A to Z of Animation Studios: Sony Pictures Animation

(Or: The Studio That Gave Us Both the Best and Worst CGI Movies Ever Made)

Welcome back to Animation Anarchy, where we celebrate animation history while also exposing the questionable choices that got greenlit. If you haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channel, do it now before Sony releases The Emoji Movie 2 and forces us all to relive the trauma.

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🔥 S is for Sony Pictures Animation

Sony Pictures Animation is the ultimate wildcard studio.

Some days, they make groundbreaking, visually stunning masterpieces.

Other days, they make movies that feel like they were written by a broken AI.

They are the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde of CGI animation.

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The Masterpieces (A.K.A. The Movies That Proved Sony Can Actually Be a Genius)

1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

• The greatest animated superhero movie ever made.

• Revolutionized animation with comic book-inspired visuals that make everything else look boring.

• Launched an entire franchise and a million memes.

• “Anyone can wear the mask.” (Except other studios, because none of them have come close to this level of perfection.)

2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

• Somehow even better than the first movie.

• A visual spectacle so detailed it took animators years to finish just a few seconds of footage.

• Left audiences emotionally destroyed and desperate for the next one.

3. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)

• A hilarious, beautifully animated family film that proves Sony isn’t just about superheroes.

• Perfectly captures chaotic family road trips.

• Gave us the best animated dog in cinema history.

4. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

• The movie that had no right being this good.

• A zany, physics-defying foodpocalypse with some of the best comedic animation ever.

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The Dumpster Fires (A.K.A. The Movies That Made Us Lose Faith in Humanity)

1. The Emoji Movie (2017)

• A corporate cash grab disguised as a movie.

• The most soulless, joyless, marketing-driven mess of animation history.

• Somehow convinced Sir Patrick Stewart to voice the Poop Emoji.

• Shameless product placement disguised as plot.

2. Open Season (2006) (And the Infinite Sequels No One Asked For)

• What if a bear and a deer were best friends in a very forgettable movie?

• Mediocre at best.

• Somehow got four sequels that nobody has ever actually seen.

3. The Angry Birds Movie (2016)

• It exists.

• That’s all I can say.

4. Hotel Transylvania (2012-Present)

• The first movie was actually fun.

• Then they made four of them.

• By the fourth one, Adam Sandler had left, and we were all ready to leave too.

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Sony’s Biggest Problem: Consistency

• When they innovate, they change the animation industry forever.

• When they play it safe, they make forgettable, cash-grab movies that nobody remembers.

Sony is the ultimate gamble. You never know if you’re getting Spider-Verse or The Emoji Movie.

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🎖 Honorable Mention: Sunbow Entertainment (G.I. Joe, Transformers, ‘80s Cartoon Gold)

Now let’s talk about Sunbow Entertainment, the studio that defined Saturday mornings for an entire generation.

What Did They Make?

• G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (1983-1986) – The show that made kids think joining the military meant fighting laser battles.

• Transformers (1984-1987) – The cartoon that launched a franchise that refuses to die.

• Jem and the Holograms (1985-1988) – Barbie meets rockstars meets corporate toy marketing.

• The Inhumanoids (1986) – A weird, forgotten horror-themed action cartoon that was way too scary for kids.

• The Transformers: The Movie (1986) – The movie that killed off Optimus Prime and scarred an entire generation.

Why Sunbow Was Legendary

• Made some of the most iconic ‘80s cartoons ever.

• Created franchises that are still alive today.

• Proved that cartoons could be both ridiculous and unforgettable.

Sunbow eventually faded out in the ‘90s, but their legacy? Still alive in every reboot, toyline, and nostalgic meme.

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Final Thoughts (A.K.A. Why You Should Subscribe Before Sony Makes Another Emoji Movie)

Sony Pictures Animation? The studio that can either change animation forever or make you question reality.

Sunbow Entertainment? The ‘80s powerhouse that made cartoons feel like toy commercials—because they were.

Next up? T for Toei Animation—the anime giant behind Dragon Ball, One Piece, and decades of legendary series.

(Spoiler: We WILL talk about how they milk Dragon Ball for eternity.) 🚀