Unmatched Quality: 5 Cartoons of the 2000s That Still Have No Competition

With the box office success of Inside Out 2, animation seems to be back at the top of the movie industry. But when you think about it, good animation is rare these days. The 2000s, however, were full of top-notch animated films. These five are prime examples.

Surf's Up (2007, 6.7 on IMDb)

Available on: Netflix, Max, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

A joint venture between Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, this animated mockumentary spoofs the surfing documentary genre by following Cody Maverick, a northern rockhopper penguin who dreams of becoming a professional surfer like his idol, emperor penguin Big Z. After securing a spot in the upcoming Big Z Memorial Surfing Competition, Cody travels to Pen-Gu Island to compete, making new friends along the way.

Madagascar (2005, 6.9 on IMDb)

Available on: Netflix, Max, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

DreamWorks' iconic animated survival comedy follows four friends from the Central Park Zoo: Lion Alex, Zebra Marty, Giraffe Melman and Hippo Gloria, who escape the zoo after Marty runs away to find out where they came from. After wreaking havoc in New York, the characters find themselves on a large cargo ship and escape again, only to be washed ashore on the titular island, where new adventures await and their unnatural friendship is put to the test.

Ice Age (2002, 7.5 on IMDb)

Available on: Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Set during the Pleistocene Ice Age, Blue Sky Studios' acclaimed adventure comedy centers on three very different friends: Woolly Mammoth Manny, Ground Sloth Sid, and Sabertooth Tiger Diego, who stumble upon a human baby in the middle of nowhere and set out to return the little creature to his own species. Problem is, no one knows where to find the humans, so the characters embark on a journey of a lifetime to bring the baby to safety.

Kung Fu Panda (2008, 7.6 on IMDb)

Available on: Peacock, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

One of DreamWorks' most beloved franchises, Kung Fu Panda saw its fourth installment released this year, but the first film will always be the best. Following Po, an overweight panda who works in his adoptive father's noodle shop and dreams of becoming a kung fu master, the animated action-comedy tells the story of how he becomes the legendary Dragon Warrior, the most revered hero of the Valley of Peace, instead of the previous favorite, the outlaw Tai Lung.

Ratatouille (2007, 8.1 on IMDb)

Available on: Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

Pixar's comedy-drama may be the studio's most ingeniously named production, as the title refers to both the traditional French dish featured in the film and the species of the main character, Rat Remy. Ratatouille follows his extraordinary life as he goes from dumpster rat to the chef behind the best dishes in one of Paris' finest restaurants, manipulating his human host, Linguini, like a puppet under his toque.