4. “Samurai Jack” (Season 5)
When Genndy Tartakovsky‘s “Samurai Jack” went off the air in 2004, it felt unresolved and open-ended. And while there was sporadic talk of a feature-length conclusion to the story, that failed to materialize, leaving faithful fans wondering what would become of our favorite time-hopping samurai. Improbably, the series returned this year with maturity and grace, pushing the original series’ aesthetic quirkiness to bold new heights and deepening the preexisting mythology. Amidst all of the heralded and celebrated television revivals, the return of “Samurai Jack” ranks as one of the very best and most artistically profound. Instead of simply picking up where the series left off, Tartakovsky and his collaborators have let time pass, presenting a Jack (Phil LaMarr) who is more grizzled and world-weary. This time around the villainous demon Aku (Greg Baldwin replacing Mako, who died shortly after the first run of the series concluded) has inspired cultish, bloodthirsty devotees the Daughters of Aku, and Jack is even more desperate to return home. Tartakovsky, emboldened by the show’s older fan base and later timeslot, pushed the violence and visual language further, with a real sense of loss and tragedy filling in the blank spaces in the hyper-stylized animation.
3. “World of Tomorrow Episode 2: The Burden of Other People’s Thoughts”
In the wild, sad, wise mind of Don Hertzfeldt, a whole lot of timelines exist simultaneously. So when dishing out the superlatives in 2015 for his first time-travel clone sci-fi story, “World Of Tomorrow,” we should have known that, like the future clone offspring of Emily Prime (gorgeously voiced by Winona Mae with the absolute non-sequitur sincerity that only a small child can muster) there’d be another along in a couple of years, and if anything it would top the original in depth, wit and devastating existential curiosity. Using Hertzfeldt’s trademark naive line drawing/stick figure animation, against drawn and photographic collage backgrounds depicting the abstract mindscapes in which most of the action occurs, it’s again a story of a lonely clone (Julia Potts) from a future several apocalypses away, visiting her “original” — a little girl called Emily. During a mind-transference operation, the two Emilys go on a dreamlike adventure that takes them through the clone’s fractured psyche, such as the “bog of reality” where she has buried the “glimmers of hope” that gave her too much pain. But really, while there’s so much about memory and death and aching isolation packed into this bittersweet, hangdog 22-minute morsel, the final impression it leaves us one of uplift: even in our sticky, sucky reality bog, small pockets of delight and wonder still exist.
2. “The Breadwinner”
This captivating tale of gender-bending bravery from animation powerhouse Cartoon Saloon (“Song of the Sea,” “The Secret of Kells”) and executive producer Angelina Jolie captured many minds and hearts. In “The Breadwinner,” young Parvana (Saara Chaudry) disguises herself as a boy to provide for her family once her father is imprisoned by the Taliban. Though it provides the same kind of folkloric whimsy as the Saloon’s other films, “The Breadwinner” goes PG-13 and unflinchingly depicts the horrors of violence and oppression in war-torn Afghanistan. The result is a visually compelling, emotionally wrenching tale of girlhood bravery that unquestionably deserves its recent Golden Globe nomination — and a high spot on this list. –Lena Wilson
1. “Coco”
After what felt like an endless string of unnecessary remakes (and whatever “The Good Dinosaur” was), Pixar returned with an original film that ranks amongst their very greatest accomplishments. “Coco,” from “Toy Story 3” director Lee Unkrich (working alongside co-director Adrian Molina), is the tale of young Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) who, during the annual Day of the Dead celebration, gets transported to the underworld, a vibrant land full of glimmering marigolds, articulate skeletons, and alebrijes – colorful, totemic creatures steeped in Mexican folk art. And it would be one thing if “Coco” was merely a dazzling visual odyssey, full of wondrous concoctions and vibrant characters, but it’s also one of the studio’s most deeply felt and compassionate works. The fact that it was released during such politically turbulent times (and was a runaway smash, at that) speaks volumes to not only its inherent quality but it’s rebellious spirit. This is a film in which the otherness of Hispanic culture is nonexistent; instead “Coco” is a celebration of the history, customs and tradition of Mexico. And in that cultural specificity, it becomes universal. It’s hard not to see your own family in “Coco,” even when you’re wiping away tears.
Click here for our full coverage of the best of 2017, including The Worst Films Of The Year, Best TV, Best Scores & Soundtracks, Best Cinematography, Posters, Trailers, Horror, Action Sequences, our Best Films Of The Year, Underrated and Overrated Films of the Year, Breakout Talents, and the 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2018.