A lista like this is something I should have made a long time ago. But here's the thing: a lista like this is almost impossible for a huge Disney nut like me to make. There are so many great titles out there, it's hard to pick just 10 as my preferiti in a specific order. I may have known my superiore, in alto 3 long before considering this list, but I only recently figured out the other 7. Anyway, all useless filler aside, let's begin shall we? Also, this is just what I think, not what the whole world thinks, okay?
10) The Lion King- The only reason this is at number 10 is because, well, Simba is kind of a dumb character even as an adult, but nonetheless, this is still a wonderful film. It has a great set of characters, a good villain, some great songs da Elton John but most of all, it's the first Disney film to have a character die on screen. That's just amazing!
9) Tangled- Yeah, yeah, I obsess over this movie a lot, but how can I not? While I loved The Princess and the Frog, there were a few areas where I felt it slipped up. (Mostly in the subtlety department *Glares at writers*) Tangled, however, succeeded in all of this, but what really makes it work is that it managed to be just like an old Walt Disney film (Not just a renaissance film) while introducing new elements and does it right. With TPATF, I got this impression that Disney was too excited about the idea to do the best they could with it. With Tangled, however, they do it right with a truly believable romance, a great, lovable cast of characters (The side characters actually being interesting) and a good set of songs from Alan Menken.
8) The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad- Technically two Film in one, this film brilliantly adapts both The Wind in the Willows and Sleepy Hollow to great effect, staying very faithful to the original fonte material. Probably what really lands this a spot on the lista is the Sleepy Hollow portion. While the songs do sort of take away from the serious atmosphere the film creates, te gotta give Disney major points here: they had the guts to keep the original ending in which Ichabod dies! They didn't sugarcoat it, they didn't alter it like they did a lot during the 90's... they gave us the original ending and made it as brutal as possible without mostrare blood. That is amazing!
7) The Great topo, mouse Detective- Ah yes, Disney's take on Sherlock Holmes. Does it succeed? Well, it wouldn't make this lista if it didn't. This film is just pure fun. Ratigan easily takes the cheesecake (Don't say anything!) as one of Disney's greatest villains ever thought up and Basil himself is a very amusing and likable character. The film is funny, has a decent story and even manages to have a few dark moments nearing the end. I also like how it's not afraid to be frightening, especially in the beginning when Hiram is kidnapped. All in all, The Great topo, mouse Detective is great fun.
6) Lilo and Stitch- This is a wonderful film. It's cute, dramatic, touching and very well-thought-out and the animations are absolutely fantastic. The story is great, the characters lovable... it's hard to explain this one. te just have to see it for yourself. The way Stitch develops into a più compassionate and loving creature is so believable, it's amazing and the fact that there are people in real life who are like Lilo is actually kind of scary but it also helps make Lilo a much più relate-able and amusing character. She's not weird, she's just different. Another thing I find interesting is how the antagonists for the most part aren't even really villains so much as they're just, well, antagonists doing their job. (Jumba comes pretty close, but even when he is evil, he's bound da the law to handle things in a certain manner) Again, this is probably the hardest film on this lista to explain its placement but, well... let's sposta on shall we?
5) Atlantis the Lost Empire- Oh yeah, you're not imagining this. I just put ATLANTIS in the number 5 spot. I keep trying to figure it out, but I cannot fathom why so many people regard this as one of Disney's worst. I Amore this film. First off, I like the look as it's very reminiscent of most comic libri during that time but what's più is that I like the characters. They're so weird but te learn to Amore them because they're also hilarious, my personal preferito being Vincenzo. I guess the only thing that does get to me is that brief moment where the allies turn evil. That did feel out-of-place, but other than that, I think this is a great film and fail to see why it's so unpopular.
