By Bryanne Salazar
8:19am PST, Nov 18, 2019
Calling all cartoon movie lovers! "Frozen II" — the long-awaited sequel to Disney's beloved "Frozen" — is finally here! The animated flick, which hits theaters on Nov. 22, 2019, chronicles Elsa and Anna's next journey to save their kingdom. In honor of the film's release, Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at some of the best cartoon sequels ever made! Keep reading to see them all…
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"The Secret Life of Pets 2"
"The Secret Life of Pets 2" brought back beloved animated characters Max (now voiced by Patton Oswalt) and Duke (Eric Stonestreet) as they faced some major life changes with the arrival of a new baby. The 2019 sequel was a big box office success, earning more than $354 million worldwide.
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"Angry Birds 2"
The sequel to "The Angry Birds Movie," "Angry Birds 2," came out during the summer of 2019 and reunited us with our fave birds — Red, Chuck, Bomb and more. We loved following these crazy winged creatures as they formed an alliance with the Bad Piggies to avoid a frozen fate.
"Toy Story 2"
"Toy Story 4" made us weep buckets in 2019, but we still have major love for one of the best cartoon sequels to date, "Toy Story 2," which arrived in theaters back in 1999. The film follows Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and his friends as they go on a rescue mission to save cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks), who's been kidnapped by an evil toy collector. It's on this adventure that the gang meets a beautiful cowgirl named Jessie.
"Monsters University"
Technically a prequel, we can't get enough of the 2013 animated comedy "Monsters University." Featuring the voices of Billy Crystal as Mike (seen here) and John Goodman as his college foe (and later friend) Sully, the film takes fans of "Monsters Inc." back to the past to find out how these two adorable monsters trained in the fine art of terrorizing children.
"Incredibles 2"
After 14 long years, "The Incredibles" finally gave us a sequel with the June 2018 release of "Incredibles 2." The animated adventure tackles gender norms and villains with our favorite superhero family, the Parrs. Featuring the voices of Holly Hunter and Craig T. Nelson, this film reminded us why family is always stronger when they stick together.
"Shrek 2"
There are four total films in the franchise (and a fifth on the way in 2019), but we're thoroughly smitten with the 2004 sequel "Shrek 2." The film, which includes the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy and Antonio Banderas, brings our beloved ogre family to the kingdom of Far Far Away, where a scheming fairy godmother and evil Prince Charming plot to kill Shrek and Donkey by way of a feline assassin named Puss in Boots. Like all great fairy tales, however, the power of love manages to save them all.
"Puss in Boots"
Yes, this is technically a "Shrek 2" spin-off rather than a sequel, but we don't care. Our love for the titular sly, sword-bearing feline runs deep and the 2011 adventure "Puss in Boots" only made us adore him more. Featuring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek as the feline swordstress named Kitty, the film explores Puss in Boots' early life and the childhood betrayal that lead him to a life of crime.
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
Of the two "Kung Fu Panda" sequels that followed the 2008 original, our absolute favorite is the Oscar-nominated "Kung Fu Panda 2" featuring the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and more. The 2011 comedy adventure revisits Po the Dragon Warrior, who, along with his posse of martial arts masters, must stop the evil peacock villain (and Po's longtime enemy) Shen from conquering all of China.
"Despicable Me 3"
There's no such thing as a bad "Despicable Me" sequel, but 2017's "Despicable Me 3" featuring the voices of Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig was clearly the best in the franchise. In the film, our favorite villain, Gru, is facing doubts about his path in life when he discovers he has a twin. Of course things get weird when Gru finds his brother isn't just better looking but also more successful at being a bad guy. The animated adventure was such a hit with audiences, it managed to rake in more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
"Minions"
Another spin-off (which is basically a sequel, right?) on our list is the hilarious 2015 animated adventure "Minion," which was born of the "Despicable Me" franchise. In the film, which includes the voices of Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm, the lovably naughty minions are taken under the wing of an evil supervillain who's determined to use their talents for world domination.
