a young boy, Miguel, who dreams of becoming a successful musician just like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. However, his family’s generations-old ban on music doesn’t allow him to pursue his dreams. Hellbent to prove his talent, Miguel tries to enter a music competition but unexpectedly ends up in the colourful and lively Land of the Dead and meets the charming trickster Hector. The duo set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
Watch It On: Disney+Hotstar
6. Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is one of those movies that you can watch every day. It tells the story of Po, probably the laziest and clumsiest panda in China’s Valley of Peace. He helps his adoptive further, Mr Ping (a goose), with his noodle soup business but secretly loves Kung Fu. By chance, he gets chosen to be the Dragon Warrior to save the valley from the villainous Tai Lung’s attack.
But first, he needs to learn martial arts. No one believes in him at first, but later, it’s his mentor Master Shifu who finds a way to teach Po Kung Fu so that he can fulfil his destiny as the Dragon Warrior. Po’s never-give-up attitude is the key takeaway from this film, but moreover, the movie has a simple message: to conquer your goals, you always have to believe in yourself.
Watch It On: Netflix
Photographs: Instagram
