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Ten Best Disney Animated FilmsAug 31 '05 (Updated Jul 23 '06) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Kids and adults alike will love these classics. For over 50 years, the name “Disney” has been synonymous with animated films. Most children grow up watching these classics over and over. I personally have seen all of them. However, not all Disney animated features are created equal and some age better than others. The following are, in my opinion, the ten best Disney animated films. 10. The Little Mermaid – This is an under the sea spectacular, offering one of Disney’s best soundtracks. You probably knew the story. Ariel wants to be a human so she can see what the people see, etc. Fortunately for us all, this story ends more happily than the original little mermaid fairy tale. This is one of the coolest films aesthetically as the undersea theme provides for some beautiful scenery and undersea creatures. I loved this movie so much as a child, I used to sing along with the soundtrack on my sony tape player every day. 9. The Rescuers – This isn’t one of Disney’s most popular films but I think it has its own charm. Released in 1977, the Rescuers features Bernard and Bianca, two mice members of the Rescue Aid Society. They are dispatched to save Penny, a little girl, from the clutches of the evil Madame Medusa. The cast of animal characters is great and I love Eva Gabor as the voice of Bianca. This is a nice, simple film with a happy ending. 8. Tarzan – I actually put off seeing this film until last year and as it turned out it is wonderful. The Tarzan theme put me off but the film is actually great. The Phil Collins song “You’ll be in my Heart” makes me cry and the scenes of Tarzan with his adopted mother are quite touching. Maybe I am reading too much into it but I found the movie to contain a lot of positive messages about adoption and true parental love. The animation quality is very good as well. 7. Beauty and the Beast – I think this 1991 film can be thanked for really ushering in a new era of animated films. Recently I watched a Disney program that talked about Beauty and the Beast as Disney’s first attempt at staging an animated film like a broadway musical. This film does deliver huge animated musical sequences and I love Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts the teakettle. The message that beauty is on the inside also makes this film worth watching. I was actually a little scared by some of the scenes with the Beast when I was a child so small children should be warned he isn’t really all bad! 6. Robin Hood – I rewatched this movie recently to see if I enjoyed it as much as during my childhood and I liked it even more. Robin Hood is a 1973 film and is actually very funny. It follows the adventures of the likeable Robin Hood and his merry men. The soundtrack is great although most of the songs never became as famous as tunes from other Disney tunes. I always loved the exotic Maid Marian, a fox, when I was a child. Many of the voices used in this film can be heard in other Disney films from the same era such as the Aristocats and Jungle Book. 5. Finding Nemo – A Disney/Pixar collaboration at its finest, Nemo is a young clownfish trying to find his way back home after being captured and taken from his father. The film is full of interesting characters such as Dory, a fish with no short-term memory, and Crush, a very gnarly sea turtle. Finding Nemo is a film that both kids and adults will enjoy because there are jokes geared at all ages. 4. Aladdin – This 1992 film benefits from a fun middle eastern setting and a fabulous job by Robin Williams in the role of the Genie. Aladdin, a rough fellow who lives on the street, is given three wishes. His ultimate goal is to capture the heart of the beautiful princess Jasmine. This is another great soundtrack featuring songs such as “A Whole New World.” I personally love the animal sidekicks in the film, Abu the monkey and Iago the parrot. 3. Sleeping Beauty – This 1959 film is the earliest on my list but the quality of the film still seems great by today’s standards. Sleeping Beauty is based on the popular fairy tale about the infant Aurora doomed to prick her finger on a spinning wheel and fall into a deep sleep at the age of 16. The lovable cast of characters includes Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the three humorous fairies who offer to hide Aurora deep in the forest. The fairies are constantly bickering back and forth and I love the scenes where they argue a3bout whether things should be pink or blue and change the colors back and forth. 2. The Lion King – This film is the coming-of-age story about Simba, a lion cub destined to be the king of the beasts. I consider this to be one of Disney’s greatest masterpieces. The film is visually stunning and the music is amazing. I love the Africa theme and animation of all the animals. Its impossible to watch the incredible “Circle of Life” scenes without getting chills. 1. Mulan – This underappreciated film takes the cake as my all time favorite Disney animated film. Mulan secretly takes her ailing father’s place in the Chinese army. She has to hide her gender while fighting to protect China. Mulan features the voice of Ming-Na as Mulan and provides a very humorous role for Eddie Murphy as Mushu, her guardian dragon. I love Mulan for its wonderful songs and great jokes, I laugh every time I watch this film. Also exciting to see is a female ‘princess’ who has more to do than sit around and wait to be awoken/rescued. Mulan rocks! *Ready for some more animation? Here are my Top Ten Non-Disney Animated Movies. *Check out my Top Ten Favorite Movies Ever!  |
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