Top Favorite Disney Films
In anticipation and celebration of The Princess and the Frog being released this Friday, and because I've been in such a Disney mood for weeks (mostly due to aforementioned anticipation of Princess and the Frog), I feel the desire to compile a list of my top Disney films. The following are my own personal favorites and I am in no way going to attempt to be objective.
BECAUSE THESE FILMS BRING MY HEART JOY AND LIGHT AND LAUGHTER AND I MUST FLAIL ABOUT THEM!
1. The Little Mermaid-
Ahh Little Mermaid. My first Disney film (at the tender and impressionable age of three), and still my favorite, staying with me via VHS sing-along tapes, the read-along storybook, toys, plushies, and a lifelong obsession with mermaids that I blame squarely on Ariel. Admittedly, me being three when I first uh... "saw" the movie I didn't remember all the plot points and the subtle details and nuances... until the film's re-release in the nineties. (Thank you Disney!)
Why I love this movie: Because it's a classic. Because the animation is beautiful, especially all the underwater scenes with the bubbles and the fish and the floating hair-first shot of Atlantica seriously made me want to live there-and it has a plucky awesome heroine and cute love story and kickass villainess with one of the best Villain Songs of Disney history. Because the music is just... GAH I LOVE IT! One of my favorite soundtracks ever. And uh, I mentioned the lifelong obsession with mermaids right?
2. Enchanted-
NO I DON'T CARE THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY LIVE-ACTION, IT'S DISNEY SO IT STILL COUNTS!
Disney's Affectionate Parody of, well... itself. Somehow it manages to mercilessly poke fun at all the standard tropes and cliches of the classic princess movies and still play them completely straight too.
Why I love this movie: Amy Adams! <333333333 Seriously, she does such an amazing job on this movie, playing the naive and adorable Giselle with such sincerity and unbridled enthusiasm that you cannot help but want to hug her. Also, gorgeous costumes, beautiful 10 minutes of opening animation, beautiful blend of animation and live-action (especially in the Narissa and poison apples bit HOLY COW), catchy CUTE SONGS THAT GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD, awesome score by Alan Menken (same guy behind Little Mermaid), Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, Susan Sarandon, and the most adorable romance ever.
In short, I pretty much love everything about this movie.
3. Treasure Planet-
GAAAAAGGLEBLURBLEGURGFLAAA!
*Fangirl to Human translation*----> "I really REALLY love this movie."
Why I love this movie: Come on. It's Treasure Island in SPACE! With the 16th century sailing ships and everything! (For those who many not know, old style sailing ships are a HUGE Geeky Turn On for me, on about the same level as medieval swords, and '20s fashion.) And uh... Jim Hawkins is pretty darn cute. Seriously, just look at him.
HOW CAN ONE RESIST THAT SMILE?!
Beautiful BEAUTIFUL blended CGI and hand-drawn animation, sufficiently exciting plot/adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, THE EPIC SCORE BY MY FAVORITE COMPOSER OF ALL TIME JAMES NEWTON HOWARD. And Silver. Can't forget him. An underappreciated film but one I hold near and dear to my heart.
4. The Lion King-
A classic from the 90s Renaissance era. The details are a little fuzzy for me on where and when exactly I first saw this movie. As with Little Mermaid, storybooks and shows seemed to have ingrained the plot into my head before I had seen the actual film properly. Preeeety sure I remember seeing it in elementary school during class though.
Why I love this movie: Gorgeous African setting, wide diversity of animal life showcased, a kickass score by Hanz Zimmer and catchy songs by Elton John. (Can You Feel the Love Tonight is one of my all-time favs!)
5. Mulan-
Squee!
Why I love this movie: Because another major Geeky Turn On for me is Chinese culture. And it doesn't disappoint in the least. Mulan is a plucky brave and confident yet extremely awkward and sweet heroine, Mushu is hilarious, the action is high-paced and exhilerating, the songs are catchy and enjoyable, the score is lovely (though frustratingly the best parts of it were left off the official soundtrack wth), and it's just a thoroughly fun and entertaining movie. And hello well-handled gender discussions. A+ in my book.
6. Atlantis: The Lost Empire-
Yet another underappreciated millenium era Disney flick. (I'm a 90s and 2000s girl what can I say?)
Why I love this movie: Again, epic score by James Newton Howard, cute protagonist, and exciting story. Plus, Helga Sinclair.
Damn she's awesome.
7. Aladdin-
(Dude I never knew these films had such kickass posters before...)
