How can movements in animated films be described? 'Figure and Force in Animation Aesthetics' introduces a powerful new method for the study of animation. By looking for figures - arrangements that seem to intuitively hold together - and forces - underlying units of attraction, repulsion, and direction - it reveals startling new possibilities for animation criticism, history, and theory. Drawing on concepts from Gestalt psychology, this work offers a wide-ranging comparative study of four animation techniques - soft-edged forms, walk cycles, camera movement, and rotoscoping - as they appear in commercial, artisanal, and avant-garde works.