Tag: modern

Categories
Uncategorised

Pixar Features Ranking: Films 1-5

As with the Disney Animated Classics rankings that I am currently working on, I always thought it would be a nice idea to give myself another impossible challenge of ranking the amazing films from Disney Pixar. Founded in 1986 to pave the way for computer animation, Pixar has since become an icon in the world of film and has made its name in animation. After making a small collection of short films, includings the iconic Luxo Jr, director John Lasseter thought it would be a great idea to translate this new animation into a feature and thus Toy Story was created and a new phenomena was formed. Since then Pixar has been completely acquired by Disney and its global popularity is attributed to the quality writing, memorable characters and the stunning aesthetic.

It’s only natural then to task myself with the challenge of ranking their brilliant offerings. Of course this shouldn’t take as long as they have 20 features in their repertoire (excluding Toy Story 4 which is released later this month). I will discuss 5 films per blog and if I have seen it in time, I will also include Toy Story 4 in the ranking.

Here we go with Pixar films 1-5:

1) Toy Story (1995)

The film that revolutionised animation and sparked wonder for many generations, Toy Story really is a film like no other. The plot is fairly simple, what would happen if your toys could come to life. When Andy receives a Buzz Lightyear for his birthday, leader of toys Woody becomes threatened as he isn’t the favourite toy anymore. Aside from becoming the Pixar aesthetic, computer animation has proven to be the popular animation among audiences and therefore all major animation studios have tended to follow in Pixar’s footsteps. Even Disney Studio ceased production on hand-drawn animation after the release of 2011’s Winnie the Pooh. Although hugely expensive at the time of Toy Story’s release, computer animation has turned into the cheaper and less time-consuming of animation and tends to be the familiar style that audiences today expect. There are a lot of scenes in this film that standout so I’ll go through a couple. First there is the scene when the toys and the audience are introduced to Buzz as he stands on the bed with confidence. The toys are perplexed by this stranger but immediately take to him as he shows off his actions and moves (not to mention to important backstory of Star Command). It’s a scene that immediately reveals Woody’s jealousy and inability to really control the other toys, who he sees as lesser beings. The conflict between the two characters is immediate but communicated through body language and the toy’s abilities themselves. Comparing Woody’s old-school string pull on his back to Buzz’s abundance of buttons and wings shows no contest as Woody must face this new era in Andy’s life and the toys follow suit. Later on in the film when Woody and Buzz are kidnapped by Sid, a kid who likes to destroy his toys and lives across the street from Andy, Buzz realises that he just a toy and not a spaceman. When he says those famous words “to infinity and beyond…” and jumps to fly, falling down and landing at the foot of the stairs, Buzz is physically and emotionally broken. His realisation sends him into a breakdown (cue Mrs. Nesbitt) and the friendship develops between himself and Woody as they respect each other as equals. The film is simple in plot but the importance of this film cannot be understated for its contributions to animation (and rightly received an Honorary Oscar for this) and complexities within the plot allow the characters to truly develop and bring the characters to life from this perspective.

2) A Bug’s Life (1998)

If Pixar’s first offering was all about bringing life to inanimate objects then the second offering is all about bringing the Pixar DNA to nature. Following clumsy inventor, Flik, A Bug’s Life explores how one ant has the courage to face off an oppressive group of grasshoppers who threaten to destroy the ant colony if they don’t provide enough food. A Bug’s Life provides one of my favourite characters in the Pixar universe in the form of hilarious caterpillar, Heimlich (voiced by the late Joe Ranft). This German legend just wants to gain his wings and the payoff at the end of the film is golden. Although not as well-received as its predecessor, A Bug’s Life has its charm and is still a brilliant film. It also challenged Pixar to create different textures as the setting is in nature so they had to consider how the weather affects the environment and the insects themselves. The lead grasshopper, Hopper (voiced by Kevin Spacey) is cruel and relentless in his approach to ruling the colony, gas-lighting the ants into believing that they need the grasshopper’s protection when in fact, they outnumber the grasshoppers at least 100 to 1. The number of ants was an impressive feat to animate as well as the animators had never attempted to create so many characters onscreen at any one time before. This is only a small detail and only for a couple of seconds in a scene but it’s important to acknowledge these seemingly little challenges have helped make computer animation as flawless and progressive as it is today.

