Summary
They might not be as established asthe best Pixar movies, but the animated films byIllumination Entertainmenthave been able to grab a wide audience with their array of narratives, not only creating staples in pop culture like the beloved Minions, but also bringing to life iconic gaming characters like Mario and Luigi in an ever-expanding effort to make a name in the animation market.
With a catalog full of unique adventures, Illumination continues to branch out, more recently releasing the fourthDespicable Meinstallment. Despite not being the most well reviewed of the bunch, it is still managing to be successful, following the company’s path of continuous growth. Regardless of Illumination’s overall success, there are certain of their movies that stand out for their quality storytelling and great animation style, and deserve to be recognized as such.
10The Grinch
IMDb Rating: 6.4
Making an adaptation of one of the most beloved Christmas stories ever was already a tough job, yet Illumination managed to adapt it into a fun family adventure. While it may not be as highly regarded as the live-action version,The Grinchstill captured the essence of the legendary Christmas hater, with Dr. Seuss-esque artwork filled with Christmas spirit.
With arecognizable voice as the protagonist, this modern retelling of a classic makes for nostalgia-riddled animation, and an entertaining watch despite not rising to the heights of its predecessor or its fame.
9The Secret Life Of Pets 2
Even though it may not rank amongmovies where the sequel was better than the original, the second movie inThe Secret Life of Petsfranchise was able to maintain a very similar quality to its predecessor. While the first has the slight advantage of bringing the world to life, the second feature was able to amp up the humor that worked so well in the first installment.
The biggest downfall and strength ofThe Secret Life of Pets 2is how similar it is to the first movie. While it may not seek to innovate, it is also a great watch for fans of the franchise, offering a fun adventure filled with cute and funny pets.
8The Secret Life Of Pets
IMDb Rating: 6.5
StartingThe Secret Life of Petsfranchise, this unique series gives humorous insight into what the life of pets is like when humans are not around. Hilarious and unique, the first feature opened a up secret world filled with comedic moments, various adorable pets, and an original premise.
Despite following a very common family movie storyline, it manages to stay innovative with comic voices and a universally-liked theme: cute pets.
7Minions: The Rise Of Gru
TheDespicable Memovies are definitely one of Illumination’s biggest successes, and that’s largely due to the popularity of the small, yellow and clumsy Minions. However, the first spin-off movie based on the characters was not super well received, meaning Illumination had to shake things up again to put the overall-wearing characters at its center again.
That’s exactly what the secondMinionsmovie,Minions: The Rise of Gru,did; it focused on the slapstick humor andmispronounced quotesprovided by the Minions, together with a story that had a big villainous heart. It might not reach the heights of some of theDespicable Memovies, but it definitely has a charm of its own as it follows the origin of Gru’s lifelong relationship with the Minions.
6Migration
IMDb Rating: 6.7
Illumination’s most recent original narrative focuses on a family of ducks as they break out of their shells and accidentally migrate to one of the most beautiful yet chaotic places in the world: New York. While it’s not something completely new, it weaves a story about family and taking risks, with some hilarious twists and turns.
As Illumination’s attempt to branch out from its most well known franchises,Migrationdeserves credit for providing an entertaining and funny adventure, despite its more typical storytelling format.
Making an adaptation of one of the most beloved and well-known gaming franchises out there is no easy feat, yet Illumination rose to the occasion withThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.Showcasing an original adventure featuring the plumber brothers, Mario and Luigi, this animated feature proves the company’s power to create iconic stories.
With some impressivelyauthentic voice acting, beautiful artwork, funny moments, and nostalgic Easter eggs, the movie was destined for success despite its deviations from the video game source material.
4Sing
IMDb Rating: 7.1
While talking animals might not be the most innovative premise in animation,Singwas able to make singing animals as ingenious as it gets. Illumination has its fair share of movies with animals as protagonists, yetSingbrings them all together in a singing contest with some of the most popular songs of the decade.
From Rocket Man to Taylor Swift,Singhas a bit for everyone, showcasing an A-list cast with Matthew McConaughey as the koala protagonist, and an A-List cast to follow.Singis definitely an original animation worth watching, especially for music lovers, with onlytop-notch voice performancesthroughout.
3Sing 2
IMDb Rating: 7.3
There may be some discussion on whether the first or second movie in the franchise is the best, but there is no denying that the long-awaitedSingsequel was able to keep the core of the first movie alive while bringing something new to the table. Starring the famous The Police fromtman, Sting,Sing 2was able to build on the solid foundation that the first feature established.
Showcasing another accidental entrapment of Buster Moon, voiced by Matthew McConaughey, this animated movie has animals in a singing performance like no other, filled with known voices, popular songs, and goosebump-worthy moments.
2Despicable Me 2
Despicable Me 2is one of the reasons the villain-centered franchise was able to expand well beyond one movie and into a four-movie series (so far), with two spin-offs to boot. This movie proved that there was way more stories to tell of Gru and the Minions, keeping the quality of the franchise while innovating into a whole new field: heroism.
The movie is filled with hilarious moments, fun action sequences, unique weaponry, a great voice cast, and a redemption arc worthy of a truly entertaining family movie, all in true Illumination style.
1Despicable Me
IMDb Rating: 7.6
There is a reason that theDespicable Mefranchise has become the face of Illumination Entertainment, with its first movie portraying a unique narrative with hilarious moments and iconic characters that permeated pop culture. Not only thebest movie of the franchise,Despicable Meis also the company’s best animated feature.
Introducing the Minions to the world, this family movie gave focus to a villain in the throes of an emotional redemption arc filled with humor and heart, showcasing Illumination’s greatest assets and talent for storytelling.
