Welcome back to another Disney Top 5.
Walt Disney Animation Studios, the reason many of us fell in love with this company and its creations in the first place, has gone through many eras and incarnations in its illustrious 77-year history. Of course, there is the Golden Era that would include Walt’s original features, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. Then there’s the Renaissance Era ushered in by The Little Mermaid. This era gave us some of the biggest animated films in motion picture history and reestablished Disney as the leader in the genre. There are other eras prior and since the big renaissance that either saved Disney from potential oblivion or damaged its reputation as the best in the business. At times it has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for the company that invented feature animation in the first place.
The November issue of Wired magazine featured a cover story on what is being referred to as the latest era of Disney animation, the Revival Era. This is the era we are currently, and for that matter, fortunately in. The cover features Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios President Ed Catmull and Chief Creative Officer and everyone’s favorite Disney hero John Lasseter flanked by the characters from the films of their tenure. It’s a fantastic read that sheds light on just how close we all came to losing our beloved Disney Animation Studios.The magazine cover was a three page fold-out that also included a vintage Mickey and Minnie Mouse and representations from my favorite Disney animated short in recent years, 2012's Paperman.
Wired Magazine November 2014. © Conde Nast.
Wired Magazine November 2014. © Conde Nast.
Wired Magazine November 2014. © Conde Nast.
When John and Ed were brought on after the Pixar acquisition, there was serious talk about closing down the legendary animation division and putting Pixar in its place. The fact of the matter is that Ed and John, being the rabid Disney fans that they were, wouldn’t allow that to happen. They cared too deeply about the studios as an entity and an important institution to see it shut down. Instead, they spearheaded a change.
The culture had to be drastically altered. Walt Disney Animation had morphed into a world where non-creative, MBA-holding executives who had no love of the craft nor appreciation of the art form were the ones making the calls. This resulted in more than a decades' worth of financially underperforming films that also failed to find a place in the hearts of fans and moviegoers. Their crusade was to save the animation division and return it to its former and rightful glory. Simultaneously, they would operate Pixar as its own animation division under the Disney umbrella. This was certainly a risky and potentially costly plan. The conservative move would have been to shutter the floundering Disney Animation and let the tremendously successful Pixar become the new face of the company when it came to its animated films and characters. The route they chose was definitely a risk. That gamble, especially recently, has paid off.
But the question is, have these new films of the Catmull/Lasseter era delivered to the Disney fans? After all, we’re the ones that are going to carry these films with us and introduce them to our kids and to our grandkids, the way that the Disney classics were shared with us when we were young. We’re the picky ones. So, let’s take a look at my Top 5 Animated Films of the so-called Disney Revival Era. They are in order of release: Bolt, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Winnie the Pooh, Wreck-it Ralph, Frozen and Big Hero 6.
5 – Bolt (2008)
Bolt. © Disney Enterprises.
Bolt is the only film on this list that I somehow missed in the theaters. I’m not sure why that is, but it has earned a place on my list and in my heart on TV and on DVD. I really appreciate the whole self-discovery theme. Character-wise my kids loved Bolt and we all thought that Rhino and Mittens were a blast. This was a great sign that Disney was getting back on track.
4 – Frozen (2013)
Frozen. © Disney Enterprises.
Yes, I put the biggest animated film in the entire universe at number four on my list. I really did enjoy Frozen and I believe that the main reason is because I’m blessed with NOT having a six-year-old girl in the house right now. We went to see Frozen as a family, as we usually do with each new Disney release, but my daughter was 14 at the time. That means that I have escaped the Frozen-mania that many of you have experienced over the last year or so. That has allowed me to appreciate the film but not be disgusted with it from constant exposure. Actually, I liked it quite a bit. Musically, it’s hard not to like “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” but after that I haven’t been so taken with the Frozen soundtrack as the rest of the world—and perhaps that’s why it’s this low on my list. From an animation standpoint, Elsa's scene in the ice fortress to “Let it Go” is pretty amazing to watch, especially if you saw it pre-hype when I did. It's a Disney modern classic moment if there ever was one.