3) Toy Story 2 (1999)

Toy Story 2 is one of those rare sequels that, in my opinion, surpasses the original. Woody is stolen by a toy collector who plans to ship him off to a museum in Japan. Flipping the situation around so Woody becomes disillusioned with his own legacy as part of “Woody’s Roundup”, a television show in which he is the star, it is up to Buzz and co to save him and bring him back before Andy comes home from summer camp. This film introduces us to a variety of new iconic toys, particularly cowgirl Jessie and loyal steed Bullseye. Everything in this installment is sharper from the animation to the character development to the scores and songs (who doesn’t cry at “When She Loved Me”?). It’s my favourite of the Toy Story films so far and I don’t think Toy Story 4 will usurp it (not because it will be bad but because Toy Story 2 is genius in every way). What makes this film as brilliant as it is is Pixar’s ability to identify what worked well in the original and to elaborate on that so incorporating more branded toys as a way to create familiarity with the audience and creating a villain who is even more unsympathetic than the original. There are two antagonists in this film with the first being Al, owner of Al’s Toy Barn and mad toy collector who kidnaps Woody at the start of the film. He lives alone opposite his shop surrounded by his extensive Woody’s Roundup toy collection. The little we see of him shows that he doesn’t have any friends and he is rude and aggressive to everyone he meets. The idea that he is a collector should suggest passion which could have been a redeeming feature but he only plans to sell it showing that he only sees the toys as money rather than sentimental in the way that Andy does. The second villain is Stinky Pete, the Prospector who has been kept in his box in mint condition for years as the toys have waited for Woody. Voiced by Kelsey Grammer, Stinky Pete is kind and paternal on the surface but underneath he is mean and controlling, much like Al. I think it was smart to incorporate a toy villain as it is someone the characters can actually exchange conversation with and build that conflict fully.

4) Monsters, Inc. (2001)

The next step Pixar took was to create an entirely new universe altogether for this film about a world populated by monsters. Pete Docter’s feature length directorial debut, Monsters, Inc. follows Sulley (voiced by John Goodman), the best “scarer” at the titular place where children’s screams fuel the city’s energy supply and his assistant, Mike (Billy Crystal) as they encounter a toddler who has wandered into the monster world. This film allowed the animators to push the bar as far as they could and the result is a brilliantly original burst of colour. The writing is superb as expected from Pixar and casting Crystal was a great choice as it appeared that his quick wit and ability to spontaneously burst into song was perfect for the role of Mike. Another highlight in this film for me is the textures given to the monsters, in particular the fur. The detail is impeccable and the city looks just like a regular city to make the concept of this monster universe believable to the audience. It’s a film that elevated my imagination as a kid, especially the scene with all the doors as Mike and Sulley venture through different worlds. The scene with the abominable snowman is fantastic as it’s set in the snowy mountains but despite the lack of props on the screen, the detail in the snow and rocks is groundbreaking. It seems that at this point, Pixar are seeing how big they can go with their universe creation and the details and characters shown in Monsters, Inc. are created so impeccably that this easily could have turned into a franchise with numerous sequels and reboots rather than just one prequel, Monsters University which was released in 2013.

5) Finding Nemo (2003)

The fifth film in Pixar’s catalogue is a heart-warming tale of Marlin the clown-fish and his journey across the ocean to find his missing son, Nemo. Accompanied by the lovable and forgetful, Dory, they venture into the unknown encountering sharks, jellyfish and turtles to name a few in a bid to bring Nemo back home after he is captured by a scuba diver. With Andrew Stanton in the director’s chair, the film has one of the most heartbreaking opening scenes that always leaves me in tears. The first Pixar film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (Monster’s, Inc. was the first film that could have won but it lost to Shrek), Finding Nemo is about the importance of family but equally the importance of freedom and allowing kids to have the space to explore. The big seller of this film is Dory, a John Dory with short-term memory loss and her unrelenting optimism as she helps Marlin search for Nemo which helps keep the film light for the younger audience but there are so many mature undertones to this film that makes it a thrill to watch as an adult. It isn’t afraid to show vulnerability and flaws in its protagonist and the script allows for real growth in both Marlin and Nemo as both realise the importance the other has in their life. On another level, the Pixar studio also raised the importance of preserving marine wildlife which although subtle in this film, is made all the more clearer in its sequel, Finding Dory. Directed by Andrew Stanton, Finding Nemo is a beautiful adventure under the sea that brings even more colour and imagination than the previous films made by the studio.

