Top Ten (10) Favorite DISNEY Live Action Films
Below is a list of my top ten (10) favorite Disney live action films of all time . . . so far:
TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE DISNEY LIVE ACTION FILMS
1. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) - Many moviegoers will probably be surprised by my choice of the second entry in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise as my favorite. But there is something about this tale of Jack Sparrow and Company's encounter with Davy Jones that really appealed to me. And I believe it has one of the best endings in Hollywood history. Directed by Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley starred.
2. "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003) - I also love this introduction of the PIRATES franchise that introduced Jack Sparrow and Company, who deal with an old nemesis of Jack's and cursed Aztec gold. Directed by Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightely starred.
3. "Mary Poppins" (1964) - This musical adaptation of P.L. Travers' stories about a magical nanny in late Edwardian England won five (5) Academy Awards for Walt Disney Studios. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the movie starred Oscar winner Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Karen Doctrice, Matthew Garber and Glynnis Johns.
4. "The Love Bug" (1968) - This was the first of a series of movies about a magical Volkswagen Beetle named Herbie. Based upon Gordon Buford's 1961 novel, "Car, Boy, Girl"; the movie starred Dean Jones, Michele Lee, David Tomlinson and Buddy Hackett. Robert Stevenson directed.
5. "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007) - This third entry in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN centered around an attempt to rescue Jack Sparrow from Davy Jones' Locker and a clash with the East India Trading Company. Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Geoffrey Bloom starred. Gore Verbinski directed.
6. "National Treasure" (2004) - Jon Turteltaub directed this entertaining adventure tale about the search for a lost treasure loosely based on the myth of a code on the back of the Declaration of Independence. Nicholas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean and Jon Voight starred.
7. "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" (1971) - Robert Stevenson directed this engaging musical about a witch during the early years of World War II. Based upon Mary Norton's books, "The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons" and "Bonfires and Broomsticks", the movie starred Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Ian Weighill, Cindy O'Callaghan, Roy Snart and Sam Jaffe.
8. "Hidalgo" (2004) - Joe Johnston directed this surprisingly entertaining film about endurance long distance rider Frank Hopkins and his Spanish mustang, Hidalgo; who entered the famed Ocean of Fire race across the Arabian desert in the 1890s. Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, Viggo Zuleikha Robinson, Saïd Taghmaoui, Louise Lombard, Harsh Nayyar and Malcolm McDowell starred.
9. "The Jungle Book" (1994) - Before he had directed the first two MUMMY films, Stephen Sommers directed this entertaining adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's two books - "The Jungle Book" and "The Second Jungle Book" - and live action version of the 1967 animated film. In this story, Indian orphan Mowgli falls for the daughter of a British colonel and battles her villainous fiance. Jason Scott Lee, Lena Headey, Cary Elwes, Sam Neil and John Cleese starred.
10. "Blackbeard's Ghost" (1968) - Peter Ustinov and Dean Jones starred in this hilarious adaptation of Ben Stahl's 1965 novel about a small college track coach's relationship with the ghost of the notorious pirate, Captain Blackbeard. Suzanne Pleshette, Elsa Lancaster, Michael Conrad and Joby Baker co-starred.