Wade’s Favorite Animated Films Page

Wade’s Ranking	Animated Film	Wade’s Ranking	Animated Film	Wade’s Ranking	Animated Film	Wade’s Ranking
#1	Disney’s Hercules	#16	The Lion King	#31	Oliver & Company	#46
#2	Who Framed Roger Rabbit	#17	Cinderella	#32	Lilo & Stitch	#47
#3	Aladdin	#18	The Princess & the Frog	#33	Home on the Range	#48
#4	Sleeping Beauty	#19	The Emperor’s New Groove	#34	Fantasia	#49
#5	The Little Mermaid	#20	Fun & Fancy Free	#35	Dumbo	#50
#6	Mulan	#21	The Black Cauldron	#36	Disney’s Tarzan
#7	The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad	#22	Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs	#37	Pocahontas
#8	Alice in Wonderland (1951)	#23	Brother Bear	#38	The Fox & the Hound
#9	Disney’s Peter Pan	#24	The Great Mouse Detective	#39	The Hunchback of Notre Dame
#10	Beauty & the Beast	#25	One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)	#40	Treasure Planet
#11	Disney’s Robin Hood (1973)	#26	The Aristocats	#41	Atlantis the Lost Empire
#12	Charlotte’s Web (1973)	#27	Space Jam	#42	The Rescuers
#13	The Jungle Book (1967)	#28	The Iron Giant	#43
#14	Lady & the Tramp	#29	Bambi	#44
#15	The Sword in the Stone	#30	Pinocchio	#45

All of the films on this list are traditionally animated (hand-drawn) films, & all but three were produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

No other production company has, IMHO, come close to producing an animated film of the caliber of Disney films. Even poor entries by Disney are far superior to the best movies turned out by its competitors.

Walt Disney Feature Animated Films Eras

Disney Animation Golden Age

Inaugurated with the debut of Mickey Mouse in 1927, proceeded with a wide array of short films, exploded with the premiere of Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, & ended in 1942 after the release of Disney’s first five feature-length animated films—Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, & Bambi.

Disney Animation Silver Age

Began in 1949 with the debut of The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad, reached its peak in 1959 with the release of Sleeping Beauty, & ended in 1963 after the premiere of The Sword in the Stone as Disney turned more intense focus on live-action films & its theme parks & struggled with finding its way again after the death of Walt in 1966.

Disney Animation Bronze Age (the in-between years)

1964-1984. Disney essentially produced five animated films in this 20-year interval. I do not count The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, because it was a package film. Only two of the five (The Jungle Book & Robin Hood) were comparable in quality to the features of the Golden & Silver ages.

Disney Animation Renaissance

Most claim that the Renaissance started in 1989 with The Little Mermaid. Some maintain 1988 & Who Framed Roger Rabbit as the beginning. But I would push the initiation back to 1985 & The Black Cauldron. Granted that The Black Cauldron was not a great film & was a bomb at the box office. However, The Black Cauldron was bold & experimental, & it heralded a period in which Disney would release animated features at least every other year for 19 years.

Most claim 1999 & the release of Tarzan as the last gasp of the renaissance. I would argue that the 2000 release of The Emperor’s New Groove was the final spasm of the renaissance as it is a much better film either than Tarzan or the drivel (Atlantis & Treasure Planet) that followed.

Recent Disney Animation

2001-present. This era has seen the end of traditionally animated films & their rebirth.

#1

Hercules

Hercules, released in 1997 toward the end of the Disney renaissance, is the 35th Disney animated feature.

Disney’s Hercules differs from the Hercules of Greek myth in a number of respects:
1. first, Hercules is the romanized form of the Greek name Herakles
2. Herakles was the son of Zeus & Alkmene—not Zeus & Hera
3. Pegasus was the son of Medusa & Poseidon; Zeus did not create the horse from clouds
4. Hades was Zeus’ brother & was not his enemy
5. Deimos & Phobos, which mean “Panic” & “Fear” (not Pain), were the sons & attendants of Ares—not Hades
6. it was the Graeae, not the Fates, who shared a single eye
7. Amphitryon & Alkmene were not poor farmers; they were a prince & princess
8. Herakles had a twin half-brother, Iphikles
9. Herakles never rode Pegasus; Bellerophon did
10. the nonhuman creature most famous as a teacher of heroes was a centaur named Cheiron, not a satyr named Philoctetes; Cheiron is not usually associated with the upbringing of Herakles
11. Achilles came much later than Herakles
12. Herakles is famous for wearing a lion skin & carrying a huge olive-wood club—not armor & sword
13. Herakles performed the 12 Labors in penance for murdering his children & wife Megara; Herakles did these labors under the orders of Eurystheus, who was Herakles’ cousin & King of Tiryns
14. the centaur Nessus did abduct a wife of Herakles, but it was Deianira, not Megara, & Herakles slew Nessus for this insult
15. Herakles fought the Nemean Lion before he fought the Hydra
16. Herakles did not adventure with a satyr or a winged horse; he did often travel with his nephew Iolaus & sometimes with his friend Theseus
17. Herakles did not fight Medusa (Perseus), the Minotaur (Theseus), a cyclops (Odysseus), or a griffin
18. Herakles slew the Hydra by burning the stumps after he cut off each head (to prevent two new heads from sprouting), & finally burying the immortal head—not by engulfing it in a rockslide
19. the Titans never escaped to rebel against Olympos, &, if they had, Hades would not have had difficulty freeing them, as their prison, Tartarus, was located in his domain
20. the Giants did rebel against Olympos, & Herakles did assist, & it was prophesied that the gods would fail without Herakles
21. Herakles did go to the Underworld, but not to rescue Megara; he went to capture three-headed Kerberos—his 12th & final Labor
22. none of the Titans was a cyclops; although the Titans were aspects of nature (the ocean, sun, moon, & so forth), there were more than four, & they are usually depicted as more-or-less human in appearance

