TOP TEN DISNEY FILMS
August 10, 2017Come on, admit it. We all love a good Disney film, and how could you not? They make us laugh, cry, question right from wrong and teach us important lessons about ourselves that we would never learn anywhere else. All while creating new, animated worlds filled with familiar faces and utterly abnormal creatures to entertain and educate. As you've already gathered, today's post is dedicated to Disney, more importantly to my all time favourite Disney films!
1. THE LION KING 2
We all had that one film we watched to death when we were a child, until our parents and our younger selves could recite every line backwards. Well, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride was my movie. I remember the first time I watched it was at my cousin's house on VHS and I instantly fell in love, and I would watch it when we visisted every Friday without fail. It's much darker than the first, Kovu was a total dreamboat (yes, he's a lion. Yes, I know.) and the songs are some of my absolute favourites - I could sing My Lullaby in my sleep. Controversially, I think it is much better than the first, and even to this day I would watch this over the original any day. Disney know how to do sequels, and this movie is by far one of their best.
2. THE LITTLE MERMAID
Ariel was always my favourite princess, and today she's one of the few characters I own merch of, because I love her just that much. Now, I know I definitely watch The Little Mermaid as a child, but I didn't actually remember much of the story until I rewatched it a couple of years ago, and boy, is it much darker than it initially appears. Aside from the whole romance stuff, even if Eric is an Adonis, I was in love with how beautiful the animation and colours were. The fish, the ocean itself and how every song was as colourful as the film. Ursula is also probably my favourite Disney villain, she's awful, disgusting and I love her even more knowing that she was inspired by one of the best drag queens of all time.
3. BIG HERO SIX
It's sad to admit, but I kind of grew out of Disney towards my later teens, and I didn't get to appreciate certain films until I was a little older (but they feature later.) BH6 was the film that pulled me back into my childhood again. I don't care much for superhero films, but there's just something so endearing about a young protagonist and his big squishy marshmallow friend trying to save the world from an evil, masked man. The characters are unique and believable, and Baymax is one of those characters that you can't help but smile at, and he definitely contributed to the film becoming my go to self-care film. My boyfriend and I also still do the handshake.
4. THE FOX AND THE HOUND
Another one of my childhood favourites that I've found to be sadly underappreciated by my fellow Disney fans. As the title suggests, the film follows and fox and a bloodhound who become the unlikeliest of friends as they try to battle against their instinctual animosity towards each other. Best of Friends is also one of my favourite songs and never fails to make me cry when I listen to it.
5. UP
I can't even tell you how many times I've cried at that scene, or how many times my family have laughed at me for it! Up was one of those films I neglected to watch until I was much older, and I definitely regret not seeing it sooner. It's a story of loneliness, grief, adventure and life and I think we can definitely all relate to how Carl feels in one way or another, and sometimes we just have to wait for our own Russell to come and pull us out of that cloud of darkness. Also, the dog wearing the cone of shame made me laugh more than any reasonable human should. Good old Disney, eh?
6. TANGLED
Similarly to Up, it was actually my boyfriend who encouraged me to watch Tangled. He'd hate to admit it, but it's one of his favourite films, and of course it's become one of my favourites too. Tangled is one of those films where I smile from start to finish, because everything about it makes me feel good. The music is uplifting, it's "split your sides laughing" hilarious, the animation is utterly beautiful and Rapunzel and Flynn are the ultimate couple - a princess and a dashing rogue. I would go as far as to say it's so stereotypical of Disney it's pretty much impossible to hate.
7. THE ARISTOCATS
There's just something about singing jazz cats that really makes for a great film. The songs from The Aristocats always get stuck in my head, and I'm genuinely convinced that if I were a Disney character I would definitely be Marie. Another film that I didn't truly appreciate until I watched it late at night last summer, and I will always love it.
8. DUMBO
For all its faults and its rather disturbing scenes of animal cruelty, circuses and that pink elephants moment, Dumbo was one of my favourite childhood films. I can completely understand why it wouldn't be popular with others, but it's message and content shaped my views and opinions to this very day, and I'm excited to see how Tim Burton interprets it in the up-coming remake.
9. BROTHER BEAR
With a soundtrack that features the incredible songs of Phil Collins I have absolutely no idea why Brother Bear is never featured on any lists. I personally love Disney films based on real folklore from different cultures and countries, and Brother Bear was my first introduction to this. It mixes everything I love about a film, with education and enlightenment and if you've never seen it before, I would highly recommend it.
10. LILO AND STITCH
This was one of my brother's many, many childhood film favourites and after initially hating it, the more I watched it, the more it grew on me. Similar to BB in how it combines culture, with something utterly alien, it never fails to make me laugh until I cry. The relationship between Lilo, Stitch and Nani echoes that of any family that's far from nuclear, and doesn't shy away from highlighting the problems of sibling rivalry and how difficult it is to fit in somewhere new.
