Any fans out there?

I am glad someone is not afraid nor ignorant to include this to the list of the greatest animated movies of all time. I, for one, consider this as one of the top ten greatest of all time, for sure.

There are movies that are animated, and there are animated works of art. Granted, there have been great achievements in animation to this day, with the Pixars and all. But you just don't get these types of movies anymore. I, for one, are a fan of so many movies like this that are often overlooked.

Before there was the "Lion King", before "Finding Nemo", there were movies I saw as a kid and wonder how so many are never considered as pioneers to those great movies to come. Movies like, "The Secret of Nimh", "Watership Down", "The Land Before Time", "The Velveteen Rabbit", "The Snowman", "Fantasia"--these were what I remember animated movies should be modeled after. Not just built around great animation, but a real, sometimes dark, sometimes sad, but always meaningful and evocative of all types of emotions that most parents wouldn't be sure that their kids would get it. Well, I got it. And it still resonates with me today. The flashy, glitsy movies of today reign supreme because kids have been brainwashed into watching movies just for the animation and how many times one character gets hit in the head by another, you know, all goofy humor and action, no real sustenance. Kids remember these movies for the jokes, the tricks, the actions. Not as much remembered for the subtle lessions: the growing pains, the reality and fragility of life, the idea that no matter who you are or where you come from, there is always hope, there is always a star to wish upon.

Don't get me wrong; Finding Nemo, Toy Story, The Lion King--these are all great animated movies and are worthy entries into a top-ten list. But I guess I'm just old-fashioned when it comes to what I experience now and what I remember experiencing beforehand. You just won't get the same kind of feelings and interpretations as a kid when you don't see movies like "An American Tail". They make serious lasting impressions. Maybe that is because movies makers of my childhood had less to work with in the animation world, so they had to do more with what they had. Today, animation is so advanced, it seems easy to try to make that dollar, or cut corners to just get it out on the scene. Not that everyone does, but times change. These movies should not be lost or forgotten. Ja Kitty 71--you and I are of a lucky kind, I think.