Anaya Animation Films: Worst To Best

Howdy! Welcome to another edition of Marco Island Animation! Today, I'm gonna talk about Anaya Animation (the beloved animation studio who brought us *Marco, Hotel Cloudylandia, Actors,* & *Dingo,* as well as 2012's 2DCG smash hit *Agent Cyberlink*). Ever since 1995, Anaya Animation has been leading the animation world (surpassing Actors 3D & Illusion) as top animation studio in Marco Island. The studio has produced a total of 22 animated features (with most of them being of great quality) and introduced us lovable characters, took us to worlds never seen before in animation, and entertained us every time we see one of their movies. Now, with *Dingo 3* (their most recent film) and *Joaquin & Emiliano: The Rise Of Marco* coming soon to theaters, let's start ranking from the House Of Marco's most middling films to their most phenomeonal ones. This list is kinda hard to do (since most of them are good), but anyway, without further ado, onto the countdown!

And the *worst* Anaya Animation movie is...

**22. Los Beibis (2018)**

The most *obvious* one in this list. When it comes to Anaya Animation's worst, you can't expect anything else from the studio but this: an unnecessary, obnoxious, lousy, annoying colorful plush animal romp only made for the sake of cash! Sure, it's not the worst animated movie ever made (since it has an okay score of 56% on Rotten Tomatoes; and it's also nowhere near as *terribly BAD* as that year's abysmal *The Fuzzi Movie*), but let's say it's *mediocre* at best. The animation's nice to look at (especially how they made New York City), the voice acting's good, there's some likable characters, the soundtrack's good, and its themes are somewhat well handled; but that however can't hide its very outlandish plot (like, *seriously?* Our beloved plush pals have to save some.... *nearly 2,000 year-old Rubik Cube?* *What?!* This is the one of the most *dumbest* plots I've ever *heard!*), some obnoxious jokes (like... *where are my clothes?!*), the film's lame action scenes, some unlikable characters, the Solers are just Joe & Alondra rejects, and... OH MY GOD, these tiresome, *obnoxious* dated pop culture references! The movie's also trying to be hip n' cool with the young kids but *fails* to do so, and it's a real darn shame that the most popular children's media franchise has declined sharply with *Los Beibis 3* (which is *way* worse) and *this freaking movie!* There's nothing really *bad* about this movie but also nothing really *special* about it, either. It's just a cute but mediocre animated Beibis movie (and no, "Despacito" doesn't help either). This movie is 😔. **Grade: C**

**21. Dingo 3 (2021)**

I love the *Dingo* movies (as much as I love the *Marco* & *Actors* films), but this one bombastic threequel felt unnecessary for an already great franchise and it's actually yet another middle-of-the-road film from Anaya Animation. While *Dingo 3* has some of the best animation I've ever seen from Anaya Animation (highlights include New York City & Times Square), new fun characters (like gumball ghetto Che Chepito, who's honestly my favorite guy in this film), a great soundtrack by Mark Mothersbaugh, excellent voice acting, cool action scenes like those of the *Marco* movies, very cute emotional moments (such as when Dingo gives Lucas his plush duck) and its several funny references to *James Bond*; the film sadly suffers from a rather weird "wedding ceremony" plot, its hit-or-miss humor (which humor, ironically, is what keeps this franchise on its toes; and, speaking of the film's humor, some are jokes that *only* adults would understand), lack of originality (as it rips-off the original *Marco* & *Los Beibis,* ironically since they're all from Anaya Animation), some flanderized characters, and a weak female baddie who's yet another Alondra reject, plus a pointless subplot of Lester & Rocky owning some failed cupcake factory. However, I really do like the idea of Dingo & his friends going to New York City, Dingo being the hotel's new security guard, and that Dingo meets his long-lost uncle Juan, who owns the hotel. This film had so much wasted potential, and honestly could've been better than the first two (if not for its several adult-ish jokes & somewhat awkward storyline). **Grade: C+**

**20. Hotel Cloudylandia 2 (2015)**

Even though movie critics liked this one more than its predecessor, this sequel to the 2010 surreally hillarious fantasy film *Hotel Cloudylandia* admittedly isn't as great as the original. The animation's bright & shiny, the new characters are good additions (Nathan's okay, I guess, and Billy's a very sympathetic monster), the soundtrack's still catchy, the plot's as good as the first, it's got strong voice acting, the gags are still funny (along with some funny quotes like "you nutsy cuckoo!" and "help me, you lazy *snobs!*"), the emotional moments are well-rounded out, the action scenes are still fun to watch (especially the climax scene with the zombie pirates), and what I like most about this film is that it deals with real-life issues such as discrimination, mid-life crisis, homelessness, and divorce. I really do like the romantic chemistry between The Great Magician & Emelie, and also the concept of our villain bringing in several well-known monsters (such as the Yeti, Bigfoot, and Godzilla) to take over Earth, and I also like that this movie (unlike its predecessor) is geared more towards older audiences. However, the film has Napoleon as our weak recycled villain, some toilet humor (like the first film), some obnoxious pop culture references plus some science-fiction elements *in a fantasy film,* and The Great Magician shouldn't had been flanderized in this film, since he lied to Ava about his relationship with Emelie and nearly throws (and *chokes*) Nathan off some cliff, but *thank God* he redeemed himself in the end. This movie is, to be honest, an "okay" film (and yes, I am looking forward to *Hotel Cloudylandia 3: Traversmania* this summer). **Grade: C+**