So that’s it for the first bunch of Pixar films. Now since Pixar’s catalogue is a lot shorter than the Disney Studio’s, this series will only consist of four posts but that doesn’t mean it won’t be hard to rank. I found it difficult with this post alone because Pixar have such a strong repertoire of films that show off just how far the imagination can be stretched; however, after (literally) hours of deciding, I have managed to rank them.

Here is my ranking:

1) Toy Story 2 (1999)

2) Monsters, Inc. (2001)

3) Finding Nemo (2003)

4) Toy Story (1995)

5) A Bug’s Life (1998)

My next post will look at what I believe to be the best offerings from Pixar as we delve into more Oscar winners and even the second animation ever to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture (even more of an achievement than Beauty and the Beast as there is now the Best Animated Feature category as well so it even exceeded that!).

In the meantime, what do you think of my ranking so far? What would you put as number one? Let me know in the comments below!

Categories
Uncategorised

Women’s Voice In Film

Women in film has become a huge talking point for film development in recent years, partially due to the #metoo movement that outed the abusive patriarchy in film seeing women given less power both in representation and finance. A lot of discussion on the internet (from men mostly) questioning whether there truly is a problem in the first place, do the women deserve the harassment they face and most importantly, do we really need these gender swap remakes? The answers to these questions are simply: yes there is a problem, no a woman never deserves harassment and of course we need as much female representation as possible.

It’s not secret that the days of Golden Hollywood, although seemingly flawless and iconic, foresaw the way women in film were treated by their bosses (producers and directors). From the infamous “casting couch” to the manipulative studio contracts, Hollywood presented itself as a mecca of dreams but proved to be a breaking point of mental illness, drug and alcohol misuse and domestic abuse. This period sees the breakdown of many stars including Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis just to name a few. It seemed that solace could only be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.

So what does this issue have to do with Hollywood today?

Well, to begin with, despite the elimination of studio contracts in the 50s due to the collapse of the Hollywood studio structure, it appears that female filmmaking is still viewed as a niche rather than as an equal offering. The fact that we even discuss a film as “female” or celebrate female creators and strong female characters shouldn’t be something we celebrate in the 21st century. Especially considering that we’re at a century of accessible filmmaking that has distributed across the globe. AFter everything that has happened globally regarding women’s issues such as voting rights, reproductive rights, fighting the wage gap, it’s unsurprising that the fight for the female experience through a woman’s perspective has been equally difficult. After all, film is a brilliant and affordable medium to translate issues to a global audience using visuals to gain awareness for issues. Take last year’s Oscar-winning short documentary Period. End of Sentence. that looks at female poverty in India where women are forced to quit school due to periods as they are unablt to afford sanitary products. In terms of fictional feature films, we have seen a resurgence of female driven comedies with Bridesmaids accredited with starting this trend. Other offerings in recent years have reverted back to teenage years with 2019’s Booksmart and 2017’s Lady Bird among the big fish. it’s great to see original stories created by women being given mainstream releases and have subsequently done well in the awards circuit. As well as comedies, we have also seen female-centred dramas such as Todd Haynes’ beautiful and iconic LGBT love story Carol (you can read my review here) starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, which I would argue is the best love film of the century so far. Now these Indie films do incredibly well, but why hasn’t this translated as well into mainstream films? I’ll try to break this down.

