Every Walt Disney Animation Studio Film Ranked

I, like millions upon millions of other people, grew up watching Disney movies and I'm not ashamed to say that I still love them to this day. They have provided the moving pictures and soundtrack to my 24 years of life and I still watch them often when I don't know what else to watch. I was fortunate to grow up in a time when Disney movies were at their best. While the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s mainly happened before I was born, they were still new enough that I could enjoy them soon after they were released and hadn't run their course. Disney has a couple different studios but I'm focusing solely on Walt Disney Animation Studio. To date, they've released 60 animated films between 1937-2021. When I embarked on this task, I thought I'd seen well over half of these movies. After looking at the full list, it turns out I'd only seen 31 of the 60 films. While I was excited to rewatch those I'd already seen, I was interested to see which films I was watching for the first time would win me over. Over about a month and a half, I watched 59 of those 60 movies in order of their release. The reason it's only 59 is that one of them is not on Disney+ and I wasn't willing to go digging or rent it. I've placed it in a de facto 60th because I can't judge it. Before starting, I ranked the 31 films I'd seen before to see if my opinions would change after watching them again. I want to make it crystal clear that I'm not a film expert and I'm not a film critic. I'm just someone with an opinion, so naturally, I'm willing to bet that my opinion isn't going to be the same as everyone else's. I might like a movie most don't and vice versa. This is all my opinion and there is no calculation that I used to rank them. It's all from the gut and I have to say that I had a very fun time watching most of these movies. Don't take what I say as being all that important. They are just movies after all. 

60. Make Mine Music (1946)

This is the only film that isn't on Disney+, therefore, I can't give an opinion on the film. Based on when it was released, as you'll quickly find out, I probably wouldn't have been a huge fan, but that is pure speculation. 

59. Fun and Fancy Free (1947) & 58. Melody Time (1948)

A couple things were made very clear after watching these films. First, I’ve learned that I’m not a fan of the package, or anthology, films. I’d prefer a single narrative instead of various stories put into one film. I think the reason they did this for this series of films and the other two featuring Latin America was to save money during World War II, but that doesn’t distract from the fact that it makes these less interesting to me. Second, they were really trying to recreate the magic of Fantasia, but they didn’t come anywhere close. I didn’t find myself drawn to any one story in particular, though any retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk” is going to get my attention. Much like Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros, I’m likely never going to come back to these films ever again. It’s not that they aren’t good, they just aren’t good by the standards that Disney has come to be known for. 

57.  Saludos Amigos (1943) & 56. The Three Caballeros (1945)

I’m going to put these two together because they are essentially the same things, one’s just longer than the other. I’m sure there were a lot of offensive things in both of these films. My problem is that they’re essentially tourist films about Latin America. I want to make it clear that I have no problems with learning about new cultures, I just found these to be very bland. The one thing that I like about The Three Caballeros is that there is a single thread that is connecting the shorts together. I can appreciate that there is at least a narrative thread that is holding it together. I don’t have much to say about either of them because they weren’t anything amazing. It was cool to get an introduction to both Donald Duck and Goofy through these films, even if they are vastly different from their contemporary counterparts. I’ll likely look back more fondly on The Three Caballeros because of the connecting thread, but I likely won’t return to these movies.

55. Chicken Little (2005)

Of all the films released by this studio, this is the one I’m probably the most familiar with since I’ve seen it more times than most of these other films. This movie borders on so bad it’s good territory, but it really is just super bad. They try way too hard to make this funny, but most of the jokes feel dated and just aren’t funny. I feel like this wants to be super meta, but the jokes don’t land for the most part. Buck might be the worst father in animated history and there are plenty of bad ones. The people in the town as a whole are just awful. I get that claiming that the sky is falling sounds crazy, but the town goes above and beyond to make sure he feels like a genuine idiot. The baseball scene encapsulates everything terrible about this film. Chicken Little is in the wrong for swinging when the coach tells him not to. The fans are in the wrong for openly talking trash about the kid with the bat. The umpire is in the wrong for calling him out at the plate before wiping off the plate. I don’t like the characters at all and don’t find any of them to be too endearing outside of Runt, maybe. The ending makes me feel cheated since it was all a big misunderstanding. That honestly perfectly sums up the entire plot of the movie. It’s a bad film, plain and simple. 

54. Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Everything that the first movie does so well gets thrown out the door with its sequel. This is nothing more than a shameless cash grab by using as many known internet things or portmanteaus of popular sites that are brought together to make a movie. The charm of the original isn’t present in this one at all. There are no fun Easter eggs like in the first one with all the video game characters. Let me briefly talk about the good things. They build an interesting world within the internet. It looks nice from a visual standpoint. The scene when Venellope meets the other Disney princesses was fun. It provided the best comedy of the film and it was cool to see them all in one place with most of their original voices. The rest of the film is a mess. This is what happens when you try to bring in several different internet personalities. I don’t think the comedy of the film works and is more of a statement on the state of current internet culture, full of the same clichés and standards we’ve become used to. Ralph is unbearable the entire film. His clinginess and his willingness to sabotage Venellope and Slaughter Race are the exact opposite of what he learned from the original. An insecurity virus is a little too on the nose. This might as well be Disney’s version of The Emoji Movie. It’s bad and would recommend staying away at all costs. 

53. Fantasia (1940)

I’ll start with my praises for this film. There are very few films that could touch this one visually. Even for a film from 1940, the art and style of this movie are spectacular. The music is also iconic and accompanies each short beautifully. I understand how iconic and revered this film is, but there is one very clear thing about this movie. There is a niche audience for a film like this and I probably am not part of the demographic that this appeals to. This is for all animation and classical music lovers. While I love animated films, this is more specifically for those that like creating animations, which I’m not part of. I’m less likely to have the proper appreciation for this film, but that’s ok. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “Night on Bald Mountain” are two of the most iconic segments in the film and they were my two favorites. This is one of the few early Disney films to eclipse two hours and it feels every bit of that two hours, often not in a good way. I don’t think as highly of this as others might, but can also see why so many people love it. 

52. The Sword in the Stone (1963)

This was a gender-swapped Cinderella that tells the story of a young King Arthur before he pulls the sword from the stone to become the king. While Cinderella is a great story, I think they dropped the ball with this one big time. As much as they try to hide that Wart’s voice changes, once you hear it then it becomes distracting. It feels a bit cheap and I didn’t like it. This doesn’t have the same endearing qualities as the other story either. I think the one thing this film lacks is a clear villain. Cinderella has her evil stepmother and step-sisters, but there isn’t anyone that I’d consider to be that bad in this film. I’m sure an argument could be made about Sir Ector could be, but he clearly cares about Wart more than Cinderella’s stepmother cared about her. I wouldn’t count Mad Madam Mim either since she doesn’t come in until the final 20 minutes and is dispatched rather quickly. The only real saving grace of the film is Merlin. There are some rather meta jokes since Merlin can see the future and is all-knowing, especially the final line about making a motion picture about King Arthur. Archimedes was hit-or-miss for me. I found him endearing at times, but annoying in others. Having known some about the story of King Arthur, I didn’t feel like this did the story justice. 

51. Brother Bear (2003)

This was a favorite of mine growing up, so I’ve probably seen this about a thousand times. Even then I’d admit this isn’t a masterpiece. I don’t think it’s as good re-visiting it as an adult, but there are some endearing parts to it. Phil Collins rocks the music again, though it doesn’t compare to Tarzan. The voice acting is fine, though I feel they purposely wrote Koda’s character to be super annoying. It does get a little bit jarring at times listening to him talk. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that Kenai had killed Koda’s mother, though the eventual reveal as Koda is telling his story was a good way to do it. I also liked that Kenai’s confession to Koda is set to a Collins’ song since we as the audience already know what’s going on. I think the bears are overshadowed by two moose, Rutt and Tuke. They are the comedic life of this film and provide some of the best moments as mere spectators to the main story. The scene where they’re playing I Spy was one of the best parts. I think this is a bottom-of-the-barrel Disney film by their standards. 

50. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

A movie about the Lost City of Atlantis is a brilliant idea and there are some good aspects to this film as a whole, but it failed to capture my attention for 90 minutes. Visually, it looked like it should’ve been a hyper-artistic video game, especially during some of its action scenes. The design of the characters was a little inconsistent too. While it looked fine for most of them, I felt like Audrey’s design was weird at times. It was clear in their first times on the screen who the villains were going to be, though it felt weird to have the entire team be bad when they don’t really have the motives outside of Rourke and Sinclair just because they looked villainous. The city of Atlantis itself looked beautiful from the wide shots. It got a little greyer the more time they spent in it, so it lost some of its charms. The romance between Milo and Kira didn’t make much sense to me. It came out of nowhere, which seems to be a theme with a bunch of Disney’s love pairings. I really thought I was going to like this a lot more upon another viewing, but I think it had the opposite effect.

49. Dinosaur (2000)

This might’ve been the film I was most surprised to learn was produced by this studio. I’d never seen it before and it didn’t look like anything I could compare it to. I was very skeptical of it once I started watching because I’d read some reviews beforehand to see what I was getting myself into. A lot of reviews talked about the graphics and how revolutionary they were. It took me a little bit to adjust to how the dinosaurs looked, but I eventually came around to it. It probably didn’t age the best by today’s standards, but I can see its appeal of it at the turn of the century. The scenery itself looked phenomenal. Some of the wide shots at the beginning and then the Nesting Grounds at the end looked gorgeous as if they’d taken a drone and filmed some remote locations before putting some dinosaurs over them. Outside of the visuals, the story is very boring. A group of dinosaurs has to get to a safe place to escape from predators, yet they don’t make it interesting at all. The main antagonist is extremely bland. The other predators aren’t interesting at all. I don’t think the beauty of the film is able to overshadow how boring it is. 

48. Fantasia 2000 (1999)

It might be blasphemy to say this but I prefer this version of Fantasia to the original from the 1940s. The one thing this does much better is that Disney cut down the runtime by about 45 minutes. That makes it far more palatable to me. My favorite segment was “The Steadfast Tin Soldier”. I liked the animation of it the most of the eight and felt the story was cute. “Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin is one of my favorite classical pieces ever, so it also gets high marks from me. Bringing in some recognizable names, like James Earl Jones, Steve Martin, and Bette Midler, to introduce the segments was smart, but didn’t move the needle much for me. My biggest problem with this film is that they opted to replay the exact same segment of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” from the original. I wish they’d done something new to it to make it different. They could’ve improved the graphics or changed the story a little bit, but they decided to run the same thing in the same quality. It’s a great story and a classic part of the history of Disney, but it doesn’t add anything to this. It’s interesting that they decided to make a new one almost 60 years later. I think it’s a slight improvement, but it only slightly held my attention more than the first.

 

47. Home on the Range (2004)

This is one I skipped over as a kid because I wasn’t very interested in the Wild West. With this being my first viewing, I wasn’t sure what the story was going to be. The good news is it doesn’t take long to figure out the plot or how everything fits together. That may be to its detriment though because it is a little too simplistic and boring. The voice cast was pretty good with Jennifer Tilly being my favorite, having some of the better comedic moments. There was some clever comedy that foreshadowed a little, namely that Mr. Y. O’Del was Alameda Slim once you realized that he captivated the livestock by yodeling. I didn’t find Slim or his nephews to be that intimidating or bad and the late reveal that Rico was in on the entire thing was a bit underwhelming. The music was okay, though I’m not a fan of yodel or music typically associated with the Wild West. The action sequences are probably the film's strongest, though the mine shaft scene felt like it was trying to sell a ride at Disney World. It’s a bit underwhelming for sure, but I don’t think it’s as bad as I had initially anticipated it to be. 

46. The Black Cauldron (1985)

I think there are some good moments in the film, but I think it all gets overshadowed by just how bad I thought the end was. I’m not so heartless that I won’t admit that Gurgi’s sacrifice was a heart-warming moment. It was an action that was fitting to his character. The problems come when you realize just how fallible the Horned King’s plan was. All it took for the cauldron to be unusable was a person willingly jumping into it and they didn’t think to have someone guard it to prevent this very thing from happening. All it took was one person watching the cauldron to ensure the entire plan works out. I also didn’t like Gurgi coming back. It made the climax of the film and its consequences feel less significant. Maybe I’m reading too much into a kid’s film, but that’s part of what I’m doing here. Speaking of the Horned King, he had one of the most terrifying presences of any Disney villain I’ve seen. From the first scene he appeared in, the Horned King was a scary-looking being that ate up the screen. It’s a shame he died in such an easy way without much of a fight. If I’d never have to hear Gurgi’s voice again, I’d be more than happy. The heroes were fine. They didn’t stand out much. I feel like I haven’t said much good about the film. The animation of the scenery was excellent, especially the castle. It felt very realistic and stood out. I just feel for everything good that happened, the problems with the plot overshadowed it. 

45. Alice in Wonderland (1951)

I’m not quite sure what to make of this movie because it’s a very weird one. It’s as trippy as you’d think it’d be for a film that spends its entire runtime down the rabbit hole, quite literally. I like that it immediately goes into the main plot within a few minutes of the movie getting started. It sets up an interesting film, to say the least. I actually don’t think it’s amazing by any means, but I can see its appeal. As crazy as this might sound, the characters aren’t all that funny. I found them more frustrating than anything else. That might be the point of the characters, but it was really over-the-top in an extreme way that becomes jarring by the end of it. I liked Alice, but no one outside of that was all that great. The Queen of Hearts was a decent villain, but she doesn’t come in until the very end of the movie and is more comical than anything else. The Cheshire Cat was just as much an antagonist in the end, especially during the final act. I am not a fan of the “this is just a dream” cliché and this movie does exactly that. It makes me feel cheated in the end, even if there’s no rational explanation for most of the plot. I was disappointed by this one just a little bit. It wasn’t as memorable as I once thought it was. 

44. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

This movie felt very disjointed. It introduced a lot of characters that felt like they provided nothing to the film. Some on made an appearance or two and it didn’t seem like they were there for any reason other than to provide exposition or find a reason for the story to continue. The biggest example of that is the rat that showed up twice without any rhyme or reason. I have no clue why he wanted to go after the baby and why there was any need for that entire sequence to take place. It seemed to undo everything that had just happened five minutes before it and get Tramp back in Lady’s good graces. Half of the movie’s scenes could’ve been cut and it would still tell a mostly coherent story. The pound sequence could be cut because there are more creative ways for Lady to have found out about Tramp’s past. The entire sequence with the Siamese cats was offensive and really stupid, so it could’ve been cut. The famous sequence with the spaghetti and meatballs is iconic and easily the most memorable part of the film. Jock and Trusty were easily the best characters in the movie, despite jumping to conclusions far too quickly. This was my first time watching the film all the way through and I must admit that I was a little disappointed. The thought of each dog having its own unique character was fun, but half of them didn’t provide anything to the film. I probably won’t come back to this film voluntarily given the rest of the extensive library, which is a shame because I thought it would be so much better than it was. 

