Top 10 (make that 15) Disney Animated Movies Ever
Dec 19 '08
The Bottom Line 15 timeless Disney classics that you have to see (and see again) to make you fall in love, laugh, cry, and feel young again
I would consider myself something of a Disney aficionado. I've probably seen every Disney animated movie ever made, in some cases more times than I can count. So I've decided to put together my list of the top 15 Disney animated movies of all time. Why 15 you ask? Because I tried to make a top 10 list, and I just couldn't do it, I was leaving off too many good movies.
Just a final note before we begin, this list is not based on historical significance or popularity or anything like that. My choices are based on which movies are the best at making you laugh and cry, and which are as good today as they were back when they were first released. While some of my choices might seem surprising, I strongly encourage you to check out any of the movies on this list you haven't seen before (and even to re-watch those that you have), you may not realize (or remember) what a great movie you're missing.
15.) The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
As I said, some of my selections will surprise you. In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated Disney movies of all time. Not only is it very funny (particularly the not-so-bright character Kronk, voiced by Patrick Warburton, who fans of Seinfeld will remember as David Puddy), but it's also got an interesting storyline that's kind of an odd twist on "Beauty and the Beast," in which a spoiled Emperor (voiced by David Spade) learns to rely on others that he took for granted after being turned into a llama by a magic potion. As long as you don't go in expecting to see a romantic Disney musical (which this most certainly is not), you'll have a blast.
14.) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Many Disney movies are adaptations of existing stories brought to the screen in a whole new light, but this movie took a very creative approach to converting a children's storybook into film. The movie fully acknowledges that the characters are right out of a storybook, but actually invites the viewer into the book. For instance, at one point, Winnie the Pooh asks "Oh, what happens to me?" and the narrator replies "let's turn the page and find out," and at another point, the letters on the page even blow away in the wind. It's also quite funny, even for adults, with scenes such as Rabbit trying to decorate Winnie the Pooh's rear end when it becomes lodged in the hole to enter his home after he eats a bit too much honey. You don't even have to be a fan of the classic stories to enjoy it.
13.) Toy Story 2 (1999)
This movie is a rare occurrence of the sequel outdoing the original, which is no easy feat considering the original was also a pretty good movie. What really sets "Toy Story 2" apart from its predecessor is that even second-string characters in the first movie like Mr. Potato Head were explored the second time around, not just Buzz and Woody. The animation was brilliant even by today's standards, the voice acting top-notch, and the movie has a really engaging story that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the end. The end result is easily one of the best movies to come out of the imaginative Pixar Studios.
12.) Fantasia (1940)
This is not an easy movie to watch, and it is really not a children's movie despite the Disney name. It doesn't have a plot, but rather is a series of segments without dialogue set to classical music, which are at times very dark and even abstract. But "Fantasia" deserves its place on this list as a film that would be completely unique and daring even if it was released for the first time today. Although not every segment achieves the desired result, when it does work, the end result is breathtaking, such as during the terrifying presentation of a giant demon creature with wings in the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment, and a fascinating depiction of the creation of the Earth and the dinosaurs in the segment set to Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring." The one segment that really is family friendly is "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" featuring none other than Mickey Mouse, but even that segment is almost nightmarish and surreal by the end, and is another captivating highlight of the film. "Fantasia" is just one of those movies you've got to see at least once to believe it.
11.) Mulan (1998)
I wasn't sure what to expect when I watched this movie for the first time recently, but I certainly didn't expect it to be nearly as good as some of the Disney classics from the early 1990's, and I was taken by surprise. The movie is a fantastic blend of all the elements that make for a Disney classic: comedy, action, likeable characters, even a touch of romance. But what really sets "Mulan" apart from so many other Disney films is what a feminist movie it is. Even in the many Disney movies with female main characters, their plot lines predominantly revolve around falling in love with a dashing Prince and being swept away, and there's nothing wrong with that, I enjoy those stories immensely. But in "Mulan," the main character is given a far greater role of bringing honor to her family, and the movie doesn't shy away from allowing her to fight in scenes that would typically feature a man, even against the creepy main villain (who is male) near the end in a very dramatic sequence. In fact, the last ten minutes or so of the movie alone are among the best endings Disney has ever made. The only thing keeping this movie from earning a higher place on my list is that for a musical, it really was lacking in strong songs (the song entitled "Honor to Us All" is the only really good one).