It’s known that the majority of people who will go and see an original story created and performed by women is going to be seen by women. That’s all well and good but considering that men are the majority of the cinematic audience statistically, it’s important to get men to see films created and performed by women too. This is for a number of reasons and since the film industry is a business, the most important issue is money. If more men see the films then more money is given to the filmmakers and then more films created by women can be made which would eventually make the idea of the “female film” as old and traditional as the Golden Age of Hollywood. This brings me to the gender swap remakes. If you looked at the highest grossing films in recent years, chances are that they are filled with sequels, reboots, prequels and remakes. Using this information, it is a smart idea that in order to bring a female perspective to a high-grossing film, you must incorporate strong female roles into these films. However, this hasn’t been without a share of complaints from a small portion of the male audience. Take the Marvel and DC Universes for example. Admittedly, I am not a huge fan of the Marvel Universe but I have never heard such negativity from a male audience regarding it’s iconic female characters before. It seems that every other film is released with no issue, Marvel films particularly tend to sell out every initial screening and exceed in both critic and audience circles so when they decided to do a film dedicated to Captain Marvel, this should have been a celebration for a strong female character to join the achievements of its predecessors; however, this sadly wasn’t the case. A portion of the male audience was outraged by Brie Larson’s interpretation of the role as well as her feminist statements. It’s all well and good when the male superheros want to prove their stereotyped masculinity (which is an old school trope that Marvel appear to be fighting as well by bringing vulnerability into the male characters) but when Captain Marvel doesn’t need a man to save the world and more importantly, doesn’t want a man with her to save the world, this is a major issue. It was a role that should have been celebrated but instead, while Endgame was adored for bringing its emotion to the male characters (Iron Man specifically), Captain Marvel is viewed in a negative light because she veers away from the traditional “eye-candy” trope that Golden Hollywood has been feeding the audience with for years. I hope that as these franchises expand and more female characters are incorporated into their respected universes, the male audience that openly despises the likes of Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman may be open to the idea of the strong, independent women without thinking of them as simple love interests or sidekicks rather than the leaders of their own stories. Despite this small male audience who tweet outrageously about the femalecentred films, DC is clearly proud of the overwhelming success of Wonder Woman as they are bringing Patty Jenkins back for the second film (I did actually enjoy Wonder Woman! The first segment featuring the Amazonians is astonishing direction and writing).

I am not writing this article to be negative or bash the male audience because the male audience is important to the plight of female filmmaking as well and it is only a small portion. I think that there has to be an understanding that it is much harder for a woman to get a film made than a man. Once that statement is understood and acknowledged then the discussion of female film becomes a welcome idea and celebrated. But in a world where the Indie films created by women are renowned for their originality, why do we need gender swapped films such as Ghostbusters? Do we actually need them?

As I said at the top of this article… yes, yes we do!

Why do we need them? By remaking films with gender swapped protagonists, it gives the audience a new perspective on a femiliar setting. It’s easy to be angered when a classic like Ghostbusters is given an update with the best female comedians much like the original with men. It’s a brilliant film by itself (it obviously isn’t as good as the original) but I don’t think the intention was to “outdo” the original. I think it was to show that women could be given an ordinary role without the woman part being of any importance. I think that if Ghostbusters was remade with a male cast, there would be the usual complaints of “we don’t need a remake” but the abuse hurled at the stars of the film showed that there is sexist view from this portion of male audience. It seems to not only be that women have “taken” the roles, but that women are put in powerful positions without being the love interest. There is also an argument that representation is important and when given the opportunity to make these remakes, it’s another opportunity to put women in the driving seat which is only a positive.

Some of the films I love such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Frances Ha feature brilliant female characters. Clementine Kruczynski (played fantastically by Kate Winslet) in the former and Greta Gerwig as the quirky titular character in the latter are women who have their flaws and struggles but at the end of the day, are independent and strong. Both films directed by men but show the important of strong female presence in film. Eternal Sunshine’s script won the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award suggesting that there is a demand for these female characters. Another film that is a force of nature is 2016’s Turkish offering, Mustang, about five young sisters who are forced into marriage after wrongly being accused of sexual activity with a group of boys in their class at school. Written and directed by Deniz Gamze Erguven in her directorial debut, Mustang is one of the best films I have ever seen. The film is shown through the eyes of the youngest sister, Lale, giving the audience an innocent glimpse into an oppressive world without explicitly saying so. Much like the message of the film, the writing and directing is subtle with a lot of stillness and peace in moments of chaos. Another brilliant female-led offering is 2018’s The Favourite which was hugely snubbed in the Oscars this year and has not one, not two but THREE stellar leads in the form of Olivia Colman as Queen Anne (who deservedly won an Oscar for her performance) and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as the women vying for the queen’s attention. It’s a complex triangle of lust, power and manipulation. This answers the question whether women can carry a film with a resounding YES!

