Animated Movie Guide: The Ultimate Illustrated Reference to Cartoon, Stop-motion, And Computer-generated Feature Films

Going beyond the box-office hits of Disney and Dreamworks, this guide to every animated movie ever released in the United States covers more than 300 films over the course of nearly 80 years of film history. Well-known films such as Finding Nemo and Shrek are profiled and hundreds of other films, many of them rarely discussed, are analyzed, compared, and catalogued. The origin of the genre and what it takes to make a great animated feature are discussed, and the influence of Japanese animation, computer graphics, and stop-motion puppet techniques are brought into perspective. Every film analysis includes reviews, four-star ratings, background information, plot synopses, accurate running times, consumer tips, and MPAA ratings. Brief guides to made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video releases, foreign films that were never theatrically released in the U.S., and live-action films with significant animation round out the volume.

Jerry Beck helped create Animation Magazine and has contributed to such publications as Hollywood Reporter and Variety. He is the author of six books, including Looney Tunes: The Ultimate Visual Guide and Outlaw Animation. He has taught courses on animation at the University of California–Los Angeles, New York University, and The School of the Visual Arts. He is the former vice president of animation for Nickelodeon Movies and has produced several animated television series. He lives in Hollywood, California.