Friday Five: Top 5 Disney Animated Films
Welcome to the Friday Five! I love making lists, whether they're good or bad and, shockingly, most of my lists pertain to Disney related things. However, there are going to be some other rankings added that don't pertain to Disney. Disney movies are where it all began, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Moana, it feels like every year there's a new Disney film and every year that film is amazing...it also doesn't hurt that Disney owns Marvel and Lucasfilm. Either way, we can all agree Disney has put out some great films, and we all have our favorites. But for this list, it's going to be my favorite Disney animated films. For this specific list, I'm sticking with only films made by Disney Animated Studios, not Pixar. Now, comment below and tell me yours and tell me what I missed or what you don't agree with!
As with most lists, there's going to be some honorable mentions because it's extraordinarily hard for anyone, especially someone who loves Disney as much as I do, to only come up with five films. That being said, I have a few honorable mentions, that are in no particular order, that I feel like deserved to be included in the post.
So away we go!
Honorable Mention 1: Aladdin.
Aladdin hit theaters November 25th, 1992 and it was instantly a hit. I personally love the movie for a few different reasons. First of all, Aladdin is arguably one of the most relatable Disney characters of all time. With films that had main characters being mermaids, princesses, or animals, it was really nice to have a character that is just an average guy like us. Aladdin shows that anyone, even people like us, can be a hero and reach their dreams...with some help, which leads perfectly into my next reason. Robin Williams' Genie is one of the best Disney characters of all time. He's hilarious when needed and trustworthy all the time, even when he doesn't want to be. He's a great character, the perfect comedic relief, and someone I'd want by my side all the time. Jafar is a menacingly scary villain, one of the most intimidating that I can think of. The scene where he commands Genie to turn him into a sinister Genie is the scariest of the movie and it freaks me out everytime. One of the best things about this movie though is the soundtrack. The great Alan Menken gives us hits from the get go introducing Aladdin with the great song, "One Step Ahead." We're also transported in a magic carpet ride that is a cinematic gold while hearing Aladdin and Jasmine sing "A Whole New World," and what could be better than Genie's "Friend Like Me?" Aladdin is a great film and often underrated, so it deserves an honorable mention at least.
Honorable Mention 2: Mulan
Mulan is arguably one of the most underrated Disney movies ever made. The story is great and teaches us that it doesn't matter who you are or what your background is, you can still make a big difference. Of all the Disney movies made, I'd say Mulan empowers young girls to believe they can do anything the most. I love love loveeee Eddie Murphy as Mushu and think he's super underrated as a character. "Make a Man Out of You" and "Reflections" are two of the best Disney songs that are often overlooked, and really, the whole film is often overlooked. It's such a good movie and one of my favorites!
And without further adieu, I present: the top 5!
Number 5: Tangled
Tangled is the story of Rapunzel told from the Disney perspective and, honestly, it's 50 million times better that way. Flynn Rider is one of my all time favorites Disney characters, and really, he's someone everyone can relate to, similar to Aladdin. He's not a prince or some royal, he's actually a criminal, but finds love and sees the light. "When Will My Life Begin" is one of those songs that can be stuck in your head for days at a time, but that's a good thing! Same thing applies for "I've Got A Dream" and "I See the Light." Clearly, Tangled is one of those films that has a TON of great songs, and really, it feels like that sparked this movie sparked the movement back to making great songs to go along with great films, something Disney did perfectly during the '90s; and they even brought back the man who composed the majority of those songs: Alan Menken. If you know me, you know I love sidekick characters and, get ready for a hot take, but there's none better than the most lovable, adorable, cutest chameleon of all time: Pascal. One could argue that Tangled makes this list strictly because of Pascal, and I can neither confirm nor deny...
Number 4: Frozen
This one will probably get a lot of flack, but I love Frozen. I think it's soooo beautifully shot, has lovable characters, and the songs...so great. I literally can't stress how much I like this movie, and while most guys would say "I'm too manly to like Frozen" I for one, can proudly proclaim I love everything about it. If you can look at Olaf and listen to him talk and not laugh, you have no soul. Elsa is literally the most perfect character ever (which is why she's the only Disney QUEEN) and Anna is wins the award for best sister of all time. Let's not forget about the crazy plot twist involving Prince Hans and Anna (guess love really isn't an open door.) Frozen is easily one of the best Disney movies made, and while it may feel like the movie is shoved down our throats, I still think it gets into my top 5 Disney Animated Films.