At the end of it all, more needs to be done to finance and distribute mainstream films created by and starring women but this isn’t to say that none exist at all and the offerings we have had in recent years particularly show a huge improvement to the films of the Golden Era. Women have proven time and time again that they can create films that are both critical and commercial (when given the chance) successes.

What are your favourite films created by and/or starring women? Let me know in the comments below?

Categories
Uncategorised

Disney Animated Classics: Numbers 26-30 Ranking

Now we’re getting to the halfway point and already we have looked at some of the classic offerings that have stood the test of time. This period of films sees the Disney studios in a rut after the failure of The Black Cauldron and the emergence of what has become known as The Disney Renaissance. Some of the films in this post include cult classics such as The Great Mouse Detective as well as the film that garnered Disney its only nomination for Best Picture for an animated film, Beauty and the Beast. This post also sees the inclusion of the first sequel, The Rescuers Down Under which would remain the only sequel in the Disney Classic collection until the release of Ralph Breaks the Internet in 2018.

If you haven’t caught up, here are the other installments:

Films 1-5

Films 6-10

Films 11-15

Films 16-20

Films 21-25

Anyway, let’s crack on with Disney films 26-30:

26) The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Based on the famous Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Great Mouse Detective (or Basil, the Great Mouse Detective as it was released in the UK) tells the story of detective, Basil and his sidekick, Dawson as they attempt to figure out the notorious Rattigan’s plan. Obsessed would not be a strong enough word to describe my feelings towards this film when I was younger. I used to watch it on a regular basis and loved the characters and songs. It is often forgotten as the story itself is rather simple and the animation for the most part isn’t the best; however, the climactic scene in the mechanics of Big Ben is phenomenally done. Compared to One Hundred and One Dalmatians which portrays London as quaint and lovely, The Great Mouse Detective gives the film a grimy look into Victorian England as Basil and co venture into the sewers. Much like The Black Cauldron before it, this film wasn’t as successful as it should have been and yet I still love it.

Thugs_(The_Great_Mouse_Detective)

27) Oliver & Company (1988)

The next Victorian adaptation brings us to modern day New York City. Based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, Oliver is a kitten who teams up with a group of dogs in his bid to find a true home within the big city. This film has struggles in its pacing and writing but the animation brings the audience into an urban city that we haven’t experienced before in Disney. It’s a shame that we don’t really get to know any of the characters beyond a single trait and their looks as they provide an interesting foundation for a film that could have been much better if given more time and a higher budget. There are moments that are exciting such as the song “Why Should I Worry?” belted out by Billy Joel, who voices Dodger, Oliver’s first friend who gives him a tour of the city. The two travel around and find themselves in precarious situations but the song acts as a safeguard as they ease themselves through and end up with a string of hot dog sausages at the end. I think that it was a clever idea to bring Dickens into 1980s New York as it is something unexpected and new, but as I have stated, I felt that this film could have brought more than it does.

888803_1341261474040_272_185

28) The Little Mermaid (1989)

The film that helped Disney out of the financial and critical mess it was in. The Little Mermaid, based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy-tale of the same name, is about a mermaid called Ariel who longs to be a human and what she will sacrifice in order to get there. It’s a beautiful return to the classic Disney films that people love and marks the beginning of fantastic songs written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who would begin to collaborate with Disney through the Disney Renaissance. It’s a film that remains a favourite with fans due to its brilliant songs and charismatic characters. Yet again, Disney provides us with another iconic villain in the form of Ursula, a sea witch who is half human/half octopus. She’s charismatic and relentless in her attempt to get what she wants. I don’t know if there is a more manipulative character in the Disney universe than Ursula. My favourite character is enigmatic crab, Sebastian who tries to act as Ariel’s mentor as she learns about being a princess and controlling her desires. He brings us two of the most memorable songs in the Disney catalogue “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl” but a special mention also goes out to Ariel’s ballad “Part of Your World” which you can’t help but belt out whenever you watch the film.