Of course it wouldn't be a list comprised by yours truly if I didn't bend the rules a little. It was really hard to narrow the top ten down, so I thought it only fair to include some honourable mentions!
Oliver and Company; I'm pretty sure I've never made it the whole way through the movie, but Streets of Gold is an absolutely bop, and it would be rude not to mention it.
Mulan; With one of, if not, the best soundtracks in Disney movie history, I'm convinced Mulan is in every Disney fans' favourite movie list.
Aladdin; Confession - I HATE the romance between Jasmine and Aladdin, but the genie keeps me watching every single time.
The Princess and the Frog; If you feel like you're stuck in a rut and your life isn't shaping up how you imagined, watch this movie. You'll laugh, cry and Tiana's unbreakable spirit will permeate through your TV screen and fill you with confidence and positivity.
Zootopia; Holy shit what a twist. Zootopia is unlike any other Disney film, and if you haven't seen it yet, watch it. I'm still in shock.
The Haunted Mansion; I wouldn't usually include live action Disney movies, but The Haunted Mansion was one of those films I adored as a child, but I didn't really understand how creepy it was until I was much older.
I could honestly go on forever and list off every single Disney film I've ever watched, but there's a simple explanation for that. Every new film I see is different to the last, and each movie brings me an indescribable nostalgic joy unlike any other, and I never want that feeling to go away. I don't know if I'll have the opportunity to watch every single film throughout my lifetime, but as long as Disney keep making them, I'll keep watching them.
What's your favourite Disney film? Is there any underrated film that you love showing love for?
I hope you enjoyed this feel-good Disney movie post as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Until next time,
Rachel
14 comments
I'm obsessed with Disney! Love your picks!
ReplyDeleteLeah x
http://www.leahmarriott.co.uk
Thanks Leah! x
DeleteAh! Your list is so great! Personally, Lilo and Stitch is one of my favorite films, and always has been! Stitch is one of my many obsessions :') I don't think I've ever seen the Fox and the Hound, The Aristocats, Oliver and Company or the Princess and the Frog, but the rest I definitely have. Fun fact, the one and only time I've watched Zootopia was the French language one without subtitles with my French flatmate at uni! Reading this has actually really made me want to watch a disney film now!
ReplyDeleteGail // www.sherbet-aurora.co.uk
I am obsessed with Stitch, he's the only other Disney character I have merch of. Oh my gosh, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with what was happening! We watched it at our uni house with seriously awful wifi connection so it took us much longer to watch than it should have, what a nightmare! x
DeleteThis post is amazing! Disney films are my go-to and it's so good to see what your top 10 are! My boyfriend got me into Tangled too so your boyfriend isn't alone on loving tangled 😂 I have no idea how you narrowed it down because I genuinely can't! I have to say my faves are Cinderella, the Jungle Book, the Lion King, A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc!
ReplyDeleteLiz x
naturalhazardsandmore.blogspot.co.uk
Glad you enjoyed Liz! Hahaha, I'll have to let him know so he doesn't feel so awkward. Aah, I always forget about how good Monster's Inc and A Bug's Life are, thanks for reminding me x
DeleteI will be honest I have never seen the Lion King 2. Even worse than that my mom hasn't even seen the Lion King! Terrible, right? Apart from that your list is great!
ReplyDeleteWhat?! That's practically disney sacrilege, you should definitely give them a go x
DeleteI LOVE Disney - when I was a kid and The Little Mermaid came out I completely wore out the VHS of the film and it broke inside the tape player. We had to replace the VCR but you couldn't buy the tape any more. I had to wait until the 10th anniversary of the film to replace it - I was devastated. It used to be my favourite, but loads have come out since and now my top three are Enchanted, Tanged and then Little Mermaid :) Great post!
ReplyDeleteThe wonders of VHS, eh?! I've never actually seen Enchanted x
DeleteBeauty and The Beast! My absolute favourite at the moment. But my all time favourite is Hercules - it still makes me laugh! I don't care how old I am, I'm going to watch Disney! It's just such a good way to lift your mood. I haven't actually watched The Fox and The Hound (sorry), maybe I should give it a go. Lilo and Stick is another classic, makes me cry like a baby. And Big Hero Six. I really enjoyed Frozen as well. I just can't choose!
ReplyDeleteJulia xx
theglassofclass.com
Beauty and the Beast is such a beautiful movie, and Hades is for sure one of the funniest Disney characters. I find myself relating a little too closely to him as I get older! x
ReplyDeleteI could spend an entire year watching only Disney films and I can say these ones are the best ones.
ReplyDeletexx Ele
http://elewithlove.it/
I'm so glad we're on the same wavelength! x
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