**19. Marco 2 (2013)**

*Marco* (yes, 2005's most popular film) was a *HUGE* smash hit at the movies, but *Marco 2*... isn't really what we'd expect from the 2005 computer-animated beloved modern spy classic, it's kind of a dissapointing sequel. *Marco 2* is that one sequel that somehow manages to be better than the original, but lacks some things that made the first film great in the first place, such as the original's surprisingly huge emotional depth. Now, make no mistake: the animation is as great as the original, some of the new characters are somewhat likable, the soundtrack's very amazing (with "Happy" and "Walkin' At The Museum" included), the action scenes are really fun to watch (despite them all taking place at the Houston Museum of Natural Science), the humor's goofy yet charming, the film's antagonist (Owen) is a really terrifying villain, the voice acting is way beyond excellent, the film's few emotional moments are touching (such as the scene where Melvin dies and when Marco & Pepe talk with each other outside), and the film does a really great job parodying *Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Night At The Museum, King Kong,* and other iconic movies of our time. However, that can't save the film's unnecessary plot of Marco saving some diamond and the new kinda unlikable characters in this film (as they sometimes constantly argue with each other), and Marco's friends don't appear too much in this film. Also, why has Marco been *dumbed down* in this movie? He's literally the best genius mastermind I've ever seen in an animated feature-length film! Heck, some people even called this film a "semi-cashgrab" from Sony, and I personally think this film's okay, but could've been as great as the 2005 original; but, another advantage to this film could be that it's very effective for autistic children (or people, in general) and that's what I like about it. **Grade: B-**

**18. Timmy's Family Reunion (2007)**

This is basically... *The Watsons Go To Birmingham* & *Are We There Yet?* if they were both one 2D animated direct-to-DVD film. I don't even know *why* this is direct-to-DVD! It's got lots of very great potential as a theatrically-released film: this is Anaya Animation's first movie about African Americans, it has great animation (especially for direct-to-video standards), the characters are memorable, the story's okay but somehow engaging (as it takes place in the 60s when MLK led the Civil Rights Movement against segregation), the voice acting is decent (with big-name African American actors like Eddie Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and Tyler Perry), the film's messages about family being important & not discriminating others is very well handled, the emotional moments are heartwarming, and the jazz/hip-hop songs are marvelous; despite the film's hit-or-miss humor (although I do like the film's *Simpsons-*style gags) and the fact that this film is somewhat stereotypical (depicting minorties as more superior, but I guess that's what Anaya Animation wanted to do because of the era this film took place), and this film should've been done in live-action. Anyway, in my personal opinion, it's just *fine* (maybe not as good as the TV show it's based on) and honestly, Lionsgate could've released it to theaters. **Grade: B**

**17. Nearlyweds (2003)**

Anaya Animation's first-ever animated feature length motion picture was actually... decent. At first, I was like: who would've thought that making a 2D animated movie about a wedding couple would actually be *a good idea?* However, when I saw this movie for the first time, I just changed my mind. The animation's not like any other 2D movie: it's gorgeous, with more realistic textures and pleasing color palettes used for the film. The characters are also good: among them Leonardo DiCaprio's character William & Emma Watson's Irene. The plot is okay, the music score is excellent, the comedy's really good (it reminds me of *Popeye's* gags), the emotional moments are well done (despite them being all about love & relationships), and what really brings this film together is the romance between William & Irene, the scenes where they are together are the scenes I enjoy most in this film. The film's antagonist is also well-developed and has understandable motivations (since his ex-wife left him), the film has some references to movies like *Titanic, Gone With The Wind,* & *Grease,* and the film (kind of like *Hotel Cloudylandia 2*) appeals most to older audiences due to the film's tone; and to pair it all up, *Nearlyweds* is quite indeed the best animated romcom ever made. **Grade: B**

**16. Good Ol' Mr. Abner (2004)**

Based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl (the author of *James & The Giant Peach, Matilda,* and *Lamb To The Slaughter*), this great stop-motion/live-action adaptation is a must-see for people of all ages (heck, that's why the film's got a G rating). Fantastic stop-motion animation (especially Jack, since he has very expressive movements throughout the film), the story's moving & thought-provoking, the characters are lovable & quite memorable, the songs are wonderful, the overall tone of this movie's very calm & peaceful, the film's British humor's very funny, the voice acting's great, and almost everything about this film is amazing, even the film's themes of enjoying life no matter the age and releasing your inner child. The only concerns I have though might be the film's lack of a true villain (since "The Ghost Cloud" isn't that big of a threat) and the film's overall simplicity (now, I do like the idea of an old man voiced by Tom Hanks who gets "second life" with his childhood friends, but it feels somewhat thin for a feature-length film and more of like a *Winnie The Pooh* episode). Nitpicks aside, I think this was a really marvelous movie... and speaking of marvelous: "it's a marvelous, marvelous, marvelous life for me..." (well, movie). **Grade: B+**