29) The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Disney’s first sequel takes us across the world to Australia where Bernard and Bianca travel to rescue a young boy kidnapped by a poacher who is hunting a rare eagle. It’s not a terrible film but it feels like the same concept but placed in a different environment therefore making it predictable and at times dragging. The animation also isn’t as ground-breaking as other films released around this time. It’s an enjoyable film to watch but The Rescuers is a far more superior film. I imagine the reason the studio played it safe and repeated the story was due to the film being Disney’s first sequel and with The Rescuers proving to be a success, they didn’t want to tarnish its reputation. The problem is that although this film was released within the Disney Renaissance, it is often forgotten because compared to the other films released during this time, it is by far the weakest instalment of the non-segmented features so far but then the quality of the rest is so high and it’s a shame to see this film fall short of the mark.

30) Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Disney’s only Best Picture nomination from the Disney Classic catalogue comes in the form of this flawless fairy-tale adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. This is always discussed as one of the best Disney films ever made and with good reason. There are countless memorable songs, flawless character development for both leads and supporting and writing that is perfectly paced. This film feels like Disney going back to its roots and creating a film that is both full of action and full of heart at the same time. The tale of the beautiful Belle, daughter of eccentric inventor, Maurice, is imprisoned in a castle ran by the Beast in exchange to free her father. As their relationship develops, word gets out to the villainous Gaston, the town hunk who loves Belle and wishes to marry her. It’s a film that is simple on the surface but incorporates complex issues underneath making it perfect for people of all ages. It’s a film filled with beautiful animation and intricate details, particularly in the castle as we venture around with the anthropomorphic objects such as Lumiere the candelabra and Cogsworth the clock. It’s a timeless tale of love that has inspired sequels and remakes galore and Disney are constantly releasing merchandise and incorporating the characters in the parks. The songs are the highlight of this masterpiece with songs again written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (who sadly passed before the film’s release). It’s legacy will no doubt stand even beyond the 100th film as it proved that The Little Mermaid wasn’t just a fluke and that Disney had managed to reignite its power again.

belle-and-the-enchanted-rose-e1466522115492

Now we’ve entered a truly exciting era of Disney and it’s truly difficult where to place them among the classics! It would be wrong not to recognise the reputation and legacy of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast in particular because they are still well-loved by people of all ages.

Here is my ranking:

1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

2) Fantasia (1940)

3) Beauty and the Beast (1991)

4) Sleeping Beauty (1959)

5) Bambi (1942)

6) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

7) The Little Mermaid (1989)

8) Alice in Wonderland (1951)

9) The Aristocats (1971)

10) One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

11) Peter Pan (1953)

12) The Three Caballeros (1945)

13) Pinocchio (1940)

14) Dumbo (1941)

15) The Black Cauldron (1985)

16) The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

17) The Jungle Book (1967)

18) The Sword in the Stone (1963)

19) Cinderella (1950)

20) The Rescuers (1977)

21) Robin Hood (1973)

22) Oliver & Company (1988)

23) Lady and the Tramp (1955)

24) The Fox and the Hound (1981)

25) Fun and Fancy Free (1947)

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

27) Saludos Amigos (1943)

28) Melody Time (1948)

29) The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

30) Make Mine Music (1946)

The next blog is another exciting one because we’re delving deeper into the Disney Renaissance featuring more big hitters in the Disney repertoire such as Aladdin and The Lion King.

What did you think of this post and the ranking so far? Let me know in the comments below

Categories
Uncategorised

Disney Animated Classics: Numbers 41-45 Ranking

Sorry for the long break! I’ve been so busy that I haven’t found the time to write up my articles. However, I’m back and ready to carry on with my rankings. I’m sure you’re all dying to see the end result!