43. The Rescuers (1977)

I really didn’t care for this movie too much. I don’t think it’s the worst one I’ve seen, but it didn’t capture my attention for the entire thing. The concept is good in theory. The execution of it makes this feel like it drags a little and isn’t too exciting. I think Penny is the best part of the film. Her voice actor does a good job of making her feel like a little kid that is defiant and brave. I wish there was more of a connection between Penny and Madame Medusa from the beginning. I understand that she needs someone small enough to fit into the hole to get the diamond, but I’d have appreciated it if there was more of a reason for it to be Penny outside of plot convenience. I also didn’t understand Bianca’s insistence on Bernard being her partner for this mission. Madame Medusa is a cookie-cutter villain. She has greed as her central motivation, she has a henchman that she’s going to eventually turn on, and she gets her comeuppance in the end. I didn’t find her to be very memorable. I hadn’t ever watched this all the way through and the only thing I really knew about it was that the controversial still in one of the scenes caused a recall. I was a little disappointed by the end result of my first viewing. 

42. Hercules (1997)

It’d been a long time since I’d seen this all the way through and it was slightly better than I remembered it being. That being said, I still don’t think it’s one of the better films of this period. The voice acting is fine, especially the great performance from James Woods as the main antagonist Hades. The music for me is what stands out as being slightly unremarkable. It’s hard not to compare it to previous films like The Lion King or Pocahontas and the music is lacking. In theory, I liked the Muses being the ones to carry most of the music and their songs are good. I didn’t like the individual songs from Hercules and Megara. I know that they are considered to be classic songs, but they aren’t on the same level as some of the other great ones of this era. Hercules as a character falls into a category that I’m not a fan of. He knows he’s great and acts that way. At times, it gets on my nerves. Danny DeVito was perfectly cast. This is the type of character he always plays and he plays it well. I like the idea of Megara working with Hades, albeit against her will. It sets up an interesting dynamic and I like that she has somewhat of a backstory to explain why she does. I’m not a huge fan of when a movie kills a character, then brings them back at the end. I’ve always felt endings are more meaningful when something tragic happens to help the hero in the final battle, so bringing her back felt cheap. I know I’ve said plenty of bad things about it, but that’s more because of the high expectations I have for films during this time. This, to me, isn’t one of their better efforts. 

41. Oliver & Company (1988)

This is the first film that feels like it has a decent voice cast with Billy Joel, Bette Midler, Cheech Marin, and a young Joey Lawrence coming together to bring this film to life. I’ll start with my big complaint and then work on the positives. I didn’t like the way this animation looked, especially in the scenes of the house. It felt like a step back from some of the other Disney films before it. It felt really cheap by 1988 standards. I’d never seen or read Oliver Twist so I can’t speak to whether it’s a faithful adaptation, but I’d imagine it’s less dark than its literary counterpart given that it’s written by Charles Dickens. Oliver might be one of the cutest Disney animals created. Maybe it’s something about small cats, but he was just really cute. The death sequence for the main villain and his dogs were some of the more horrific in Disney. Seeing two dogs get electrocuted and a car blown up aren’t exactly the best ways to go. The music was also surprisingly great. Having the vocal talents that this film has, you’d expect nothing less. Fagin’s arc feels a little bit more earned than most since he had a level of desperation that most don’t usually have. I didn’t expect to like this at all. It was far better than I anticipated, but I still wouldn’t say that I loved it. I didn’t like the other dogs that much, so I can’t say that I preferred it over the other animal-led films in the early library. 

40. Robin Hood (1973)

While I’ll acknowledge it’s based on a story, Disney had a knack for including stories that were really dark. The entire end of the film centering on the hanging of a religious figure is bold and might not be the most suitable for children. I didn’t think this was the most engaging story by any means, but it wasn’t bad either. I struggled with whether to consider Robin Hood a hero or a vigilante, but a hero is definitely what I’d classify him. Robbing the rich to feed the poor is a noble cause that I wish we saw more of in modern times. Having each character represented as an animal that fits their personality was a smart decision. Having Robin Hood be a fox, classified as a sly creature, is a perfect example. I’m not sure if I have a favorite character or a favorite moment. I think the film was fine, it just didn’t stand out to me in any discernable way. The romance between Robin Hood and Maid Marian was fine. The friendship of Little John and Robin Hood was a highlight for sure. The side characters were good. Prince John as the primary antagonist was fine. I don’t think I’d come back to this on my own, but I wouldn’t complain if I had to watch it again. 

39. Bambi (1942)

I thought I knew more about this movie than I did. I’m not sure why I thought Bambi’s mother died at the beginning of the film, but it was really more than halfway in. The beginning half of the film was excellent. Bambi, Thumper, and Flower at a younger age were adorable. The voice acting for all three was excellent. I especially liked Thumper. He had some great comedic lines about things his father said and he delivered them perfectly. I do think that the first half does make up for how much I wasn’t a fan of the second half. Once time jumps forward and the main characters have grown up, I think it falls off considerably. If it had just been a look at Bambi’s life the entire time, then I think it’d be good. But the film tries to have a plot at the very end involving the hunters and I think it would mean something if we’d been building up to it. The only real connection if that Bambi’s mother was killed by a hunter, but that’s about all I could see. It loses steam for me, which is a shame. I think they should’ve solely focused on young Bambi and made an entire movie out of that. 

38. Winnie the Pooh (2011)

There are so many endearing things about this iteration of Winnie the Pooh and his re-introduction to an even newer audience. Bringing Jim Cummings back to voice Pooh and Tigger helped to bring some familiarity after watching the original, but this doesn’t have the same charm as the 1977 film. It starts with Zooey Deschanel doing the music. While I love her as an actress, her music isn’t my style, so it’s hard to overlook the change in the original theme. I did like that they didn’t just use the same original story and update the graphics to pass it as a new film. The story wasn’t as exciting or interesting as those told in the original, but they were fine. I didn’t like the voice acting as much in this one, especially the voice of Christopher Robin. Despite all my negatives towards it, it’s very hard to mess with a classic character like Winnie the Pooh. It’s clearly geared toward a younger audience and I think it is successful in showing the charm of the characters. I love that Pooh and company continue to break the fourth wall and that the words on the page continue to be an active part of the plot. It’s the small things like fourth wall breaks that let me reminisce on the classic. I don’t think this is as good as the original, but you can certainly do worse.  

37. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

While I haven’t seen a Sherlock Holmes film or know much about the source material, the parallels between Basil and Sherlock spoke loudly, in that I found him to be more annoying than brilliant. Characters of Basil’s archetype have often rubbed me the wrong way because they are smart and can solve these problems, but they become massive babies when they mope after getting caught. I can’t articulate just how much it bugs me. As for the rest of the film, I thought it was great. It’s another hidden gem for me that I hadn’t seen much of and not in its entirety before. The ending fight between Basil and Professor Ratigan was actually a solid bout. It was well choreographed and Big Ben being the setting was fitting for a movie set in London. It’s one of the cleverer uses of real scenery to put together a brilliant climax. Everything before it was a little bland and the motivations of Ratigan wasn’t anything special. Ratigan as a villain is good, though I don’t think he’s in the upper echelon of Disney’s bad guys. The side story involving the inventor and his daughter helped to move the plot along but doesn’t move the needle much for me. I think this is a good movie. I might not have the most glowing review of it, but this is one of the more enjoyable pre-Renaissance films. 

