Animation, like live-action filmmaking, is an art that takes a long time to master, with many directors having a few movies under their belt before they achieve greatness. However, as Pixar's latest film Lightyear shows, there's also potential for excellence on a director's first time at bat on feature films.
Just like with their live-action counterparts, many animated fan favorites were made by a rookie director who parlayed their experience helming shorts or working as a crew member to bring their own vision to the screen. In fact, practically every famous animation studio has a library filled with excellent debuts from the masters of their field. From Disney classics to indie darlings, plenty of great animations were made by newbies.
Beauty And The Beast (1991)
As the first animated film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, Beauty and the Beast obviously enjoys a sterling reputation. From the memorable characters, to the gorgeous art style, to the soundtrack filled with Howard Ashman-penned classics, the movie offers so much to admire and rightly holds a place in the hearts of legions of fans.
Beauty and the Beast was also the first feature directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, who later went on to direct The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. While both men still work in animation today, their debut is still overwhelmingly considered their magnum opus.
The Iron Giant (1999)
The Iron Giant is one of the great "little movies that could", a critically acclaimed box office failure that quickly found an audience on home video and became a cult classic. It also introduced the world to Brad Bird, who later went on to helm Pixar classics like The Incredibles and Ratatouille, and brought the Mission: Impossible franchise to new heights with Ghost Protocol.
Arguably The Iron Giant's most enduring legacy is the title character himself, who set the standard for lovable animated robot protagonists. His relationship with Hoagie is sweet while never feeling too sugary, making for a very effective coming-of-age story with a great friendship at its core.
Lightyear (2022)
Angus MacLane may have been a co-director on Finding Dory, but Lightyear is his debut as a solo director, and it suggests a lot of promise. While it may not soar to the level set by the mainline Toy Story franchise, it's a very fun adventure with beautiful animation and some intriguing science fiction ideas.
One of Lightyear's main selling points is that it is the movie that Andy saw back in 1995 that made him fall in love with Buzz, and the film succeeds at being meta without leaning on it as a crutch. There are a few call-backs to classic Buzz quotes and some subtle commentary on film-to-toy voiceover practices, but the movie goes beyond a one-joke gimmick and knows to do its own thing.
The Lion King (1994)
Standing among the top tier of Disney's films, The Lion King is one of the studio's most beloved creations and was the highest grossing film in their animated canon for nearly two decades. Even after a massive Broadway musical and a CGI remake, it still holds up perfectly, and is often considered one of the best animal-led movies of all time.
Amid all the incredible voice acting talent and the plethora of songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, it's easy to forget that just as pivotal to the movie's success were directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff. Even though the two have had solid careers since The Lion King, their debut still their most celebrated work.
Toy Story (1995)
So much has already been said about Toy Story, the innovative film that spawned a beloved franchise, but that's only because it offers so much. Not only did revolutionize CGI animation, it introduced generations of audiences to a memorable cast of characters with so many great dynamics, with Woody and Buzz's rivalry-turned-friendship as the main attraction.
Former Pixar chief John Lasseter directed the first Toy Story, and in doing so set the stage for the studio to dominate the animation scene going forward. Even after so many great movies that frequently come in at or near the top of many best of the year lists, Toy Story is still their flagship property.
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
Pixar's fourth film, Monsters, Inc. proved that the studio was here to stay, being a critically acclaimed box office hit with a pair of iconic protagonists. If Woody and Buzz are Pixar's greatest bromance, then Mike and Sully are a close second, a lovable duo who combines hilarious comedy with a very heartfelt friendship.
Director Pete Docter made a big splash with Monsters, Inc., leading to more classics like Up, Inside Out, and Soul, as well as a promotion to CCO of Pixar. Docter is now arguably the most important figure in the company today, and perhaps their greatest auteur, and he at least partially owes it to his top-notch debut.
The Secret Of NIMH (1982)
Once upon a time, a plucky animator named Don Bluth walked away from Disney to start his own studio, coming right out of the gate with The Secret of NIMH. While the film wasn't a huge hit, it scored rave reviews and a dedicated fanbase, propelling Don Bluth to animation stardom, who rivaled Disney with follow-ups An American Tail and The Land Before Time.
Even though Bluth's later films are better known to mainstream audiences, The Secret of NIMH holds up very well, with a hugely likable lead in Mrs. Brisby and an engaging story that deals with surprisingly mature themes. It's also one of the darker animated films of the '80s, with a terrifying villain in Jenner and lots of creepy atmosphere.
Shrek (2001)
Before it was the source of many a favorite meme, Shrek was a cultural phenomenon that proved pretty groundbreaking in hindsight. The film was a hilarious comedy that paid tribute to classic fairy tales while also mercilessly mocking them, and redefined DreamWorks Animation's style in a way that still persists today.
The tale of everyone's favorite ogre was the directorial debut for Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, the former of whom also helmed the arguably even better Shrek 2 and the first two Chronicles of Narnia films. While both of their careers have slowed down as of late, they deserve credit for helping prove that Pixar wasn't the only CGI game in town.
Turning Red (2022)
Proving that more is more, 2022 has seen the release of two Pixar movies, with Turning Red being an interesting contrast to Lightyear in many ways. Whereas Lightyear gives audiences a new take on a familiar character, Turning Red is a coming-of-age story told from the lens of the Chinese-Canadian experience, making it feel fresh and inventive as well as funny and touching.
Coming off the hugely acclaimed short Bao, Domee Shi's feature debut proves that she can match Pixar veterans in storytelling ability. Viewers could already see that she had a unique voice in Bao, but Turning Red's relatable themes of struggling to fit in and the difficulties of filial piety just might be an early look at the studio's newest master.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
A Disney film that perfectly captures the joys of playing a video game, Wreck-It Ralph is a colorful, vibrant, and even intense ride that quickly gained a big fanbase with its originality and a well-told story of misfits trying to carve out a new path for themselves. It's also a love letter to gaming, filled to the brim with cameos and sight gags that pay tribute to everything from Donkey Kong to Halo.
Although director Rich Moore had plenty of experience in animation, particularly in Matt Groening's sphere of influence, his directorial debut was the beginning of a new phase in his career. Many fans believe his follow-up film, Zootopia, was even better than Wreck-It Ralph, and he recently entered an exclusive deal with the fledgling Skydance Animation.