**15. Hotel Cloudylandia (2010)**

The House Of Marco's seventh feature-length film is, well, *fantastic*. Along with its great animation & visuals, the film (like *Marco*) blends in its surreal backgrounds with cartoony animation, but this time with Tex Avery-style nostalgia, and I *really love it!* Every single frame of this film, I am hugely fasicnated by the characters' wacky cartoony movements, they're just *very expressive!* The idea of fantasy creatures having their own haven up in the clouds is actually quite interesting, the plot is decent (although I do like the part when Denny takes over The Great Magician as the new owner of the Sky Castle), the characters are good ol' fun (especially my favorite characters in this film, The Great Magician & Blob), the film's gut-bustingly hillarious with lots of hard-hitting gags (along with loads of great funny quotes), the voice acting's amazing (especially from James Woods, who *really* hams it up as The Great Magician), the film's climax & action scenes are entertainingly fun to watch, the film's villain is *really* intimidating, the scenes with Krank & Dutch (well, the Flying Dutchman) are really amusing, the emotional moments are well-rounded out (The Great Magician's backstory is actually sad), and the film's life lessons, such as appreciating your parents (and being good parents) and being happy are very effective; and I personally think this is probably Anaya Animation's most unique film, as here they took some risks from the source material. Denny & Ava's relationship is okay (despite it feeling somewhat cheesy & generic) and Denny is just somewhat weak as the main protagonist. Aside from the film's fart jokes, unnecesary pop culture references, toliet humor & several cliches, *Hotel Cloudylandia is* somewhere you may want to go check in. **Grade: A-**

**14. Animated (2021)**

What's the best thing about this recent buddy cop/mystery Clayman flick? Well, you guessed it: Clayman, who *finally* returned to the big screen after 25 years... and he's still absolutely *hillarious!* When it comes to this movie, I think of 1996's *My Cartoon Self* (to which this film pays a huge homage to, as well as animation in general). Besides everyone's favorite Marcanese cartoon icon, the film has amazing animation (seriously, I really wanna go to Cartoon World *so bad* and eat the fair's red cotton candy), likable (and maybe even lovable) characters like Mark & Lou, well-done car chase & action scenes, marvelous 50s-60s soundtrack, decent voice acting, an entertaining villain who goes by Sir Clay Moriarty, very hilarious comedy, sweet emotional moments, and even surprising cameos from famous cartoon characters Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Popeye, SpongeBob, and Tom & Jerry! The film's opening scene is gold, I like Mark & Sally's romance (it's very sweet to see them as a couple), and the film's themes of learning from mistakes & succeding from failure, enjoying life to the fullest, and being passionate in what you love most are very well done; and blend in all that with a brilliant concept (which is *really* brilliant since Mark starts as a failed cartoonist, but then sees his cartoon Clayman come to life and Mark *himself* gets turned to a cartoon! Isn't that *brilliant?*) and an engaging road trip-turned-buddy cop/mystery adventure plot, and you've got this one-of-a-kind zany, action-packed cartoony goodness from Anaya Animation (and an essential love letter to animated movies, the whole audience, and of course die-hard Clayman fans). **Grade: A-**

**13. The BeachBallHeads Movie (2007)**

Everyone from the 90s-early 2000s grew up with the BeachBallHeads: these lovable beach ball-headed stick figures whom like pink watermelon lemonade and have a knack for surfing & other water activities; and this 2007 film based on the hugely popular TV show of the same name is also *really good.* With stunning animation (just watch the peaceful islands & calm ocean waves... *wonderful,* isn't it?), the story's okay but I do get the hang of it once our BeachBallHeads family gets shipwrecked & meet their friends, lovable characters such as the BeachBallHeads family, excellent surfing scenes, *amazing* cinematography, lots of funny moments as well as emotionally good ones, great soundtrack, good life lessons about not giving up & talent being more important than fame, great voice acting (thanks to Shia LeBeouf & Jon Heder), and almost everything about this film is amazing, despite the weak villain & some adult jokes here & there. Anyway, *The BeachBallHeads Movie* might not be Anaya Animation's best, but it truly lives up to the TV series and funny shorts it's based on, and yeah, this movie "keeps you surfin' on the pedals" **Grade: A-**