 

36. Pocahontas (1995)

Of the films from Disney’s Renaissance period, this is probably among my least favorite. That is not to say it’s bad and likely speaks more to just how strong this period for Disney was, but it’s a film that I can’t grow to love because of how different its story is from the actual lives of its counterparts. The real story of Pocahontas is not as beautiful as this film would suggest and while it certainly wouldn’t translate into a good family film, it’s a little egregious, to say the least. I can fully acknowledge that I mustn’t judge this film solely on my feelings about their re-writing of history, but there are other aspects of the film that I didn’t like. The love story is very generic and the conflict very bland. For as much as John Smith talks about how successful he’s been in previous fights against the natives, it doesn’t take long for him to change his mind. It’s almost as if the film needed a love interest for Pocahontas that wasn’t Kocoum. The supporting characters do such a good job of ruining the moments between the two main characters, then feeling immediately sorry for what they’ve done. I also found some of the voice acting to be extremely wooden. Visually and musically, this film is great. The music outshines the film to a major degree. The color palette of the film is also very good. While it’s up against some stiff competition from the other films that came out around this time, I don’t think it stands up to its counterparts. 

35. Dumbo (1941)

Having never watched it all the way through, I was very surprised that this film was just over an hour long. I was expecting that and they managed to pack a lot into that hour. I think Dumbo might have the saddest backstory of any old Disney character, beating out even Bambi. He’s an elephant with big ears, but you’d swear he had the plague. I’m indifferent to the fact he doesn’t speak since he’s a baby, but a little dialogue would’ve been fine. I like Timothy Q. Mouse as our de facto speaker since Dumbo didn’t. You can’t help but feel sorry for the young pachyderm being shunned by the rest of his kind for his birth defect. This was another movie that didn’t have a central villain, which does stink because I think they could’ve had a very good one with the Ringmaster. Maybe if they’d added a little more with him to establish him as a really bad guy. The scene where they hallucinate is super trippy and takes up a lot of time. Not sure if it’s suitable for a kid’s movie, but that was Disney’s MO in the 40s. It’s a small thing, but I really liked the visualization of the U.S. map with the train driving through. Details like that make a movie fun to me. With it being so short, it’s hard to gauge just how great it is. I really enjoyed it, especially the scenes with the crows, despite the blatant racial undertones. It’s a classic story and it’s told very well. 

34. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

I don’t care what anyone says. That scene where Tod is being left in the woods and he slowly realizes what’s happening might be one of the saddest moments in cinematic history. We all know what’s happening but he doesn’t, so it killed me once he realized what was going on. This movie didn’t stand out as being anything spectacular, with the first half being far better than the second half. I liked the younger version of the animals much more than their older counterparts. Part of it might just be because the older Copper being a jerk to Tod was mean, or it might have been because I genuinely feel like Amos is the worst and didn’t deserve any redemption or support at the end. He was willing to kill an animal that came to the aid of him and his dog before Copper stepped in and stopped him from doing it. That to me is cruel. Disney is in the business of scaring children for life. In consecutive sequences, they had a chase scene, near burning alive two foxes, another chase scene, bear attacks, and near shooting in the final 15 minutes. That’d be terrifying to watch as a child. Big Mama serving as a buffer character worked well, though the caterpillar scenes with the other birds were stupid. Outside of the one scene, I don’t think this was anything special, though I think I might be harsh on the film due to Amos. 

33. Treasure Planet (2002)

Following on the heels of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Disney was on a serious science-fiction kick. Like most of the other source materials Disney has based their films on, I’d never read the book this was based on, so I can’t tell how faithful an adaptation this is. I’d imagine there were a lot of aspects that were made more kid-friendly or characters that were changed. I like the world they built and how different each location felt. Not all of the characters landed for me, mostly the side characters. I thought the main cast was well-casted and was all pretty likable. Some of John Silver’s crew were pretty one-note and boring. I liked that they didn’t wait until the very end to show that Silver was bad and leading a mutiny and they allowed it to play out for the second half of the film. The budding romance between Delbert and Amelia is subtle and doesn’t overpower the entire plot, which is something I can appreciate with a secondary character. I like this film from a visual standpoint most of the time and there isn’t much of a soundtrack to overpower the rest of it. This isn’t anything spectacular, but it is a solid film. No better, no worse. 

32. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

Cruella de Vil is one of the most unnecessarily cruel and unabashed villains in Disney’s entire catalog. This woman literally wants to kill and skin dogs to make a coat and orders her henchmen to do exactly that. I’m sure they talk about it in the prequel with Emma Stone that was made as to why she wants to do this, but it is extremely dark for a kids’ movie. Maybe it’s a little too much, but she’s definitely way over the top for a villain because it just feels like there’s no motivation shown outside of being a terrible person. My favorite scene in the entire movie is after they’re all born and they’re watching television together. You can see the personalities of each puppy and how Pongo and Perdita are as parents. They react the same way my dog watches some things on television, which is funny to me. I also liked the beginning of the film being from Pongo’s perspective as he tries to set Roger and Anita up and hearing his mindset at the beginning. I do think the middle and end drag a little with the focus seeming to shift off the parents and onto these other animals trying to help them. Going from place to place seems to make it less interesting to me. I’m happy they all survive, but I never felt the stakes were all that high in the first place since it’s a kids’ movie. Like I said, Cruella seems to be a little too much and not in a good way, which actually hurts the film. 

31. Moana (2016)

Moana might be Disney’s independent princess yet. The film as a whole is beautiful visually and makes even the vast emptiness of the ocean look great. Moana is an ambitious character and Auli’i Cravalho knocks it out of the park. She nails the serious and funny moments not to mention her voice is beautiful. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gives an excellent performance as well, but Maui is more annoying than anything. That’s probably the point of the character, yet I still think that it’s a bit too strong at times. His best parts are his interactions with his tattoos. My favorite part of the film is not anything that has to do with the story or the music. I love the way they designed Te Fiti to look. I get that she’s supposed to look like a person, but the design is beautiful and the green really stands out in a film that is mostly blue. The songs aren’t my favorite, though I understand why “How Far I’ll Go” is so popular. It just doesn’t stand out to me among the other great princess songs. This is another modern Disney film that I think the critics liked a lot more than I did. It’s not a bad film at all, I just don’t think it holds a candle to some of the classics.

30. Bolt (2008)

Having never watched this before, I was worried early on that Bolt’s method acting was going to be annoying the entire film. Admittedly, it did wear on me a little bit, but not as much as I expected. I was also worried that John Travolta’s voice acting was going to be a problem, but it honestly wasn’t. I thought his performance was really good. I like that the movie makes it abundantly clear that everyone’s in on the ruse except for Bolt. It prepares you for what to expect. I didn’t like Miley Cyrus’ performance that much, just because her lines felt awkward and it didn’t feel like her voice matched her character. The introduction of Rhino midway through the film was my favorite of the film. His character being a major fanboy was exactly what the story needed to help Bolt realize he’s an actor. I was liking Mittens until the scene in Las Vegas where she’s trying to convince Bolt to stay and saying that Penny has moved on. Pretty all the human characters outside of Penny and her mom stink and that’s the point. The end got a little too dramatic, letting everyone think they’d kill off Penny and Bolt, which there was no chance of happening. The final scene with the new Penny reveal felt right out of a soap opera and I loved the animals’ reactions to the new direction the show went in. This was actually way better than it had any right to be and I enjoyed it quite a bit. 

29. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

I feel like we talk a lot about how great of a villain Maleficent is without talking about how good of a movie this is. She’s easily one of the best villains Disney has ever created, even if her motivations aren’t always the clearest. My best guess is that she really is just offended for not being invited, but it’s never expressly stated in the film. This feels like another early Disney film where the focus of the story isn’t on the character whose name is in the title. Aurora is hardly in the film in the final half, sleeping through the entire climax, and even before then, she takes a backseat to the fairies for the most part. She isn’t as central a character to the plot as the fairies are, which undermines her importance a little. The love story that they built also feels like it happened more organically than most of the other princess films. My biggest gripe with the film isn’t even a plot problem. I felt the film visually was a step backward compared to both Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp which came out six and four years prior to this respectively. This world wasn’t nearly as well-built as either of those two and its characters didn’t pop in the same way. Musically, it wasn’t nearly as good either, which is strange for a Disney film of this time and caliber. Aurora isn’t as appreciated as the other older Disney princesses are and that should change because this isn’t a bad film at all. It did need to have her in it a little bit more and she needed to be more central, but I don’t have many complaints about the film as a whole. 

