It feels like it's been ages since I
last cobbled together a Sunday Top Ten list... because it has. But if
I don't do one now, before the heat of Oscar season really starts
beating down upon us, then it'd never get done! So here's a top ten
list that a number of people have been asking for.
In anticipation of Frozen's
imminent release (which I am very much looking forward to), I've
finally joined the sizable flock of Gen-Y-ers on the Internet who
have their own distinct ranking of the animated features of Walt
Disney Studios. No two lists (and there are a ton of them out there)
are quite the same, but they all share one thing in common: No one
has an easy time making them.
I've discovered that my own
relationship with the iconic studio's 52 theatrical releases –
needless to say, the works of Pixar do not count – is a conflicted
and perpetually evolving one. As a child of the 90s being raised on
the miracle of “home video”, I indiscriminately loved
Disney films of all ages, from the antiquated Snow White to
their most state-of-the-art releases. Frankly, I couldn't tell that
some of these films were made 60 years apart, and the notion of
systematically ranking them against each other never crossed my mind
for even a split second. It was the only phase of my life when what I
felt for the movies was pure, unconditional love.
As my burgeoning interest in cinema
(and a nettlesome sense of pretentiousness) began to develop in
adolescence, I suddenly found that certain toons I had blissfully
smiled through not long ago were failing to pass my new-found
discernment. At the same time, new charms and nuances that had flown
over my head when I was knee-high began to reveal themselves. The
magic wasn't gone from these films – not all of them. The magic was
simply changing. Letting a movie win you over a second time but for
different reasons is a special sensation.
Weighing a combination childhood
nostalgia and that unnameable quality that genuinely speaks to me as
an adult was the only way I could come close to sussing out a top
ten. I'm sure many readers will cry foul that 'this' film or 'that'
film was omitted, but I believe it to be an appropriately diverse and
personal list that nicely represents the things I love most about the
Disney legacy. And no, I did not have an easy time making it
(although long-time readers should easily be able to predict my #1
pick).
So without further ado, my top ten Disney animated
features:
10. The Jungle Book (1967)
It may not be the most faithful
adaptation of the series of short stories on which it's based, but
The Jungle Book is a wonderfully entertaining animal in its
own right. I'll bet Rudyard Kipling never envisioned the dense Indian
jungle hopping to the Sherman brothers' relentlessly catchy songs.
Nor could he have conceived of a scat-singing orangutan played by
jazz legend Louis Prima, or a quartet of mop-haired vultures with
Liverpool accents – you know who
they're supposed to be. But
the film doesn't forget the intent of Kipling's stories as morality
tales. In fact, it expands upon that intent, imparting morals not
only on the man-cub Mowgli, but on his surrogate parental figure
Baloo (voiced with warmth and zeal by the unmistakable Phil Harris).
It's that inventive re-imagining of old source material while
retaining its original spirit that typifies the Disney brand, and
that's what makes
The Jungle Book a Disney classic. For that
matter, it's widely considered the last “true” Disney classic, as
it was the final film Walt personally oversaw before his death in
1966. With the studio on the verge of what would become a
decades-long dry spell,
The Jungle Book not only exemplifies
an era, but wistfully marks the end of it as well.
9. Aladdin (1992)
I must admit that nostalgia played more
than a little part in this selection.
Aladdin is one of the
earliest theatre-going experiences I can remember. I remember loving
the music, loving the action, loving the wise-cracking parrot, and
especially loving that big blue thing with all the funny voices. Of
course, Robin Williams' now legendary portrayal of the genie turned
out to be a comedic gift that kept on giving, becoming even funnier
over time as I grew to recognize the pockets of adult humour and
cultural allusions worked into his largely improvised readings. I
also grew to appreciate how the animation was the ideal conduit for
Williams' manic stream of consciousness, able to shift shape and
character as suddenly as he did, making for a truly unique
collaborative performance. It also anchors the film's two showiest
productions numbers with a level of energy only a cartoon could
achieve. Looking back on
Aladdin as a whole, I can't find much
to complain about. I suppose it's true that – despite featuring
another doe-eyed princess – it's more of a boys movie than its
universally appealing predecessors, but being as I was a 5-year-old
boy at the time, that criticism hardly registered with me back then.
It hardly registers with me today! My fondness for this childhood
staple is just too strong.
8. One Hundred and One Dalmatians
(1961)
I was somewhat surprised myself to see
this one sneak its way into my top ten, but it stands apart from the
crowd for being a well aged oddity of the Disney oeuvre. Not only is
it a rare non-musical (one-and-a-half songs aren't enough), but it's
also the most 'British' thing the animation studio has ever done.
