10 Stop Motion Films You Must See

From 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' to 'The Boxtrolls,' stop-motion animation continues to impress audiences. Here are 10 films that best exhibit that frame-by-frame magic. 

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)

Offbeat inventor Wallace, and his canine comrade, Gromit, join forces to capture Hutch, the havoc-wreaking, vegetable-devouring Were-Rabbit. Fun fact: It took over two tons of Plasticine to create the impressive range of characters for this film. 

Chicken Run (2000)

From the same production company that made 'Wallace & Gromit', 'Chicken Run' tells the tale of -- you guessed it -- chickens running for their lives. Mel Gibson plays Rocky the Rooster, who helps a band of chickens plot their escape from a farm before they get turned into chicken pot pie.

Coraline (2009)

Not only is 'Coraline' the longest stop motion movie ever created, but it also teaches us a very important lesson: Never trust parents with black buttons for eyes.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Based on the classic children's novel by Roald Dahl, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' centers on animal friends who use their wit to escape vengeful farmers, with George Clooney providing the voice of the the oh-so-suave Mr. Fox.

ParaNorman (2012)

In this very clever film from the makers of 'The Boxtrolls,' Norman must use his ability to see the dead to save his small town from a zombie uprising -- just as soon as he talks sense into the vengeful she-ghost, Agatha.  

Frankenweenie (2012)

In his renowned style, Tim Burton puts a spin on the story of Frankenstein by replacing the misunderstood monster with a friendly neighborhood dog of the dead. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

This beloved Christmas classic first aired as a TV movie, and has remained a  holiday staple ever since. 

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Produced by Tim Burton and based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, 'James' proves that pitfalls aren't that bad if you have a gang of insect friends to come to your rescue.

King Kong (1933)

This classic mixes live-action filmmaking with then-state-of-the-art stop motion effects to bring the giant ape to life. More than 80 years later, the thrilling, iconic climax atop the Empire State Building still holds up. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Though fans still debate if 'Nightmare' is either a Christmas or Halloween film, there's no doubt that Tim Burton and Henry Selick's cult classic is one of the most popular stop-motion movies of all time.