"Fantasia 2000"
This classic animated adventure still tops lists as one of the best cartoon sequels in the history of cinema. The mesmerizing beauty of the 1999 film "Fantasia 2000" is part two to the historic 1940 original "Fantasia," featuring beloved animated characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on magical adventures set to the breathtaking music of an orchestra.
"Hotel Transylvania 2"
The 2015 animated adventure "Hotel Transylvania 2" might feature vampires, mummies, werewolves and monsters, but at its heart, it's all about family. When new grandpa Dracula learns daughter Mavis might move away with her husband and young son, he sets out on a mission to keep them close by awakening his grandson's inner vampire. Featuring the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and Selena Gomez, this spooktacular franchise reportedly has a fourth installment coming to theaters in 2021.
"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs"
The third installment of this wildly popular prehistoric film franchise, which features the voices of John Leguizamo, Ray Romano, Queen Latifah and more, is also one of our favorite cartoon movies ever. Released in 2009, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" marks the return of creatures like Sid, Manny, Ellie, Diego and Scrat as they explore a hidden underground world filled with dinosaurs (and danger) in order to save their friend.
"The Rescuers Down Under"
The long-awaited sequel to the 1977 original "The Rescuers" finally came with 1990's "The Rescuers Down Under." Featuring the voices of Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor and John Candy, the film marked the return of the Rescue Aid Society, whose members race to Australia to save a young boy named Cody and a rare golden eagle from an evil poacher.
"Rio 2"
The adventures in the wild continued with the 2014 animated sequel "Rio 2." Featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway, blue macaw family Blu and Jewel (and their three children) wind up in the Amazon after leaving Rio de Janeiro in search of more of their kind. Problems arise when Nigel, Blue's former foe, spots him in the jungle and vows to get revenge for making him lose his ability to fly.
"Finding Dory"
Although not quite a sequel (it's more of a prequel and a spin-off in one, the 2016 adventure "Finding Dory" takes us back to the beginning for our favorite forgetful fish as we discover Dory's unique origin story. Featuring the voice of Ellen DeGeneres, we learn about the harrowing journey Dory must face after losing (and forgetting) her parents as a fingerling. On her journey to remember who she's searching for, Dory discovers many new friends who take her under their fins and act as her second family.
"How to Train Your Dragon 2"
In the 2014 epic adventure "How to Train Your Dragon 2," friends Hiccup and Toothless embark on a mysterious journey to a frozen land where dragons are hiding from an evil dragon hunter. Featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett and Gerard Butler, the dragon riders from the village of Berk must band together to fight the dragon hunter and his men with the help of a strange woman who claims to know the truth about Hiccup's childhood.
"The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature"
Surly the lovable squirrel returned for the 2017 animated adventure "The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature." Featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph and Gabriel Iglesias, Surly and his furry friends must band together to save their home when they discover the mayor is plotting to bulldoze their nature community in order to build a theme park.
"The Lego Batman Movie"
While "The Lego Batman Movie" isn't a true sequel (it's a spin-off), we couldn't leave this hilarious animated adventure off our list. Starring the voices of Will Arnett and Michael Cera, the film retells the familiar story of Batman and sidekick Robin, who fight against Gotham's evil villain, The Joker, with a comedic twist. Plus, all the characters are Lego figures, making this animated adventure as unique as it is enjoyable.
"Cars 3"
When it comes to the best "Cars" sequel, we'll go down swinging to defend "Cars 3." The road-racing Disney Pixar animated adventure starring Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen still manages to make our hearts skip a beat. With Lightning losing his racing credibility to younger, newer models like Storm, it's up to him and his friends to prove he's still got what it takes to burn rubber.