4) Pinocchio- If te were to ask most people what their preferito film from the Walt Disney era is, they'll probably tell te it's Snow White. However, I have to disagree. See, what really makes Pinocchio click for me is that the characters are just so much più believable. Don't get me wrong, I highly appreciate Snow White for being the first ever feature-length animated film, but Snow White herself is so naive for her age. Pinocchio may be naive too, but he's a child, so it makes più sense. I also Amore how this film isn't afraid to enter super-dark territory. This is probably one of the few cases where in a Disney film, the villains never get their comeuppance. For all we know, Honest John and Gideon could still be going around giving kids empty promises, Stromboli could still be running a booming business the cocchiere could still be turning kids into donkeys and selling them and, well, it's never revealed whether o not Monstro actually died, though I seriously doubt he did. Despite its overly-cute moments at times, this is probably Disney's darkest film, which is really saying something and that's part of why I Amore it so much. It's much più deceiving than most dark Disney films.
3) Mulan- This was my preferito for a while until I revisited my superiore, in alto 2, but still, I Amore this film for taking a very different approach. For starters, this is probably Disney's most quiet/subtle film, being one of the few of its kind to get across deep and emotional messages without having to tell us what they are, making great use of the "show not tell" method of storytelling. What's più is that Mulan is probably the most likable lead female in a Disney film... well... ever. I also don't understand where people are coming from when they say the Musica in this is forgettable because, well, I just don't feel it is. I feel this film proves that te don't always need Menken to create a great soundtrack. I also like how the humor in this doesn't try too hard and how instead of magic turning Mulan into the heroine she becomes, she instead does it da her own free will also making her the most independent Disney female. It's one of those films that doesn't try too hard to dazzle people with over-the-top animazione effects, and that makes it truly stand out. This is a movie I can imagine working just as well in live action. I also like how this film isn't afraid to "go there" with the whole gender-bender issue while at the same time making it funny/entertaining, and making messages entertaining is something Disney only seems to be able to pull off half the time. Mulan also feels like a really natural character. None of her reactions to things are over-the-top and it's also interesting how the romance isn't a huge focus because. That was a bold sposta on Disney's part. But what really sells it for me is Mulan's family. See, rather than making her father either an idiot o an over-protective jerk, he instead treats Mulan like a real father would treat his daughter. When he snaps are her for questioning his morals, te can see him fighting his own inner demons, not sure if he himself truly disagrees with what Mulan is saying. What's più is that her mother is più than just dead o some background ornament. She actually comes across as a true mother in this. I could go on and on about this, but I'm focusing way too much on this one movie as it is.
2) The Hunchback of Notre Dame- Easily Disney's most underrated film, this is just epic in so many ways! The story takes so many unexpected turns for Disney and goes to the point where I'm shocked this didn't get a PG rating. It's not afraid to take a very dark route, but I also like how this film makes the characters più likable than they were in the original book. It gives me più of a reason to care about them. What's also great is how the film gives its three main characters equal treatment instead of just favoring one over the other, something te don't see a lot in Disney films. But what really makes this worth is Frollo, easily the greatest Disney villain ever thought up. This guy is guilty of so many things most villains in Disney films couldn't get away with that you'd think he jumped right out of a PG13-rated production. (Unless te take into account that he doesn't swear) The songs are absolutely fantastic, easily making this my preferito soundtrack from Menken and, well, I just Amore how different this film was. It's just a shame it didn't do better upon its release, pretty much being the victim of a biased popularity contest much like Quasimodo himself. Nonetheless, this is a great film and highly recommended, though maybe not so much for the little ones. Also, Clopin takes the cake for the best Disney side character ever!
1) Beauty and the Beast- This is probably the first time in a Disney Princess film where all of the characters are actually intriguing. Up until this point, the problem I had with princess films was that only one Amore interest was remotely interesting and only some of the side characters were worth watching. Here, Disney made every character interesting. What's più is that we get easily the most believable romance to ever come from a Disney film as it develops over the course of months as opposed to hours/days. (And to this day, no other Disney movie has done this) The songs are fantastic and the animations were revolutionary for the time, but all in all, it's the story that really makes this one stand out among the others. I could gush about this all day, but I've spent enough time typing out this lista as it is. All I can say is this is my preferito Disney movie of all time and I highly doubt any will replace it.