While most Disney films tend to Americanize their characters from
foreign lands,
101 Dalmatians conveys a remarkable sense of
time and place with beautifully drawn backgrounds and a substantially
UK cast. And it's such an accessible family entertainment. Kids love
the adventure and the talking animals, and their parents can enjoy it
as a witty exploration of family dynamics that has great fun
highlighting the similarities – not just visual ones – between
people and their pets. Even the mundane observances, such as Pongo
watching potential mates pass his window, or dogs transfixed by a TV,
are among the film's most charming. But stealing the show is the
film's puppy-skinning villainess Cruella De Vil. Brilliantly drawn
like a skeleton in furs (no room for a heart in
that boney
frame), she manages to hit a sweet spot between wry hyperbole and
frightful maliciousness that makes her one of Disney's most memorable
baddies. If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will.
7. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
Too soon? Not as far as I'm concerned.
Wreck-It Ralph may only be a year old (a long way from
“classic” status,
if it ever gets there), but I think it
does represent a fresh step forward for the Mouse House in this
postmodern age. After living for seventeen years in the shadow of its
adopted sibling Pixar, the Disney animation studio finally created a
deliciously original idea that embraces its rival's attention to
character development and storytelling finesse. Though marketed as a
boyish romp designed for gamers and nerds, the film reveals itself to
be working in universal themes that should speak to anybody who's
ever felt excluded, yearned to belong, or questioned their own worth.
The filmmakers are careful to only let their clever video game
references accentuate the story, rather than become the story. And
that story, though it follows a formula to be sure, is thankfully not
as sickly sweet as the Sugar Rush video game in which most of it
takes place. It dares to present us with a pair of protagonists who
are respectively short-tempered and obnoxious, then asks us to
sympathize with them both! Thanks to committed vocal work from its
two leads (John C. Reilly & Sarah Silverman) and to well curbed
character arcs, we are totally able to root for them, and the
emotional investment pays off.
6. The Fox and the Hound
(1981)
Often overlooked due to its arrival
during the studio's dark 20-year period of critical misfires and
financial flops,
The Fox and the Hound is, to my mind, the
most
undervalued gem in the Disney vault. It's one of those movies
that's much better than you remember it, even if you remember liking
it! I did like (if not quite love) it as a kid, because I could
relate to the titular duo's childlike worldview and simplistic yet
pure understanding of friendship. Indeed, that adorable first act
might prove overbearingly precious to grown-ups seeing it for the
first time, which is why being introduced to it as a youngster was so
crucial for me. But in revisiting it as a young adult, I was finally
able to fully absorb its dramatic overtones, which speak volumes to
the complex nature of human relationships --- well, “talking
animal” relationships, I guess, but you know what I mean. It
confidently avoids simple characterizations or fairytale endings, and
I'd argue that it's even more tearjerking than the quintessential
Disney tearjerker
Bambi, but without exploiting mere pathos.
It genuinely earns those emotional beats by building a sincere screen
friendship and following through to its bittersweet conclusion. Leaves me with moist eyes every time.
5. Tangled (2010)
Another very young addition to the
Disney library, but one for which my affection has grown dramatically
in the few years since its debut, is their slick and funny update on
the story of Rapunzel, the girl with impossibly long strands of
golden hair. Although faultily advertized prior to its release as
snarky fairytale revisionism à la Shrek, I was delighted to
find that Tangled was more of a throwback to the studio's
glorious 1990s renaissance; complete with a proactive female lead and
a splendid score by Alan Menken. Since it's not at all dated by easy
pop culture references, it holds up tremendously well when seen
again, but what ultimately gives the film such an enriching rewatch
value is the beautifully communicative character animation.
Spearheaded by famed Disney animator Glenn Keane (who had breathed
such distinctive life into characters such as Ariel and the Beast 20
years earlier), the body movements and facial expressions are vibrant
yet naturalistic, nicely matched to the inflections of the excellent
voice work, offering a multitude of subtle gestures and facial ticks
to discover upon repeat viewings. Equally striking is the detailed
production design and lush colour palette, rendered here by the most
gorgeous CG seen in any Disney film to date --- animated or
live-action.
4. Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs (1937)
All notions of personal sentiment aside
(although they do certainly come into play), some movies deserve high
placement on this list based purely on their merits or significance
as pieces of cinema.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – the
cornerstone of not only Walt's legacy, but of the entire medium –
is one such movie. Animators the world over have been taking cues
from its whimsy and romanticism for 75 years. The fact that it's been
healthily parodied as well is only testament to the long-lasting
resonance of the conventions it defined. For eternally
revolutionizing the face of family entertainment (and not just
artistically), it demands to be regarded alongside
Citizen Kane
as one of the most influential American films of all time. And yet
Snow White is far too special to be relegated to mere “Film
History 101” status. It's one of those rare Golden-Age-Hollywood
hits, like
The Wizard of Oz or
Casablanca, that remains
legitimately popular to this day. It wouldn't be completely accurate
to suggest that it hasn't aged; It's just aged gracefully. Exquisitely
painted like a child's storybook come to life and embellished by
Leigh Harline's iconic music, it's hard not to fall in love with the
film's aesthetic or its irrepressibly drawn characters.
