Hello and welcome to the final installment of Disney Month
here on Rhode Island Movie Corner, a month dedicated to honoring the
prestigious filmography of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Over the course of
the past few weeks, I’ve ranked all the current members of the Disney Princess line, listed my Top 5 Favorite Disney Protagonists and Sidekicks, and listed my Top 10 favorites from Disney’s wide array of classic tunes. This was all done
in honor of the impending release of Disney Animation’s 56th film, Moana. It comes out today so to cap
things off before my inevitable review of the film, I’ll be concluding Disney
Month with the biggest list of them all. That’s right; today I’ll be ranking
all 55 of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated features that were released
prior to Moana, from 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves to this
year’s Zootopia. Obviously, it was
quite a hard process to do a list like this given the fact that I have 55 (!) films
to work with here. But, I think that I managed to successfully assemble my own
personal list. But of course, with that said, this will very much be one of
those cases where you’re guaranteed to not find two lists of this topic that
are 100% the same. So, be sure to sound off in the comments below with your own
Top 10 favorite Disney Animated films (and even your Top 5 least favorites if
you want). Finally, I just want to lay out a quick disclaimer; obviously, this
will be a very, very long list. So, with that in mind, I promise that I’ll try
to be as quick and concise with this as possible; in other words, I’m not going
to go into too much detail about these films given that I’ve already done so in
the past. For my full thoughts on these films, just check out my ‘Disney
Retrospective’ series via the links provided below. But for now, it’s time to
start the countdown!
55. CHICKEN LITTLE
While I may have
liked this as a kid, nowadays I view it as the worst Disney animated film to
date. And it’s not because the humor is hit-or-miss or because the animation
isn’t very good, but because it has a severe mean streak, effectively making
this the only Disney animated film that I can’t, in good faith, recommend to
kids.
54. HOME ON THE RANGE
Unlike Chicken Little, kids will probably enjoy
this fine because of its bright and colorful animation and the wacky tone.
However, adults won’t get much out of this and it’s sad to know that this was
intentionally made that way considering that Disney Animation has always been
known to respect both kids and adults.
53. THE BLACK CAULDRON
This one did have
quite the potential, being easily one of the studio’s darkest outings story-wise.
But, ultimately, a lot of it ends up falling flat, from the underdeveloped (and
possibly truncated) story to the bland characters.
52. THE ARISTOCATS
While the film as a
whole is harmless, there’s barely any plot to speak of. It’s a generally
aimless affair.
51. POCAHONTAS
Despite the solid
animation and a decent array of songs, the main characters are bland and the
film is rather dull, effectively making it the weakest of the ‘Disney
Renaissance’ films. On the bright side, this is the last Disney animated film
on this list that I gave a less-than-stellar rating to. So, in short, out of 55
films, I only dislike about 1/10th of them. Obviously, I know that
film is subjective and that some of you might dislike some of the next films on
this list but still, that’s a pretty great track record for a studio that’s
been around for nearly eight decades.
50. DINOSAUR
While the computer
animation is quite impressive for the time, the story is pretty basic. Still, I
won’t lie when I say that this gives me a pleasant sense of nostalgia.
49. BROTHER BEAR
Ultimately this
film’s biggest downfall is the severe tonal change that occurs after the main
character is turned into a bear. Still, the great first half and the solid
character arc that the main character goes through at least keeps it from being
one of the absolute worst.
48. SALUDOS AMIGOS
At just 42 minutes
long, this feels more like a bonus feature on a DVD. Still, the content in it
is quite good and it does its job at representing the beauty of Latin America
in such a short span of time.
47. THE RESCUERS
The main characters
are very likable and the film has an enjoyably over the top villain. However,
the film as a whole is rather slow and the bayou setting actually results in
some dreary-looking animation.
46. FANTASIA 2000
The animated segments
of this Fantasia sequel are rather
hit-or-miss and the celebrity cameos don’t really work that well. Still, the
strongest segments (e.g. ‘Rhapsody in Blue’) do stand out.
45. OLIVER AND COMPANY
Sure, it’s probably
one of the simplest Disney animated films in terms of story, especially
considering the two Disney animated films that it’s sandwiched between in terms
of release dates, but it’s still quite enjoyable as is its unforgettable main
song, ‘Why Should I Worry?’
44. THE THREE CABALLEROS
While it does have
more to it than its cultural brother, Saludos
Amigos, its non-stop nature may prove to be tiring for some.
43. THE SWORD IN THE STONE
Some might not like
the educational-heavy pace that this film adopts but it’s still a pretty
enjoyable take on the legend of King Arthur.
