Disney films has been producing and creating family classics for over 70 years. Nearly three-quarters of a century family films have been associated with the Disney label and animated films were definitely their forte from the pen and ink originals to the more modern adoption of CGI. So what are the top 10 Disney animated films? The following are my subjective choices for best animated films.
10. Sleeping Beauty (1959). This beautiful story of the Princess rescued from a death curse by three good fairies who try to protect her further by spiriting her away to raise her in the woods and how the curse finds her anyway. The movie also produced one of the best Disney villains ever in the form of Maleficent. Who could forget the battle Prince Phillip fought against the Dragon to rescue Aurora?
9. Aladdin (1992). Disney almost always followed the princess in the fairytales they told, in Aladdin, the Cinderella shoe was on the other foot as the street rat used a magic Genie to help him win the hand of the Princess, but it was Aladdin’s good heart that really did the trick.
8. Cinderella (1950). The story is a classic because this film brought the fairy tale to life. The poor, mistreated girl who receives a magic wish for a few hours and go to the ball where she meets the man of her dreams. Told and retold a dozen times over the intervening years, Disney’s classic is a story that plays as beautifully now as it did then.
7. The Fox and the Hound (1981). This film is often overlooked, yet the story of friendship between the fox and the hound is one of the more enduring tales to come in the years after Walt Disney’s death. There is action, humor and romance. What more could a fairy tale ask for?
6. Hercules (1997). While not my favorite of the ‘modern’ era of Disney heralded by The Little Mermaid, Hercules is a fun tale of a boy who goes from zero to hero, not just because of his strength, but because he listened to his teacher and got an education. (Yes, Hera wasn’t Hercules’ mother in Greek mythology, but it doesn’t really detract from the fun of this movie.)
5. The Little Mermaid (1989). It took Disney years to recover from the loss of Walt, but this film heralded their arrival back in the world of animated family fun with a musical score and soundtrack that people still hum today. The beautiful animation was just icing on the cake.
4. Beauty and the Beast (1991). Probably the best animated romance ever told. The movie had a powerful score, a powerful cast and a powerful story to tell. My only wish is that Beast got to sing more.
3. Mulan (1998). Mulan features one of the first non-Caucasian heroines in a tale that comes from China. The animation was spectacular and the story avoided too much homogenization. Definitely worth having in any Disney collection.
2. Lilo & Stitch (2002). Lilo and Stitch didn’t get off to a great start, but the concept of the film can’t be beat. Ohana, it means family and family doesn’t get left behind. The story of Lilo, the orphan being raised by her older sister and Stitch, the experiment hunted by the galaxy, finding friendship and home with each other is not only a good moral tale, but an uplifting one too.
1. The Lion King (1994). The story of Simba is told in grand cinematic style with some of the most beautiful animation in the Disney pantheon. The music earned Academy nods and deservedly so. With so many great movies to pick from, this is one that will endure for decades to come.
What’s your favorite Disney animated film?