If you are an animation film fan then 2015 has been a terrific year with a whole host of wonderful films hitting the big screen and captivating audiences.
Inside Out
Hard to believe that 2015 is coming to a close and we look back at some of the standout films this genre over the last twelve months and some of our favourites.
- Inside Out
When it comes to animation films of 2015, there is no movie that has been more acclaimed that Inside Out, which was the first of two Pixar movies to hit the big screen this year.
Inside Out follows the emotions that live inside the head of a young girl. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, and Mindy Kaling brought Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust to life, while the movie saw Pete Docter back in the director's chair.
Pixar has always been the masters of delivering complex and emotional movies and Inside Out continues that fantastic trend. From start to finish, Inside Out with entertain you as well as break your heart - it really is an incredibly emotional ride.
I know the word classic is banded around a little too often, but that is exactly what Inside Out is. The kids with love the characters and the world that Pixar has created while the adults will truly get the emotional weight of the film.
With every movie Pixar really do seem to out-do themselves and Inside Out is the best thing that they have delivered to date. The movie was met with critical acclaim when it hit the big screen and is the red-hot favourite to scoop the Best Animated Feature Oscar.
Inside Out went on to gross $851.6 million at the global box office and is the third highest Pixar movie of all time behind Toy Story and Finding Nemo. It is also the second highest grossing animation film of 2015 - second only to Minions.
- Big Hero 6
Disney is another studio that has been on fine form this year as Big Hero 6 marked their return - it is the 54th Disney animated feature and the first since the huge success of Frozen.
And Big Hero 6 is another gem from Disney as it is a movie that is action packed but has a very strong emotional core that deals with the theme of loss and how we cope with it.
Bit Hero 6 saw Don Hall and Chris Williams in the director's chair and was the first time that a Disney movie had featured Marvel Comics characters in one of their animation projects.
I know that we are used to seeing superhero films on the big screen, but there is something so fresh and new about Big Hero 6 that you cannot help but get swept along with the story and the characters.
I have grown up with Disney animated movies and they always have a very special place in my heart - however, Big Hero 6 is one of their most recent films that I truly enjoyed the most.
The movie went on to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar earlier this year and grossed over $657 million at the global box office by the end of its theatrical run. I do hope that we get to see a sequel.
- Song of the Sea
Back in 2009, director Tomm Moore grabbed everyone's attention and charmed audiences with his directorial debut The Secret of the Kells and this year he returned with another gem.
Song of the Sea saw a traditionally animated film return to the big screen and it was great to see the return of Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon - they really did produce another stunning film.
Song of the Sea tells the story of Ben and his little sister Saoirse - the last Seal-child - who embark on a fantastic journey across a fading world of ancient legend and magic in an attempt to return to their home by the sea. The film takes inspiration from the mythological Selkies of Irish folklore, who live as seals in the sea but become humans on land.
To say that Song of the Sea is a stunning looking movie would be a major understatement; the traditionally animated film is a welcome breath of fresh air from all of the CGI-driven films that we have seen in this genre in recent years.
This movie is deeply rooting in myth and folklore and this traditional animation style fits the story and the film's themes so beautifully. There is an enchantment and a magic to every frame of this film and it really does wash over you and take on a wonderful journey.
Song of the Sea followed in the footsteps of The Secret of the Kells and was nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar - losing out to Big Hero 6.
- The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Song of the Sea was not the only non-CGI animation film to hit the big screen this year as the fantastic Studio Ghibli returned with. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was the first film from Studio Ghibli since The Wind Rises and saw Isao Takahata back in the director's chair - he has brought us films such as Pom Poko and Grave of the Fireflies during his filmmaking career.
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter (Caan) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen), a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady (Moretz). The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her - but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.
Studio Ghibli really has outdone themselves this time as the hand-painted images will take your breath away - it really is one of the most unique looking animation movies of the year.
Studio Ghibli has a tradition of creating strong, interesting and sometimes flawed female protagonists, and The Tale of the Princess Kagyupa is no different. However, there is a sadness to this central character as she is shackled by the shackles of society and not free to live her life as she chooses. This is a movie about the sadness and joy of human life - and the ending really will break your heart
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya was met with critical acclaim upon release and was also pipped to the post for the Best Animated Feature Oscar by Big Hero 6.
- Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie
Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie is one of the animation films of 2015 that I was looking forward to the most because I grew up with these wonderful characters as a child.
The Peanuts Movie is the first time that we have seen Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and co on the big screen and it is a wonderful and colourful way into the world of these classic characters.
For those who grew up with the comic strip and the animated television series, The Peanuts Movie is wonderfully nostalgic while it will introduce these characters to a whole new generation.
Steve Martino is in the director's chair for the film and has helmed an animation movie that truly captures the spirit and the feel of Craig Schulz's original creations. This is a charming and warm-hearted film that delivers everything that I was expecting.
Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie commemorates the 65th anniversary of the comic strip and 50th anniversary of the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas and is truly a wonderful watch.
The movie has won over the critics since it was released and it could be in the Best Animated Feature Oscar race when the nominations are announced at the beginning of next year.
Other great animation films of this year include The Good Dinosaur, Minions, Home, and Hotel Transylvania 2.