MIDNIGHT REVIEWS Top 40 Disney Animated Movies
Midnight Reviews features reviews and thought pieces written and edited by a parent, at night, after bedtime.
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Dream big, Disney said. And so I did, by creating a top 40 list from all of the Disney animated movies since their beginnings way back in 1937. Along the way, some interesting questions came up which I will hopefully get back to with a Thursday Thought Piece.
But today is Wednesday and so I offer to you my best efforts at explaining why this is the one and only essential list of the top Disney movies (apart from all the others). If you have any of your own thoughts, let me know and we can even discuss, in detail, why I’m right (subject to status).
40. The Little Mermaid (1989)
Whilst this position may not be popular with most people, I can’t bring myself to say I like much of this movie. The animation is solid, with fetching character designs, but that’s all I can appreciate.
The main protagonist is bland and uninteresting at best, seemingly spoilt and unaware at worst. Sebastian the Crab is irritating, Ursula is a conniving villain but has a dull motivation and Flounder is also there. As stated, I’m aware that this selection will surprise some people; I just cannot bring myself to enjoy this film, even for a moment.
Why we should root for a member of royalty who has everything she has ever wanted, except for a deep-rooted fascination with the land above going unfulfilled, is beyond me. In the end, she gets that goal completed too, against all that stands against her including a clear threat to the rest of her family and to every other living thing in the entirety of the sea, and it was at this moment that I realised that, apart from the lucky few, we are all in thrall to people like this. We are all fighting just to get through our own lives, wishing happiness for others and also ourselves, unable to truly break away from the foundations we were born into.
We are all Flounder.
39. Lilo & Stitch (2002)
It’s nice to have something different from the usual Disney visuals, and the character designs are appropriately cute and engaging, but the story has little to propel it forward turning what is a fairly short run time into a bit of a slog. While this is primarily aimed at younger children with little for the adults, it seems pedestrian even by those standards.
38. Dinosaur (2000)
Whilst Lilo & Stitch was something a bit different, Dinosaur was a huge step into new territory. A brave new world with images that were wholly unexpected and a revolution in how stories could be presented. The story of an orphaned dinosaur travelling a long way in order to reach a safe home should lend itself well to spectacle and adventure, but something is missing that means the film isn’t as enthralling as it should be.
The Carnotaurus as the main villains were an interesting choice at a time when everyone would’ve clamoured over a T-Rex, but they make up for it with a cool, scary design that meant it was probably one of the few things people remember about this film.
If you want a fantastic, emotional story about dinosaurs making an arduous trek, check out The Land Before Time from twelve years before.
37. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)
With the success of Wreck-It Ralph, a sequel was sure to follow and six years later it arrived. Perhaps this was a little too late to fully take advantage of the popularity of the original.
It still had a few things to say about the internet but spent more time guffawing at IPs than the first film, which results in a film that isn’t a mess but feels like it could turn into one at any moment. Shoving a million colourful memes in viewers’ faces like so many kilograms of sugar leads to a featureless film that could be labelled as post-modern, if it had anything significant to say.
John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman were perfectly cast in Wreck-It Ralph and the chemistry between their characters is still there, but is surrounded by too much of this outside noise. The film suffers a little from the fact that the first film also wrapped everything up so well for every character. Therefore it constantly feels like an old lawn mower trying to start up again after spending too long in the shed. Could almost be seen as cynical in places.
36. Oliver & Company (1988)
A re-telling of Oliver Twist but with cats and dogs, this film is by-the-numbers in every way including the animation, story beats and songs. Hard to watch not because of anything poor, per se, it’s just not anywhere near captivating enough to keep eye balls on the screen.
35. Brother Bear (2003)
Four years on from Tarzan, we have a movie that has a lovely, well-thought out message at its heart (caring for nature and each other), but struggles to be anything more than a slog.
