Okay I really hope that there isn’t a thread for this already, if there is, sorry guys!
I was just talking with a friend about this, and it made me wonder… What non-Disney animated films would you consider classic?
I thought of: Prince of Egypt, Quest For Camelot, Anastasia and Way to El Dorado. I was told Swan Princess is also great, but I never saw it so I can’t tell…
Of all the ones you mentioned, I think Anastasia is a classic.
I saw Swan Princess- loved it dearly as a kid, but I saw it recently and realized I must’ve had one wacky childhood. 
That movie is craazy …
Any and all Don Bluth films but especially The Rats of Nihm, An American Tale, and the original (and,IMO, the only true ) The Land Before Time.
Also Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron. Massive love for Spirit.
Oh, and perhaps not a classic to most people, but I’ve always loved Titan: AE.
AND! if we’re not just sticking to american films I’d like to add any Studio Ghibli films. My favorite being Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke).
I love the film Balto, as Balto is considered a classic in the world of nonDisney animated films.
What’s your opinion on that film?
LOL! Why is it crazy?
Stallion of the Cimarron is a favorite of mine. I also like loads of Don Bluth films like All Dogs Go To Heaven, Thumbelina and ahem Rock-A-Doodle. 
Phalkor: Have you seen it? I was terrified to know it had been a favorite of mine. It’s just … hyper at times, then mushy and corny in others. And the songs are sing-songy and get caught in your head almost instantly. Even though I haven’t seen it in ages, I found myself finding exactly what they were about to say next. Everything about it was just deshavou (sp?). I can’t explain exactly why it was crazy- just something about it is just nuts, lol! xD
There is a healthy handful of non-Disney films out there that are worthy of admiration. Studio Ghibli’s films are, of course, superb in every aspect, as are several other animation companies of whose titles escape me. It’s important to note, however, that there is simply no way that I could possibly name all of my favorites due to the vast majority of decent (and fairly non-decent) productions out there.
FONY and Haunt - I’m surprised that you guys like such films as The Swan Princess and Titan: AE/Planet Ice. My mom and dad would probably be pleased, though, as they worked on those films (mom worked on the former and dad worked on the latter). Of course, I suppose I should talk, as I loved The Swan Princess to death when I was a kid, too – I watched it every day. 
Now The Land Before Time? That I can get. There’s a classic film for ya’. The older episodes in the ridiculously long-running series aren’t that bad either, although I have to admit that the newer versions are absolute pieces of trash. (snigger)
– Mitch
Ah, yes, The Land Before Time, Swan Princess…Those two were definitely my favourites. Swan Princess is a bit weird, especially the characters, though I remember the evil dude being awesome. I can’t think of any other non-Disney animated films at the moment- I think I mainly watched Disney stuff.
I didn’t find Princess Mononoke very accessible, but I adore Spirited Away. It’s one of the most amazing animated films ever made. I grew up with Don Bluth’s Thumbelina and The Swan Princess, but it’s harder going back to watch them now. The animation is very good, but the scripts are a little slippery at times and some of the songs seem thrown in to me – it’s as if there’s a song for the sake of having a song, rather than using the music to progress the story (like you have in most Disney films, especially Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, where the songs are either monologues to explain the character’s thoughts and situation, or else an important plot point).
The Road to El Dorado and Sinbad are both funny and clever stories, but what really bothers me is there are places where they switch from hand drawn to 3-D animation and it is horribly obvious. I think the problem with them, and with Dreamworks in general, is that they spend the budget on big-name talent (Brad Pitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Brannagh, Catherine Zeta Jones, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Michael Myers…) rather than spending it on the script and animation. (coughShark Talecough)
I think, on the whole, Disney and Pixar films strike the right balance. I tend to trust their films more, and I’m much more willing to part with my cash to see them because I know I’m going to get something good out of it!
(P.S.: I’ve moved this into the ‘Other Animation’ forum 'cause I thought it would fit in here a little better. There’s a great school in this area and I bet it’ll make friends very easily.)
Mitch: Really. I though some of you dad’s drawings looked like Akima, Gune, and Preed. I love concept art like that! Heh, and Akima is my favorite non-disney female char too. How cool!
Disney aside, I grew up watching The Land Before Time (I think that was my first intro to death when Little Foot’s mother dies) and An American Tail… James Horner wrote the musical scores for both films and the music is very soothing and melodic.
I thought The Pagemaster was pretty cool when I first saw it, even though it has some live action in it.
Haunt - Yep, those are some of the Titan: AE characters. He helped to design at least two of the three entities you mentioned (I’m not sure about Preed, but I think he fleshed his anatomy out a little bit, as well). I’m glad that you like 'em! 
Oh gosh, don’t even remind me of that film. Bad memories… (heh)
Big Idea is another company that produces good quality films that are entertaining, informative, and suitable for both children and adults (more-so for the former than the latter, obviously).
– Mitch
Never saw Titan A.E. … scratch that, saw a little, and after a while my brain wandered. If I could find a copy or if it’s on again, I’m willing to be attentive even though it seems too similar to Treasure Planet, which I loveth.
Anyone like Quest for Camelot? Can’t remember it much but I remember it was good fun. 
Mitch: You don’t like Pagemaster?? For shame! I love it, even though I remember as a kid it seemed a whole lot longer to me … now, upon watching it again, it’s so short! x__x Some good humor in it though.
FONY - Titan: A.E. wasn’t the best film in the world, that’s for sure, but it has some nice animation. The story, on the other hand, is quite different from that of Treasure Planet, although I can kind of see how the film as a whole is similar to it…
Oh, I like Quest for Camelot! That one bombed too, but at least it had some humor in it. (snigger)
Ha! Yeah, I hate The Pagemaster, which is saying something…as I love books to death. It just…weirded me out for some odd reason. I dunno. Maybe I should watch it again and refresh my memory.
– Mitch
Mitch: You should definitely give Pagemaster a second chance. Some bits freaked me as a child and still do now, but there are some funny bits that still make me laugh. 
As for Titan A.E., maybe my mind was wandering too much on account of other things but I can recall it dragging on a bit. Perhaps too much action for me. :d
OOoh! I know one! Fern Gully! I love that film. I can recall watching it with my siblings when I was a wee one with a bag of popped popcorn. xD Upon seeing it recently, I realized just how environmental it is- we need something like that today considering the condition our poor world is in today. =(
FONY - Yeah, I’ll take a look at it again with my sister. She’ll love that.
Oh-ho! My sis and I hid behind the wall the first time we watched Fern Gully. Creeped us out, dude. I like it more now than I did then, though, thank goodness. (snigger)
– Mitch
Mitch: Oh, I think you were scared of Nexas right? Creeped me out especially with the skeleton bit. But I much more amused at him now rather than scared, partially because I know he was voiced by Tim Curry. Eeek but he talked so creepily, I recall.
FONY - Yeah, that was it! That Nexas…guy… shivers I agree with you, though. Now he just seems more hilarious than anything, but when you’re a kid…
– Mitch
Mitch: The skeleton bit still sends shivers down my spine, lol! For some strange reason … 
As for the other characters- I loved Batty Koda soso much, moreso now because I realized after seeing Bartok in Anastasia that I love bats. x3
Holy crap Fern Gully! I’m totally going to bust that out and watch it after the game tomorrow. The two things I remember most about that movie: Batty Koda and Raffi.