3 – Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6. © Walt Disney Company.
The era’s latest, most exciting and action packed release really took me by surprise. I was a big DC Comics fan growing up so I was not at all familiar with any of the more obscure Marvel titles such as Big Hero 6 and Guardians of the Galaxy. That worked to my advantage because both of the aforementioned films totally surprised me. Big Hero 6 was an absolute blast and I actually can’t wait to catch it again before it leaves the theaters. When a film creates a whole new world – so sorry for the Aladdin reference but it’s a great description in this case – I am sold. Big Hero 6 created a totally immersive world that I wanted to believe in. The characters are likable. The animation is fantastic. It kept me emotionally involved and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I wanted more as soon as it ended and I deeply hope they deliver a sequel.
2 – Wreck-it Ralph (2012)
Wreck-it Ralph. © Disney Enterprises.
Talk about immersive worlds! Wreck-it Ralph created one of the most in-depth and detailed worlds in animation history. From the moment Ralph entered Sugar Rush I was mesmerized by what I saw being displayed on the screen. It must have been such a pleasure to design this candy-coated wonderland and then watch it come to life in front of you. The details are everywhere and are so much fun to hunt for as you watch this film. On top of that, I am a child of the early videogame era, so Game Central Station and its cast of classic game characters was a walk down memory lane for me. Artistic details aside, Wreck-it Ralph has a real heart at its center and is populated with unforgettable characters. To me it gets better every time I watch it and that’s the mark of a true classic.
1 – Tangled (2010)
Tangled. © Disney Enterprises.
I’m going to go out on my own limb here and make the following statement: Tangled is such a better film than Frozen. I’m not usually one to compare apples to oranges, but I’m hoping many of you will agree with that sentiment. I know that Tangled was quite a big success. $215 million is nothing to sneeze at, but Frozen has nearly doubled that with a staggering $400 million domestic take at the box office. Never mind what it’s done globally. Quite honestly, I think Tangled deserves more praise and should have become the big phenomenon. That said, let’s toss the comparisons aside and just let me praise this film for a spell. I think the characters are fantastic. The story is completely engaging. The animation contains a stunningly rich palate of colors. The floating lantern scene is truly one of Disney’s most beautifully animated moments and about as magical as anything they've ever produced. You laugh. You tear up more than once. You root for Flynn Rider, the underdog, you fall in love with Rapunzel, the heroine and you practically want to hiss at Mother Gothel, the villain, each time she’s on the screen. What more can you ask for in a Disney animated feature? To me, this was the return to greatness that John Lasseter promised and I have no qualms with enthusiastically saying that in the case of Tangled, he delivered.
I don’t mean to slight the other two entrants in the new era. I was as thrilled as the next Disney fan when The Princess and the Frog was released in all of its classic hand drawn splendor. It was a great step towards greatness. Winnie the Pooh was really a wonderfully done reboot. If only they weren’t up against the Harry Potter juggernaut that weekend, more people would have seen this charming film. As always though, I needed to pick a pecking order and this is what I came up with.
I can’t let this article pass without noting that I don’t think Disney was completely in the dumps prior to the arrival of Ed and John. The Wired article tells what seems like a pretty accurate portrayal of a dismal animation department that had truly lost its way. We all saw the results of that unfortunate truth, but I also really like a lot of the films from the so-called Decline Era. The Emperor’s New Groove is hysterical in my eyes. I’ve always loved Brother Bear and I think I’m one of the few who thoroughly enjoyed Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
I do, however, believe that Walt Disney Animation is in much better hands now. In the Wired article, when discussing reviving the animation division, Lasseter is quoted as saying the following, “…I love Walt Disney so much, and how he entertained me. I wanted to keep this studio going…it’s important for the world to have this.”
As Disney fans, it’s important to us to have the likes of John and Ed at the helm and I hope they keep delivering on their promises. All I can say is: so far, so good.
That’s my list of the Top 5 Animated Films of the Disney Revival Era. As always, I’d like to hear what you have to say. Click on the link below; let me hear your thoughts and I’ll see you next time with another Disney Top 5.