Unlike Tarzan, which had the saving grace of the songs, Phil Collins barely features and the whole thing feels a little bit stale. After the renaissance of the 90s, the early 2000s saw Disney put out more movies that did the job and nothing more.
34. Big Hero 6 (2014)
A solid story about responsibility and morals, with fabulous character designs topped off by the utterly charming design, animation and sound for Baymax, a robot designed to help people who are ill or feeling pain.
A clear dark vs light aesthetic inside a world that feels a lot cleaner than our own, but still lived in, with the true potential of Baymax being unlocked when it is used as a tool for healing as opposed to harnessing its powers of war.
Suffers from a plethora of exposition in the first fifteen or so minutes, a runtime that outlasts its welcome by about twenty minutes, and Fred, a character voiced by TJ Miller with all of his ‘enjoy your midnight screening of Blade 2’ energy. A performance that mistakes pointing out what is happening onscreen for funny.
33. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
The only reason this film is as high up the list as it is is due to the character of Kronk, a character so bizarrely off-kilter and hilarious that he is responsible for the film’s high points. That his delightful non-sequiturs (humming his own theme music; his Naked Gun-style cooking sequence) made it into the finished film are a Godsend, along with Patrick Warburton’s unique vocal performance.
The story is interesting, with the classic Disney MO of taking an old story and giving it a child-friendly twist, but suffers from the main character being unlikeable at first and uninteresting in the end. The fact that Kronk had his own spin-off years later shows where the positives were, but also that Kronk as a character was in no way going to be able to hold up a substantial story on his own.
32. Cinderella (1950)
A story so ubiquitous, you could probably ask someone to sum large parts of it up even if they hadn’t seen or heard it. Spell-binding animation, lovely vocal performances and a runtime that knows its place means Cinderella isn’t further down the list.
31. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Nips above Cinderella just because of its classic songs. With a live-action remake on the way that seems at turns full steam ahead, then mired in online controversy, this 1930's version definitely shows its age in places.
While it has a few instances that haven’t aged well, at the time it was extremely well-received which just goes to show how times change (look at inflation; the movie was deemed a phenomenal success having made just under $10 million. I could probably travel back in time and pay the catering bill for all cast and crew with the budget from my weekly shop).
30. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
When Sleeping Beauty came out, some critics saw it as a derivative entry in the Disney canon; that Cinderella and Snow White did it all before. With hindsight, which has been used on other entries before this, has this changed? Well, now we’re in the enlightened twenty-first century we also know it’s not right to kiss someone who’s unconscious. So I suppose being called derivative would probably be preferred.
Sleeping Beauty does have the edge over its kinfolk Cinderella and Snow White largely because its story has a bit of an edge to it with its villain and her motivations. But does it at the same time enter the group of Disney movies where we all say ‘times have changed’ and move on? It is disconcerting that a sleeping girl is saved by ‘true love’s kiss’, and this entire premise grates harshly against today’s standards. This can’t be ignored, but it stands to reason that most culture from almost one hundred years ago would seem out of place today. What we do is take the lessons and make sure we learn them, before learning some other ones from the culture we live in today.
The battle sequence as a finale is spectacular. The villain is top-tier in both design and delivery, and is perhaps one of the more under-rated characters on this list (it’s no wonder they made a feature-length film all about her, which happens to stand up as a film all in its own right).
It all adds up to Disney perfecting their style before moving into the 1960’s. It’s just a shame that the premise, nay the title itself, hinges on an idea that’s at best laughable, at worst a full-blown crime.
29. 101 Dalmatians (1961)
Based on protagonists alone, this movie would probably be sitting just above the bottom spot. Disney have always had a little more success with their antagonists. Maleficent, Scar, even sad old Prince John. But 101 Dalmatians could possibly claim the gold medal for villainy with Cruella de Vil (yes, she’s so evil she has ‘devil’ in her name). She’s vile and, well, cruel to the extreme, but driven to the point of making her a terrifying villain for a children’s film where everyone else just wants to get along as best they can. With the aforementioned inflation, plans are in place to make a new live-action version simply called 101 Million Dalmatians.