3. Pinocchio (1940)
Snow White may be the most
important achievement of Walt's animation career, but it's his
followup narrative feature,
Pinocchio,
that would be the most moving and affecting. To criticize Disney for
circumventing the grim and sinister tone of Carlo Collodi's original
fable would be to disregard some of the film's own forays into
darkness. It has a venerable rogues gallery of antagonists (some of
them quite fearsome to young viewers) who tempt, threaten, and menace
our hero every step of the way. The lengthy Pleasure Island sequence
in particular is as terrifying a cautionary tale as you'll likely see
in any family flick. It certainly scared
me the hell away from
any thoughts of underage drinking and smoking! Indeed, for all the
magic and merriment in which it revels, Disney's
Pinocchio
does take its responsibility as a morality tale seriously,
integrating values of honesty and decency into its serial storyline
without becoming preachy. This is largely thanks to the character of
Jiminy Cricket, who is actually a more effective audience surrogate
than Pinocchio himself. Like Jiminy, we see Pinocchio making mistake
after mistake, but still will him to learn from them and make his
wish come true. He gives a soul to this movie that can only be
adequately described by his signature tune, “When You Wish Upon A
Star”, which gets my vote as the greatest song ever composed for
motion pictures.
2. The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King will always be a
lifelong favourite of mine because it has a straight-up irresistible
appeal that few movies (not just Disney ones) can claim: Its
evenhanded interlacing of comedy and drama is seamlessly woven
throughout; Its all-star cast nails every character detail (with
special mention to Jeremy Irons' chilling turn as Scar); Its stunning
visual techniques evoke space and setting to jaw-dropping effect; Its
unforgettable soundtrack is at once diverse yet unified in its
infusion of Elton John's pop identity, Tim Rice's theatrical
lyricism, Lebo M's African flavouring, and Hans Zimmer's robust
atmospherics. But what really sets
The Lion King apart is its
ballsy direct approach to some decidedly heavy subject matter. The
death of a parent is already upsetting enough to any kid without the
added trauma of being made to feel responsible for it. The film
confronts these fundamental fears without coddling its young
audience, making the emotional stakes of Simba's journey that much
higher. It's little wonder that the dramatic elements of the story –
which borrows healthily from Shakespeare's
Hamlet, albeit with
a happier ending – are so enduring nearly 20 years later, and
likely will be for decades to come.
The Lion King also feels
especially relevant today for its undertones of environmentalism,
embossing the crucial but delicate cycle of give-and-take in natural
ecosystems, and illustrating the consequences of disturbing that
balance.
1. Beauty and the Beast
(1991)
CONFESSION: When I said making this
list wasn't easy, I was actually only referring to slots #10 through
#2. For the top position, however, there was never any contest. If
such a thing as a “perfect movie” exists, it may look and sound
something like
Beauty and the Beast, Walt Disney Animation's
intelligent, touching, and lavishly entertaining treatment of the
18
th Century French fairytale. For my money, it's the only
one of their features that can boast flawless execution across the
board. The animation dazzles in every frame, from the groundbreaking
integration of hand-drawn characters and CG backgrounds to the
intricate interplay of light, dark, and colour that underscores the
subtext of each scene. Linda Woolverton's perspicacious script is
lean, quotable, and exceptionally interpreted by an impeccably chosen
cast. Perhaps the most vital contribution is its Broadway-calibre
score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Their sophisticated songs
obey the patterns of stage musicals, stemming organically from the
plot to play an integral role in the storytelling, but with a
heightened flare which only the limitless scope of cinema can
realize. Not even Busby Berkeley (who serves as obvious inspiration
for the show-stopping “Be Our Guest”) could have conceptualized
some of the choreography and camera work simulated by Disney's
innovative animators for these musical numbers. You could make a
serious case
for it as one of
the greatest screen musicals of all time. In a word,
Beauty and
the Beast is 'enchanting', and not just because of those
delightfully anthropomorphic household objects. At the end of the
day, it's the love story – handled with more grace and maturity
than any Disney romance before or since – that is truly this film's
most magical quality. A celebration not merely of falling in love,
but of learning to love through forgiveness and understanding, this tale
as old as time has already resonated for generations, and its
marvellous animated retelling surely will too.
Honourable mentions:
Dumbo was
this close to squeezing in, for it is certainly wonderful. Ditto
Bambi. But in all honesty, neither of them was exactly a
fixture of my childhood. I appreciate how The Little Mermaid
was able to reinvigorate the Disney formula, but I can't pretend that
I wholly adore it as much as I much as I adore some of its
individual elements. Pocahontas gets points for ambition,
although not every aspect works. And finally, a shout out to
Hercules, which is slight but oh so enjoyable! Feel free to share your own lists.