10.) The Incredibles (2004)
As we enter the top 10, it's time for something really incredible (sorry, I couldn't resist). I suppose I had every reason to enjoy this movie being a fan of superhero comics, but I think anyone would be blown away by the stunning animation and action scenes that left me saying "wow." In fact, this is the closest you can get to Disney doing an action movie. But the movie also never takes itself too seriously, with hilarious sequences such as Elastigirl (who can stretch her body like a rubber band) getting caught between several sets of doors while attempting to evade detection by the bad guys. The characterization is also top-notch, with very believable moments of family interaction, which is in many ways what "The Incredibles" is really all about. For me, this is simply Pixar's finest achievement to date.
9.) Dumbo (1941)
There are few Disney movies that pull at your heartstrings as much as "Dumbo." At times, it's absolutely heart wrenching, such as when Dumbo's mother cradles her baby in her trunk from inside a cage that she was placed in after attempting to defend Dumbo from a ruthless child. But all of the insults, the taunts, and the sadness that Dumbo undergoes throughout the film just for looking different (his larger than normal ears are the source of his troubles) pays off for a triumphant ending where Dumbo realizes that his difference has given him a gift that makes him special. And it's a valuable lesson that there is something special in every one of us. Also worthy of mention is the unbelievably trippy "Pink Elephants" sequence where Dumbo accidentally consumes alcohol, and undergoes wild hallucinations that are basically indescribable in words (which clearly served as the inspiration for the "Heffalumps and Woozles" dream sequence in "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh").
8.) Aladdin (1992)
Honestly, I feel like this movie could just as easily have come in higher on the list, but it's only here by virtue of the fact that there are so many masterpieces in the top 10. This movie is classic Disney, except it reverses the typical gender roles by replacing a Prince with Princess Jasmine, and the poor Cinderella type with a young man named Aladdin, who as we see in the introductory scene, is forced to steal a loaf of bread just to feed himself. But what really makes this movie so endearing over time is how likeable the characters of Aladdin and Jasmine are, the way Aladdin is willing to give up that loaf of bread to feed hungry children, and how Jasmine rejects potential suitors who try to impress her with only their noble blood. It's also impossible to discuss "Aladdin" without discussing the vocal talents of Robin Williams as the Genie, played up in an almost schizophrenic way that allowed Williams to go through practically every voice impression in his repertoire. While a bit exhausting just to watch, the two musical numbers featuring Robin Williams ("Friend Like Me" and "Prince Ali") are fantastic and unlike anything else Disney has ever done. For a more traditional love song, the movie also features the well-known "A Whole New World," with fantastic vocals from Lea Salonga (who not many people realize also did Mulan's singing voice).
7.) The Lion King (1994)
If "The Lion King" excels at one thing above all other Disney movies, it's most definitely the music. There are so many great songs in this movie that the soundtrack is a very worthwhile purchase. The opening song "Circle of Life" is triumphant and powerful, "I Just Can't Wait to be King" is tons of fun and can make anyone feel like a kid again, "Be Prepared" sung by the main villain Scar (who is, by the way, one of the best Disney villains of all time as voiced by Jeremy Irons) is really intense, "Hakuna Matata" is the big kid pleaser, and you've even got a great romantic track with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." Together, that's a Disney musical that can't be rivaled. But there is more to "The Lion King" than just the music, there's some great characters, like the always funny Timon and Pumba, and as I alluded to before, Scar is a really interesting villain. My only problem with this movie is that the ending climax falls a little flat when the main character Simba finally confronts Scar, and the movie seemed to be building up to something much bigger, but this is still a definite classic that is deserving of repeating watching.
6.) Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Watching this movie is like experiencing the feeling of falling in love all over again for the first time. Although the story is not without conflict, there's something blissful and peaceful about the whole movie, which shows a simpler time in America's past. There's also a very interesting perspective throughout the film from the point of view of dogs, almost never showing a human above the legs, which makes it very easy to relate to the central characters. The animation is wonderful, even by today's standards, with the dogs moving like actual dogs would in real life. And although I would have liked a few more musical numbers, there are some gems, such as "The Siamese Cat Song" and "He's a Tramp." If you haven't yet seen this under-acknowledged classic, you don't know what you're missing and should absolutely rent it.