28. Frozen (2013)
Full disclosure: working as a teacher means this film can’t be higher on the list. There should be PSAs about how those who worked in education suffered for two years with… that song.
But looking back at this one, there is a lot to like as Disney keeps its usual story beats in mind without needing to necessarily stick to them. The classic Disney elements of charming princes and princesses in trouble being rather turned on its head. A sidekick that is charmingly designed and voiced, and not irritating. Princesses taking control of each situation because, frankly, they do know best. And yes, Let It Go is still an absolute belter of a song.
The introduction not just of the two sisters Anna and Elsa, but of the world they inhabit means it grips like the biting cold from the outset. In Hans, the film has a true bastard of a villain who isn’t too much into all that evil monologuing, more hiding in plain sight with a smile on his face.
These characters give the ending real emotional heft and you forget that so many Disney films feature the day being saved because of true love. Yes, that happens here again, but it’s done so well it doesn’t matter. The only downside is a saggy middle that is entirely forgettable (I think there were some troll characters? Who lived in a garden?), meaning Frozen can’t make it anywhere near the top 20. That and the psychological damage all us educators received.
27. Tarzan (1999)
Some would rate a Disney film higher based on the soundtrack alone, and if this were the case Tarzan would be up, up in the clouds and into the top 10. Unfortunately, this is not the case and the rest of the movie is significantly more forgettable.
Its animation is perfectly smooth and flowing, and a touching opener sets up not a villain but the idea that nature is up against Tarzan if he doesn’t stick with his gorilla gang. If anything, the story features not a classic hero vs villain (while this is present, it is not nearly as important) but a character trying to find his place as an outsider, someone who isn’t as good as everyone else at the usual things, and the things he is good at only push him further away from his family.
What’s not to like about this emotional hook? There’s just something missing, and perhaps knowing what is destined to come at the end of the movie makes it all feel a little by-the-numbers.
26. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Another seen as a certifiable classic, if only for the set up of a down-and-nearly-out street rat coming to the aid of a well-groomed, well-kept princess, the pair later learning more about each other and falling in love whilst overcoming a range of obstacles thrown at them by circumstance. But enough about Aladdin, let’s talk about two dogs that eat spaghetti.
Lady and the Tramp is a touching story, a pleasant Sunday afternoon of a film that takes some of its cues from silent cinema while using big doe eye design to make the viewer root for our two protagonists. While it is pleasant it perhaps has aged better in people’s memories than as a film itself, but that’s not to say it’s not perfectly fine.
25. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
In writing a top 40 list for Disney animated movies, one must obviously keep in mind that not all of the movies have adults in mind. Yes, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is almost utterly devoid of the smarts that some of these movies feature that can keep adults involved. And yes, you could argue that this version is hardly in keeping with what A A Milne had in mind. But couldn’t that be said for a few of the adaptations on this list?
The finished product is a soft blanket you can wrap yourself in, and watching this with my young son is an utter delight that even some of the top films on this list can’t quite match. It’s entirely lacking in irony, and post-modern wit. And as a result it’s able to be completely sincere, whilst also including characters that you can see as an adult clearly have their own foibles and issues. But in the end, they make it work because that’s what friends do.
24. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
This was Disney’s throwback, amid a cornucopia of wonderful CG creations, with some old-school hand-drawn animation. Yet another entry into the pantheon of great Disney villains, Dr Facilier is entirely underhanded and suffers a terrifying end when he is literally dragged off into the spirit world for not paying his debts (I’m not sure an overdraft was really in the offing).
The story suffers from some equally old-fashioned beats, though. Come for the catchy songs (Friends on the Other Side being a highlight that moves the story along, provides character back story and is visually stunning to boot), but don’t expect much from the details or the rather negative portrayal of voodoo.
