From a young age,Walt Disneyknew he was destined to be a storyteller and spread the same joy he got from hearing a good story with the rest of the world. The budding industry of hand-drawn animation proved to be the perfect medium for him, but he faced early struggles when Universal Studios stole most of his animators and the rights to his first characterwith fellow animatorUb Iwerks, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Undeterred, he founded a new company with his brother,Roy O. Disney, and worked with Iwerks to create a new mascot: Mickey Mouse.
Today, Disney is perhaps the most recognized media conglomerate on the planet, with numerous beloved films under its belt. Their animated canon and joint efforts with Pixar are their most recognizable batch of films, thanks in large part to how timeless they are. Thanks to simple stories with strong morals, lovable characters, and breathtaking animation, these films transcend generations and continue to inspire and entertain children and adults of all ages.
Directed by David D. Hand
Deep in the forest one spring day, a doe (Paula Winslowe) gives birth to a young prince named Bambi (Bobby Stewart, Donnie Dunagan, Hardie Albright, andJohn Sutherland). He makes friends with other young animals and explores the forest with them, learning everything from which foods to eat, the joys of ice skating, and the identity of his father, the Great Prince of the Forest (Fred Shields). However, life in the forest isn’t all fun and games, especially when an unseen force called Man arrives.
Bambimay be light on story, but it is an artistic masterpiece that perfectly captures a snapshot of life in the forest. Walt’s animators trained for years to make their drawings expressive and realistically proportioned, while the background art byTyrus Wongused watercolors to make the landscapes blend together in a gorgeous and mystical display. The result is the majesty of nature brought to life through phenomenal artistry, and agehas done little to dull its beauty.
9’Fantasia' (1940)
Directed by Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen, David D. Hand, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, and Wilfred Jackson
When Mickey began to lag in popularity behind Donald and Goofy in the 1930s, Walt decided to create an artistically elaborate short based onThe Sorcerer’s Apprentice.However, Walt’s ambition proved to be rather costly, so to ensure a return on profit, he expanded the short into an anthology film. With conductorLeopold Stokowskileading the Philadelphia Orchestra and music criticDeems Taylor(dubbed over byCory Burton) as Master of Ceremony, the film displays eight segments that blend classical music with Disney animation.
Fantasiawas Walt’s attempt to make a serious, artistic film,though it sadly underperformed at the box office, which scrapped his plans for sequels untilFantasia2000nearly 60 years later. Nowadays,Fantasihas been re-evaluated as an arthouse masterpiece thanks to its unique premise and the quality of its shorts, particularlyThe Sorcerer’s Apprentice,The Nutcracker,andNight on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria.It’s a film that changes as you get older and can comprehend the level of craft and the artistic vision needed to blend music and animation so harmoniously.
8’Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937)
Directed by David Hand
While picking wildflowers one day, Snow White (Adriana Caselotti) is nearly killed by a huntsman (Stuart Buchanan) on orders from her stepmother, the queen (Lucille La Verne). However, the huntsman can’t bring himself to kill the princess and instead tells her to flee into the woods and never come back. Though initially scared, she is helped along by woodland animals, who take her to a cottage owned by seven dwarfs.
Originally referred to as “Disney’s Folly,” due to its mounting production costs and stigma against animation,Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsmade history by proving the emotional power of animated stories. Walt’s passion is alive in every frame, sucking you into the timeless story about the transformative power of kindness, making you laugh with the heroes during a party and fear for their safety when the Evil Queen learns of the deception. Other Disney films are superior in terms of storytelling and technique, butSnow Whiteremains one of the best examples of one that thrives on emotional storytelling.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
7’Pinocchio' (1940)
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske
One night, a Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) visits the home of an elderly woodcarver named Jeppetto (Christian Rub) to grant his wish to make his puppet, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), a real boy. The fairy is only able to give him life, however, and tells Pinocchio that he can do the rest if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. To aid him, she assigns a cricket named Jiminy (Cliff Edwards) to be his conscience, but things quickly turn chaotic as Pinocchio is swept up into a series of dark adventures.
Pinocchiois easilyone of the darkest Disney films, thanks to its terrifying imagery and how none of the villains are brought to justice, which presents children with a harsh but necessary lesson regarding how unfair things can be at times. However, it’s also chock-full of other great, timeless morals, such as the danger of falling into bad habits at a young age and the importance of following rules. Pinocchio is also a timeless protagonist: he is a kind, optimistic soul who gets into trouble due to his inexperience, but never means harm and is quick to try and fix his mistakes when he sees the damage.
6’Cinderella' (1950)
Directed by Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi
After her father’s death, Cinderella (Ilene Woods) is turned into a servant by her stepmother, Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley), and her two daughters. Despite this, Cinderella keeps an optimistic attitude, and even helps protect the local mice and birds from the family cat, Lucifer (June Foray). One day, the King (Luis van Rooten) hosts a royal ball, and though her stepfamily does what they can to deny her attendance, Cinderella is given a night of magic thanks to her Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton).
