This Is The Most Important (And Best) Animated Film of 2016

Sorry Japan, Canada won this round.

This year saw a lot of fucking animated films and a lot of animated money, and it’s coming in from all over the world. Yep, France, Japan, and Mexico all helped, but there were was one film that was my far the most important animated film of 2016…Sausage Party.

Take away the labor disputes for a minute because it’s difficult to discern from the hearsay from the truth (and I just interviewed a studio in Toronto that says it can even staff animators fast enough, so there’s a shit ton of work to be had), but Sausage Party is a very important feat for animation. No, this isn’t the first time that an R-rated animated character made a bunch of money, hell it isn’t even the first time an animated R-rated character by Seth Rogen (Paul) made a bunch of money. But when Sausage Party made $140 million at the box office, seven times the movie’s budget, it revitalized an industry that sorely needed a kick in the ass.

Gone are the days where studios think R-rated animation is a niche market, Sausage Party proves that, just like any movie, if you have a good script with great actors, you’re gonna have a good time. And good cast this movie had, Seth’s good, yeah, but guys like Bill Hader and Nick Kroll elevated the whole film nearly single-handedly (double-handedly then?) and that’s with having Emmy-winning voice actress Kristen Wiig part of the deal.

Other studios are now jumping in. Warner Bros. had the hugely successful yet controversial Batman: The Killing Joke, TV powerhouse Titmouse answered the world with Nerdland, and I hear Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken) may be making a play very soon here. I hope all of those studios see success, but if they do, Sausage Party (and yes, Seth MacFarlane’s Ted) is going to be one of the franchises to thank no matter what controversy surrounds it.

So, who do you got?