Riding on the success of the Disney Renaissance, the studio finds itself in a period of cockiness and nostalgia and proves that the overwhelming success of the 90s didn’t just come on a whim. The head honchos believe that now is a good time to release direct-to-video sequels and prequels galore to accompany the re-releases of the classics that are released from the Disney Vault. This is also a time when lots of projects that were overlooked during the Renaissance find their way onto the big screen.

As ever you can read the previous instalments here:

Films 1-5

Films 6-10

Films 11-15

Films 16-20

Films 21-25

Films 26-30

Films 31-35

Films 36-40

The majority of these films were not kindly looked upon critically or commercially compared to the predecessors of the previous decade. I do have a soft spot for this bunch as I went to see all of them in the cinema (with the exception of Home on the Range) and I have fond memories of watching them all on a loop. However, I do admit that they don’t have the lasting legacy that other Disney offerings have and despite being under 20 years old, they are often overlooked.

Without further ado, let’s crack on with the reviews for films 41-45:

41) Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Disney spared no expense on the production and marketing for this film (between $90-120 million was spent) and it was everywhere you looked. Atlantis was expected to be the next great Disney epic and the media and audience lapped the hype up only to be disappointed by the end result. Following Atlantis enthusiast Milo Thatch (voiced by Michael J. Fox) who embarks on a mission to find the lost kingdom, Atlantis is visually stunning and boasts some of Disney’s finest animation. What this film brings in style, it lacks in substance with a script that doesn’t feel finished. We’re presented with an array of one-dimensional characters but the real star of the show is Atlantis’ Princess Kida who is fascinated by the outsiders and wants to form a relationship with the outside world. It’s a shame that Disney hasn’t followed on her legacy in the past few years as she is overlooked in the Disney Princess canon constantly. This is a film that I thoroughly enjoy watching as there are numerous scenes that I hugely appreciate such as the Leviathan attack on the submarine, the scene where Kida is taken over by the protective crystal and the climatic battle in the volcano where Milo faces off the corrupt soldiers. It’s a film that (like 1985’s The Black Cauldron) deserved better writing and fleshed out characters but ultimately falls flat and has become forgotten with time.

42) Lilo & Stitch (2002)

One of the most loved modern Disney films about a young Hawaiian girl who befriends an alien on the run from his creator, Lilo & Stitch is a heartwarming film about differences and the struggle to fit in. Lilo is a quirky little girl whose hobbies include taking pictures of sunburnt tourists and playing Elvis Presley songs full blast. She is badly bullied by those in her dance class and unknowingly acts out, causing problems for her older sister, Nani who is also her guardian. When social services start to look into taking Lilo away, Nani thinks it’d be good for Lilo to get a pet dog to keep her preoccupied. Enter Experiment 626, the runaway alien who finds himself in the dog kennel. Lilo is immediately taken by his physical differences and ability to speak that she immediately adopts him, names him Stitch and shows him around the island. There’s a reason that this film has become among the most iconic and recognisable of modern Disney. Its message about the importance of family is one that immediately resonates with the audience. The scene in which Nani sings “Aloha Oe” to Lilo as she comes to terms with the prospect that Lilo will be taken away is one of the most heartbreaking and, because of this, daring scenes that Disney have put to screen. This aspect of loss makes the payoff even better when Stitch recites Lilo’s motto that “ohana means family” to Nani. The film is one that has touched hearts around the globe and Stitch is among the most iconic Disney characters of the modern era.

43) Treasure Planet (2002)

A project that had been pushed back for ten years, Treasure Planet finally saw its release in 2002. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emma Thompson and an extortionate budget ($140 million!), this futuristic retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island about a young man who comes in possession of a highly-sought treasure map and sets off with a group of pirates to seek it has been subject to countless adaptations throughout the year. Never has this story been told in space where aliens take up most of the characters and the audience is taken across the galaxy in search of an entire planet that is filled with treasure. Utilising computer animation more so than previous films, Treasure Planet attempts to hurl Disney into a new era. Sadly, like Atlantis before it, the result is hugely underwhelming and we’re left with another forgettable entry in the Disney catalogue. I think the script is strong, following the premise of its source material but the style feels inconsistent to me. Visually, it is quite overwhelming as there is a lot going on. It’s a world inhabited by humans, aliens, traditional structures and futuristic architecture. It feels like a mesh of the past and the future which comes across disjointed as there isn’t a middle-ground. 

