Disney Animated Countdown 40-31

 

Welcome back to my countdown of all the Disney animated movies.  The last list that was posted was the section of the list for the films that were outright bad or just very...VERY boring (which made for a boring writing segment), this films have upgraded to "pretty ok and moving towards good." Exciting, isn't it?  Here are next batch of films from 40-31!

40. Lady and the Tramp

Lady and the Tramp is...well...

"We are problematic scene"

I know as a kid I was very fond of Lady and the Tramp, and I think that is mostly due to the tone of the film.  Lady and the Tramp doesn't have a lot of high stakes to it and is just a nice simple love story between the two dogs.  Our main characters are quite likeable and the animation on the dogs is stellar.  The jealousy I feel towards the animators who were hired just to watch dogs all day is quite high.  Lady and the Tramp is just a film that you feel nice after watching.  The rat sequence is HORRIFYING.

-Pictured, Ratatouille before the snickers bar-

  The rat looks like it crawled out of a different film entirely and our main characters to kill it may stem from a fear of "oh god no, we have to kill this transdimensional rat because its an affront to nature" rather than "oh no it may bit the baby."  All in all Lady and the Tramp is a Disney staple, and the spaghetti scene is iconic for all the right reasons.  I don't find myself seeking this film out much in the future, but I wouldn't be opposed to watching it again.  It's pretty ok. 

39. Peter Pan

Peter Pan is...well...

-Insert football analogy here-

Peter Pan has a whimsy fun about it, but ironically suffers from the fact that it's main characters are the least interesting parts of the story.  Peter Pan is more annoying than charming, Wendy is pretty bland, John and Michael serve the part of "brothers" well.  Peter Pan's strongest aspects are its side characters.  The lost boys are fun and the mischief they bring to the film brings some great laughs.  Tinkerbell's sass are certainly a highlight and its no wonder she has become a sort of Disney icon. 

-Seen here, watching the lost royalties of her spin-offs-

The real stand-out in the film are the combination of Captain Hook, Smee, and the Crocodile.  Captain Hook is the first Disney villian that really stands out in this countdown list so far and he's a lot of fun. The best comedic moments involve Hook, Smee, and the Crocodile serving up some good slapstick comedy.  I would love for a Disney spin-off that centers around Hook and Smee, otherwise the worst parts of the film are following Pan and Wendy bringing in, ugh, the plot. 

38. The Rescuers

The Rescuers is a bit of a mixed bag for me.  I love the main characters of Bernard and Miss. Bianca and I love the Don Bluth character designs.  I remember very little from the plot other than "little girl has to get diamond for reasons..."  I am a sucker for "Mice as People" animated films for whatever reasons so this why this film is higher on the list and Bernard and Miss Bianca play off each other well and the voice acting for them is some of the best in the Disney Catalog.  I just wish we could have gotten them in a better movie, I'm sure that will never happen...  

-Look kids! Poor Foreshadowing!-

Its a good concept, has some good characters, but a bland story.

37. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad 

This is the one movie on this list we watched out of order due to our 31 days of Halloween list including this.  

-Oh, he a commin'-

 I enjoy the Mr. Toad segment of the film, it's simply fun.  The characters are goofy and charming but that's not the reason to watch this one.  The short of the adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is phenomenal and there is a reason it's a halloween staple for some. 

 I love how Bing Crosby serves as the voice as almost the entire cast of characters and narrator, it gives the short the feel of a storyteller spinning a yarn.  The movie is cute old-school Disney fun until Brom Bones introduces the legend of the Headless Horseman and then the tone shifts to be a bit more spooky.  The third act introduction of the Headless Horseman is fantastic and its dark design and tone is something not seen much in Disney films. 

-Chef's Kiss-

If I could cut out The Legend of Sleepy Hollow segment, it would be placed higher on this list as its a Halloween staple, unfortunately the Mr. Toad segment is attached and makes the movie feel just "good" as a whole. 

36. One Hundred and One Dalmatians

One Hundred and One Dalmatians is another film that really surprised me on the list, as I would have expected it to be much lower.  I hadn't seen it in years and I forgot how funny the film could be and how great Cruella DeVille is.  The animation of all the puppies is conceptual nightmare that they pulled off with almost no issues as well.  

-Bruh-

I like the old school British Caper it is trying to emulate and it feels like a grand adventure for most the film.  The biggest issue with the film is there are so many puppies you don't get a good sense of each of their characters and they tend to blend together.  Half the time it turns into a Where's Waldo of which puppy is which.  Cruella is the stand out here and so is the titular song about her.  I also love how they turn her vehicle into a monster as well.  I would not seek the film out, but would have no problem watching it again as I am sure I will be forced to some day.

35. Bolt

Bolt is the most okayish movie on this list.  I don't really have strong feelings towards the film either way and everything is serviceable for the film, except the stand-out of Rhino the Hamster.  

-Slow heavy metal music begins to play-

The film is important as its the stepping stone for Disney to get into their groove again for their second renaissance.   I think the biggest issue for Bolt is it tries to ride the coattails of The Incredibles which it's nowhere as impressive as and the film is too early to be a commentary or fun spin on the Superhero genre that is in full force now.  The heart of the movie is it's a "dog movie" so gotta give it some points for that.

34. Pocahontas

Pocahontas is...well...

-Pictured, Historical Documentary-

I could go on a ramble of the historical inaccuracies of the film (the historian in me screams), as many have, but instead I have to look at the film as just a Disney animated romp.  There is some stellar animation in here, some of Disney's best of the 90s films.  The songs are great for the most part as well.  The biggest issues is how bland the movie is and the characters seem to come second to the animation with Pocahontas being the only really interesting characters outside of the animal side-kicks who are there just to bring in some laughs and toy sales.  Its by no means horrible, but just boring outside the visuals and the villain in this is one of the weakest of the Disney catalogs. 

33. Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty is another film that is gorgeous to look at and the experiment by Disney to use the ballet as the musical score pays off.  The medieval tapestry design pays off but the plot and story are pretty "meh"  The characters are all pretty milk-toast and if we had to follow the good characters throughout the movie it would be a chore.  Then we have Maleficent who is one of the greatest Disney villains of all time! 

-Yas Queen, slay!-

Everything about her is fantastic and she propels this movie forwards.  She is one of the few Disney villians that just revels in being an evil character.  The third act of the film is what makes this film work with Maleficent doing all she can to keep the prince from Sleeping Beauty and we get the famous dragon fight.  See the movie just for the spiteful witch-fairy who is just angry she didn't get invited to a party.

32.  Princess and the Frog

There is a lot to love about Princess and the Frog, but I think the biggest issue with it is that it tries to pay too much respect to the classic 70s Disney films that it doesn't stand on its own too feet.  Most of the music works, but only two are the standouts with "Almost There" and "Friends on the Other-side" and the Randy Newman music never really captures the same power as the more popular 90's Disney films.  

-Wandy Nehwman-

Dr. Facilier is one of my favorite Disney villains as well and is another character that revels in evil, just like Maleficent.  It's pretty good, just not great.

31. Oliver and Company

I'm going to be honest, this movie got some bonus points for the Billy Joel soundtrack.  I like the adaptation of Oliver Twist but with animals the film presents and the way the film depicts New York makes the city feel like a character in of itself.  This film is one of the few examples of getting celebrity voices in a Disney film until it becomes common later on.  The film is a fun little adventures romp with some great music and some cute animals.  I still hum "Why Should I Worry?"

-IT'S JUST A BAH BAH BEE BAH BAH I GOT STREET SAHWAH FAAAAIIIRRRR-

30-21 coming soon!!!!