Top 10 Box Office Hits of the Early 2000s: Animated Children's Movies
As computer animation began to dominate the film industry in the early 2000s, studios like Pixar (which was bought by Disney in 2006) and DreamWorks took advantage of the shift to create never-before-seen visuals on the big screen. The result was a flood of inventive, visually stunning animated movies that awed families and film enthusiasts alike. The early 2000s also saw a shift in children’s storytelling, switching from lighthearted fairy tales to deep and meaningful plots that audiences of all ages could enjoy.
Because of this, many films from the first decade of the 2000s were huge box office hits, scoring millions in profit throughout their theatrical and home video releases. These include Pixar’s Monsters Inc. (2001), which set the tone for the decade by setting records for biggest opening weekend for an animated film and highest number of DVD sales on its first day of home video release. Although many films from the decade are beloved by many, these 10 had a huge impact in the theaters and took the gold during opening weekend and beyond. Here are the top ten highest-grossing animated films of the early 2000s.
Please note: These box office results are not adjusted for inflation and do not consider home video release revenue. Box office data was sourced from BoxOfficeMojo.com and IMDb.
Top 10 Highest-Grossing Animated Films from the Early 2000s
10. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
While major studios capitalized on computer animation, they also took advantage of popular ongoing franchises, making several sequels to movies that had already become box office hits. One of the most popular animated films of 2005 was Madagascar, a charming film about a group of zoo animals who are stranded in Madagascar and learn how to adapt to living in the wild. Though the film received mixed reviews from critics, Madagascar became very popular with families and grossed $556.6 million at the box office.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa followed up on Madagascar’s success by following the animals on their attempt to get back home, which ends disastrously with them crash landing in Africa. There, they meet other animals of their species and try to integrate into their respective herds. Unlike other sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was actually considered an improvement over its predecessor, with critics praising its witty humor, animation and character development. The film won the Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards in 2009 and grossed $603.9 million at the box office, becoming the sixth highest-grossing film of 2008 and putting it at #10 on our list.
9. Ratatouille (2007)
Even today, Ratatouille is considered one of the best animated films of the early 2000s. The film follows Remy, a young rat who pursues his dream of being a chef with the help of Linguini, a garbage boy at a prestigious restaurant in Paris, France. Summaries don’t do the movie justice — Ratatouille is full of action, family moments, drama and even romance. The characters are well developed, the plot never overwhelms and it leaves viewers begging for more. Critics and audiences alike agree — Ratatouille was one of the best films of 2007. It made $623.7 million worldwide and was nominated for five Oscars and a whopping 13 Annie Awards.
8. The Incredibles (2004)
If you asked children in 2004 who their favorite superhero was, many of them wouldn’t answer with the conventional “Superman” or “Batman.” Instead, they would grin and say, “The Incredibles!” Brad Bird — a long-time director but newcomer to Pixar at the time — delivered a thrilling adventure about a family of superheroes that, while trying to live a quiet suburban life, become tangled in a dangerous confrontation plotted by an ex-fan of the family’s father, Mr. Incredible. The Incredibles was one of Pixar’s first computer animated films to feature a human cast, which required new technology to create realistic-looking skin and hair.
The hard work paid off, because The Incredibles was a smashing box office success. It became the fourth highest-grossing film of 2004, grossing $631.6 million worldwide. The film also won several awards and was the first entirely animated film to win the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
7. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
Before the release of How to Train Your Dragon in 2010, Kung Fu Panda was DreamWorks’ highest-grossing non-Shrek film, earning a worldwide total of $632.3 million worldwide. Kung Fu Panda starred Jack Black as an anthropomorphic panda who finds himself training to be the Dragon Warrior after a series of mishaps trying to meet his idols, the Furious Five. Kung Fu Panda also earned ten Annie Awards, including the award for Best Animated Feature in 2008.
6. Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
The first Ice Age movie from Blue Sky Studios was a shocking box office success, setting up Blue Sky as the third studio (after Pixar and DreamWorks) to launch a successful CGI franchise. Blue Sky immediately began working on a second film, fueled by the first film’s success. Ice Age: The Meltdown was released in 2006, with a backdrop of the Ice Age ending, forcing Manny, Sid and Diego to flee with the rest of their colony to a haven after being warned that their home is about to flood. Once again, the sequel exceeded expectations at the box office, grossing a total of $667.1 million worldwide.
5. Up (2009)
Theater audiences were extremely unprepared for the rollercoaster of emotions that Disney-Pixar’s Up dragged them through in its opening montage. What was thought to be another Disney-fied adventure turned out to have such emotional depth that audiences of all ages had to grab their tissue boxes and strap in for a wild ride that can only be described as “fascinating.” Carl, Russell and Doug’s adventures are still fondly remembered and viewed today, even though the movie is more than a decade old.
Up was Pixar’s first film to be released in 3D at theaters and was also the first animated film to open at the Cannes Film Festival. The film received critical acclaim for its themes and messaging, and it earned a worldwide total of $735.1 million in the box office. The same year, Up won Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score at the Annie Awards, and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Editing.
4. Shrek the Third (2007)
Everyone’s favorite ogre returned in 2007 with his third movie, Shrek the Third. The title is a play on the movie’s plot: Shrek is set to succeed the throne when Princess Fiona’s father dies, but sets out to find a replacement when he expresses disinterest in the position. What ensues is an entire film of shenanigans that only the Shrek franchise can pull off — knight-fighting princesses, body switches, donkeys and dragons, all wrapped up with a satisfying ending.
Shrek the Third made $121.6 million in its first weekend and held the record for the best opening weekend ever for an animated film for nine years, until it was surpassed by Finding Dory in 2016. Altogether, the third Shrek installment made $808.3 million worldwide. It became the fourth-highest grossing film of 2007 and was nominated for several awards.
3. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
Another entry for Ice Age fans, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was released in 2009. Although the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was a hit with families, children and long-time Ice Age fans, who couldn’t wait to see how Manny, Ellie and the rest of the growing herd developed after the meltdown. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs became the third-highest grossing film of 2009 and grossed a total of $886.7 million worldwide.
2. Shrek 2 (2004)
Shrek 2 was the long-awaited sequel to Shrek (2001), and it did not fail to deliver more witty and fun entertainment. In the film, Shrek and Fiona are summoned to the kingdom of Far, Far Away to meet Fiona’s parents, the king and queen. There, they meet some new faces, including Puss ’n Boots, Prince Charming (who Fiona was originally supposed to marry) and the Fairy Godmother.
Not only is Shrek 2 regarded as one of the best sequel films ever made, but many audiences said it was even better than the first film. Shrek 2 made $932.5 million worldwide and is DreamWorks’ highest-grossing film, even to this day!
1. Finding Nemo (2003)
A classic tale of fatherhood, family and learning about growing up, all under the sea. Finding Nemo is regarded as one of the greatest animated films of all time because of these themes, its masterful animation (especially in 2003) and its beautiful soundtrack. The film made a worldwide total of $871 million, but that was only its first theatrical run — a 3D version of the film was re-released in theaters in 2012, where it made another $69.3 million. That means that Finding Nemo made a cumulative worldwide total of $941.6 million across its theatrical releases, putting it at the number one spot on our list. Interestingly, Finding Nemo is also the best-selling DVD of all time, having sold more than 40 million copies as of 2006, and even more secondhand.
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