10 Animated Movies Starring Real-Life People

At a time when blockbusters routinely star both flesh-and-blood actors and CG characters, 'The Congress' harkens back to an era where traditional hand-drawn animation shared the screen with live action footage, as in the following movies.

Any discussion about live action/animation hybrids begins and ends with this wacky 1940s-set comedy. Completed just a few years before the CG revolution could have made it all easier, it still remains a tremendous technical achievement.

In the actual 1940s, Gene Kelly and Jerry the Mouse were the first superstars to bridge the animation/live action divide -- although on-screen trickery like this was employed throughout the silent era.

Walt Disney blended live action and animation as early as 1923, with 'Alice's Wonderland.' Many more hybrids would come, from 1946's 'Song of the South' to 1977's 'Pete's Dragon,' but this sequence (pictured) from 'Mary Poppins' is a standout.

In 1964's other live action/animation hybrid, Don Knotts plays a bookkeeper who turns into a fish and helps the U.S. Navy during World War II. A remake has been in the works for years.

How could we forget 'Space Jam'? Despite a decidedly "looney" storyline, in which Bugs Bunny teams up with Michael Jordan (and Bill Murray!) to defeat bad guy aliens in a basketball game, the movie was a solid hit.

This time, Bill Murray doesn't share the screen with his cartoon co-stars – Chris Rock voices the title role – because all the animation happens inside his body, a.k.a. "The City of Frank." This big-budget comedy bombed, but it has its fans.

Disney sends up their own princess genre by creating a hilariously sweet 2-D animated heroine named Giselle, who winds up in New York and is embodied by Amy Adams. Lots of knowing laughs in this modern classic.

This less successful attempt at turning a cartoon heroine into a live-action leading lady starred Kim Basinger as "Holli Would," opposite a young (and bored-looking) Brad Pitt. Despite its stylishness, it was no 'Roger Rabbit' at the box office.

Fat Albert (Kenan Thompson) is another cartoon character who breaks out into the real world in this family comedy, which is as much about Bill Cosby and the origins of TV's 'Fat Albert' as it is about the characters themselves.

The eternally game David Hasselhoff appears in a cameo as the animated stars of this beloved franchise wash ashore on his beach. The 2014 'SpongeBob' sequel promises even weirder live action antics.