Honorable mention: Aladdin- If it weren't for Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship and development being kind of rushed, this would have easily made the list, but really... the Robin Williams Genie pretty much made this one what it is. It's still a great film, just not worthy of my personal superiore, in alto 10.
10) The Lion King- The only reason this is at number 10 is because, well, Simba is kind of a dumb character even as an adult, but nonetheless, this is still a wonderful film. It has a great set of characters, a good villain, some great songs da Elton John but most of all, it's the first Disney film to have a character die on screen. That's just amazing!
9) Tangled- Yeah, yeah, I obsess over this movie a lot, but how can I not? While I loved The Princess and the Frog, there were a few areas where I felt it slipped up. (Mostly in the subtlety department *Glares at writers*) Tangled, however, succeeded in all of this, but what really makes it work is that it managed to be just like an old Walt Disney film (Not just a renaissance film) while introducing new elements and does it right. With TPATF, I got this impression that Disney was too excited about the idea to do the best they could with it. With Tangled, however, they do it right with a truly believable romance, a great, lovable cast of characters (The side characters actually being interesting) and a good set of songs from Alan Menken.
8) The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad- Technically two Film in one, this film brilliantly adapts both The Wind in the Willows and Sleepy Hollow to great effect, staying very faithful to the original fonte material. Probably what really lands this a spot on the lista is the Sleepy Hollow portion. While the songs do sort of take away from the serious atmosphere the film creates, te gotta give Disney major points here: they had the guts to keep the original ending in which Ichabod dies! They didn't sugarcoat it, they didn't alter it like they did a lot during the 90's... they gave us the original ending and made it as brutal as possible without mostrare blood. That is amazing!
7) The Great topo, mouse Detective- Ah yes, Disney's take on Sherlock Holmes. Does it succeed? Well, it wouldn't make this lista if it didn't. This film is just pure fun. Ratigan easily takes the cheesecake (Don't say anything!) as one of Disney's greatest villains ever thought up and Basil himself is a very amusing and likable character. The film is funny, has a decent story and even manages to have a few dark moments nearing the end. I also like how it's not afraid to be frightening, especially in the beginning when Hiram is kidnapped. All in all, The Great topo, mouse Detective is great fun.
6) Lilo and Stitch- This is a wonderful film. It's cute, dramatic, touching and very well-thought-out and the animations are absolutely fantastic. The story is great, the characters lovable... it's hard to explain this one. te just have to see it for yourself. The way Stitch develops into a più compassionate and loving creature is so believable, it's amazing and the fact that there are people in real life who are like Lilo is actually kind of scary but it also helps make Lilo a much più relate-able and amusing character. She's not weird, she's just different. Another thing I find interesting is how the antagonists for the most part aren't even really villains so much as they're just, well, antagonists doing their job. (Jumba comes pretty close, but even when he is evil, he's bound da the law to handle things in a certain manner) Again, this is probably the hardest film on this lista to explain its placement but, well... let's sposta on shall we?
5) Atlantis the Lost Empire- Oh yeah, you're not imagining this. I just put ATLANTIS in the number 5 spot. I keep trying to figure it out, but I cannot fathom why so many people regard this as one of Disney's worst. I Amore this film. First off, I like the look as it's very reminiscent of most comic libri during that time but what's più is that I like the characters. They're so weird but te learn to Amore them because they're also hilarious, my personal preferito being Vincenzo. I guess the only thing that does get to me is that brief moment where the allies turn evil. That did feel out-of-place, but other than that, I think this is a great film and fail to see why it's so unpopular.
4) Pinocchio- If te were to ask most people what their preferito film from the Walt Disney era is, they'll probably tell te it's Snow White. However, I have to disagree. See, what really makes Pinocchio click for me is that the characters are just so much più believable. Don't get me wrong, I highly appreciate Snow White for being the first ever feature-length animated film, but Snow White herself is so naive for her age. Pinocchio may be naive too, but he's a child, so it makes più sense. I also Amore how this film isn't afraid to enter super-dark territory. This is probably one of the few cases where in a Disney film, the villains never get their comeuppance. For all we know, Honest John and Gideon could still be going around giving kids empty promises, Stromboli could still be running a booming business the cocchiere could still be turning kids into donkeys and selling them and, well, it's never revealed whether o not Monstro actually died, though I seriously doubt he did. Despite its overly-cute moments at times, this is probably Disney's darkest film, which is really saying something and that's part of why I Amore it so much. It's much più deceiving than most dark Disney films.
