Written by Markus Robinson
In honor of today being my girlfriend’s birthday, and her being undoubtedly the biggest Disney animated film fan of all time, here is my list of The Top Ten Best Disney Animated (obviously including Pixar) movies of all time. I know I am going to get a lot of people who disagree with my on this list, so I will kindly ask that all hate mail be forwarded to me at [email protected] And just so you know, this was the hardest top ten list I have ever written.
And without further a do, let’s begin:
10. Robin Hood (1973) – It’s the story of Robin Hood (stealing from the rich to give to the poor…blah, blah, blah), if Robin Hood was a fox and Friar Tuck was an over weight Badger. Admittedly, this film is not one of the most memorable Disney animated features of all time (it is more along the lines of wholesome/non offensive family friendly fun), but it is my guilty pleasure. So, if you don’t like this pick, then tough because I do. And I put it at number 10, so stop crying.
9. The Brave Little Toaster (1989) – The most underrated Disney movie ever made (probably because it was actually pretty thematically dark). And maybe without a doubt the Disney animated film which I saw the most growing up. If you don’t remember the story it is about a toaster and appliance pals trying to find their way back to their owner after being abandoned in a cabin. This is kind of the Toy Story before Toy Story. And to top it off, “The Brave Little Toaster” has undoubtedly one of the catchiest 80’s new wave soundtracks (synthesizers and everything) of any movie to come out of the 80’s.
8. Aladdin (1992) – Loosely based on a Middle-Eastern folk tale, and steeped in somewhat racial controversy, what “Aladdin” is remembered for isn’t the strong storytelling or the magic carpet love story between street thief Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, but more so for Robin Williams as the outlandish, outspoken, man of a thousand voices that all sound the same, blue Genie. Taken for what it is and coupled with the fact that the film was a critical success, “Aladdin” will, in the end, be (and is) considered a major triumph in children’s animated adaptations.
7. Cinderella (1950) – The word “classic” is thrown around a lot when talking about early Disney films but… Out of all the old folk tales Disney has “borrowed”, this is the adaptation which Disney nails. Cinderella is the Disney princess all over, encompassing everything that a little girl of three wants to be and have when she grows up: 1. A prince charming to come sweep her off of her feet. 2. A comforting fairy god mother, who can make all of her wildest dreams come true. 3. A beautiful princess gown, that shows up every other girl in the room. And even looking outside of a childhood spectrum, this is the truest underdog, the oppressed finally getting their comeuppance, story that people (from anywhere really) can understand. But really, it comes down to the simple fact that the reason why Cinderella has sustained most of its popularity is because most women have at one time or another had a Cinderella moment in their lifetime. All in all, “Cinderella” is a very uplifting story, unless you are a step mother of course. Then this movie may be borderline offensive, making a point of saying that anything step (step father, step mother, step sister, step brother) is inherently evil.
6. Wall-E (2008) – A true piece of innovation and one of the best animated children’s Science Fiction films ever made. “Wall-E” is about a futuristic Distopia, where all humans have abandoned Earth, which is now a huge landfill. But overshadowing that aspect of the film is a love story between two robots, played out brilliantly and almost entirely through silent gestures. The graphics here are unmatched in any other animated film and so is the emotion. But sadly, to many, “Wall-E” is more of a depressing story that many are not accustomed to seeing from Disney/Pixar (with scenes of seemingly post global warming). But in my opinion (and that is what this entire list is about in the first place) “Wall-E” is the deepest, saddest, most emotionally driven and most important Disney film to date. “Wall-E” makes my list because it isn’t just a love story or a cautionary tale, but a great animated film that is more than just an animated film; it ended the stigma of Disney animated films being vapid or just for children.
5. The Jungle Book (1967) – The first animated film I ever saw as a child, and so it did bring forth a nostalgic feeling when I re-watched it prior to making my list. This is a family friendly adaptation of notable racist Rudyard Kipling’s novel and some catchy songs, starring a dancing bear and a boy who doesn’t know he is human (in a very Tarzan-esque theme). But probably the most significant effect this film had on society was that every little boy between 1967 and today, who ran around in just his underwear, would forever be referred to as Mowgli.
4. The Little Mermaid (1989) – This Hans Christian Andersen adaptation would lead the way into what would be “a rejuvenation” of sorts for the Disney Studios (aka the Disney Renaissance). “The Little Mermaid” tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid who discovers, to her dismay, that her true love is on land and with no way to get up there she seeks the help of the evil sea-witch Ursula. First of all, the movie contains only THE BEST villain in animated history, Ursula. And secondly, and maybe most importantly, “The Little Mermaid” teaches us all that if red heads try hard enough they can strive to be people too.