Why I love this movie: It is pure distilled funtiems. Mostly due to Genie. And Jafar. And Iago. Oh hell, throw the whole cast, crew, and story in. Still one of the funniest Disney movies in my viewing repetoire, awesome villains, awesome heros, great songs (courtesy of the illustrious Alan Menken), impressive elaborate staging. Everything about this film is just BIG and SWEEPING, from the camera moves to the set designs to the music. It remains quite the classic.
8. Beauty and the Beast-
(And again. Seriously, why did I never know these beautiful posters existed?)
Why I love this movie: Top-notch score by Alan Menken (sensing a pattern yet?), lovely animation, a BOOKWORM heroine who likes to READ *flails*, loathsome misogynist villain who still manages to be smooth and slick, Angela Lansbury, and scariest yet most fuzzy and loveable Disney prince ever, The Beast. How Belle could resist petting the bejeezers out of his mane I'll never know. And the resurrection scene still makes me cry sometimes.
9. Fanasia 2000-
Yeah yeah, I know the older one's a big classic. I just like this one more. The original scared the snot outta me. I will give a shout out to the Pastoral Symphony, the Nutcracker, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice segments though.
Why I love this movie: Because it's like something out of my head. And they picked some seriously EPIC classical music this round. (Pines of Rome, Pomp and Circumstance, and The Firebird Suite especially.) The stories told were more coherent and, well, story-like, with actual plot for the most part, and... I dunno I just... felt them more. The segments were way more emotionally charged. Especially the last sequence, The Firebird Suite. I will quote from a troper who put it more eloquently than I did:
" The Firebird's rampage is one of the most horrific scenes in Disney, and the ashen Sprite is a further blow... and then the whole thing turns around as the forest is restored better than before (all accompanied by the glorious Stravinsky ballet music, natch). All sorts of tears flow. This troper saw the film in IMAX and the final minute left her gasping in the theater for breath."
Yeah. It's sort of like that.
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame-
(Aww man I want this one on my wall. Frigging epic.)
Why I love this movie: Yeaaaaaah Parisian setting, Gothic architecture, dark storyline, dramatic epic music filled with Ominous Latin Chanting, best villain song ever, and just overall a pretty film to watch? Really not surprising I'd like this one.
And thus, I must draw our nostalgic Disney journey to a close. Expect a full report on The Princess and the Frog soon.
BECAUSE THESE FILMS BRING MY HEART JOY AND LIGHT AND LAUGHTER AND I MUST FLAIL ABOUT THEM!
1. The Little Mermaid-
Ahh Little Mermaid. My first Disney film (at the tender and impressionable age of three), and still my favorite, staying with me via VHS sing-along tapes, the read-along storybook, toys, plushies, and a lifelong obsession with mermaids that I blame squarely on Ariel. Admittedly, me being three when I first uh... "saw" the movie I didn't remember all the plot points and the subtle details and nuances... until the film's re-release in the nineties. (Thank you Disney!)
Why I love this movie: Because it's a classic. Because the animation is beautiful, especially all the underwater scenes with the bubbles and the fish and the floating hair-first shot of Atlantica seriously made me want to live there-and it has a plucky awesome heroine and cute love story and kickass villainess with one of the best Villain Songs of Disney history. Because the music is just... GAH I LOVE IT! One of my favorite soundtracks ever. And uh, I mentioned the lifelong obsession with mermaids right?
2. Enchanted-
NO I DON'T CARE THAT IT'S TECHNICALLY LIVE-ACTION, IT'S DISNEY SO IT STILL COUNTS!
Disney's Affectionate Parody of, well... itself. Somehow it manages to mercilessly poke fun at all the standard tropes and cliches of the classic princess movies and still play them completely straight too.
Why I love this movie: Amy Adams! <333333333 Seriously, she does such an amazing job on this movie, playing the naive and adorable Giselle with such sincerity and unbridled enthusiasm that you cannot help but want to hug her. Also, gorgeous costumes, beautiful 10 minutes of opening animation, beautiful blend of animation and live-action (especially in the Narissa and poison apples bit HOLY COW), catchy CUTE SONGS THAT GETS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD, awesome score by Alan Menken (same guy behind Little Mermaid), Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, Susan Sarandon, and the most adorable romance ever.
In short, I pretty much love everything about this movie.
3. Treasure Planet-
GAAAAAGGLEBLURBLEGURGFLAAA!
*Fangirl to Human translation*----> "I really REALLY love this movie."