"The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure"
One of the few direct-to-video release sequels to land on our list is the timeless dinosaur classic "The Land Before Time II: The Great Valley Adventure." Released six years after the original, the film returns audiences to the prehistoric Great Valley, where our favorite apatosaurus, Littlefoot, and friends Cera, Petrie, Ducky and Spike rescue and protect an egg from thieves and wind up hatching their newest pal. In all honesty, we love all of the "Land Before Time" films and could easily recommend any of the 13 sequels from this popular film franchise.
"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"
Our favorite animal castaways, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria, came back in 2008's "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" featuring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith. When the zoo friends take a hopeful flight from their island home back to New York, things get hairy when they crash land in the African savanna. While trying to navigate this strange new land, two familiar faces show Alex that home might not be in a zoo after all.
"Happy Feet Two"
Mumble the tap-dancing penguin is all grown up and this time, he's a daddy! In "Happy Feet Two," which features an all-star cast of voices like Elijah Wood, Robin Williams and more, Mumble faces a familiar challenge when young son Erik doesn't believe in himself or his talents. While their family and friends try to teach the young penguin to let his inner light shine, they also have to worry about their quickly shifting arctic home, which is on the verge of being destroyed.
"The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride"
The circle of life continued in 1998's "The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride" and we couldn't have been happier. In this direct-to-video Disney sequel, Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick) is now a father and the leader of Pride Rock. When his daughter Kiara (voiced by Neve Campbell) falls for a lion from the other side of the tracks, Simba must learn to put his pride and prejudice aside.
"Aladdin and the King of Thieves"
Robin Williams, Scott Weinger and Linda Larkin all returned to voice their original characters — Genie, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, respectively — in 1996's "Aladdin and the King of Thieves." The direct-to-video animated film was the final movie in the original "Aladdin" film series. This time around, as Aladdin's wedding day with Princess Jasmine approaches, he learns that his father, Cassim, is still alive. Aladdin and Cassim's relationship is complicated by the fact that Cassim is the King of Thieves who is on the hunt for the Hand of Midas.
"Sherlock Gnomes"
The gnomes are back and better than ever in the hilarious 2018 sequel "Sherlock Gnomes" featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Emily Blunt and Johnny Depp. The film follows Gnomeo and his true love, Juliet, as they put down roots in a new garden dwelling. Things start off well for the doe-eyed couple until they return home from a date to find all their gnome neighbors and friends have disappeared. Eager to solve the mystery, they call the most regarded investigator in London, the great Sherlock Gnomes.
"An American Tail: Fievel Goes West "
The saga of the Mousekewitz family continued in 1991's "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" featuring the voices of Phillip Glasser and Jimmy Stewart. In this Western-themed sequel, Fievel and his family take a chance and move out West from New York, hoping for a chance to pursue the American dream. However, after Fievel learns that an evil cat plans to turn all the mice into burgers, he has no choice but to warn his family, even if it means risking his life.
"Smurfs: The Lost Village"
If we had to pick the best sequel from the "Smurfs" franchise, then "Smurfs: The Lost Village" gets our firm vote. Featuring the voices of Demi Lovato and Rainn Wilson, this adventure takes the smurfs on a secret journey through the Forbidden Forest, where a new tribe of Smurfs have been living together in harmony. Unfortunately, the evil Gargamel will stop at nothing to capture the Smurfs, making their journey all the more perilous.
"An Extremely Goofy Movie"
"An Extremely Goofy Movie" might be one of the most heartwarming animated sequels we've seen. A sequel to 1995's "A Goofy Movie," "An Extremely Goofy Movie" follows Max as he heads into his freshman year of college. When his dad, Goofy, decides to enroll in the same college and complete his degree, Max must learn the true meaning of family.
"The Lion King 1 1⁄2"
"The Lion King 1 1/2" is laugh-out-loud funny. Technically a prequel/sequel combo, the 2004 film focuses on Timon and Pumbaa's escapades before and during the events of "The Lion King." Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella returned to voice their characters in this hilarious animated flick.