Disney’s Hercules shares a number of plot similarities with the 1978 film Superman: The Movie:
1. both Hercules & Kal-el have superhuman parents & were born somewhere in the heavens
2. both are raised on Earth by foster parents who are farmers
3. both are awkward & different as teens
4. both find evidence of their extraterrestrial origin, go on a long voyage on foot, & speak to simulacra of their fathers
5. both gain the power of flight after this chat with Dad
6. both undertake a long training period, &, after acquiring a new costume & look, begin their adventures in a big city
7. both inaugurate their heroic careers by saving the lady who becomes their chief romantic interest
8. Hades, like Luthor, searches for Hercules’ weakness & discovers that Meg is Hercules’ kryptonite
9. both Hades & Luthor render the heroes weak & helpless as their climactic power-grabbing schemes unfold
10. both Hercules & Superman regain their strength due to the actions of a woman (Megara more closely resembles Miss Teschmacher than Lois)
11. both Megara & Lois die as a result of the villains’ schemes, & Hercules & Superman bring both women back from the dead
12. both Hercules & Superman fight the forces of nature at the climax—Hercules against the weather-themed Titans, Supes against earthquakes, rockslides, & floods
13. both become gods—Herc literally, Supes by assuming the power & authority to break the prohibition against changing history voiced twice by Jor-el (who looks, sounds, & acts much like God)

Hercules received one Academy Award nomination for Best Song for “Go the Distance” & with a domestic gross of $99 million, was viewed as a bit of a box office disappointment.
Susan Egan, who voiced Megara, played Belle in the original Broadway cast of Beauty and the Beast in 1994. Egan was nominated for a Tony for the role. James Woods as Hades is every bit as entertaining as Robin Williams was as Genie. Woods gives the villain depth, Danny DeVito is suitably entertaining as Philoctetes, & the film is narrated by Moses himself (Charlton Heston).

None of the Disney theme parks has an attraction based on Hercules, & meet & greet opportunities with characters from Hercules are rare.

#2

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Released by Disney under its Touchstone Pictures label in 1988, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the Mary Poppins of the 1980s (sans music). Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the first (and, so far, only) animated film to win four Academy Awards & was the first animated film to win more than one Oscar since Pinocchio. At the time of its release, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was the twentieth-highest grossing film of all-time.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, who also directed the Back to the Future series, Forrest Gump, What Lies Beneath, Romancing the Stone, & Cast Away, Who Framed Roger Rabbit was executive produced by Steven Spielberg & stars Christopher Lloyd & an unbilled Kathleen Turner as the voice of Jessica Rabbit. Amy Irving, however, provides Jessica’s singing voice. Who Framed Roger Rabbit also stars Bob Hoskins (Hook) & Charles Fleischer as the voice of Roger.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit marked the first (and, so far, only) time in which Looney Tunes characters appeared onscreen alongside Disney characters. Who Framed Roger Rabbit also marked the final time Mel Blanc would voice the Looney Tunes characters with the sole exception of Daffy Duck. An attraction based on the film, Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, is located at both Disneyland & Tokyo Disneyland. Characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit are, however, rare at the theme parks. Roger Rabbit has also appeared in the following animated short films: “Tummy Trouble,” “Roller Coaster Rabbit,” & “Trail Mix-Up.”

#3

Aladdin

Released in 1992 toward the beginning of the Disney renaissance, Aladdin was the 31st Disney animated feature. At the time of its release, Aladdin was the highest-grossing animated film ever & remains the third-highest grossing traditionally animated film. Aladdin won two Academy Awards, for Best Score & Best Song (“A Whole New World”). (Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle sang the pop single version, which reached #1 on the pop charts in 1993.) Aladdin was the final musical collaboration of Alan Menken & Howard Ashman (who had previously composed the songs for The Little Mermaid & Beauty & the Beast), due to Ashman’s death in 1992. These three films, IMHO, have the finest collection of Disney songs overall.

Although only one attraction based on Aladdin exists at the Disney theme parks (The Magic Carpets of Aladdin at the Magic Kingdom), Aladdin & Jasmine themselves are ubiquitous, & Genie is not hard to find either. The sequel, The Return of Jafar, was Disney’s first ever direct-to-video film.