28. Pinocchio (1940)

I think it would be more correct to say this is a series of three short films cut together to create one long film. There are three different stories with three different locations and antagonists that are all interwoven to make a full narrative and it’s very good. It helped me really two very important things about early Disney films. First, animal sidekicks have always been popular show-stealers. As much as I like the performance of Pinocchio’s voice actor, Figaro the cat was the movie’s best character. I like how emotive Figaro was the entire movie depending on the situation. Figaro and Cleo were excellent, silent characters. Second, Disney was not afraid to scare you. The scene on Pleasure Island, which is a weird name for the kid’s movie, with Lampwick turning into a donkey was genuinely terrifying. I can see how that would scar children seeing it for the first time. It’s no secret that I’m someone that loves a good villain. I don’t think this movie has a good one, just three decent ones. I think that’s more because they’re only in one segment of the film and aren’t ever well-fleshed out. I’m also likely to be in the minority with this opinion, but I don’t like Jiminy Cricket. I think he’s better suited as the film’s narrator, not a central part of the story. I wish it was a little bit more cohesive of a film, but that all comes down to personal preference. The soundtrack to the movie is iconic and might be one of the strongest in the entire Disney vault. It’s very clear to see why this film is fondly remembered. 

27. Frozen II (2019)

Let me get the clear points out of the way first. I don’t think this is as good as the first film. It is not nearly as memorable as the original and it doesn’t give us as many defining moments that we’ll remember forever. A big part of that might be the music. Comparing the soundtracks, the original wins in a landslide. From top to bottom, the sequel is far inferior, except in one key aspect. “Into the Unknown” is better than “Let it Go” as far as being memorable. Maybe it’s because I’ve heard it less since its release, but I just find it fiercer and catchy. I also feel like this does a far better job of world-building as we get to expand further beyond the kingdom and get to see more with a lot less snow. The one thing this felt like it was missing was a main antagonist. There was no villain to be the foil to Anna, Elsa, and company. It feels like something was missing in that department. I agree that the focus should be on the sisters, but the side characters are lost in the shuffle outside of Olaf. I don’t feel like they gave Kristoff much to do outside of failing at proposing. I think we can all agree that this isn’t as good, but it also feels like this is going to set up a third film to complete the studio’s first trilogy. I might be making that up, but it feels like something they’d do. 

26. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

It could be argued that this film is almost identical to its predecessor with a few key changes. The central story surrounds a human child being kidnapped by an evil person out for greed and financial gain with the help of an animal sidekick that must be saved by Bernard and Miss Bianca. It’s crazy to think that this is Disney’s first animated sequel and it’s arguably the most forgotten film of the Disney Renaissance. The story focuses more on the child in peril than the mice trying to save him, which might actually be a point in its favor. The two mice are established characters and while it’s technically a different albatross, they’re both voiced by John Candy and are essentially the same. I thought the kid in the first film was cuter, but I liked how committed this new one is to saving the eagle and thwarting the plan of McLeach at every turn. McLeach was a more intimidating villain overall and I thought his pet goanna, Joanna, was better than the alligators. My only real gripe is that Krebbs, while essential to the plot, was one of those neurotic characters that I didn’t like or find endearing. I think this is better than the original, while not being anything that stands out as being remarkable. It’s a very good film, but it isn’t something I’ll immediately look to come back to in the future. 

25. Zootopia (2016)

This is the first time I looked at a film with animals as the leads and made note of how amazing the animals looked. Visually, this is one of the most fun worlds a Disney film has been set in. Each area of Zootopia is designed so differently and the colors contrast so well. One of my favorite sequences in the film was the chase scene through the rodents’ area. It’s one of the best action pieces and it has some good, albeit fortuitous, payoff in the end. I really like Jason Bateman as an actor and he shines in this role. He’s allowed to be a smarmy conman and his comedic timing is very good. I thought Judy Hopps was fine too, though I find stories about rookies in their field being held down to be a bit formulaic and cliché. The DMV scene is meant to be funny and while there is some humor, I find it to be a bit unnecessary. The joke could’ve just been that sloths work at the DMV and it would’ve hit great, but they opted for overkill. Bellweather as the surprise twist villain was okay and probably would’ve landed more if she’d been in the film more. Honestly, it feels out of place and came out of nowhere to the point where it didn’t make much sense. Her motivations make perfect sense, but they didn’t build up to it well. The red herring of having Mayor Lionheart imprison the missing mammals was an interesting choice. My last note is that I’m not a huge fan of the Shakira song. This felt like one long police procedural, which is what I’d imagine they were going for. If that’s the case, it worked just fine. There’s so much going on that it’s hard to make note of everything. It’s a good movie that is centimeters away from being great. 

24. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

Two classic stories come to life in a way only Disney is capable of creating. While I’ve never read either book the stories of this film are re-telling, I have enough of a background coming into it to know what each is about. Disney went out of their way to make sure they had the perfect voices to narrate each story in Basil Rathbone and Bing Crosby. One thing I love, other than a good villain, is a flawed protagonist that isn’t as good as a normal good guy would be. Neither Mr. Toad nor Ichabod Crane is someone we should really be rooting for. They have their own problems that are shown that make them, unlike a normal protagonist. Ichabod Crane is an especially good example of this, only pursuing Karina out of greed and a potential inheritance. I also love an ending that isn’t always happy, like the ending of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. I’ll always believe Brom Bones was the Headless Horseman and the Ichabod fled town out of fear since he was superstitious. As for “The Wind in the Willows”, Mr. Toad is not the best protagonist, but he’s got a good group of friends around him. I found this story to be fun and it gives the happy ending everyone wants. I’ll always prefer the story of Sleepy Hollow, this entire film surprised me quite a bit in a good way. 

23. The Jungle Book (1967)

This is an early classic and it really stands up today. It’s not perfect and I have some problems with it, but they don’t nearly outweigh the positives. The songs are some of the most memorable in Disney’s discography and “The Bare Necessities” is arguably a top ten song. Baloo’s performance as a whole is what drives this movie, though Bagheera is a lot better than I remembered him being. They take Mowgli under their wings and try to convince him to go back because they’re looking out for him. Though Shere Khan isn’t seen until the very end and is dispatched rather quickly, they do something that I can appreciate with him. Even though they wait forever to show him, they play him up by mentioning him several times and pointing out that Mowgli is a marked man-cub to get across how feared he should be. While the scene with King Louis was fun and had an amazing song, I feel it was a little out of place in the movie. They don’t ever come back in the film, so they could be taken out and all we’d be missing is a song and nothing else. I also wasn’t a fan of the idea that Mowgli’s decision would be based on seeing a girl and being enamored by her. It felt a little cheap, but that’s a nitpick on my end. I think the music is what we remember the most about this film, but it might deserve more credit.

22. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

For their first film, Disney didn’t hold back with some adult material. The 1930s were a different time. There’s a reason this is considered a classic in animation. There are so many good things about this film that are truly revolutionary. The voice acting was good for the first animated film made. Snow White’s singing voice could get a little high-pitched and annoying, but it wasn’t terrible. All the songs are very good and catchy. The dwarves’ songs are the best. It was a lot of the small things that were especially notable. I loved the facial expressions of the animals in certain scenes. They couldn’t speak, but the way they were animated made it very clear what they were thinking with no words. I also loved when the music represented the actions of some characters. For example, when the turtle falls down the stairs and the music goes with every step that he hits. It’s the small things that I notice that I like so much. The story isn’t anything special and has been told a million times since. Snow White isn’t the most developed or multi-dimensional character ever created. It’s a simple film, but it’s still as iconic today as it was in 1937.

