Animation is undeniably one of the most complicated, intricate, and challenging film genres. It's also one of the most popular and historic disciplines of moviemaking. Animated films have enormous mass-market appeal. Few moviegoers have failed to shed a tear over Bambi or Dumbo or been unmoved to cheer for a determined little fish called Nemo, and it's nearly impossible to find someone who hasn't heard of Mickey Mouse.

Disney Studios, among others, brought animation to the world and with each passing year the genre becomes more popular. It was 1937 when Snow White and the Seven Dwarves was released by Disney. Over the next seven decades many classics followed, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book, The Aristocats, 101 Dalmatians, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King.

Oscar-winning Pixar Animation Studios created many innovative films like Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., and The Incredibles. In 2004, Finding Nemo was awarded an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and has grossed over $864 million worldwide. In a union of the classical and the new, in early 2006, Pixar was purchased by the Walt Disney Company.