Why I love this movie: Come on. It's Treasure Island in SPACE! With the 16th century sailing ships and everything! (For those who many not know, old style sailing ships are a HUGE Geeky Turn On for me, on about the same level as medieval swords, and '20s fashion.) And uh... Jim Hawkins is pretty darn cute. Seriously, just look at him.
HOW CAN ONE RESIST THAT SMILE?!
Beautiful BEAUTIFUL blended CGI and hand-drawn animation, sufficiently exciting plot/adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, THE EPIC SCORE BY MY FAVORITE COMPOSER OF ALL TIME JAMES NEWTON HOWARD. And Silver. Can't forget him. An underappreciated film but one I hold near and dear to my heart.
4. The Lion King-
A classic from the 90s Renaissance era. The details are a little fuzzy for me on where and when exactly I first saw this movie. As with Little Mermaid, storybooks and shows seemed to have ingrained the plot into my head before I had seen the actual film properly. Preeeety sure I remember seeing it in elementary school during class though.
Why I love this movie: Gorgeous African setting, wide diversity of animal life showcased, a kickass score by Hanz Zimmer and catchy songs by Elton John. (Can You Feel the Love Tonight is one of my all-time favs!)
5. Mulan-
Squee!
Why I love this movie: Because another major Geeky Turn On for me is Chinese culture. And it doesn't disappoint in the least. Mulan is a plucky brave and confident yet extremely awkward and sweet heroine, Mushu is hilarious, the action is high-paced and exhilerating, the songs are catchy and enjoyable, the score is lovely (though frustratingly the best parts of it were left off the official soundtrack wth), and it's just a thoroughly fun and entertaining movie. And hello well-handled gender discussions. A+ in my book.
6. Atlantis: The Lost Empire-
Yet another underappreciated millenium era Disney flick. (I'm a 90s and 2000s girl what can I say?)
Why I love this movie: Again, epic score by James Newton Howard, cute protagonist, and exciting story. Plus, Helga Sinclair.
Damn she's awesome.
7. Aladdin-
(Dude I never knew these films had such kickass posters before...)
Why I love this movie: It is pure distilled funtiems. Mostly due to Genie. And Jafar. And Iago. Oh hell, throw the whole cast, crew, and story in. Still one of the funniest Disney movies in my viewing repetoire, awesome villains, awesome heros, great songs (courtesy of the illustrious Alan Menken), impressive elaborate staging. Everything about this film is just BIG and SWEEPING, from the camera moves to the set designs to the music. It remains quite the classic.
8. Beauty and the Beast-
(And again. Seriously, why did I never know these beautiful posters existed?)
Why I love this movie: Top-notch score by Alan Menken (sensing a pattern yet?), lovely animation, a BOOKWORM heroine who likes to READ *flails*, loathsome misogynist villain who still manages to be smooth and slick, Angela Lansbury, and scariest yet most fuzzy and loveable Disney prince ever, The Beast. How Belle could resist petting the bejeezers out of his mane I'll never know. And the resurrection scene still makes me cry sometimes.
9. Fanasia 2000-
Yeah yeah, I know the older one's a big classic. I just like this one more. The original scared the snot outta me. I will give a shout out to the Pastoral Symphony, the Nutcracker, and the Sorcerer's Apprentice segments though.
Why I love this movie: Because it's like something out of my head. And they picked some seriously EPIC classical music this round. (Pines of Rome, Pomp and Circumstance, and The Firebird Suite especially.) The stories told were more coherent and, well, story-like, with actual plot for the most part, and... I dunno I just... felt them more. The segments were way more emotionally charged. Especially the last sequence, The Firebird Suite. I will quote from a troper who put it more eloquently than I did:
" The Firebird's rampage is one of the most horrific scenes in Disney, and the ashen Sprite is a further blow... and then the whole thing turns around as the forest is restored better than before (all accompanied by the glorious Stravinsky ballet music, natch). All sorts of tears flow. This troper saw the film in IMAX and the final minute left her gasping in the theater for breath."
Yeah. It's sort of like that.
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame-
(Aww man I want this one on my wall. Frigging epic.)
Why I love this movie: Yeaaaaaah Parisian setting, Gothic architecture, dark storyline, dramatic epic music filled with Ominous Latin Chanting, best villain song ever, and just overall a pretty film to watch? Really not surprising I'd like this one.
And thus, I must draw our nostalgic Disney journey to a close. Expect a full report on The Princess and the Frog soon.