Here is my continuation of “My Ranking Of The Disney Animated Canon Part 1“
38. Oliver & Company
Oliver & Company is a film that I found surprisingly enjoyable. While several of the characters are forgettable, I do like the characters of Oliver, Dodger and Fagin quite a bit and care about what happens to them. The animation is very pleasant as well, more so for the characters since there are some scratchy backgrounds of New York City that I don’t care for.
37. The Rescuers Down Under
As a fan of the original film, I was curious to see what a theatrical sequel would be like. What I got was a decent follow-up that expanded on the relationship between Bernard and Ms. Bianca as well as having some nice animation and a surprisingly good villain. However, I didn’t care for the kid as much as I did in the original movie and was disappointed to see so little interaction between him and the mice.
36. Fantasia 2000
Speaking of theatrical sequels, Fantasia 2000 also fits into this category. While enjoyable with some truly spectacular animation and music, I confess that I really hate the celebrity appearances between each animated short and they drag the experience down dramatically.
35. Wreck-It Ralph
I clearly remember going to see Wreck-It Ralph in the cinema and being disappointed by it. While still a good, enjoyable movie, I felt like the gimmick of having real video game characters in the movie was wasted. Additionally, I really hate the side story of Fix-It Felix Jr.’s romance. However, the general visual style, particularly the world of Sugar Rush, is very appealing and I do like the friendship that develops between Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz.
34. The Aristocats
The Aristocats is a very enjoyable movie. While it does like to take a few too many detours from the main story, the core cast of characters are very lovable and the film also has a truly spectacular song in the form of “Everybody Wants To Be A Cat”.
33. Fantasia
The original Fantasia is a truly spectacular film with some incredible animated shorts and music. My biggest problem is that, similar to Fantasia 2000, the sections between the shorts are quite dull and, in my opinion, unnecessary.
32. Frozen
There is a lot to love about Frozen. Anna is a surprisingly good character, there are some fantastic songs and spectacular animation. I also love how the story handles the third act of the film. However, I hate the shop scene and especially hate the rock trolls scene. I also find Olaf to be an incredibly annoying character. In general, I would say that there is a lot more to love in Frozen than to hate but the scenes I mentioned really drag the film down for me.
31. The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame has a lovable protagonist, great animation, surprisingly dark themes and one of the greatest Disney songs ever made, Hellfire. Unfortunately the rest of the songs are very forgettable and any interaction between Quasimodo and Phoebus is painful.
30. Moana
Moana is an enjoyable film with two likable protagonists, good animation and some great songs as well. However, I’m not a fan of the sequence in the movie where Moana and Maui leave each other and then end up getting back together, feeling like it was poorly executed. The film also has a disjointed feel to it that leaves a strange feeling in me.
29. Tarzan
Tarzan is a very well animated film that has several great characters, some memorable songs and a surprisingly awesome climax. I truly do love the interactions between Tarzan and Jane for the majority of the film, the finale rubs me the wrong way for some reason. I don’t like Terk or Tantor though, finding them annoying and poorly written.
28. Winnie the Pooh
I’ve always loved Winnie the Pooh and the 2011 film does a pretty good job of giving us a new entry in the franchise. The animation is great and the characters are as lovable as ever, although is it just me or is Rabbit a little too hyper in this film? It’s also too short at about 60 minutes, leaving a slightly dissatisfied feeling as the movie concludes.
27. Ralph Breaks The Internet
Ralph Breaks The Internet is an improvement over the first Wreck-It Ralph film. The interactions between Ralph and Vanellope are fantastic for the first two thirds of the film. There are also some nice touches of internet culture in the film, with a hilarious after-credits scene, and I absolutely adore the sequence where Vanellope interacts with the Disney princesses. However, I’m not a fan of the third act of the film, feeling like the interactions between Vanellope and Ralph take a nose dive amid a rather pointless scene of peril.
26. Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6 setting is a really pleasant fusion of Tokyo and San Francisco and the main character of Hiro works really well with Baymax, the heart of the film. There are also some really good action sequences and the after-credits of the movie is a really good nod to Marvel fans. However, I do wish that the other superheroes as well as the supervillain were better developed, leaving Hiro and Baymax as pretty much the only memorable characters.
25. Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was the first animated film released by Walt Disney Animation Studios and set a standard that the rest of the animation industry struggled to reach for decades. The animation is really lovely for the most part and the Evil Queen is a great and menacing villain. The main characters are all likeable as well even if they are a tad simplistic and Snow White’s voice is screechier than I’d like.
24. Treasure Planet
Treasure Planet is a surprisingly moving adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. The bond between Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver is incredible and really cements the emotion of the film. The film also has a great sense of wonder, something that I always appreciate in media. Some of the side-characters I don’t care for and some of the CGI hasn’t aged that well but I still think Treasure Planet is a great film.
23. The Great Mouse Detective
The Great Mouse Detective is an incredibly enjoyable film with a great pairing of Basil and Dawson as they face the delightfully villainous Ratigan. The animation of the film is lovely with an incredibly well-done CGI sequence in the climax of the film. I do wish that the emotional beats hit harder but it’s still a great watch.
22. Bolt
Bolt is a clever film that, if you’re unaware of its premise, will catch you off guard within the first 15 minutes of its opening. The characters are lovable, maybe with the exception of Rhino who’s too over the top for my liking, and it manages to explore a life-changing experience for the main character very well. The animation, while still a bit basic compared to some later CGI offerings, is really charming and a big step up from Disney’s previous CGI films.
21. Hercules
Hercules is an incredibly enjoyable film that features a wide variety of engaging characters, a brilliant villain in the form of Hades and some spectacular action sequences. The animation is brilliant as well although I do wish that the CGI used for the Hydra didn’t stand out so much. It doesn’t reach the height that the best of the Disney Renaissance had to offer but it’s still great.
20. The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog has a really lovely protagonist in the form of Tiana, a woman who’s working hard to achieve her dream of opening a restaurant. The villain, Dr. Facilier, is also brilliant with some incredible use of colour and animation in his sequences. The side-characters are decent enough but don’t stand out as much as Tiana or Facilier. There are also some fantastic songs within the film.
Be sure to check out the conclusion to this article in “My Ranking Of The Disney Animated Canon Part 3“!
Hopefully you have found this article interesting and informative and, if you wish to seek any of the works I mentioned, don’t hesitate to use amazon.co.uk or amazon.com for all of your needs!