44) Brother Bear (2003)

Made on a more modest budget of $46 million, Brother Bear follows Kenai, a young tribesman who is transformed into a bear after recklessly hunting down and killing a bear in the mountains of the spirits. Joined by young cub, Koda, Kenai must find his way back to the mountain in order to be turned back. The film is definitely a middling effort and feels rushed in execution. My favourite aspect of the film is the great soundtrack that includes songs by Phil Collins and the mesmerising track “Transformation” sang by the Bulgarian Women’s Choir. The scene in which Kenai is transformed is beautifully done and it’s a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t follow that standard. It’s an enjoyable watch but doesn’t hold its own against the greater works by Disney. It’s a shame that it wastes such a talented cast that includes Joaquin Phoenix as Kenai and Rick Moranis making a rare return to voice work as one half of a randomly included moose duo. It feels that the tone is imbalanced throughout as there is a serious undertone that is constantly overthrown by characters such as the moose. Their humour doesn’t fit in well and it makes the overall experience jarring.

45) Home on the Range (2004)

By far one of the worst films ever to come out of the Disney studio, Home on the Range follows a group of cows who attempt to capture a cattle rustler called Alameda Slim. I enjoyed this film on release but sadly I don’t enjoy it at all watching it now. It’s forgetful and doesn’t have the same amount of Disney charm as the other instalments. The plot is weak and generic and the characters are bland. Featuring voice work by Judi Dench, Jennifer Tilly and Randy Quaid among others, Home on the Range falls into the trap of style over substance and suffers tremendously for it. Continuing the trend for middling efforts and released among a fleet of direct-to-video sequels and prequels, Home on the Range doesn’t stand out for its mundane effort. Sadly, there is a reason why Home on the Range is always forgotten and eschewed in Disney marketing and merchandise. There isn’t anything in the film that is marketable or memorable for the audience.

It’s mad to think that there are only two more posts left in this series until we’re up to date. The next post sees Disney delve into computer animation with Chicken Little (2005) and Meet the Robinsons (2007) and enter a new era of Disney masterpieces with The Princess and the Frog (2009) and Tangled (2010)

Here is my ranking:

1) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

2) Fantasia (1940)

3) Beauty and the Beast (1991)

4) Sleeping Beauty (1959)

5) Bambi (1942)

6) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

7) The Lion King (1994)

8) Mulan (1998)

9) The Little Mermaid (1989)

10) Alice in Wonderland (1951)

11) Aladdin (1992)

12) The Aristocats (1971)

13) One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

14) The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)

15) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

16) Lilo & Stitch (2002)

17) Peter Pan (1953)

18) The Three Caballeros (1945)

19) Pinocchio (1940)

20) Pocahontas (1995)

21) Tarzan (1999)

22) Dumbo (1941)

23) Hercules (1997)

24) The Black Cauldron (1985)

25) Atlantis: the Lost Empire (2001)

26) The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

27) Treasure Planet (2002)

28) Brother Bear (2003)

29) The Jungle Book (1967)

30) The Sword in the Stone (1963)

31) Cinderella (1950)

32) The Rescuers (1977)

33) Robin Hood (1973)

34) Oliver & Company (1988)

35) Lady and the Tramp (1955)

36) The Fox and the Hound (1981)

37) Fun and Fancy Free (1947)

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

39) Saludos Amigos (1943)

40) Melody Time (1948)

41) Fantasia 2000 (2000)

42) The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

43) Make Mine Music (1946)

44) Home on the Range (2004)

45) Dinosaur (2000)

 

What do you think of the list? Do you think I’ve been too harsh on these entries? Let me know in the comments below!