Since February, animated films have been “stealing the spotlight” worldwide. Not only has Ne Zha been a box office hit in China, but across the ocean, in North America, the animated film Dog Man has also topped the box office. Meanwhile, with the Oscars set to be awarded early next month, film enthusiasts are once again turning their attention to and sparking latest discussions about outstanding animated films.
“Dog Man” Takes on the “Super Bowl”
The Hollywood Reporter reports that the animated film Dog Man, co-produced by DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures, has been performing strongly at the box office since its release on January 31. It has grossed $54.1 million in 3,886 North American theaters and has maintained the top spot for two consecutive weeks. Despite the Super Bowl weekend, the film continued its solid market performance. With an additional $11.9 million from international box offices, its global earnings have reached $66 million, while its production cost is only around $40 million.
Dog Man might have a “childish” visual style, but it has a significant audience base. The film is based on a popular children’s book that tells the story of a loyal police dog and its human partner, who are injured on the job and undergo surgery to merge into a new character, “Dog Man.” The half-human, half-dog protagonist continues fighting crime and thwarting the evil schemes of the Super Cat villain. In the movie, he must race against time to rescue even more important lives.
Upon release, Dog Man has received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 81% media freshness score and an 85% audience popcorn index. Metacritic’s media score is 66. RogerEbert.com praised the film, stating it “effortlessly brings renowned children’s author Dav Pilkey’s work to the big screen, blending comedy, action, and a heartfelt core.” The Hollywood Reporter called the film “full of visual gimmicks and lively imagination,” while The New York Times remarked that it was “full of jokes.” The Wall Street Journal stated that the core of the film lies in the emotional triangle between Dog Man, the cat villain, and a kitten. However, The Guardian criticized the film for its “silly gimmicks everywhere” and its fast-paced nature, which left viewers “feeling a bit lost.” Variety pointed out that the film “piles too many conflicts into a short amount of time, failing to integrate them effectively.”
Wild Robots Wins the Annie Award
Looking ahead, Dog Man, with its high-profile IP, solid reviews, and unexpected box office success, has already become Hollywood’s first animated “hit” of 2025, continuing the momentum from last year’s animated films. Industry experts see 2024 as a bumper year for animated films, with four animations in the top 10 of the North American box office. Inside Out 2 even became the highest-grossing animated film of all time with a global box office of $1.69 billion. At the Oscars this year, Inside Out 2 is also a favorite for the Best Animated Feature Award, while the other four nominees are equally strong. Notably, Wild Robots recently took home the highest honor in animation, the Annie Award, and has emerged as the biggest competitor to Inside Out 2.
According to industry media TheWrap, at the Annie Awards held last week, Wild Robots, which led with 10 nominations, ultimately won 9 awards, including Best Animated Feature, Best Director, and Best Visual Effects, far surpassing Inside Out 2. In another industry publication, Gold Derby, it is predicted that Wild Robots could successfully block Inside Out 2 at the Oscars, “because it’s just so adorable. This children’s literature adaptation tells the story of an AI robot stranded on an island who raises a baby goose. The emotional journey is both joyful and heartbreaking.” Wild Robots earned $320 million globally after its release in September 2024, an excellent result for a non-sequel animated film. With a 98% popcorn index on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 85 on Metacritic, the film has earned high praise from both audiences and critics. In addition to the Annie Award, Wild Robots has also earned honors from the Producers Guild Awards, Critics’ Choice Awards, and Saturn Awards. If it wins the Oscar, it will be DreamWorks’ third time winning Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, following Shrek and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit — both of which triumphed over Disney and Pixar competitors.
Flow Aims for the Oscars
However, standing in the way of Inside Out 2 and Wild Robots is an unexpected dark horse: the Latvian animated film Flow. The film was previously nominated at the Cannes International Film Festival and has won several prestigious awards, including the Annie Award for Best Independent Animated Feature and the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. This animation features almost no dialogue or lines, and the audience follows the perspective of the animals, experiencing through pure visuals the extraordinary journey of a cat who embarks on an adventure when floods submerge the world. The charming cat encounters capybaras, dogs, lemurs, vultures, and other animals, whose distinct personalities shift from mutual dislike to cooperation as they face turbulent seas and numerous challenges together.
This breakout animated work captivates the audience with its most primal imagination, and even in non-animated categories, it stands out (the film is also nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature). Screen Rant commented, “With a production cost of only $4 million and made using open-source animation software, this film could make history. It aligns with the Academy’s recent push for diversity and embracing diverse aesthetics.”
In addition to the three aforementioned films, two other animated masterpieces nominated for this year’s Oscars—Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Snail’s Memoir—further showcase the richness of the animated form. As one of the most well-known traditional clay animation series, the Wallace & Gromit franchise from the UK’s Aardman Studios is highly acclaimed, and this new installment continues the distinct British aesthetic and sense of humor. Similarly, Snail’s Memoir, from an Australian team, uses stop-motion animation and follows their previous successful work Mary and Max, which moved many audiences. This new film tells the story of a lonely girl and her eccentric grandmother, blending quirky visuals with moments of tenderness.
From global box office champions and Hollywood’s high-budget digital productions to low-budget overseas stop-motion films, this year’s Oscar-nominated animated films encompass a wide variety of animation styles. Their diversity highlights the creators’ dedication, allowing them to transcend language and culture, touching audiences around the world.
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