**12. Food Town (2009)**

Ah, Food Town, perhaps the most underrated film Anaya Animation has ever come up with (and I don't get why this film is underappreciated by some people, it was *wonderfully delicious!)* Really, the animation for this film is fantastic (with *Marco-*style fluid cartoony movements for the film's characters and every visual treat is just pleasing eye-candy). I love the film's concept: the idea of having this world where lasagna apartments, ice cream mountains, Jello castles, & cheese towers dominate the landscape and where fortune cookies fall down from the sky like manna from heaven (seriously, it really works!). The film's got great characters like Max Applewood, Hailey Caramel, Officer Brown and Mr. Joe (who's really funny as the film's comic relief), vibrant feel-good songs, several funny moments here and there, very cute emotional moments, cool voice acting (especially from Bill Hader, Anna Faris, and Mr. T), the film's climax scene is amazing (as well as the disaster scenes), and the rest is just wonderful. I also like the romantic subplot between Max & Hailey, it's just so cute to see them together every time and they're not like any generic geek couple I've ever seen, because at the end they *do* get together (and the film's ending is very sweet). The film also has great morals about greed being wrong, how manipulation can lead to trouble, following your dreams, and learning from your own mistakes (and I think that's what people should take consideration of nowadays); but the film doesn't really stay true to the book it's based on (however, I don't really mind that), the plot is kind of convoulted, the mayor's unlikable for the most part, and the character designs are quite simple (I know *Marco* also has that problem with the characters, too). Overall, I actually *enjoyed* this film a lot and found *Food Town* to be a very zany, tasty feast for the eyes (and also a mouthwatering recipe for success).**Grade: A**

**11. Actors 2 (2019)**

The World Wide Web is actually a hard place to make a movie about (we've already seen the cinematic disasters that were Sony's *The Emoji Movie* and Disney's *Ralph Breaks The Internet,* both of which gained negative response from audiences), but this sequel to the 2016 videogame hit manages to do things right. Amazing animation with great visuals and *very* fantastic cinematography (I'm *really* amazed at how they made Internet City, it's gorgeous!), new likable characters like Technohat & Tobi, great soundtrack, very funny humor (such as when Bowser was crowned as the "King Of Memes" instead of Vault Boy, and the wacky prank war scene at the beginning). superb voice acting (Benedict Cumberbatch does a very superb job as the film's villain: The Black Actor), sweet heartwarming moments, very cool action scenes (most notably the film's climax scene), the film's ending was unexpectedly nice (since both the heroes & villains *do* keep their truce), and almost everything else is, well, amazing! What I like most about this film is the film's story: Jake & Joseph venture to the Internet & call Jay & their friends to rescue them, but later they make a truce with their snarky arcade rivals once they realize their worlds (and the Internet) are under threat of deletion; and I also like the concept of the Actors going to the world of Internet & online gaming, too. I was also very surprised to see new videogame pals like Cuphead & Mugman, Rayman, Steve, and Crash Bandicoot appear in this film, I think they're really great additions to the franchise; and also cameos from other well-known Sony movies and even Actors 3D & Anaya Animation! Now, there's also some cons: compared to Adolf Hitler, The White Actor/Black Actor's actually a weak twist villain & has somewhat poor motivations, a few obnoxious pop culture references (such as the "Baby Shark" Pinkfong version song and dabbing, which I have to admit, already became dead trends), and *too much* product placement (although it's not as blatant or obnoxious as in *The Fuzzi Movie*). In conclusion, I think *Actors 2* is a really *amazing* film and proves that everyone can make a movie about the Internet, even if it's not as good as the original. **Grade: A**

**10. Dingo 2 (2020)**

*Dingo 2* is the one sequel that somehow *surpasses* the original, even though it might fall short at some areas. Our lovable Puerto Rican love bird & his pals head out to the sandy beaches of Miami, Florida for a nice summer vacation (despite the film actually being released in January) and Dingo gets hired as Barcomil's new cruise captain, but when an egg falls on Dingo's head, he'll have to either play Mr. Mom or continue being the ship's captain. I absolutely *love* this sequel, and I even have to say it's actually better than the original. Very great animation, new lovable characters (Lucas the baby goose is *really* cute & Mr. Stork is *really* funny), excellent voice acting, surprisingly great emotional scenes, somewhat hysterical comedy, the story's brilliant, Dingo & Litzy's romance is still quite endearing to watch, I like the film's references to *Titanic,* and everything's just so great about this movie, and the film's message of family & friends being more important than work is very well-executed. However, the film has yet another weak generic villain in the Anaya Animation canon and some unnecessary pop culture references (like that of *Casablanca*, which kids *obviously* won't understand). Nevertheless, *Dingo 2* is one of Anaya Animation's best sequels ever made and it *definitely* deserves my approval. **Grade: A**