42. MAKE MINE MUSIC
What could be described
as Fantasia but set to contemporary music, Make
Mine Music makes up for some of its shorter segments with some memorable
stories, including ‘Casey at the Bat’ and ‘The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the
Met’.
41. THE FOX AND THE HOUND
This tale of ‘best
friends turned enemies’ wins you over with the cute friendship that emerges
between the title characters and then ends up being quite engaging in terms of
how they end up becoming foes.
40. ROBIN HOOD
While it’s certainly
a very simple story, Robin Hood is
still an enjoyable romp with funny villains, likable leads, and some zany
action.
39. LADY AND THE TRAMP
While fairly simple
in terms of story, Lady and the Tramp still
shines thanks to the nice romance that forms between its title characters. And
who can forget ‘Bella Notte’?
38. MEET THE ROBINSONS
It may still be a
product of the ‘pre-Lasseter’ era but because this was the first one that John
Lasseter was involved with, Meet the
Robinsons is an enjoyable sci-fi adventure that honors Walt Disney’s vision
of the future while also showing signs of the studio’s forthcoming
revitalization.
37. DUMBO
While Dumbo is certainly one of the simpler
Disney films in terms of its story, it’s also full of charm and heart. And who
can forget that infamous ‘Pink Elephants on Parade’ sequence?
36. SLEEPING BEAUTY
While its main
romantic duo is rather underwritten, this film still stands as a Disney classic
thanks to its beautiful animation, memorable side characters, and unforgettable
main villain.
35. WINNIE THE POOH (2011)
A welcome return for
these beloved characters that maintains many of the same great elements of its
1977 predecessor. Really, the only thing holding it back is that it’s a bit
short with only two major storylines.
34. ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS
I like the second
half more than I do the first half but there’s no denying that Cruella de Vil
is a classic Disney villainess.
33. BOLT
Often regarded as the
film that kick-started Disney’s current Renaissance (or ‘Revival’ as it’s more
commonly referred to), Bolt is an
enjoyable road trip story with likable main characters and a fun ‘fish out of
water’ premise.
32. HERCULES
The flashy Vegas-esque
art style may throw some people off but it still has some fun songs (as well as
a great inspirational one), a likable main character, and a hilarious villain
in the form of James Woods’ Hades.
31. THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE
Often regarded as an
unofficial ‘Renaissance’ era Disney film, this fun spin on the story of
Sherlock Holmes features a great ‘hero-villain’ pairing in the form of Basil
and his archenemy Ratigan.
30. HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Easily one of
Disney’s darkest films to date, and that’s even after the changes that were
made to tone down the already dark content of its source material. And while
the film itself is a bit uneven in regards to trying to maintain that tone
while also being a family film, this is still a very enjoyable entry in the
Disney canon, particularly thanks to its main villain, Judge Claude Frollo.
29. TARZAN
The animation is
cool, the main characters are likable, and I’m not afraid to admit that I like
the soundtrack done by Phil Collins.
28. ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE
A pretty underrated
entry in the Disney canon. It may be a bit uneven and the villains may be
rather weak but the main character is likable and the side characters are
memorable. Pair that with some great comic-book style animation and you have a
fun Disney animated film that tried to be something different.
27. ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Featuring arguably
some of the studio’s greatest animation, Alice
in Wonderland is just as zany as its source material.
26. MELODY TIME
Like Make Mine Music, this is basically just
a series of animated shorts set to contemporary music. However, it ultimately
ends up being superior to its ‘spiritual predecessor’ due to the fact that
while there aren’t as many segments in it, they’re longer and much more
memorable as a result.
25. THE ADVENTURES OF ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD
An excellent pairing
of animated short films, ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is zany and full of fun
characters while ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ builds up to the dark and
atmospheric conclusion with the infamous Headless Horseman.
24. FUN AND FANCY FREE
Easily my personal
favorite of Disney’s line of ‘package films’, Fun and Fancy Free features two highly memorable short films,
particularly the Disney version of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ starring Mickey,
Donald, and Goofy. But if you want the best version of that story, check out the
version on Netflix narrated by Ludwig von Drake instead of the in-film version
narrated by Edgar Bergen.
23. THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER
The oft-forgotten
entry of the ‘Disney Renaissance’, this film takes the positives of its 1977
predecessor but improves upon the animation and pacing to become a superior
sequel.
22. MULAN
With a great title
character, fun side characters, and some excellent songs, Mulan is quite a powerhouse and arguably the most underrated entry
of the ‘Disney Renaissance’.
