5 Great 1990s Animated Movies Not Enough People Remember

The 1990s saw the release of many great movies, and not all of them were live-action. Until relatively recently, the best way to bring fantastical stories to life with visual consistency was with animation. Though visual effects technology has vastly improved, many of the best animated movies endure as cinematic classics and remain beloved fixtures in the viewing habits of many fans around the world. The 1990s were an excellent decade for animation, with many iconic animated TV shows fondly remembered — and, in some cases, revered — even decades later. However, not all of the 1990s’ best animation gets the attention it deserves.

There were many incredible and rewatchable animated movies released in the 1990s, but some have been unfairly forgotten. With Disney dominating the decade thanks to movies such as The Lion King, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast, to name just a few, there were many other animated movies that too many people have completely forgotten. These unjustly overlooked gems are still excellent viewing, even if they were overshadowed in the decade of their original release.

5) The Pagemaster (1994)

The Pagemaster might not be an animated masterpiece, but it’s an underrated fantasy movie that has never quite received the love it deserves. Starring Macaulay Culkin and Christopher Lloyd and featuring the voices of Patrick Stewart, Leonard Nimoy, and Whoopi Goldberg, The Pagemaster combines both live-action and animation, though it leans a little more heavily toward the latter. It’s an enjoyable fantasy adventure with an absolutely incredible cast, but it’s one of the 1990s’ animated movies that has since been all but forgotten.

4) Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)

Other than Disney films, there are few animated movies from the ’90s as nostalgic as those starring Scooby-Doo. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island stands out not just as one of the best animated outings for the character, but one of the best stories in the entire franchise. Following the titular Great Dane and the rest of Mystery Inc. as they investigate a mysterious haunted island estate, Zombie Island is one of the most chilling Scooby-Doo movies of all time. While it’s fondly remembered by some as an excellent yet traumatizing piece of animation, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island is another movie from the 1990s that gets nowhere near the attention it deserves.

3) FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Children of the ’80s and ’90s are likely to remember FernGully: The Last Rainforest, but that doesn’t mean it gets the love it deserves. The animated musical fantasy tells the story of an Australian rainforest populated by fairies who must protect their home from both human loggers and a malevolent entity named Hexxus. A vividly colorful animated adventure with a decidedly environmental message, FernGully boasted a great voice cast featuring Tim Curry, Robin Williams, and Christian Slater, making it one of the best non-Disney animated movies of the 1990s. Even so, it’s not widely known by today’s audiences, which is a real shame.

2) Quest for Camelot (1998)

Another underrated fantasy movie from the ’90s is Quest for Camelot, and it’s genuinely quite baffling that it has been as widely forgotten as it has. Featuring an exceptional voice cast including Cary Elwes, Gary Oldman, Eric Idle, Don Rickles, Jane Seymour, and Pierce Brosnan, Quest for Camelot‘s story follows a young aspiring female knight who sets out to retrieve King Arthur’s stolen sword, Excalibur, from the man who killed her father. Making use of countless tried and tested fantasy tropes, the animated musical fantasy has a similar feel to many Disney movies, but for some reason, very few people actually remember it at all.

1) Balto (1995)

When it comes to awesome but forgotten movies from the 1990s, few films stand out as clearly as Balto. Adapting the true story of the titular wolfdog who delivered life-saving medication to children infected with diphtheria in 1925, Balto was a financial failure upon release, with many attributing this to it being overshadowed by the release of Toy Story. It’s a powerful and gorgeously animated movie from the ’90s with a touching real-life story, but it has sadly become all too obscure in the years since its release, as it has been forgotten by wider audiences.

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7 1990s Fantasy Movies That Desperately Need A Reboot