This might be my most controversial Top Ten Tuesday list so far because Disney fans be crazy. But hey, I’m a controversial guy sooo…let’s do this. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
10 – Beauty and the Beast
My generation has the distinct pleasure of coming of age right smack dab in the beginning of what’s affectionately referred to as the Disney renaissance. And while the refined animation style of the period certainly made the films pop visually, it is the perfect pop musical genius of Alan Menken and Harold Ashman that give these films lifetime rent free space in my head. From the thrilling opening number to the show stopping Be Our Guest to the modern classic that is the title song this Academy Award winning soundtrack is one of the best ever. And when you’re talking Disney, that’s saying a lot.
9 – Moana
This movie gorgeous! The beautiful blues and greens and blue-greens of the Pacific Islands provide a stunning backdrop for this funny, fateful hero’s journey. Lin-Manuel Miranda is Disney’s modern answer to Alan Menken and all of his songs here are passionate pop bops. How Far I’ll Go, a classic I Want song, is an inspiring and exhilarating number and You’re Welcome is comedic romp through a barely exaggerated toxic male ego. The care and respect given to the authentic recreations of music traditional to the area add a lot of atmosphere and enhances your engagement in the story.
8 – The Lion King
At the time I was iffy about a Disney score by Elton John. Sounds a little silly at this point as he’s a lauded, successful theatre composer but in 1994 he was a flamboyant rock persona and Disney seemed a strange fit. And while the Academy Award winning soundtrack is very Elton it’s very story and character based too. The story is crazy on paper – Hamlet but with lions – but deeply affecting on film. The voice cast is outrageous and fairly Shakespearean too featuring Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, Robert Guillaume, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and of course, (squeal) TV heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
7 – Alice in Wonderland
Another Disney highlight (aka cash cow) from my childhood was the Disney Vault. This was what they called the “limited release” of their classics to VHS. I was not deprived in many ways as a kid but I did covet my friends’ DV collections in those big, colorful, puffy plastic cases. But no, we had partial movies recorded from television on a tape with Police Academy II, a random episode of Cheers and my gramma Joan’s 63rd Birthday Party. And one of those was Alice in Wonderland. It made the list because of the number of times I’ve seen it more than anything else but I do love the supersaturated jewel tones and crazy characters and I think Very Good Advice is one of the most underrated gems of a song in the Disney canon, particularly of this era.
6 – Wreck It Ralph
I didn’t expect to love this movie as much as I did but it got me with it’s mismatched protagonists and eye towards nostalgia. Sarah Silverman can get a little gross in her real life comedy endeavors but she gives an adorably plucky and totally lovable voice performance as outcast turned princess Penelope. John C Reilly adds another lovable oaf to a career filled with lovable oafs as the titular Ralph. And you don’t have to be a die hard gamer to enjoy the classic video game Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. The fact that all the wacky adventures culminate in a touching and truthful lesson on the meaning of friendship is the cherry on top of this unexpectedly sweet treat.
5 – Robin Hood
Robin Hood was another one we had on a pirated from television VHS tape. But in addition to my countless rewatches I think this holds up as one of Disney’s best especially of the post Walt, sketched and xeroxed cheapo era. And while I’m not an Errol Flynn expert I think this is arguably the best presentation of the Robin Hood legend that’s been committed to film. It’s certainly heaps better than Kevin Costner’s Robin of Loxley, Pennsylvania. There’s a charm to it’s acoustic score and songs like Oo-de-lally and Not in Nottingham will always bring a nostalgic smile to my face.
4 – Hercules
I’ve been enchanted by the gods of Mt Olympus since Mrs. O’Keefe‘s 8th grade English class so Disney setting one of those stories to an Alan Menken score was like a dream come true. I love everything about this film. The voice cast! The Muses! Hades! Danny Devito! Zero to Hero and I Won’t Say I’m in Love will duke it out to make my inevitable Top Ten Disney Songs list some day. And I do love Go the Distance even if Michael Bolton cheesed it up on the radio. Broadway stars Roger Bart, Susan Egan, Lillias White and LaChanze join Devito and a hilarious James Woods as Hades make for one of the all time best voice casts in Disney’s impressive history.
3 – Encanto
You can see at this point I’m a sucker for colorful animation and a tuneful score and holy moly does Encanto deliver both. Every single song is a banger and Lin’s (I call him Lin) evolution from Moana to this has me so excited to hear what’s next. The fact that an exposition heavy bop like We Don’t Talk About Bruno can become one of the top songs of the year is a testament to Miranda’s immense talents. It’s a powerful story of generational trauma, forgiveness and redemption overflowing with relatable characters and, my favorite, a heaping helping of magic and mysticism. This is mature, next level storytelling, even for Disney and it’s very promising for the future of Disney Animation.
2 – The Sword and The Stone
I feel like the high placement of this overlooked and underrated gem of a movie will be the most controversial entry on the list. I didn’t own even a taped copy of this one but I rented it several times from both the library and the Spin-a-Dollar Video over by the Kroger. It’s more the story than score that grabs me with this one although the Sherman Brothers’ few tunes achieve a particular geniality. Like I just said talking about Encanto, magic and mysticism are my favorite story elements and this Potter precursor was so wonderfully packed with both that I never got tired of watching it. Merlin is one of my all time favorite Disney characters but this movie is filled with lovable characters; Archimedes, the girl squirrel, Sir Ector, Mad Madame Mim and of course Wart. The Arthurian legend is one of the earliest of the archetypal hero’s journey tales and it has endured for centuries. While Disney’s pre-Camelot origin story prequel may not outlast its source, it will definitely stick with me for the rest of my days.
1 – The Little Mermaid
Picture it. Gulfport. 1989. Hardy Court Cinema 8. My Aunt Tina was chaperoning me and some other cousins to see Disney’s newest movie The Little Mermaid. This movie had been hyped to an unprecedented level and I had eaten up every bit of it. I was close to bursting with excitement when – horror! – it was sold out. At nine years old I was the eldest cousin by several years and the only boy in the group and I still shudder with embarrassment when I think of how hard I sobbed at this news. None of the other kids, little girls, cried, just me. The fact that we simply got tickets to a showing a couple hours later did little to console me. I needed to see this movie and I needed to see it now. Once I finally got in I was immediately obsessed. It was the start of the Disney renaissance, my first exposure to the genius of Alan Menken and it has remained one of my favorite pieces of media, pieces of art, ever since. The animation is stunningly gorgeous, the voice work is perfection and the score – that beautiful, brilliant, buoyant (pun intended) score. I wore out my cassette tape of the soundtrack and it’s no surprise if you know me at all that Part of Your World is unironically and unabashedly my favorite song of any type or genre. It is melodically and lyrically perfect to my ears and Jodi Benson’s performance is second only to Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow as the greatest all time film vocal performance. I have yet to enjoy any of Disney’s live action remakes but I have high hopes for the upcoming Little Mermaid. Judging by the previews, Halle Bailey is a gifted musician and I look forward to her take on my number one favorite Disney character. Period. And period.
Cliff’s Notes: Rotted & Relatable Reviews 