21. Tarzan (1999)

The first thing that jumps out at you about this movie is the soundtrack from Phil Collins. There are a handful of excellent songs and after a bunch of musicals before this one, it was nice to get a normal movie with the music supplementing it. Overall, this is a solid film that I do have some qualms with. My biggest problem is one that’s a little distracting to me. The relationship between Tarzan and Jane just seems to happen without much outside of him helping her escape that one time. It seemed random given what had happened. I do think they pair well together despite my criticism. Clayton isn’t a top-tier villain and he really isn’t villainous until the final 20-30 minutes despite it being very clear he’s the bad guy. He does earn points for being willing to kill the gorillas and he absolutely has a terrifying death that is gruesome enough for us to not see it explicitly. I wasn’t a fan of Terk and found her to be annoying, though I really liked Tantor. Seeing the gorillas and the other families of animals in the jungle was arguably the most interesting part for me. The one last flaw I’ll offer is that Disney hadn’t perfected the animation of water yet. Any scene that involved the ocean looked bad and unnatural. This was a solid film to end the Renaissance period and encapsulated a lot of the good things from this era of Disney. It wasn’t perfect and isn’t their best effort, but it’s still good. 

20. The Little Mermaid (1989)

This is the one that kicked off Disney’s Renaissance period and it truly is a masterpiece. The story is compelling. The music is phenomenal and worthy of the accolades it received. The final fight is good. Ursula is one of the best villains in Disney’s history, though there are some problems that I have with her motivations. Her beef with King Triton isn’t explicitly stated from what I can remember, It’s clearly a revenge plot, but I’m not sure outside of that. Her song is a highlight of the film, with her deep voice being extremely distinct. Ariel, while not my favorite Disney princess, is a good lead. Jodi Benson has a beautiful voice and she voices this character perfectly. Even the secondary characters are fun. Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle provide excellent comic relief in the scenes with Ariel and Eric. I like that it establishes from the beginning that Ariel dreams of living on the surface and it isn’t something that comes out of nowhere because she sees a boy. If it were the other way around, I feel this movie wouldn’t be as well-remembered as it is today. Disney was bold to place its future on the success of this film, but it’s safe to say it paid off well. 

19. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

I’d forgotten a lot about this film before re-watching it. I remembered the basic storyline but forgot about a lot of the smaller things. Tiana is one of the most unique leads we’ve seen in recent memory. Her will and ambition are unmatched by most of the Disney princesses before her with maybe only Mulan rivaling her. Prince Naveen goes through an excellent arc and his redemption at the end of the film is well-deserved. This is one of those films where there feels like there are a lot of side characters, but they don’t overpower the main characters too much. Ray is easily my favorite and he gets one of the best send-offs ever. “Friends on the Other Side” is the best modern Disney villain song and might be one of the better ones in Disney history. The jazz/blues-inspired soundtrack for this film makes it one of the most distinct in Disney’s library and I love it. My only character complaint is that Dr. Facilier isn’t in the film enough as the main villain. He gets featured heavily at the beginning then disappears for a majority of the second act before coming back at the end. I wish there was more of him because Keith David’s performance is a highlight. This is one of modern Disney’s best and underrated. They get a lot out of a basic story but tell that story in a creative way. 

18. Frozen (2013)

When this movie came out, it was literally everywhere for a long time. The music was inescapable and little kids everywhere loved it. As for adult me, I think this film is good. I don’t think it is amazing and the story is pretty bland and the ending is generic. That doesn’t mean there are some excellent aspects to it. It’s clear that people’s appreciation for the film stems from their love for the music. There are some bangers on the soundtrack and while “Let it Go” gets most of the praise, I prefer “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “In Summer” personally. I think it’s criminal that they got Jonathan Groff to play Kristoff and only had him do one throw-away song when he’s first introduced. I really like the visuals of the film too. It relies heavily on scenes with snow and ice, so there is a lot of white. Still, it looks great in both the day and night scenes. The other masterful thing that this film does is create a good twist villain. While the formula is a little overdone nowadays, revealing Hans to be a villain with a halfway decent motive towards the end of the film was an excellent way to kick off the climax. As I mentioned earlier, the ending is a bit cliché for me and I feel it plays a little loose with the premise of “an act of true love”. The only other question I have is that Elsa was born with her powers, yet it’s not explained how. I wish they’d address that. Overall, this is a strong effort from Disney and hits on a formula that is tried and true.

17. Tangled (2010)

Before re-watching, I read that they changed the name to Tangled because this isn’t just the retelling of the story of Rapunzel and the character of Flynn would be just as important. I can’t say I agree more with this decision. While Rapunzel is without a doubt the main character, Flynn’s story is probably more important to the story and he undergoes the film's largest arc. This is another one that probably doesn’t get proper recognition for being really good. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are both great, but Mother Gothel is the real star. She’s right up there with Dr. Facilier as being the best villain of Disney’s modern era and “Mother Knows Best” is really good. I don’t think the soundtrack as a whole is amazing, but there are still some good songs. Pascal and Maximus are two of the sassiest animal sidekicks in the canon and tell the entire story with just their facial expressions. Maximus might have just as good an arc as Flynn. The ending did that thing I don’t like where they kill a character, then bring them back at the end for the happy ending. I also felt Rapunzel’s revelation that she was the missing princess was a bit out of the blue. This deserves a little more credit for being a solid telling of a classic story. 

16. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

I’ll admit that I was never much of a gamer growing up. As an athlete, it was mostly baseball or hockey games that I was playing, but never too many classic games, especially since arcades weren’t a huge thing where I lived. Despite that, even the most amateur of gamers would be able to appreciate this film for what it is. This is a quintessential trip down memory lane in the first bit before veering off into more modern spins on popular game types. The amount of Easter eggs in the first 15-20 minutes of the movie is amazing. So many classic characters and classic worlds coming together on the screen. The concept behind the film is great and I think the voice actors all do great work. Sarah Silverman’s voice does get on my nerves the more I hear it, but I was fine with everyone else. I remember watching this the first time and being blown away that King Candy was really Turbo. Since I knew it going in, I tried to look for some clues that would foreshadow the reveal and I couldn’t find anything concrete. They mention Turbo to death so much before, so you figure it has to factor in at some point. I appreciate that they opted not to make Ralph a good guy in the end and instead he embraces his role as the bad guy. He’s a sympathetic character, but he’s also very selfish despite his attempted sacrifice at the end. This movie isn’t without its flaws and potential plot holes, but I think the overall fun of the film outshines any shortcomings. 

15. Meet the Robinsons (2007)

After a string of misses from Disney, I think this one hits the mark. This is a great time-travel story that has a lot of fun in the process. Being able to see the family dynamic and the cast of characters in the Robinson family and trying to understand the intricacies and nuances takes a few viewings, but it’s well worth watching over and over. The plot does get a little silly with going back and forth in time, so it can be a little challenging to follow the time and place as well as how it fits into the story. Honestly, I think Goob is justified in his grievances against Lewis, granted he goes about it all wrong. This is on the lady at the orphanage to make some arrangements so Goob can sleep or to tell Lewis to knock it off so Goob can sleep. I don’t think he’s as much of a villain as Doris was, but he’s definitely still not great. I think the story as a whole is clever, even if the rules get a little wonky. My big complaint at the end is that they try to force the thing with the young Franny and it just feels weird. Disney got this one right, even if it’s not a perfect story. It’s just a fun ride and I enjoy it every time I watch it. 