23. Dumbo (1941)
Back in the days of reduced runtimes within animation, Dumbo manages to tell a sweet, emotional story that is equal parts heart breaking, fun and finally uplifting. Arguments could be made that Dumbo’s character design is as recognisable and iconic as Mickey Mouse (perhaps Captain America’s shield to Tony Stark’s arc reactor, or beard). The animation is clearly designed to show off what Disney’s artists could do, featuring marching pink elephants on parade and clowns saving the day during a fire.
Times have changed, and some sensibilities are frankly awkward to experience at best, downright insulting at worst. It was a different time, and perhaps this is why certain films are receiving the reboot treatment (Moana being made all the way back in… 2016?) Are those sections so easily dismissed? Should older films like this carry a warning at the start? Disregard the poorly-aged elements, though, and you will believe an elephant can fly.
22. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
As mentioned earlier in the list, Wreck-It Ralph’s success is built on a foundation of great chemistry, along with a novel idea of having the story take place in an arcade (with the threat of being unplugged ever-present) and some great gags (watch out for the oreos). It also involves a mystery that, amongst so many children’s films, can’t be solved straight away which makes a nice change of pace.
The only minor negative is a slightly overbloated middle section that makes a well-earned ending arrive after the bum gets numb. But with vocal performances of this calibre, especially John C Reilly who is given the chance to show a wider audience what he can do, this is a minor quibble. Why is it not placed higher on the list? Such is the quality of the Disney back catalogue and the movies coming later in this list.
21. Pinocchio (1940)
Like Cinderella, this is a story that thanks to the Disney adaptation seems ingrained in popular culture throughout most of the world. Ultimately, it’s a story of a young boy pushing boundaries and learning the benefits of doing the right thing (my son is two and enjoys pulling hair as he’s carried up the stairs).
But it’s pushed to bizarre extremes, including badly behaved boys being brought to an island and turned into donkeys, and an unforgettable sequence involving a leviathan.
Compared with Dumbo which was to come out a year later, this film swaps out some of the emotion for greater inventiveness and a surreal nature that underpins the classic Disney traits, ensuring future versions will be compared to this one for a while yet. Indeed, two recent versions have hit the highs and lows critically. If anything, this proves Disney’s most valuable skill is being able to pick stories that have a lot of scope for reinvention.
20. Peter Pan (1953)
Pocahontas, coming later, perhaps gave the general public a slightly, shall we say, kinder and actually tolerable portrayal of Native Americans. Yet another entry on the ‘this is great, except for the bit that’s racist’ collection, Peter Pan does feature wonder, charm and magic in spades. So far, so Disney.
What makes it stand out? The flying sequences are truly amazing to young eyes and the story of a horrible old Captain Hook being teased and taunted by a crocodile’s ticking is a wonderful story hook to indeed use.
This movie’s story encapsulates what Disney is about: youngsters on the cusp of growing older, doing all they can to avoid growing up. Peter Pan is preemptive nostalgia, with fairies and stereotypes a-plenty, setting Disney’s stall all the way back in 1953. Some might see it as nice that it hasn’t changed much; others may think it’s a shame this feeling of cookie-cutter happily-ever-after is rarely challenged.
19. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Perhaps unfavourably compared to other Disney films released around the same time, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is arguably one of the entries on this list that’s gotten far better with age. Certainly more relevant, with a truly nasty villain in Frollo.
While some villains we love to hate, Frollo is simply a conniving, horrible retch, a self-loathing, power-hungry despot who’d bend and crush all of France before giving it up to anyone else. He also hates the object of his desire, his vaunted icon of triumph Esmerelda, making Frollo a fitting reflection of certain toxic influences prevalent today. If he were around today, would Frollo be the host of a vlog series decrying the Machiavellian schemes of ‘Them’, whipping up anger wherever he appeared? Either that or a show on TalkTV, whichever gave him the bigger numbers.