**9. Joaquin & Emiliano: The Movie (2018)**

Oh, yeah sure... what's the *very first thing* that comes to your mind (besides Marco) when you think of *Marco*? Joaquin & Emiliano, Marco's wacky, candy-obsessed icons of Marcanese pop culture who took over the whole animation world, became huge merchandising giants, and heck, they're even the official mascots of Actors 3D Entertainment! And, guess what? They... *FINALLY* get their very own movie! And the end result is... Anaya Animation's most hysterical, gut-bustingly hillarious spin-off of the *Marco* franchise the House Of Marco has *ever* made, Of course the comedy's king in this film, as we have several hillarious jokes like the Columbia Pictures/Universal fanfare, Noah's (aka Big Fat Super Baby's) introduction scene & all the scenes with him involved, the wagon scene with Joaquin & Emiliano, and the chicken scene (to which I laughed so much seeing some crazy chicken breakdance with this entrepeneur guy William). Besides the humor, there's also lots of great things about this film: the animation is great, the voice acting's also great (thanks to Thomas Middleditch, Jordan Peele, and Kristen Bell), the story is good, the new characters are lots of fun, the music score's amazing with the kids' silly performance of "Sweet Caroline" standing out the most, the emotional moments are very heartwarming, the film's messages about parents, friendship, and teamwork are very sweet, and the film's ending is also quite nice, as it has Marco & his friends playing with snow in Texas for the first time! The film's bad guy (which is Bryan, Edgar's former assistant) is kinda weak, the Con of Doom scene can get *way* too dark for a children's film, the subplot between Emiliano & Tanya (although it's funny) can get a bit too cheesy, and there's yet a few unnecessary pop culture references (however, there's still a handful of good ones, like Emiliano's potrayal of Godzilla). Nitpicks aside, this *Marco* spin-off starring our favorite wacky cousins is... "oh my goodness", the ultimate gut-busting weapon of laughter for the whole family to enjoy. **Grade: A**

**8. Mr. Indifferent (2020)**

No other Anaya Animation film (besides *Marco, Marco 3,* and *The Story Of Jesus*) has been as deeply moving & thought-provoking as this 2020 computer-animated romcom melodrama based on the 2018 short of the same name. The film stars Mel Gibson as Paul (aka Mr. Indifferent), a modest human being who's bored about living in Dubai, until then one day he helps an old lady, he then gets the gig, and later... falls down to some manhole to the Land of Souls, where he meets three soulmates (Fred, Phil, and Timothy) who help him discover the mysteries of life & death. This was... *phenomenal* from start to finish, the animation's very impressively beautiful (especially how wonderful Dubai looks like in this film, and also the Land of Souls) with astounding cinematography (and the 2D sequences, like when Paul falls down the manhole, are very well crafted), with very solid voice acting, lovable characters, a *really amazing* musical score from Michael Giacchino, very funny moments with the soulmates, as well as a ton of emotion & melodrama added to this film (Paul & Joann's romance isn't forced or anything, it's marvelous!), and... what else can I *say?* All I can say is... wow, this is an phenomeonal state-of-the-art masterpiece of animated cinema! Although the film's main antagonist is somewhat weak, he does tend to have understandable motives (and you can't help it but feel sorry for him). This is one of those films that *really* surprised me since I first saw it in theaters, and amid this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we sought hope with this beautiful animated film. **Grade: A+**

**7. Marco 4 (2017)**

This is, to be honest, my favorite one in the franchise, and I actually *really* enjoyed it. The reason why I put this one below the other two *Marco* movies remaining on this list is possibly because of how *dark* this film can get at times (such as that scary mansion scene) although that's what makes this fourth installment special, but everything else is *really* good, from the incredibly top-notch animation, fantastic visuals, and its eye-catching cinematography (such as in the Superyacht scene) to the new lovable characters (my favorite one being Ian, since he's really hilarious) and its hysterical comedy and its villain, Edgar (who's very entertaining & well-animated as the film's villain, also helps that Trey Parker from *South Park* voices him) and also the fact that he no longer became popular because of him wanting to live a life of villainy, and also getting revenge on the music industry is indeed very original. What I love most about this film is Marco's detective subplot (and, seriously, it's just *so darn* brilliant I wish it could've been expanded further in this movie!) and its *REALLY awesome* action scenes (oh my GOD, I can't get enough of how *awesome* those action scenes *really are*, like in the final battle scene where Marco & the kiddos take down Edgar's tyrannical E-Bot, and the dance fight after that, like..."*whoa!"*), and Marco's cute moments with Mikayla & Aileene that are highly endearing to watch, as well as the other emotional scenes like when a calm Bom Bin plays his own song to Isabella (and yes, I was very surprised to see Bom Bin & Aileene return to the big screen after 12 years of sheer absence). The film's soundtrack is *very* catchingly addicting, with hits like "Let The Good Times Roll", "Believer" by Imagine Dragons, "On The Boat", "Dance Fight" by Eminem, Edgar's "Low" parody "Bad", "Billie Jean"... lots of them. The film has several pop culture references that work (like the ones for *Sherlock Holmes* & *Ghostbusters*) and has nice nods to the original film. It's also about "overcoming the bad things in life with the good things" and puts in lots of mystery and suspense to it, that it *really* gets you on the edge of your seat and you don't really know what's gonna happen next (you wonder throughout the film, "will Marco's friends appear?" "will Marco either stay with Mikayla or Aileene?" etc.) I also like how this film doesn't treat its target audience as lazy, stereotypical teens and *actually* reflects teens today. The fair scene, Main Event scene, and Lake Conroe evening scenes are memorable; the ending's unpredictable yet sweet, as it has Marco & Aileene waving goodbye to Esau & the other kids (who head for Cancun) and also the fact that Marco's friends *do* appear in the film's ending. This is the one movie I would most likely put above the other top movies on this list, but it somehow feels like a rehash of the original film and I get the fact that this film's sometimes slow-paced and at other times it can feel like something out of *Hotel Cloudylandia,* but honestly, it was definitely well worth it, and I'll give a "WOOHOO YEAH!!!" for this movie... **Grade: A+**

