Animated movies have always been a comfort for many kids, of course, but also adults. A safe space where our most childish quirks and thoughts are given space for expression and where simple joys are not taken for granted, all through detailed animation which can make a dish you have never tasted before seem like the only thing you want to consume from now on or encourage you to feel empathetic for creatures who would receive nothing but some squashing from your newspaper if you see them around you.
Animated films have managed to humanise bugs, ants, and rats, and given a personality to emotions and even elements, all while gently nudging kids towards positive life lessons and reminding adults that sometimes going back to the basics can help.
If you are looking for recommendations for a movie night with the kids or are willing to give your inner child a treat, check out the best animated movies on Disney+ Hotstar.
A Bug’s Life was the second Pixar film to be produced after the tremendous success of Toy Story (1995). The story is simple yet so wholesome that even grownups will enjoy it.
Flik (Dave Foley) is an ant who, despite his positive intentions, gets into trouble and feels like a misfit. When his acts threaten the existence of his colony because of Hopper’s (Kevin Spacey) wrath, Flik takes it upon himself to find a defence squad for the ant colony.
Also See: Quiz: How Well Do You Know Disney Pixar Movies?
Within a universe of an ant hill and its residents, this animated movie on Disney+ Hotstar manages to create a world so rich and detailed, dramatic, and often downright hilarious that you will have it etched in your brain like an endearing nursery rhyme. Apart from having stellar animation, A Bug’s Life presents a compelling story about a curious and chaotic ant clashing with a well-developed villain – a grasshopper.
Is it too much to assume that if Stuart Little had not been adopted, he would have embraced his inner chef? After watching Ratatouille, you may find that theory plausible. For if there ever were an animated culinary film that ticks all the boxes, it would be this one.
Ratatouille is a feel-good animated movie on Disney+ Hotstar that was written and produced in just eighteen months, which is far fewer months than what other Pixar films have taken (some take over ten years to reach the screens). It’s a film you can binge-watch whenever you want a pick-me-up.
This film does justice to the visuals of Paris, the level of delicious detail to the decadent food it showcases, and the imaginative yet familiar emphasis on friendship and family. The story is about Remy (Patton Oswalt), a street rodent who decides to move to Paris to make his culinary dreams a reality. He meets Alfredo Linguini (Lou Romano), a scatterbrained boy who becomes the arms that Remy desperately needs in order to execute his culinary prowess at Chef Gusteau’s restaurant.
People praise Linguini for the culinary delights he serves, and Remy is okay with that — until things go haywire.
The film effortlessly touches upon mature themes like the gender dynamics in the culinary space, the art of food critiquing — we know Chef Slowik from The Menu (2023) would not like Anton Ego (Peter O’ Toole) for sure — and the importance of following your dreams with a bunch of surprisingly effective cooking hacks sprinkled over the storyline. With stunning animation and an engaging plot, your heart will feel full, but your tummy will remind you it’s empty after you’re done watching this film.
If you’re looking to watch animated movies on Disney+ Hotstar, why not add a fast-paced spy comedy among the emotional and wholesome animal-themed films?
Spies in Disguise is about Lance Sterling (Will Smith), who oozes all things James Bond with his suave personality and cool gadgets. His tech is the brainchild of Walter Beckett (Tom Holland), the stereotypical introverted inventor whose scientific genius is inversely proportional to his social skills.
When Walter and Sterling are forced to work together to stop Killian (Ben Mendelsohn), a cyber-terrorist, because Sterling is no longer himself, their relationship takes a new form.
This film has something for everyone. The action-packed scenes are entertaining, and with not a single gun in sight, it’s almost impressive to watch a secret agent bring in the same level of intensity with fun gadgets and other weapons. Whether the younger ones are able to identify the life lessons wrapped up in exciting dialogue (the adults sure will), the “two opposites coming together to save the world” trope is well delivered.
If animated films with mystical worlds are the vibe you are looking for, here’s a heartfelt tale about Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), a warrior who is determined to track down the last dragon in the fantasy world of Kumandra, after the Druun, a species of dangerous monsters threaten humanity.
The dragons had sacrificed themselves to save humans before, and now Raya needs the last dragon’s help to save her kind once more.
Though the story is simple, the stunning visuals contextualised within Southeast Asian culture faithfully represent some of the traditions and are funny and heartwarming at the same time. The soundtrack complements the serene visuals of expansive vistas, and the voice actors, especially Awkwafina as Sisu, the dragon, add a new flavour to a familiar storyline.
Raya and The Last Dragon is a heartwarming story that will remind you to keep going, no matter how much you stumble.
One of the best films of 2023, Elemental, is one of those animated movies on Disney+ Hotstar that will undoubtedly move you and nudge you to allow you to feel all the messy emotions we repress as we go about our day.
The elements, like the emotions in Inside Out (2015), are personified in this film, and we see how Bernie (Ronnie Del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi), the fire elements, immigrate to Element City, where they are discriminated against. This part of the plot is inspired by the director Peter Sohn’s immigration experience from Korea to the USA. Their daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) falls in love with Wade (Mamoudou Athie), the city inspector, and their love story goes through some familiar challenges.
Just like Raya and The Last Dragon (2021), this film will take your breath away through its visuals of landscapes and unscathed wilderness, with each part of the ecosystem intricately detailed and measured to provide a rawness that you want to transport yourself to. The movie is about intergenerational experiences and trauma and the pressures of being the “other” through the lenses of elements (fire, water, and air) that are different from each other and cannot mix.