18. Alice in Wonderland (1951)
No adaptation is quite as weird and wonderful as the book itself, but this one gives it a fair old go. Memorable characters are around every corner, easily eclipsing the murky, charmless Tim Burton effort that came years and years later, with its boring Jabberwocky and copious time wasting.
The plot is more of a lone wanderer, a quixotic stroll featuring eye-popping, psychedelic animation that threatens to scare, before pulling back and moving on to the next presentation. Again, a great example of Disney taking someone else’s ideas and giving them a twist, proving that they were the movie-making DJ taking other people’s beats and mixing them in their own way long before people talked about the likes of Tarantino doing the same.
17. Encanto (2021)
While the animation style by the time Encanto came out was something we’d seen before, the story adaptations on display are interesting. Encanto takes the trope of Disney animals fixing up the house to its ultimate, logical conclusion: a house that fixes itself up.
While everyone, yes, talks about We Don’t Talk About Bruno, what impresses most in this movie are the little touches and what each character is used to represent. Bruno, representing the choice to shoot the messenger with maybe a touch of self-fulfilling prophecy, simultaneously absconds somewhere far away without leaving home. He also represents the truth regarding the downside of celebrity. A problem child who is feared for his great power, but in reality very much broken by this great power and in the need of acceptance and nothing more. He’s only in the film for about five minutes.
Luisa, striving to keep going on that hamster wheel of job after job after job, her own comfort being seen as an unattainable goal (hence the donkey-unicorns).
And the entire family playing out like some magical British royal family with barely-mentioned children, important ceremonies and brave faces all round, along with a matriarch that has her eye exclusively on the prize: maintaining what they already have whilst continuing to make it grow. Does it matter that the main problems are solved a little too easily? It doesn’t help; but at the same time this is a lesson in talking to others and taking a lesson from the super-hearing Dolores (wait, how did she not hear Bruno in the walls?)
16. Bambi (1942)
As soon as you hear that drip-drip-drop, you know you’re in for a warm, comfortable movie that holds you in its arms for the entirety of its run - and then they shoot the mother.
A trope that by now is old hat, but in Bambi it really hits home. How is this child going to look after itself now its caregiver is gone? A real player of the heart strings for children and parents alike, but with a little help from his friends Bambi is able to grow older and see the positive parts of life, which I suppose is the message of this one.
15. Fantasia (1940)
Fantasia sounds like a dare. Take a bunch of classical music and create animated sequences from them, a plan that created some of the most iconic sequences Disney have ever created.
A daring, bold and confident step forward, full of invention that shows Disney definitely knows what it’s doing. Bizarre, unreal images play out over the first piece of music, letting you know what you’re in for. A brief history of dinosaurs, Grecian Gods gathering in a garden, a white line dancing. All images that bring a smile to the face as you remember what it was like to be enchanted.
14. AristoCats (1970)
They almost had it. Almost an entire movie without an uncomfortable, poorly-aged moment of out-and-out racism. But even in 1970, a Siamese cat says the line ‘fortune cookie always wrong’ whilst playing the piano with chopsticks.
The rest of the movie is an exciting, exhilarating adventure as Duchess and her three kittens try to make it back home.
Once again, a street cat comes along and is enchanted enough himself to help out and eventually they fall in love somewhere around the fourth or fifth song. The soundtrack is full of energy, unlike some of the nice but bland entries lower on this list, making AristoCats a fun and at times genuinely funny experience for anyone watching.
13. Hercules (1997)
Like Aristocats, only more so, Hercules starts off with an explosive opener that grabs you straight away and lets you know you’re in for a great time.
With a mythical tale almost tailormade for a Disney adaptation (a member of a royal family gets into trouble, featuring magical powers and scary monsters), Hercules has some little touches that bring an element of surprise. Danny DeVito as a trainer, very much in the mould of the appropriately-named Mickey from the Rocky movies. James Woods giving a pitch-perfect performance as a scheming, micromanaging Hades, yet another character we love to hate.