5.) The Jungle Book (1967)
This movie features one of the greatest Disney characters of all time, Baloo, a carefree bear whose famous song "The Bear Necessities" has some excellent lessons if you really listen to the lyrics, and who is willing to lay his life on the line to protect his young "man-cub" Mowgli, a young child who was abandoned in the jungle as an infant. Although Baloo completely steals the show in "The Jungle Book," there are loads of other great characters as well, such as the stuffy panther Bagheera, who is basically the prototype for a certain Disney personna used in many subsequent films such as Sebastian in "The Little Mermaid" and Zazu in The Lion King," as well as a great villain Shere Kahn, a sinister tiger who must have served as the inspiration for Scar in "The Lion King." Oddly enough, the main character Mowgli is probably the least interesting character in the movie, as he mostly imitates the behavior of other animals that he sees. The musical numbers are also some of Disney's best, particularly those with a more jazzy style such as "The Bear Necessities," and my personal favorite, "I Want to be Like You," which features skatting by Baloo and the monkey King Louie, who are interestingly enough, both voiced by actual jazz musicians Phil Harris (Baloo) and Louis Prima (King Louie), which explains why those songs work so well.
4.) The Rescuers (1977)
Now we reach what I consider to be the single most underrated Disney animated movie ever. "The Rescuers" tells the story of a society of mice from all countries of the world with a collective purpose of coming to the aid of children in need. While that premise might not sound like much on the surface, the movie is propelled by an extremely well-written script that takes numerous unexpected twists and turns, along with fantastic voice acting from Eva Gabor as the compassionate Hungarian mouse named Miss Bianca and none other than the great Bob Newhart as the nervous but brave mouse Bernard, who is one of my favorite Disney characters of all time. Even the second-string animal characters included largely for comic relief are extremely likeable, and I love the way the movie shows this separate hidden world inhabited by animals with their own versions of everything (such as an airplane consisting of a sardine container as seats on the back of a large bird). At times, the movie is genuinely suspenseful as well, such as a scene where the mice hide in an organ from two crocodiles belonging to the villain (carefully shown from the perspective of the mice looking out). I also have to give this movie credit for being the obvious inspiration for one of my favorite cartoons "Rescue Rangers."
3.) Beauty and the Beast (1991)
The real beauty of this movie lies in its many subtleties, such as Belle referring to a novel she read in the opening Broadway-inspired musical segment about how a character meets Prince Charming, but doesn't discover that it's him until chapter three, which perfectly parallels her own story of meeting the Beast, who looks nothing like the typical Prince Charming from older Disney films, but who turns out to be her true love. The animation is brilliantly realized with a mixture of ferocity and gentleness shown by the Beast. And for the most part, the musical numbers are among Disney's best, most notably the well-known song "Be Our Guest." There are countless interesting characters, far more than in any other Disney animated movie I can think of, all former humans turned into objects that might be found in a castle, such as the French candlestick Lumiere and the Angela Lansbury voiced tea kettle Mrs. Potts. If I have one complaint at all, it's that the villain Gaston's sidekick Lafu is easily the most sniveling and pathetic character Disney has ever created, constantly going out of his way to praise Gaston's ego without any sense of individuality, which I find kind of annoying, although Gaston himself is an interesting villain (who seems to me largely based on the character of Brom Bones from Disney's version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow").
2.) Sleeping Beauty (1959)
This movie was so far ahead of its time that it still seems cutting-edge today, with a unique layered style of animation and extremely detailed backgrounds. The script is practically perfect, going far beyond the level of characterization seen in either "Cinderella" or "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" by giving characters such as the Prince some actual personality (and a suspenseful action sequence near the end), and the villain Maleficent (who seems largely based on the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz") is generally considered to be the central Disney villain of all time for a reason. The music taken in part from Tchaikovsky is beautiful, making it even easier to fall in love with Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. And the movie has a wonderful fairy tale like quality that pulls you into its world to accept the many strange and magical things that happen there. You can watch this film over and over again, and it never stops being a wonder.
1.) The Little Mermaid (1989)
For me, it simply doesn't get any better than "The Little Mermaid." In just 85 minutes that goes by far too quickly, the film delivers one of the most emotional experiences you can see in movie, animated or otherwise, culminating in an ending that gets me every time. The characterization is excellent, Ariel is animated to convey emotion so well that you don't even think about the fact that she's mute for a large portion of the movie, and the villain Ursula is easily one of the best Disney villains of all time who is at times truly scary. The music is equally great, I find it impossible not to smile whenever I see all the fish dancing and playing music during the "Under the Sea" number, and Ariel's pining for her Prince on the surface during "Part of Your World" is undeniably sweet. The pacing of the script is flawless, with not a single wasted moment, and the last ten minutes or so of the picture is probably the best conclusion to any Disney movie, with a confrontation between Prince Eric and Ursula even better than that between Prince Philip and Maleficent in "Sleeping Beauty." Quite simply, "The Little Mermaid" is the epitome of everything that makes Disney great, and it's always a good time to see it again.
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