Much likeSnow White,Cinderellaisan important film from Disney’s historythat saved the company and cemented fairy tale adaptations as their specialty. It has a bit of everything: the animation is breathtaking and stylistic, the characters are fun and memorable, the music is enchanting and catchy, and the message is a sincere exploration of how kindness inspires more kindness. Walt also cited the scene of Cinderella receiving her dress ashis favourite moment in any of his moviesbecause of his own rags to ritches story.
Cinderella
5’The Little Mermaid' (1989)
Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
Ariel (Jodi Benson) is the youngest daughter of the sea king, Triton (Kenneth Mars), but finds herself drawn to the surface world and human culture. One night, she rescues Prince Eric (Christopher Daniel Barns) from drowning in a storm and falls in love with him. Unbeknownst to Ariel, the sea witch, Ursula (Pat Carroll), is watching her and hopes to use Ariel in her plot to usurp control over the sea.
The Little Mermaidkickstarted the Disney Renaissance and remainsone of the most beloved films of the era. The relationship between Eric and Ariel is well handled due to both characters having agency and fleshed-out personalities, as well as allowing them to fall in love over several days instead of love at first sight. The music byAlane MenkenandHoward Ashmanis nothing short of masterful, bringing a Broadway flair that advanced the story through song and remains captivating all these years later.
The Little Mermaid
4’The Lion King' (1994)
Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
Simba (Johnathan Taylor ThomasandMatthew Broderick) is the son of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) of the Pride Lands, and he loves to spend his days going on adventures and fantasizing about his time as king. However, his uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) covets the throne and allies with a clan of hyenas to seize it. They succeed in killing Mufasa, but Simba escapes into self-exile, believing that he is responsible for his father’s death.
The Lion Kingwas originallythe B-movie meant to fill time untilPocahontaswas released in 1995, only to break all sorts of critical and box office records and rise as one of Disney’s most beloved films. This is thanks to a combination of phenominal animation that makes the world feel larger than life, a diverse cast of memorable and lovable characters, fantastic music bySir Elton JohnandSir Tim Rice,and a timeless story with universal themes. Simba’s journey reminds us that we cannot run from our problems, and while the events of the past can hurt us long into the future, the only way to improve is to learn from our mistakes and confront the problem head-on.
The Lion King
3’WALL-E' (2008)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
When humanity was forced to evacuate Earth due to overpopulation, the Buy n Large corporation tasked a legion of trash-compacting robots to clean things up. 700 years later, humans haven’t returned, and the last WALL-E (Ben Burtt) robot continues his job while developing a personality and fascination with ancient culture. One day, he meets EVE (Elissa Knight), a probe sent to evaluate if Earth can sustain life, and after showing her a healthy plant, WALL-E is taken back to humanity’s spaceship and starts a chain reaction that will bring them home.
An essential film for any Pixar fan,WALL-Edemonstrates the power of nonverbal acting in animated films. Since WALL-E and EVE have minimalist dialogue, all of their expressions come through slight adjustments to their faces and body language, yet audiences never feel lost or confused as their relationship blossoms into a beautiful love story. The film’s themes about environmentalism and the dangers of allowing technology to run our lives are even more poignant today, thanks to the rise of AI and increasing environmental changes.
2’Toy Story' (1995)
Directed by John Lasseter
As Andy Davis (John Morris) and his family prepare to move houses, his cowboy toy, Woody (Tom Hanks), keeps order among the rest of Andy’s toys, who come to life when he isn’t around. During his birthday party, Andy receives a Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) action figure, who believes he is a real space ranger instead of a toy. Andy becomes enamored with his new favourite toy, which makes Woody jealous enough to try and get rid of him.
Toy Storyis the first fully CGI animated film, Pixar’s first entry, and a contender forone of the greatest animated films ever made. While its CGI naturally looks dated by today’s standards, the story is a timeless tale about friendship, identity, the dangers of jealousy, and childhood imagination. A major reason for its success is the relationship between Woody and Buzz: it is beautifully paced to create a believable transition from rivals to friends, and both Hanks and Allen breathe so much life into the characters with their iconic performances.
1’Beauty and the Beast' (1991)
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
Belle (Paige O’Hara) is a young woman living in a provincial town who dreams of a life of adventure. She gets her wish when she takes the place of her father, Maurice (Rex Everhart), as the prisoner of a Beast (Robby Benson) who rules an enchanted castle. Though the two start on understandably rocky terms, over time, Belle and the Beast start to lower their guards and change their attitudes, leading toone of the greatest fantasy love stories ever told.
Beauty and the Beastwas so beloved on release that it became the first animated film to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture and the only one nominated when the Oscars had 5 nominees instead of 10. It lives up to its status as a “tale as old as time” thanks to its story, which explores the universal themes of love, self-discovery, redemption, and seeing beyond the surface, accentuated with beloved musical sequences and gorgeous animation. Belle and Beast still rank among Disney’s best protagonists thanks to their fleshed-out personalities, their mutual growth, and the performances by O’Hara and Benson.
Beauty and the Beast
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