Honourable Mentions

So as long as I'm doing the "Top 15 Disney movies I grew up with" reviews to kick off this blog, I might as well clarify the list of movies that I consider to be the ones from my childhood, and quickly acknowledge the gems I've had to leave out. The point of this series is to weigh out the nostalgia factor of movies I always enjoyed to the extent to which they hold up as I review them now, ten years later. Obviously there are a bunch of Disney movies I didn't see as a child or only saw once or twice, which I can't really judge from a nostalgic point of view. But since then I've seen nearly all of the old Disney movies, and also some of the new ones.


Here is the list of the official 15 movies I AM reviewing in full for this series (though the order in which I place them shall remain a surprise). To call this a "top" 15 list is a loose interpretations, considering there were only about 15 I remember seeing a lot as a kid.

• Snow White (1937)
• Cinderella (1950)
• Alice in Wonderland (1951)
• Peter Pan (1953)
• Sleeping Beauty (1959)
• One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
• The Sword in the Stone (1963)
• The Aristocats (1970) - which I've already done as #15
• Robin Hood (1973)
• The Little Mermaid (1989)
• Beauty and the Beast (1991)
• Aladdin (1992)
• The Lion King (1994)
• Pocahontas (1995) - which I've already done as #14
• Mulan (1998)

So right now I'll just mention the best Disney movies I DIDN'T grow up with and talk about their merits now that I've finally seen them. Apologies for the ones I left out because I haven't seen them or don't like them. Dumbo is one I need to see. Hercules, The Emperor's New Groove, Treasure Planet and Atlantis are ones I don't hold in such high regard. They're fun flicks, but the quality of Disney movies seems to have suffered in the 00s.

Let's go in order of release, shall we?

Pinocchio (1940), like Snow White, this one's pretty amazing considering how long ago it was made. I only got to see part of it once, I think. Overall a pretty good time.

Fantasia (1940), I remember watching this once or twice as a kid and thinking it was quite boring due to the fact that it has no story. It's basically an art piece, a collection of short animations put to music. When I watch it now, I appreciate so much better. It's become one of my favourites, simply because it's so beautiful and perfectly put together. Fantasia 2000 can eat its heart out.

Bambi (1942), a beautifully simple one that will make you cry, for the best reasons.

Lady and the Tramp (1955), there are better ones, but the simplicity of this one is also just nice.

The Fox and the Hound (1981), a great movie though it drags at times and could have been done better. It manages to get a great message about prejudice across without being too preachy.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), I hate the obnoxious gargoyles, but I love everything else. Absolutely breathtaking imagery and orchestral pieces. The Hellfire sequence is one of Disney's best.

Tarzan (1999), an excellently animated movie. Tarzan's relationship with the gorillas was kind of cliched, and as was the greedy villain and the bumbling old professor, but I love Jane.

Lilo & Stitch (2002), pretty nicely done considering it seems a bit weird for Disney to do a movie like this. I particularly love Lilo and her sister's relationship. Not so fond of Stitch...

The Princess and the Frog (2009), a nice return to the traditional animation style and a clever adaption of the fairy tale in old-timey Louisiana, though the plot was kind of overcomplicated.

Tangled (2010), undoubtedly my favourite Disney film of the 21st Century. The characters are either remarkably deep or delightfully simple, and either way very likeable. The plot takes twists and turns you don't see coming and some of those action scenes are the best-animated I've ever seen. Rapunzel was handled perfectly; not too helpless but not too amazonian. I'm having trouble thinking of any flaws at all.

Frozen (2013), probably the number 2 of the 21st Century. Brilliant and breathtaking for all the same reasons as Tangled, though I just wished they spent more time on the amazing main characters' development and less time on singing ice-workers and snowmen. It should have just been longer. But I guess that's a good criticism to have.

And that's it! Can't wait to release the next review!