**6. Ay Dingo!: The Movie (2018)**

Oh, Dingo, everyone's favorite Gansito-loving Puerto Rican parrot. He now has yet another movie of his own- but this time, in CG. I *love* seeing Dingo & his friends in CG, and the animation's just so great it *fully* resembles the zany comics this film's based on. While the film's animation might be the key attraction here, the other elements in this film also work out pretty well: the film's introduction scene was hilarious, the humor's hysterical just like the comics (Glob makes me laugh *the whole entire time* with his fruity obsession & funny gags), most of the characters are still lovable as they were in the comics (and their designs are very exquisite to look at, as well as their wacky fluid cartoony movements), well done emotional moments (the scenes with Dingo & Litzy being together are very lovely to watch), great voice talent from an Latino ensemble cast, an excellent soundtrack with a great selection of choice hits like "Vivir Mi Vida" by Marc Anthony & "Todo Cambio" by Camila, an amazing climax with Dingo & Lester (and, speaking of Lester, here he's a really funny & entertaining villain despite him being voiced by Rob Schneider), and the film stays true to its Latino heritage while also representing Latinos as a whole (just like how *Marco 3* represented global ethnic diversity). The film's essentially a love letter to the source material, not only throwing in subtle references that only the truest *Dingo* fans would understand, but also providing us lots of heart, humor, and comical nostalgia for everyone (including Dingoholics) of all ages. It also proves that Lionsgate can make good-quality animated features and not just their crappy *Cartoon Craze* sequels & the 2015 cinematic abomination that's *Dorm & The Invincibles.* Unfortunately, the film suffers from a somewhat convoulted plot about Dingo saving his guardian Chucha from Lester & his army of ailens, and some unlikable characters like Tigo & Alberto (who's Dingo's former inresponsible owner); but aside from those things, *Ay Dingo!: The Movie* is sure a very huge surprise "*boing!*" for audiences of all ages & ethnicities. **Grade: A+**

**5. The Actors Movie (2016)**

Now that we've reached the top five, 2016's most anticipated gaming adventure is indeed one of the House Of Marco's best animated films the studio has ever made, with incredibly amazing animation that has cool pixelated backgrounds, lovable characters like the Actors & their iconic videogame buds, a very funny intro (I also like the pixelated Anaya Animation logo for this film), very hillarious gags (like the kolaches joke & the Xbox Jail scene, for example), nice soundtrack from Heitor Periera (you can also hear Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" playing in the Casino Night Zone scene), top-notch voice acting (especially from Jason Sudekis, Josh Gad, Kate McKinnon, Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader, and Richard Kind), awesome action scenes (most notably the final battle against Hitler & his army of arcade villains), several emotional moments that actually work, Adolf Hitler is a decent antagonist with very well-executed plans, excellent themes for everyone such as fighting back for what you love most, having self-esteem, and the film also deals with anger management issues. I like the Actors' origin story (which, I have to admit, is actually quite sad but cute at the same time) and how they unite all the videogame heroes to fight against Hitler & the arcade villains, it's somewhat brilliant, I guess. Just like Animacon's 2000s *Actors* movies, this film also has several spot-on references to the games as well as various surprising cameos from the *Super Mario* characters, Sonic The Hedgehog & Dr. Robotnik (Eggman), Little Mac, Kirby, Qbert, Ryu & Ken Masters from *Street Fighter,* Mega Man, Pikachu, and several others. The film also has a few unnecessary adult jokes and Judge Brown's kinda mean-spirited and acts out as a sort of irredeemable jerk towards Jake in the first half (but thankfully in the second half he forgives Joseph & his friends). To sum it all up, *The Actors Movie* is so far, so good the best videogame adaptation of all time, and as for me, it truly deserves a huge, powerful 1-Up for Anaya Animation. **Grade: A+**