There aren’t too many memorable songs besides chorus ones, but it’s a fast-moving journey that, as a friend once told me, has ‘pretty much the same ending as Naked Gun 2.’ Once you see it, you can’t unsee it, as they say.
12. Robin Hood (1973)
Who knew that honky-tonk man Roger Miller would be the perfect person to introduce this slice of utterly pleasant amusement? The whole thing stays as charming as that throughout, with a villain that’s not even effectual enough to hate, more laugh at with his constant cries for his mummy. It’s the heroes on display in this one, with Robin Hood and Little John making a perfectly amiable pair as they try to do good whilst avoiding the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham.
It doesn’t have to be too long to be a fun time and includes some fun, funny sequences as the merry band of men bring brightness to a horrible, grey life for those pushed too far into destitution and blight. That would be the word to describe this one: fun. Go with it.
11. The Jungle Book (1967)
A prime example of not just putting a twist on a movie, but taking out only certain elements to make something you could call by an entirely different name. There have been other adaptations of The Jungle Book, but none can quite get out from under the shadow of this 60’s classic.
Every song, even Kaa’s hypnotic ditty, is memorable and catchy. Whilst he appeared in a few Disney movies using the same voice each time, Phil Harris is utilised best here as the laid-back bear that everyone loves, with the other vocal performances hitting the right notes too.
A character like Mowgli threatens to be irritating in a movie like this, especially one featuring twee lessons about growing up, but The Jungle Book manages to swerve around that pot hole whilst simultaneously giving us a character we can easily root for. We see Mowgli’s point of view even if we at the same time disagree with it, and for that we want him to survive his journey through the jungle. I’m not sure those vultures were actually The Beatles, though.
10. Pocahontas (1995)
Why is Pocahontas not as visible when compared to other Disney princesses? She has two animal sidekicks, sings and more importantly kicks ass throughout the entire movie. She’s a wonderful example as a character who steps forward when she’s needed, asks for help when she needs it and sticks by her convictions because she knows she’s right, even when everyone around her tells her she’s wrong, or worse implies that she’s not needed.
Unlike some of the other entries, Pocahontas as a movie is perhaps insubstantial as opposed to overbloated. It’s as if there should be another twenty minutes of something once the end credits roll. Vocal performances range from perfunctory to outstanding (hello, young Christian Bale, fumbling with a gun before playing a character who doesn’t use one, except when he does).
The songs bump this one up a notch or two, with stylised sequences fitting perfectly as they build up a feeling of spinning plates. Except when one of these plates falls all hell breaks loose. Amidst the Disney renaissance of the 1990’s, this isn’t the greatest example of animated storytelling but watching this back there are forgotten moments that return, like water round a riverbend, just to grip you and remind you of what Disney were capable of.
9. Moana (2016)
On first viewing, I thought Moana had a second-act problem. Every viewing after that (and there have been many) has seen that first instinct proved wrong, as Moana must prove over and over again to anyone she meets that she can fix the problem, she can get the job done, if only people would get out of her way.
And the story of a someone trying to be someone they’re not, before embracing their true destiny, is one we have seen a million times over by now. But Moana perfects this writing tic, even giving us a bait-and-switch with a pig sidekick that doesn’t actually come along for the journey (instead Moana takes a chicken; more of a hindrance than a help).
Sequences that could be chopped out, found in many Disney movies, here are charming and fun and seem totally in keeping with the character arcs. Somehow a Dwayne Johnson song does not sound awful. This film really has it all. The only other thing I’d say is that Moana needs a health warning for how long the songs will be stuck in your head.
8. Zootropolis (UK)/Zootopia (US) (2016)
Given different titles depending on where you come from, Zootropolis/Zootopia/Zoomania/Too Many Zooz/Zoo 2: This Time It’s Zoological is definitely a story for our times. With scenes discussing the fact that ‘90% of the city is herbivore, and they are scared’ along with elephants trying to force foxes to leave a store, before asking ‘don’t they have stores like this where you come from?’, the entire thing is a lesson in how we treat others.