Aladdin continues the trend begun in Sleeping Beauty & continued in The Little Mermaid of having a supernatural villain who becomes gigantic at the climax.
The original story in One Thousand & One Nights takes place in China & the princess’ name is Badroulbadour, rather than Jasmine. The tale itself was not in the original version of One Thousand & One Nights but was added later by a translator & may not even be of Middle Eastern origin.

#4

Sleeping Beauty

Released in 1959 after eight years in production, Sleeping Beauty was Disney’s 16th animated feature. With a production budget of $6 million, it was the most expensive animated film ever made, at about double the cost of each of the four preceding Disney features, Cinderella , Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, & Lady & the Tramp. Because Sleeping Beauty only grossed $7.7 million in 1959, Disney posted a loss in 1960, its first loss in 10 years, & Disney did not produce another animated fairy tale until 1989, 23 years after Walt’s death. Of course, subsequent releases in the intervening years have made Sleeping Beauty among the most successful animated films in history. Although Sleeping Beauty is supposedly based on the Charles Perrault version of the tale, Princess Aurora is called Briar Rose while she is in hiding in the glen. Briar Rose is Sleeping Beauty’s name in the Brothers Grimm version of the story. Uncredited, Chuck Jones, one of the most famous Looney Tunes animation directors, worked on Sleeping Beauty for about four months.

Sleeping Beauty’s musical score is based on Tchaikovsky’s ballet of the same name, & Sleeping Beauty’s sole Academy Award nomination was, in fact, for Best Musical Score. Sleeping Beauty is the only animated feature to my knowledge in which the lyrics of one of the songs is instrumental to the plot. Flora deduces Prince Phillip’s identity because she overhears King Hubert repeating a line from “Once upon a Dream.”
While no attractions based on Sleeping Beauty appear at any of the Disney theme parks, the centerpieces of Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, & Hong Kong Disneyland are all known as Sleeping Beauty Castle. In addition, Princess Aurora is easy to find at most Disney parks. Prince Phillip, Maleficient, & the three Good Fairies are much rarer.

Eleanor Audley, who provided the sinister voice of Maleficent, should be familiar to Disney fans as the voice of Lady Tremaine (the wicked stepmother) in Cinderella as well as the voice of Madame Leota in The Haunted Mansion at many Disney parks. Audley also played Eunice Douglas, Oliver’s mother, in 15 episodes of Green Acres. Verna Felton, who voiced Flora, also provided the voices of Mrs Jumbo in Dumbo, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Aunt Sarah in Lady & the Tramp, & the mother elephant in The Jungle Book. The voice of Merryweather, Barbara Luddy, was also the voice of Lady in Lady & the Tramp, Kanga in the Winnie the Pooh short films of the 1960s & 70s, & mother rabbit in Disney’s Robin Hood. Finally, Helene Stanley was the live-action reference model for Aurora, Cinderella, & Anita (One Hundred & One Dalmatians).

#5

The Little Mermaid

Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid was Disney’s 28th animated feature, & many tout it as the first film of the so-called Disney renaissance. The Little Mermaid won the Academy Award for Best Musical Score & received two nominations for Best Original Song for “Under the Sea” & “Kiss the Girl.” “Under the Sea” won the Oscar.
The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a live show that has run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios since 1992. DisneySea boasts a park section called Mermaid Lagoon, which contains Triton’s Kingdom, an area that looks like the undersea palace from the film on the outside & is brimming with ocean-themed carnival rides & play areas designed to imitate locations from the movie. Finally, Ariel is almost always available to meet & greet at Ariel’s Grotto at the Magic Kingdom, in operation since 1996.
Jodi Benson provided both the singing & speaking voice of Princess Ariel in The Little Mermaid, its two sequels, & the TV series. She has voiced numerous other characters for Disney & other production companies, including Barbie in Toy Story 2 & 3. Benson’s only live-action part to date was the small part of Sam in Disney’s Enchanted.

The Little Mermaid differs substantially from the original Hans Christian Andersen story, the main difference being that the mermaid fails to win the prince’s love & therefore dies (as the Sea Witch’s bargain was less charitable than Ursula’s). However, the mermaid finds that in death she has become one of the Daughters of the Air, an elite condition granted to a few worthy mermaids, which allows them time to prove themselves through good works to win a place in Heaven.

In an anachronism popular with Disney, Grimsby mentions his blood pressure. The Grand Duke in Cinderella also made a comment about the King’s blood pressure.
Interestingly, Sebastian & Triton paint humans as evil because they eat fish. Surely Triton does not believe that this taste for seafood extends to the obviously semi-human mer-folk. So he seems to be saying that anyone who would eat his friends is not a good person. Curiously, Disney characters from other films have not applied similar logic, or Snow White, Cinderella, & Aurora would all be misanthropes due to people’s penchant for eating deer, rabbit, squirrel, & game birds.

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