3. Toy Story 3 (2010) – Maybe the one pick I will receive the most criticism for (especially because the innovative original didn’t make my list), “Toy Story 3″ brings the story of Woody, Buzz and the gang to a PERFECT, and truly heartwarming, conclusion (for those of use that grew up on this story of toys that just want to find their place in life). Making this beloved franchise not only a prominent bookmark in Disney’s animated history, but one of the best trilogies in film history. It is as simple as this, “Toy Story” introduced this type of animation, but “Toy Story 3″ (with the help of a deeply touching storyline) perfected it. Leaving no doubt in my mind that “Toy Story 3″ is the best thing Pixar has put out to date and was (also in my opinion) the best movie of 2010.
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991) – Another “adaptation” of an old fairy tale revamped by Disney Studios and considered by many to be the best Disney animated film (not in this list, but in other less qualified ones), “Beauty and the Beast” tells the story of Belle, whose father is captured by a horrific Beast. But Belle, offering herself up in her father’s place, soon discovers that the Beast is really an enchanted Prince. From the storyline on, everything about this film embodies what a truly great animated film should be. Undoubtedly, it contains the most memorable overall soundtrack, the most memorable love story and the most memorable dance sequence of any Disney film to date. And, if I may put my movie geek cherry on top, “Beauty and the Beast” was also the first animated picture to ever be nominated for an Academy Award, which is a huge feat when you think about it.
1. The Lion King (1994) – From the opening sequence on, “The Lion King” sets itself up to be the quintessential Disney epic, and succeeds in every aspect. Telling the story of a young Lion prince (Simba) who is destined to be King. But after his uncle, Scar, tricks him into thinking that he murdered his own father, Simba abandons his title, leaving it open for the evil Scar to reign over the land. But if you don’t know the story by now, then you undoubtedly don’t watch animated films. Bringing the 90’s musical animations to its epic climax in conjunction with a child friendly Shakespearean overtone, this film may represent an entire generation of children who grew up in the 90’s. I challenge you to find a child from that era who doesn’t know the lyrics to “Hakuna Matata”. Hell, President Obama even referenced this film in his speech at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. And even if you wanted to ignore all of that, there are three main proofs that back my claim that “The Lion King” is the greatest animated film of all time. One, it contains the single most memorable song of any animated feature: “The Circle of Life”. Two, it contains the most notable ensemble cast: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Jeremy Irons, Robert Guillaume, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and once rising star Jonathan Taylor Thomas. And three, “The Lion King”, being the most grandiose film to come out of the Disney Renaissance, has become an animated “gold standard” of sorts, or a movie that every other children’s animated film is compared to. “The Lion King” is the only true epic Disney has ever made and, in saying that, is pretty much untouchable.
I know, it’s hard to narrow it down to just ten, so in saying that, here are the ten films that just missed my list:
Toy Story (1995) – Put Pixar on the map and made film, as an entirety, take notice. That’s pretty much all I need to say about that film, right? But, as groundbreaking as this film was, it was sadly kept off of my list solely on the basis of storyline. In short, it looked fantastic, and it was a breakthrough in animation, BUT there are better storylines, which made my list, which Disney has done better. And as I said before, all hate mail can be forwarded to [email protected]
Lady and the Tramp (1955) – This is many dog lovers go-to film, just missing my top ten primarily because it is not even my favorite dog movie that Disney ever came out with. I’ll give you this though: for that spaghetti scene alone, this film deserves some nostalgic recognition, even though it wasn’t one of my favorites.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) – Another film that narrowly missed my list. Even though the Seven Dwarfs may be the most memorable side characters in Disney animated history, Snow White, as a main character, isn’t as prominent in the world of little girl’s princess driven imaginations as Cinderella. This is also a film that may have sadly not survived the test of time when viewed again today.
Finding Memo (2003) – Not my favorite Pixar film, but definitely one to recognize when demonstrating how the quintessential Disney storyline can work for any (and I mean any) animal. This movie single handedly made fish cute.
A Goofy Movie (1995) – A bit more obscure if you don’t have the Disney Channel, but this story about a father/son relationship, may be the only Disney animated film specifically aimed at teen males. And that, in and of itself, makes the movie somewhat interesting.
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) – This quaint animation will probably be the second most argued film left off of my list. And truthfully there is really no real reason why “101 Dalmatians” wouldn’t make my list other than there was just not enough room. For one, it is my personal favorite dog movie of all time and secondly Cruelly De Val had the most marvelously evil theme song since the Grinch in the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”
Sleeping Beauty (1959)- A bit too old fashioned to match up with others on this list, “Sleeping Beauty” is still a classic (about a girl with narcolepsy), but just the simple fact that it contains the least memorable princess (in my opinion) is enough to keep it off of this list.
Dumbo (1941) – This truly sentimental Disney movie about the connection to ones mother would have made the top ten, if it where not for the racist crows.
Mulan (1998) – In my opinion, one of the strongest female leads in a Disney animation, because Mulan is no princess. She does it up like Streisand in “Yental” (yeah, I said it) and show the boys that women can fight too! If I had a daughter, this is the Disney film I would have her watch before any of the princess ones.
Pocahontas (1995) – Another in a string of Disney animated projects that is remembered for its soundtrack, “Pocahontas” is a very happy go lucky (kid friendly) look at the occupation of Native American land.
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