**4. Agent Cyberlink (2012)**

Way before *Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse* impressed audiences worldwide, this 2012 2DCG animated superhero/sci-fi action thriller was actually the first to surprise audiences with its groundbreaking, revolutionary 2DCG animation style (which was later used in Viacom's *Paperboy,* Illusion's *Rise Of The Machines,* and of course Sony Animation's *Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse* & their most recent film, *The Mitchells vs. The Machines*). Anyway, speaking of the film's animation & cinematography, they're both very mind-blowingly *awesome*, something never *really seen before* in the history of animation in general. I like the film's story of James Link IV turning to some superhero named Cyberlink & recruiting these geeks to form the Cyber 6 in order to defeat the evil megalomaniacal Madman (who's notorious for illegal hacking) and save their digital world of Cyberpolis; I also like the concept of a high-tech futuristic dystopia where robots & other tech gadgets dominate everyday people's lives. The Cyber 6 members are very cool (Link is a great character, Supermax & Computer Guy are very funny comic reliefs, Anime Girl's adorable, and Robo-Man & Robo-Hat are very unique characters), the film's action scenes are *very* *exciting* (along with the film's excellent climax scene) with also excellent pacing, it's got superb voice performances (especially from Matthew McConaughey, Zack Galifianakis, Bill Nighy, and perhaps Freddie Highmore), lots of funny moments here and there, a very addictingly catchy soundtrack, very fond emotional moments (Link & Linda's love subplot is actually quite clever), and everything else is just *so* *highly* brilliant! The Prankster is a very entertaining Joker-like baddie who should've been the film's main villain instead of Madman (who's actually a weak twist villain), I also like the film's clever references to Marvel/DC and how this film (like *Josh Samuel*) pokes fun at the superhero genre since we technically have Sherlock Holmes (or well, Inspector Gadget) as the film's main superhero. The film's deals with serious issues like mid-life crisis, dysfuctional families, discrimination, drugs, divorce, mental problems, crime, and dystopian societies.(and the film also makes the argument that if we want to eliminate most of the evil from this world, we should get a mutual understanding of each other); the overall tone of this film is somewhat mature (as it strongly blends in humor, seriousness, and lots of suspense altogether very well), the film's representation of ethnic diversity is very well done, and it broadly appeals to people of all ages. In general, this film proves that animation has *no limits* to show us various different worlds never seen before & that it's not only just a medium for kids. *Agent Cyberlink* is probably Anaya Animation's *greatest* magnum opus, and, *hold on* a minute... did I forgot to mention, baloney? **Grade: A+**

**3. Marco (2005)**

The movie that started it all*, Marco* is by far Anaya Animation's most well-known & beloved animated film of all time, and there's plenty of good reasons why: the animation's top-notch and it still looks great to this day (note: this was made in **2005**, when animated films that year like *Madagascar* & *Robots,* despite them having great animation, can't surpass *this* film's) with very photo-realistic backgrounds blended well with lovable cartoony characters that have highly fluid, expressive movements (especially those of Marco), excellent voice acting (with an ensemble cast of Bill Hader, Will Smith, Emma Stone, Robin Williams, Sandra Bullock, and the list goes on), *very hysterical* comedy, fantastic soundtrack from Heitor Periera & Mark Ronson, several heartwarming moments such as when Marco had to rescue the girls and his interactions with the other characters (and also very sad ones, such as when Marco sees his grandparents buried on a VHS documentary), *very* great fast-paced action scenes that remind me of *Tom & Jerry* and *Looney Tunes*, *extremely* lovable characters (Marco & his friends are *so* kind & sympathetic you may want to hug them; and this film also introduced us to Joaquin & Emiliano and the kids), the film's pop culture references are GOLD, a decent plot that's understandable, Joe's a very funny & entertaining villain and Alondra's one intimidating female main antagonist, the film's climax scene was intense, and EVERYTHING about this zany, one-of-a-kind animated *James Bond-*esque spy flick is absolutely *fantastic!* I really *love* how Anaya Animation made this film have this Hanna-Barbera feel to it (and its sequels & spin-off), and the film's overall themes of family & friends, perserverance, being kind to others, and teamwork. The film takes this simple yet good concept of "what do kids do when their parents aren't home?" and pairs it up with "what if kids can be anything, even spies?" (*sounds familiar?*) and the end result is... marvelous, no matter how silly or simple these concepts might be. What's even *more* surprising about this film is that it suffered **6 years** of very troubled production, and when this movie finally came out in 2005, it currently holds an amazingly rare score of **100%** on Rotten Tomatoes, how unbelievable! One little problem with this film would be the character designs, they just feel a tad bit simple (but as for me, that's no biggie). Without a single doubt, this film has been a HUGE BLAST for me (and well, everyone) that I am definitely gonna it watch over and over again with my buddies until I die. **Grade: A+**