Number 3: Princess and the Frog
I would be an idiot if I didn't include the movie that stars my favorite Disney princess on my top 5 list. I'm willing to die on the hill that Princess and the Frog is the most underrated Disney movie of all time. It has the best overall soundtrack since The Lion King, it has one of the scariest villains of all time, it's shot so beautifully taking us down the Bayou and into New Orleans Square, and it has the BEST princess of all time: Tiana. I love love love Dr. Facilier as the villain here; you get this guy who you know is bad, but don't really know why he's bad or where his evil powers come from until you hear the song "Friends on the Other Side" But the best two songs here are "Dig A Little Deeper" and "Almost There" by far. Tiana is such a great character teaching all of us, not just little girls, that if you never give up on your dreams and put in the work, they can come true. Even Naveen has a great character arc going from the wealthy prince blowing money to a little froggy looking for love. And how could I forget Louis and Ray Ray, two of the funniest, most lovable characters in Disney history. Literally, this movie is so underrated it's crazy; but not for me!
Number 2: Moana
Yep, I'm putting the newest Disney animation movie at number 2; because it's just that dang good. There are a couple of reasons this one comes in at number two. First, unlike other "princess" movies, there's no way everyone can say "that movie is just for little girls." Why? Because it stars THE ROCK. That in itself catapults this one for me. Second, this dang movie challenges The Lion King for the best soundtrack of any movie period. From the get go we are just hit with great song after great song after great song. Moana herself is such a great influence for littler kids, teaching them that you can make a difference and you can save people no matter what anyone says! The film is seriously one of the most beautifully shot films, live action or animated, I've ever seen. I love the beach, and Disney did an AMAZING job of depicting the beach here, and the wet hair too! And you can't talk about Moana without mentioning the great demi-god Maui! The Rock killed this role and I literally loved every scene he was in, including when he rips our heart out telling Moana that she's just an island princess and can't save them.
And finally, Number 1: The Lion King
The best movie ever made also happens to be the number one movie on my list. I truly believe that no matter what, no movie will ever touch that perfection that is The Lion King. Literally, there is not one thing that I would change about this movie. From the first 30 seconds, you're already hooked to the film wondering what these animals are going to, and then BAM! The cut to the iconic Pride Rock. I can't even right now, I'm getting goosebumps typing this. But really, the movie literally tears your heart out when Mufasa tragically dies, and Simba runs away. But it brings us such a moving moment when Simba returns to save the pride. And don't even try and tell me you didn't tear up after Simba defeats Scar and ascends to the top of Pride Rock...real tears y'all. I'm not even going to go into how great this soundtrack is, because it's so iconic, everyone knows exactly what it is. My personal favorite is either "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" or "Circle of Life." Scar is far and away my favorite Disney villain. He is sick of being in Mufasa's shadow and if you look at some of the histories of The Lion King you'll find that some events led up to Scar being sick of Mufasa enough to kill him. And if you think the movie is great, you should really try to experience what many people call one of the greatest plays on Broadway: The Lion King on Broadway!
So there you have it, my top 5 Disney animated films of all time! Comment below and let me know you're top 5 Disney animated films!
As with most lists, there's going to be some honorable mentions because it's extraordinarily hard for anyone, especially someone who loves Disney as much as I do, to only come up with five films. That being said, I have a few honorable mentions, that are in no particular order, that I feel like deserved to be included in the post.
So away we go!
Honorable Mention 1: Aladdin.
Honorable Mention 2: Mulan
Mulan is arguably one of the most underrated Disney movies ever made. The story is great and teaches us that it doesn't matter who you are or what your background is, you can still make a big difference. Of all the Disney movies made, I'd say Mulan empowers young girls to believe they can do anything the most. I love love loveeee Eddie Murphy as Mushu and think he's super underrated as a character. "Make a Man Out of You" and "Reflections" are two of the best Disney songs that are often overlooked, and really, the whole film is often overlooked. It's such a good movie and one of my favorites!
And without further adieu, I present: the top 5!