The ultimate ‘villain’ and the heroes’ solution can both be seen coming from a mile off, but the neat twist at the end is that not everyone is on the good or bad side. Yes, the original mayor, imprisoned under false pretences, is forced to admit he did some very shady things in office, trying to laugh it off and slather everyone in charm.
It’s not all messaging for a better world. There are some excitingly-directed chases, particularly a jungle sequence with some beautiful animation, and an entire scene with sloths that could’ve been just okay, but is directed exquisitely. I haven’t seen such well-timed comedy animation since The Simpsons’ heyday.
Even though the animation does make me side with the critics for Sleeping Beauty (‘we’ve seen this style done before, and we’ve seen it enough’), Zootropolis is what happens when a team band together and produce not just a passable piece of content, but a fantastic story with engaging characters and messages delivered subtly enough that children will understand them without feeling like they’re getting hit over the head.
7. The Sword in the Stone (1963)
Looking back at the 1960’s and early 1970’s, it was like Disney were on a bit of a winning streak. The Sword in the Stone is just another to add to the list. The invention, the execution, the characters.
On paper, some of this seems laughable or perhaps too quirky. A wizard duel that ends because one of them turns into the flu? The same wizard turning up in the final scene to give a life lesson off the top of his head, having just gotten back from a trip to Bermuda? I’m here for it all, including sequences where our heroes Arthur and Merlin turn themselves into fish, birds and seemingly everything in between.
To top it off, there’s the light commentary that these characters are perhaps not fit for a Disney movie. There’s a scene where a bunch of pots and pans, along with the odd broom to bring memories of Fantasia rushing back, are enchanted and set to work, before they’re interrupted. Merlin promptly sticks his head through the door like a college professor having his time wasted. Merlin is a character that doesn’t want to hold your hand; he wants you to hurry up and keep up lest his lessons aren’t heard by your troublesome little ears. No wonder him and that owl fit together so well.
6. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
A true-blue story of friendship, even when pulled apart by other loyalties. Unlike some of the earlier entries, this one is much more sincere and emotional, with anyone who’s ever fallen out with a friend able to perhaps see themselves in the two main characters.
It’s also a clear example of there being no hero and no villain. Each character is pulled along by their own circumstances, with life not really caring that one of them is a fox and the other is not a fox. It’s a sometimes-harsh examination that life is not always simple or clear, even when it’s seemingly your own survival on the line, a lesson that can be applied anywhere to anyone. Complete with a dose of heartrending dramatic irony as Tod takes his last ride-along with a friend. Brings tears to the eyes.
5. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
He’s Sherlock Holmes, but not really. And his buddy’s Watson, but not really, because he’s called Dawson. It’s… a little unclear at times. The Great Mouse Detective might be the most underrated movie Disney have ever released, and the reason why is also a bit of a mystery.
Once again, we have a villain that’s not just hateable, but abhorrent. When he drops the mouse mask and reveals his true inner nature, Ratigan is terrifying. He looms over our hero and there’s not much that can stop him from doing what he wants, until the last minute save that lifts the spirits higher than Thor in Wakanda (you know the bit I mean).
The idea of a rat that so dreadfully wants everyone to see him as a mouse is a brilliant piece of character motivation. It almost doesn’t matter what Ratigan’s scheme is exactly, just that Basil stops him before it’s too late. One of the last throws of the dice before Disney started going much bigger in the 90's.
4. Mulan (1998)
Reflections. I’ll Make A Man Out Of You. Need I say more? Of course I do, because songs don’t make the movie. Mulan skips quickly through the usual ‘trying to fit into society’s image of me’ and spends most of its time with Mulan determinedly pushing herself to be the best version of what she wants to be. A message for people of all ages.
This is an action-packed piece of pure entertainment that is, for better or worse, unashamedly trying its best to be a thrill ride.
