Top Ten Animated Films Worth A Billion

This 1937 Disney classic was the first full-length color animated feature released in theaters. In addition to its incredible technological achievements, Snow White also boasted great storytelling techniques. "When Snow White bites the apple, she says, 'I feel sick,' then the movie cuts away to the witch," says UCLA animation professor Chuck Sheetz. "Then you see Snow White's arm fall on the floor. Extremely sophisticated art choices."

Disney's tale of a wooden puppet's longing to become a real-life boy was released in 1945 and improved on Snow White's animation. "They really perfected and honed the technology to make absolutely stunning visual effects, all completely by hand," says Terrence Masson, director of creative industries at Northeastern University. "It's completely unparalleled today."

This was one of the first 2D animated movies to incorporate 3D technology. The scene where Belle and the Beast danced in the ballroom melded the two technologies seamlessly, creating a visually rich effect. Beauty and The Beast, released in 1991, also signaled the resurgence of Disney animation.

Hakuna Matata! The story of a lion cub struggling to survive in the African plains was the culminating achievement for Disney animation during the '90s. The sweeping, realistic vistas generated from 2D and 3D technologies are breathtaking.

The first completely 3D animated feature, Toy Story put Pixar on the map in 1995 and changed the course of movie animation.

Pixar's tale of the adventures of a little clown fish in the Great Barrier Reef used 3D technologies to re-create the ultra-vivid colors of underwater life.

The animation that started in Toy Story culminated in The Incredibles. This 2004 movie featured a family of superheroes.

The travails of a green ogre put DreamWorks on the animation map in 2001. The visual effects were great, but the movie's strengths are the personalities of its characters and inside jokes.

This 2008 Disney-Pixar movie is a masterpiece, combining stunning visuals, compelling characters and a message for our times.

This 2002 movie uses the best of Japanese anime techniques to tell the story of a little girl who wanders into a scary, alternate universe.