21. LILO AND STITCH
Combining a fun ‘fish
out of water’ story with an emotional ‘broken family’ story, it’s easy to see
why Lilo and Stitch was probably the
most successful Disney film of the ‘post-Renaissance, pre-Lasseter’ era.
20. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
After half a decade, Disney
returned to traditional animation with this vibrant and colorful New Orleans
fairy tale complete with fun and jazzy music and a highly memorable villain.
19. TANGLED
Some might find the
title change from Rapunzel to Tangled to be rather silly but it ultimately
does reflect the overall story much better. A great lead duo, some nice songs,
and an entertainingly show-y villain help make Tangled a modern-day Disney classic.
18. BIG HERO 6
The first Disney
animated film to utilize the company’s then-newest acquisition, Marvel Comics, Big Hero 6 is basically the animated
equivalent of a MCU film. It’s entertaining, has great visuals, and heart.
17. TREASURE PLANET
Easily the most
underrated Disney animated film to date, Treasure
Planet is an exciting and unique take on the classic story of Treasure Island that solidly blends science-fiction
with its original action-adventure premise.
16. BAMBI
Very much more than
just ‘that film with the emotionally-scarring death of a parent’, Bambi may be a simple coming of age
story but it’s handled perfectly.
15. FANTASIA
The marriage of
classical music and classic Disney animation is perfect. Simple as that.
14. THE JUNGLE BOOK
Contrary to what
channels like ‘Screen Junkies’ and ‘CinemaSins’ have recently claimed, this
film is a classic. Great characters, toe-tapping songs (not just ‘Bare
Necessities’), and some overall nice jungle animation result in a fun adventure.
13. THE LITTLE MERMAID
The title character
may prove to be a bit polarizing depending on who you ask but this film still
stands as the film that helped revive Disney Animation by kicking off one of
its most iconic eras.
12. WRECK-IT RALPH
As a gamer, this directly
appealed to me with its wide array of video game references. And while some of
these references may end up going over the heads of younger audiences, the film
will win them over with its great message of ‘being yourself’ and its colorful
and creative animation.
11. ZOOTOPIA
The latest Disney
animated flick is great enough as a fun and beautifully-animated buddy cop
adventure. But then it goes the extra mile by having its story be based around
timely themes and messages through its combating of racism and prejudice.
10. PETER PAN
Sure, nowadays this
film gets a lot of flak for its occasional stereotyping but the villains are
fantastic, the main characters are likable, and the film very much succeeds in regards
to capturing the imagination of young and old.
9. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
The original Disney
animated classic and still very much one of the all-time best. It may be much
simpler in terms of story and characters than subsequent Disney films but of
course, if it wasn’t for this film, we wouldn’t have those other ones.
8. CINDERELLA
I will always argue
that the title character is not as passive as some claim and that this film is
a classic thanks to great animation, a superb villain, and some great songs.
7. THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH
Winnie the Pooh is
pretty much the definition of childhood and although this is basically just
three animated shorts, the lovable characters and innocence of it all very much
make this a classic.
6. THE EMPEROR’S NEW GROOVE
Quite possibly the
funniest Disney film to date, mostly thanks to its main villainess Yzma and her
lackey Kronk.
5. FROZEN
Yep… this got all the
way up to #5 on my list. I know that it’s become popular on the internet to
hate on this film for being the big hit that it was but you know what? Because
of its great characters, catchy songs, and the strength/heart of its story of
two sisters, that success was very much earned.
4. ALADDIN
Aside from Robin
Williams’ iconic turn as the Genie, Aladdin
has it all; action, adventure, romance, great music, etc.
3. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
It’s easy to see why
this was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture. From the
great romance between its lead duo to the entertaining villain to the classic
array of songs, Beauty and the Beast is
a masterpiece.
2. PINOCCHIO
A charming, but
sometimes dark, masterpiece with great lessons for kids. I’d argue that this
was Walt Disney’s masterpiece.
1. THE LION KING
Through it all,
though, it is Disney Animation’s 1994 masterpiece that lands the number one
spot on my list. This film has it all; great animation, an epic scale, an
emotional story, terrific music (both in terms of the songs by Elton John and
the score by Hans Zimmer), and classic characters.
And those are my
rankings of Disney Animation’s 55 animated features prior to this week’s Moana. Thanks for joining me on this
month-long celebration of Disney and be sure to stay tuned because my review
for Moana will surely be coming in
the next few days.
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