Number 5: Tangled
Tangled is the story of Rapunzel told from the Disney perspective and, honestly, it's 50 million times better that way. Flynn Rider is one of my all time favorites Disney characters, and really, he's someone everyone can relate to, similar to Aladdin. He's not a prince or some royal, he's actually a criminal, but finds love and sees the light. "When Will My Life Begin" is one of those songs that can be stuck in your head for days at a time, but that's a good thing! Same thing applies for "I've Got A Dream" and "I See the Light." Clearly, Tangled is one of those films that has a TON of great songs, and really, it feels like that sparked this movie sparked the movement back to making great songs to go along with great films, something Disney did perfectly during the '90s; and they even brought back the man who composed the majority of those songs: Alan Menken. If you know me, you know I love sidekick characters and, get ready for a hot take, but there's none better than the most lovable, adorable, cutest chameleon of all time: Pascal. One could argue that Tangled makes this list strictly because of Pascal, and I can neither confirm nor deny...
Number 4: Frozen
This one will probably get a lot of flack, but I love Frozen. I think it's soooo beautifully shot, has lovable characters, and the songs...so great. I literally can't stress how much I like this movie, and while most guys would say "I'm too manly to like Frozen" I for one, can proudly proclaim I love everything about it. If you can look at Olaf and listen to him talk and not laugh, you have no soul. Elsa is literally the most perfect character ever (which is why she's the only Disney QUEEN) and Anna is wins the award for best sister of all time. Let's not forget about the crazy plot twist involving Prince Hans and Anna (guess love really isn't an open door.) Frozen is easily one of the best Disney movies made, and while it may feel like the movie is shoved down our throats, I still think it gets into my top 5 Disney Animated Films.
Number 3: Princess and the Frog
I would be an idiot if I didn't include the movie that stars my favorite Disney princess on my top 5 list. I'm willing to die on the hill that Princess and the Frog is the most underrated Disney movie of all time. It has the best overall soundtrack since The Lion King, it has one of the scariest villains of all time, it's shot so beautifully taking us down the Bayou and into New Orleans Square, and it has the BEST princess of all time: Tiana. I love love love Dr. Facilier as the villain here; you get this guy who you know is bad, but don't really know why he's bad or where his evil powers come from until you hear the song "Friends on the Other Side" But the best two songs here are "Dig A Little Deeper" and "Almost There" by far. Tiana is such a great character teaching all of us, not just little girls, that if you never give up on your dreams and put in the work, they can come true. Even Naveen has a great character arc going from the wealthy prince blowing money to a little froggy looking for love. And how could I forget Louis and Ray Ray, two of the funniest, most lovable characters in Disney history. Literally, this movie is so underrated it's crazy; but not for me!
Number 2: Moana
Yep, I'm putting the newest Disney animation movie at number 2; because it's just that dang good. There are a couple of reasons this one comes in at number two. First, unlike other "princess" movies, there's no way everyone can say "that movie is just for little girls." Why? Because it stars THE ROCK. That in itself catapults this one for me. Second, this dang movie challenges The Lion King for the best soundtrack of any movie period. From the get go we are just hit with great song after great song after great song. Moana herself is such a great influence for littler kids, teaching them that you can make a difference and you can save people no matter what anyone says! The film is seriously one of the most beautifully shot films, live action or animated, I've ever seen. I love the beach, and Disney did an AMAZING job of depicting the beach here, and the wet hair too! And you can't talk about Moana without mentioning the great demi-god Maui! The Rock killed this role and I literally loved every scene he was in, including when he rips our heart out telling Moana that she's just an island princess and can't save them.
And finally, Number 1: The Lion King
The best movie ever made also happens to be the number one movie on my list. I truly believe that no matter what, no movie will ever touch that perfection that is The Lion King. Literally, there is not one thing that I would change about this movie. From the first 30 seconds, you're already hooked to the film wondering what these animals are going to, and then BAM! The cut to the iconic Pride Rock. I can't even right now, I'm getting goosebumps typing this. But really, the movie literally tears your heart out when Mufasa tragically dies, and Simba runs away. But it brings us such a moving moment when Simba returns to save the pride. And don't even try and tell me you didn't tear up after Simba defeats Scar and ascends to the top of Pride Rock...real tears y'all. I'm not even going to go into how great this soundtrack is, because it's so iconic, everyone knows exactly what it is. My personal favorite is either "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" or "Circle of Life." Scar is far and away my favorite Disney villain. He is sick of being in Mufasa's shadow and if you look at some of the histories of The Lion King you'll find that some events led up to Scar being sick of Mufasa enough to kill him. And if you think the movie is great, you should really try to experience what many people call one of the greatest plays on Broadway: The Lion King on Broadway!
So there you have it, my top 5 Disney animated films of all time! Comment below and let me know you're top 5 Disney animated films!
Comments
Post a Comment