**2. The Story Of Jesus (2020)**

What could be actually be above *Marco*, the best animated movie of all time? This modern computer-animated retelling of *The Story Of Jesus* surpasses the 2005 classic as the second *best* Anaya Animation film. So, Anaya Animation's Christian drama is about a good-doctrined preacher named James (voiced by Nicholas Cage), who gets shunned every time by the Catholic Church as he tries to teach the good gospel, until one night he goes to bed and... wakes up in the middle of the garden of Eden. Once he travels to Egypt, he meets a nomad named Ahmed who guides him on their journey to seek their lord Jesus Christ though Biblical times. With an outstanding 100% on the Tomatometer, *The Story Of Jesus* is a must-see for the ages: it's probably got the *best* animation I've ever seen in an animated film (along with perfect cinematography & awesome visuals), it's got great characters like James & Ahmed as well as Bible icons like Moses & King Solomon, a thought-provoking storyline about death after life (which is well, either going to heaven or hell, obviously), loads of funny moments (such as the scene with Jonah & the whale), surprisingly great voice acting, amazing chase scenes, decent antagonists with understandable motives, emotional scenes that are very moving (especially the scene where James & Ahmed see Jesus being crucified), and everything else is PERFECT (also, the film's ending was sweet). The only problems with this film might be the Pope (he's unlikable for the most part) and the camels (who are the film's pointless comic reliefs, although they do make me laugh in *some* scenes). The film faithfully follows the Bible and there's not even one scene with missing details or obnoxious pop culture references, and that's what makes this film *good* (if not, *great*). I like the film's concept of a modest pastor who travels back to Biblical times in search of the Messiah in order to prove skepticals that he's right, it's just by far the most *ingenious* idea ever for a Christian animated film (and even a faith-based movie!) Not only that, but the film also deals with religion, life, sin & its consequences, existential crisis, marriage, relationships, abortion, persecution of religious people, and even *death.* Here, Anaya Animation gave us a very moving film that not only Christians, but *everyone* can relate to and understand the gospel more vividly at the movie theater (or at your local home theater). I'd give *The Story Of Jesus* a definite "Two Thumbs Up" for being such a *very* excellent movie. **Grade: A+**

And now, the number one *best* Anaya Animation movie is...

1. **Marco 3 (2015)**

EVERYTHING about this 2015 *Marco* threequel is *definitely* great, from its *very beautiful* animation with the *coolest* visuals I've *ever seen* in an animated film, along with *mind-blowing* cinematography (*really,* just look at how *fantastic* Houston looks like in this film, it even *fully resembles* the actual city!) to the film's old & new lovable characters (John really *steals every scene he's in,* Erick's a genius role model, and Mr. Mime's *really funny* as the film's new clown) and its very top-notch voice acting (with newcomers Benjamin Bratt, Keegan-Michael Key, Miranda Cosgrove, Ken Jeong, and Mel Brooks doing fantastic jobs as the new characters) to the film's incredibly *awesome* action scenes that resemble most live-action spy movies, everything's just *so darn* amazing about this film, you'll *never* get tired of watching it over and over again. The Surfside Beach, Chinese restaurant, and Oak Thicket Park scenes are highly memorable, the soundtrack's gold, with hits like "Feel It" by TobyMac and "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Naked Eyes (and I also *loved* the kids' silly disco song "Le Disco, La Fiesta"; and Pepe's "Hallelujah" got me moving), the emotional scenes are either very heartwarming or just heartbreakingly sad (such as the scene where Marco's uncle Manuel dies), highly *hysterical* comedy: among the funniest include Marco's failed wacky inventions, the FARB scene, the mall scene where Marco dresses up as an elderly lady, the Local Texan Idol scene (which is a hillarious spoof of *American Idol*), and the Salvation Army scene, we have a decent twist villain (who's well, Emmanuel) who's quite funny & has understandable motives since he didn't want his grandpa's Riva Corporation to go bankrupt. The representation of ethnic diversity in this film is very well done and not just used for stereotyping; it even fits the setting of the film (also considering that Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in the United States); the film explores complex issues such as the loss of a loved one, grief, homelessness, moving out, corporate greed, poverty, religion, divorce, discrimination, mental illness/disabilities, etc. and it also gives us themes about the consequences of greed, following your dreams, and being optimistic in the midst of chaos. I also like to see Marco & Marlene's romantic relationship (it's just *so endearingly sweet* to watch them be together), and the film has a very bittersweet but nice ending. What I definitely *love* most about this movie is how Anaya Animation created this movie's plot of Marco becoming what he wanted to be in the first place: a well-known inventor, and what's even *more* amazing is that Marco uses *his very own* inventions to track down Emmanuel, it's just *so freakin'* brilliant! I've never seen such creativity & imagination used in another Anaya Animation film other than this one, it's like if the filmmakers used all the vast potential possibilities of this film and blended in plenty of heart, humor, and action to keep die-hard *Marco* fans and audiences *very* entertained, without any single flaws. The film has several great pop culture references as well as great cameos from Alex & Abby, Josh Samuel, Ducky, Computer Guy (in his computer-animated form), Redhead & Blob, and some others; the film even has lots of hidden Easter eggs from other Anaya Animation films, The surpisingly perfect threequel that really works (and outright surpasses its 2005 predecessor), *Marco 3* is by far what I consider the absolute *BEST* Anaya Animation film ever made. "*Vuela!"* **Grade: A+**

So, there's my list of the Anaya Animation films ranked worst to best. I hope you've enjoyed reading this list, and have a great day.