Before Eddie Murphy was Donkey, he was Mushu. Yes, Shrek was able to tap into what made Eddie Murphy funny better than Mulan, and it almost feels like Murphy was shackled a bit here. Remember, this is the guy who had the punchline “So the bear wiped his ass with the rabbit.” Why exactly he was cast is perhaps a little unclear apart from the obvious big-name status, and his unbridled talents are not able to be fully exhumed from the temple Mushu was forced to stay in. This is the only negative of a movie that sets its agenda out early and whether you like it or not lets its hero push and shove her way to the front, on her own two feet. And when she finally succeeds in her mission, it feels like she’s truly earned it, a hundred times over.
3. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast could’ve suffered from a condition I like to call ‘Having Too Few Locations’. Catchy name, I know. But it uses the grounds of the castle well enough that the film doesn’t just avoid succumbing to sameness and a sense of boredom, it triumphs as it tells the spell-binding story of a beast who has forgotten how to be a human (my son woke us up this morning with shrieks and howls).
I’m not sure why such a big thing is made of animated films standing alongside live-action cinema at the Academy Awards, but that’s what happened and it only lost Best Picture because Silence of the Lambs came out the same year.
When The Beast shows up, he’s an unnerving character. Instead of a one-dimensional mook feeling sorry for himself, wallowing in his own sadness, he displays his brash impatience and his lack of manners, showing a richer character who we believe in and hope for.
Is it strange that the two of them fall in love? Oh, undoubtedly. But instead of Stockholm Syndrome, Belle sees what’s inside The Beast all along (hopefully).
Despite the spot-on Simpsons parody, Be Our Guest is still a genuinely lively and entertaining description of what it feels like to be useless and lost before finding a point to one’s life. With tentative hope mixed with an eagerness to please, Beauty and the Beast did end up winning the Academy Award for best original song.
Gaston as the villain is at turns laughable and concerning, what with the ease with which he turns a village against someone in order to pull power back to himself. I wonder how many right-wing politicians use antlers in all of their decorating?
2. The Lion King (1994)
This is the film on this list that best takes every ingredient from the great Disney movies of the past and combines them to make something truly spectacular.
A soaring score that, once again, lets you know what you’re in for from the very start (is there a theme here?) Songs that’re catchy and big, fully engrossed in their own showboating because they know they’re good.
It’s a little jarring that the monkey is the only one with an accent from Africa (he is in touch with the magic of his homeland and where he comes from, while the others… spend their summers in California?) But this is also the film that takes the going big of the 90’s and uses this to its advantage, taking Hamlet and Biblical stories and using elements from each as the directors see fit.
The finale is perfectly attuned to this ideal, eschewing reality and literalism for a more symbolic ending; Scar, bathed in red light, meets his end before rain water washes away the bleached skull of an animal long dead.
Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella are a highlight as the brothers-in-grubs Timon and Pumba, taking Simba under their wing but mistaking his apathy and sadness for their own lackadaisical nature. In the end, as the film itself spells out in a way that’s a little Pumba-fisted, it’s a story about facing the past. Even if you run away for a time to regroup, it must be faced lest the world fall apart.
Aladdin (1992)
A perfect blend of jokes for kids and adults, with some absolutely cracking musical numbers alongside a score that elevates everything onscreen. The worldbuilding on display is solid without featuring too much exposition, and what gives it the top spot is that just when you think the story is starting to slow down the Genie gets introduced.
Williams’ performance is top notch with some laugh out loud moments as he rifles through seemingly every impression in his repertoire (if a reference seems dated, just wait half a second for another). Aladdin as a protagonist is more than a one-dimensional street rat in shining armour. At times jealous, manipulative and cagey, he sometimes creates the problem he has to overcome, sometimes solving the problem in spite of himself. A hero who fails is so much more believable than one who is truthful and just all the way through.
The movie uses the rules set up by itself to create further problems for Aladdin to overcome before an ending that’s uplifting and quintessentially Disney.