14. The Aristocats (1970)

This is a hidden gem of Disney’s early work that doesn’t get enough credit. There is very little not to like about this from a story standpoint and the characters are all fun. I like that Thomas O’Malley doesn’t border on Tramp territory. Tramp from Lady and the Tramp wasn’t someone that we should be rooting for, but Thomas, despite being a smooth talker, is also a genuinely good cat that helps Duchess and her kittens at every turn. He doesn’t have inherently selfish motivations, which makes him someone we would cheer for. Edgar isn’t the normal villain since he isn’t someone that appears to be evil when he’s first introduced, but he does have classic motivations of greed, so he does come across as very generic. His interactions with the dogs are funny though, so he isn’t entirely one-note. The three kittens were my favorite, especially Marie. Their voice acting is great and they have some of the best sequences at the very beginning of the film. The scenes with the geese, especially the stuff with Waldo were a bit unnecessary. It didn’t add much and the comedy of it was a miss for me. I also wish we’d seen a little bit more of a sense of urgency from Madame Adelaide to find the cats, though that may have bloated the runtime if they’d focused on that. I think the music is some of the best from beginning to end. I think that this deserves a little more love than it seems it gets. It’s a great film that surprised me a lot since I’d never watched it all the way through. 

13. Cinderella (1950)

I don’t think Lady Tremaine gets enough credit for being an amazing Disney villain. She’s one of the most calculated antagonists of the early Disney era. Every move she makes is designed with the sole purpose of making Cinderella’s life miserable. I admire her persistence to ruin her life. I don’t think I gave this film enough credit for just how good a story it is. The Fairy Godmother might be the best Deus ex machina in film history. She shows up just over halfway through, is on screen for no more than five minutes, sings one of the most iconic songs in Disney history, then is gone for the rest of the film. You could argue the slipper not disappearing at midnight is a massive oversight and that it should be impossible for Prince Charming to find her, but it’s a Disney movie, so it gets a pass. The step-sisters were annoying and filled a need, but I don’t think they were that special. The mice were really cute and I liked their songs, but their voices reminded me of Alvin and the Chipmunks, just higher and slightly more annoying. Shame on me for not giving this film its due long before this because it’s actually pretty good once you watch it all the way through. 

12. Encanto (2021)

I’d seen this once before and wasn’t super impressed on the first watch. I liked it but didn’t think it was worthy of the hype that surrounded it. On second viewing, not much has changed though I have a greater appreciation for it now. The story is exceptionally well told and each character is so distinct and gets their moment to shine. I’m a traditionalist in that I prefer the conflict of a film to be brought about by a central antagonist and not from within, so the one thing that holds me back from loving this is that there is no central villain to root against. The closest thing we have to that is Abuela and her backstory prevents you from hating her too much despite its constant putting down of Mirabel. Personally, my favorites from the family were Dolores, Antonio, and Louisa. “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” is the best Disney song of this century. It is the only song that I can recall humming for several days straight after watching a Disney film. The rest of the soundtrack is good, though there are far stronger in Disney’s discography. I do still have some major questions after watching it a second time. Why didn’t Mirabel get a gift? Why exclude Mirabel from the family picture after Antonio gets his gift and you no longer have to worry about him? If Dolores was serious about being able to hear him, why didn’t she tell anyone where Bruno was? I know this won best picture last year, but I’d still pick Raya and the Last Dragon over this. That’s not to say this didn’t deserve its praise because it is very good. 

11. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

This was a very nostalgic movie for me. I hadn’t seen it all the way through in a very long time. I loved Winnie the Pooh as a child and the song still slaps to this day. One of the best aspects of this movie is how true to the source material it is. The narrator is actually reading from the book as he tells the stories, which gives the movie a bit of authenticity that most other Disney adaptations don’t have. It’s the smallest details that make this so good. I loved the moments when the narrator would be interacting with the characters in the story. It doesn’t feel like a big thing, but it’s not something I’ve come across much from something as old as this film. Watching it as an adult, you catch some details about each character that you can’t understand as a child. Winnie the Pooh is a bit self-centered, Rabbit is extremely selfish, and Tigger is very childish. They are small character traits that you pick up on now that you can understand the plot and what’s happening. The fact that this is more a collection of short stories than an overarching narrative fits the material a lot better. I don’t have any major problems with it at all. Maybe it’s my nostalgia for the characters, but this was very good and I’ll fight anyone that tells me otherwise. 

10. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

There is a beauty, no pun intended, to this film that hadn’t quite been seen to this point in Disney’s history. Visually, this film is stunning, especially the sequence that is arguably the most recognizable in any film. The ballroom dancing scene with Mrs. Potts singing “Beauty and the Beast” features a sweep of the room that is the most hyper-realistic that I can remember seeing. Belle and the Beast are an odd match together at first and I feel their story seems to move very quickly. They go from hating each other to saving each other, to being madly in love. It’s rushed, but I like where it ended up. This might be a hot take, but I think Gaston is one of the most overrated villains in Disney history. His song is good and he’s a classic meathead that just wants to get a girl to cater to his every need, but he’s a very stereotypical villain, so I don’t see him as being that remarkable. The castle’s servants are the real stars of the movie, especially Lumiere. They really drive the story and they have the best songs in the film. This might be another hot take, but “Be Our Guest” is a better song than “Beauty and the Beast”. They’re both good, but that’s my preference. Belle is one of the more complex Disney princesses of this time and might be towards the top of my list. 

9. Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

I watched this for the first time to do this ranking and the further this film went the more it felt comparable to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I don’t say that because it features the work of Awkwafina and Benedict Wong, but because it is a film with a predominantly Asian cast that is being introduced to a library in a more modern time. There aren’t many comparisons that can be made between the two films from a plot standpoint, but I can say that I loved the action sequences in both films. The story makes a ton of sense and there isn’t a wasted character. Some of the obvious points hit you on the head, like that the crew consists of a person from each of the five groups that all hold a piece of the gemstone and they must all come together to achieve a final goal. That, as cliché as it is, still works perfectly and the dynamic of the group is good. It does tell an interesting story about not being able to trust people and every time you think you can trust someone, they end up turning on you, but that can also be explained as being unique to their situation since fighting amongst the groups led to it. Awkwafina’s brand of comedy can usually be very hit or miss depending on your tastes, but it’s very well-balanced with the serious moments. I can’t say I’m super surprised that I really liked this. It might be one of their best films of the last decade. 

8. Peter Pan (1953)

Let’s get the obvious problems with this film out of the way first. The portrayal of Native Americans in this film is beyond inappropriate and should be considered a massive scar on the legacy of Disney. They use the worst of the stereotypes of Native Americans and amplify them to oblivion. Outside of this major problem, I love this film more and more with each viewing. The one thing that always stands out if how unique each character’s theme score is. Each major character has a distinct score and sound that accompany them. I also like that each character has their moments to shine, even those without any lines or minimal screen time. Hook is an underrated villain compared to some of the other great Disney villains. He doesn’t have a memorable song, but the fact that his motivation is to kill a kid puts him at the top of the evil spectrum. When you stop to think about it, Peter Pan isn’t a hero. He takes kids from their homes, so they’ll never grow up and he has little regard for the people around him. He treats Wendy terribly from the first time they interact. I wouldn’t say he goes as far as to be a bad guy, but calling him good would be an oversimplification. I also like that Tinker Bell is a complex character, even if her main trait is being jealous of Wendy. This film is less about Peter than it is about Wendy growing up, which would surprise people that haven’t seen it before. Peter doesn’t drive as much of the narrative as Wendy does. This is one of the best films in Disney’s early collection, despite its obvious characterization flaws. It builds a beautiful world and tells a beautiful story, even if it doesn’t hold some of the same charms it once had. 

7. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

On the surface, this feels like a major cash grab for Disney. Stitch is designed to be one of those cute characters that pump out merchandise and inspire a ton of different spin-offs. Disney succeeded in this regard, but this film is so much smarter than that. It’s perfect for young audiences to look at the cute characters, it’s also very much geared towards adults. There are so many small in-jokes to pick up on to make this worth watching numerous times. Between Cobra Bubbles working at Roswell, to Earth being a protected wildlife preserve for the mosquito population, to just a bunch of small comedic moments, this is a clever film. At the heart of it is one of the most endearing and grounded stories Disney has ever created. The relationship between Lilo and Nani is one of the most realistic family dynamics we’ve seen before. They fight like siblings and are trying their best to get by. This movie isn’t without its flaws. I’m always dumbfounded how no one says anything about Pleakley given the fact he clearly has one giant eye or that Jumba has four. I also don’t see how no one would think it’s suspicious that a giant ship is flying through the sky. I can’t sing the praises of this film enough. It’s an experience that brings a lot more than what it shows on the surface. 

6. Mulan (1998)

Of the Disney princesses, I think Mulan as a character is my favorite. She’s willing to sacrifice her own life to spare her father’s, no matter the cost to her. Is Mulan my favorite of the princess films? It’s certainly up there. There are some great things about this film. The voice acting could be a little wooden at times and the side characters are my favorite. Eddie Murphy’s performance isn’t over-powering, which I appreciate because sometimes he can be a little too strong. Obviously, the fact that she’d be persecuted for fighting despite being a woman is stupid, and the way things back then made no sense to me. She was easily the second-most competent fighter and saved the entire army by causing an avalanche, then protected the emperor and saved China. They should build statues of her and instead people were upset that she fought as a woman. The music in the film is great and I’ll never get tired of hearing Lea Salonga’s voice. The most amazing moment of the entire movie was the sudden change in mood between “A Girl Worth Fighting for” and them coming across the camp that’d been destroyed by the Huns. It had been all fun and games to that point, but the gravity of the situation could be felt at that moment. It was a very powerful moment. Mulan is a great film that captures a time period that isn’t talked about a lot in Disney. It’s certainly up there in the Renaissance period of Disney. 

5. Big Hero 6 (2014)

This is such an unorthodox superhero film. While technically under the Marvel umbrella, it isn’t like any Marvel film you’ve ever seen. It doesn’t have the same appeal as an Avengers film, but it has a charm all its own. I need a backstory on San Fransoyko. Did Japan take over the U.S. or is there another explanation? There is a little bit of everything in this one. There’s good action. There is good comedy, especially from Baymax. At the heart of it is a story about grief and overcoming loss and how to properly do it. This is a film where I can confidently say that there isn’t a character I dislike. Every member of the six has their own charm and while some border on the line, none of them are so annoying that I start to not like them. The villain reveal is a good one. I didn’t think it was Prof. Callaghan the first time, though it’s fairly obvious in hindsight because there are only so many options as to who it could be. To me, it’s criminal that this hasn’t gotten a sequel in theaters. This is worthy of a franchise and it deserves more than just this film. Give me more of this group together, please.

4. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

This is easily one of the best comedies Disney has ever thought of. There are so many sight gags and fourth-wall breaks. It’s the small things too. It doesn’t have to be some grandiose joke. All it takes is a small shoulder nudge at the camera to get me laughing. It’s not one of Disney’s most visually stunning films, but it’s one of the best-casted films in Disney history. David Spade is easy to hate and then like all over again. John Goodman is the best dad ever and I wish he’d adopt me and be my father. He has such a calming nature to him and it comes through in his performance. You can argue that his character is a little too naïve and trusting of Kuzco despite being burned a bunch of times. The real stars of the show are Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton. Their performances as Yzma and Kronk steal the show for me. Yzma is definitely eviler, yet she gets plenty of moments to shine with her humor. Kronk is such a loveable loser. He’s working for the bad guy but doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. You can’t help but root for him. Even Chicha and the kids get their moments to deliver some laughs. I’ll admit that they do get lucky a lot and the logic behind some of the sequences are flawed, but it’s not enough for me to dislike this film as a whole. It’s s true gem of the post-Renaissance era. 

3. The Lion King (1994)

The opening of this film is arguably the most iconic in cinematic history. “Circle of Life” is one of the best opening songs to a film ever and the beautiful sequence of the animals all converging on Pride Rock is magnificent. It’s clear how much Hamlet influences this story. It’s a bunch of small things that make this film great. The single moment that stood out to me was the look Mufasa gives Scar right before he throws him from the rock. He knows what’s about to happen and the look on his face was animated perfectly to show his shock at this betrayal from his brother. It’s my favorite moment in the film by a mile, even if it is one of the most iconic death scenes of all time. This is another film whose soundtrack is iconic all the way through. Elton John’s influence on the music was felt in each of his original songs. This is a visually stunning film and makes great use of its beautiful setting. As great as Simba is, it’s the side characters that steal the show, especially Timon and Pumbaa. As much as I like the opening, “Hakuna Matata” is probably my favorite song in the film. There’s a reason this won a Golden Globe and it was a well-deserved honor. This is easily one of the best films of the Renaissance and among the best in Disney’s catalog.

2. Aladdin (1992)

There are a few obvious things about this film that are excellent. Let me start with some of the minor flaws. Aladdin isn’t a great hero. I know that most heroes go through rough patches in films, but Aladdin’s is one of the obvious narrative problems where if he’d told the truth once he’d have been in the clear. It’s fairly obvious that Jasmine likes him, so there was no need for him to lie about who he was. Jafar is a good villain, though he’s over-reliant on his scepter to bend people to his will. He’s no doubt evil, but he has the same typical motivations. The age gap between Jafar and Jasmine is another one of those weird things about this movie. As for the positives, Jasmine is one of my favorite Disney princesses. She’s very vocal about what she wants and that’s not something I feel like we’ve seen. She does want a lot of the same things the others want, but she’s also willing to say no. The music is also phenomenal. “A Whole New World” won awards for best original song, but there are three or four that were deserving of that distinction. The voice cast was excellent from top-to-bottom, yet I think we can all agree on who the star was. Robin Williams’ performance is one of the most iconic voice acting jobs in cinematic history. His patented comedy and improvisation can be seen in the entire film and it elevates this film to a level that I don’t think it gets raised to without his magic. It could be argued it wouldn’t be as revered if not for him, but I wouldn’t go that far. This has always been a favorite of mine and I always love coming back to it. 

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

I will always contend that this film is the most underrated of the Disney Renaissance and one of the most overlooked films in all of Disney. It features easily the most sympathetic protagonist, one of the best love stories, and one of the most despicable villains. I spoke the praises of The Lion King and its opening song, but “The Bells of Notre Dame” is just as good, granted the scene that accompanies it might not be as good. I do have some issues with some of the graphics of the film, especially towards the end as Quasimodo is swinging in to save Esmeralda. The people in the crowd looked really bad. My other big issue is with the ending and Esmeralda being reduced to a damsel in distress for most of it. She’d been such a vital part of the plot and had proven to be strong, but she wasn’t given the chance to do much of anything in the final fight with Frollo. Other than those small things, this movie is excellent. The music, while not being quite as iconic as others before it, features some excellent songs. Frollo’s song is easily my favorite villain song ever. It’s amazing this film was given a G rating despite the themes and subject matter. It’s extremely dark for a movie aimed at kids. I like the chemistry of Esmeralda and Phoebus. The ending gives me chills as Quasimodo is accepted by everyone else and carried out. I don’t think the movie is perfect, but it is truly spectacular. I wish it was given the proper respect it deserves.