3) Mulan- This was my preferito for a while until I revisited my superiore, in alto 2, but still, I Amore this film for taking a very different approach. For starters, this is probably Disney's most quiet/subtle film, being one of the few of its kind to get across deep and emotional messages without having to tell us what they are, making great use of the "show not tell" method of storytelling. What's più is that Mulan is probably the most likable lead female in a Disney film... well... ever. I also don't understand where people are coming from when they say the Musica in this is forgettable because, well, I just don't feel it is. I feel this film proves that te don't always need Menken to create a great soundtrack. I also like how the humor in this doesn't try too hard and how instead of magic turning Mulan into the heroine she becomes, she instead does it da her own free will also making her the most independent Disney female. It's one of those films that doesn't try too hard to dazzle people with over-the-top animazione effects, and that makes it truly stand out. This is a movie I can imagine working just as well in live action. I also like how this film isn't afraid to "go there" with the whole gender-bender issue while at the same time making it funny/entertaining, and making messages entertaining is something Disney only seems to be able to pull off half the time. Mulan also feels like a really natural character. None of her reactions to things are over-the-top and it's also interesting how the romance isn't a huge focus because. That was a bold sposta on Disney's part. But what really sells it for me is Mulan's family. See, rather than making her father either an idiot o an over-protective jerk, he instead treats Mulan like a real father would treat his daughter. When he snaps are her for questioning his morals, te can see him fighting his own inner demons, not sure if he himself truly disagrees with what Mulan is saying. What's più is that her mother is più than just dead o some background ornament. She actually comes across as a true mother in this. I could go on and on about this, but I'm focusing way too much on this one movie as it is.
2) The Hunchback of Notre Dame- Easily Disney's most underrated film, this is just epic in so many ways! The story takes so many unexpected turns for Disney and goes to the point where I'm shocked this didn't get a PG rating. It's not afraid to take a very dark route, but I also like how this film makes the characters più likable than they were in the original book. It gives me più of a reason to care about them. What's also great is how the film gives its three main characters equal treatment instead of just favoring one over the other, something te don't see a lot in Disney films. But what really makes this worth is Frollo, easily the greatest Disney villain ever thought up. This guy is guilty of so many things most villains in Disney films couldn't get away with that you'd think he jumped right out of a PG13-rated production. (Unless te take into account that he doesn't swear) The songs are absolutely fantastic, easily making this my preferito soundtrack from Menken and, well, I just Amore how different this film was. It's just a shame it didn't do better upon its release, pretty much being the victim of a biased popularity contest much like Quasimodo himself. Nonetheless, this is a great film and highly recommended, though maybe not so much for the little ones. Also, Clopin takes the cake for the best Disney side character ever!
1) Beauty and the Beast- This is probably the first time in a Disney Princess film where all of the characters are actually intriguing. Up until this point, the problem I had with princess films was that only one Amore interest was remotely interesting and only some of the side characters were worth watching. Here, Disney made every character interesting. What's più is that we get easily the most believable romance to ever come from a Disney film as it develops over the course of months as opposed to hours/days. (And to this day, no other Disney movie has done this) The songs are fantastic and the animations were revolutionary for the time, but all in all, it's the story that really makes this one stand out among the others. I could gush about this all day, but I've spent enough time typing out this lista as it is. All I can say is this is my preferito Disney movie of all time and I highly doubt any will replace it.
Honorable mention: Aladdin- If it weren't for Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship and development being kind of rushed, this would have easily made the list, but really... the Robin Williams Genie pretty much made this one what it is. It's still a great film, just not worthy of my personal superiore, in alto 10.
