D52–Pocahontas

In 1995, Pocahontas was supposed to be the Disney studio’s next Big Thing. During production The Lion King was mostly expected to be an also-ran, while Pocahontas was considered to be the true successor to the phenomenal Beauty and the Beast. It was an ambitious story with a sincere treatment that, in the build up to its release, many considered to be a contender for another Best Picture nomination. Unfortunately, audiences didn’t feel the same way. While it was by no means a failure, either creatively or financially, it didn’t live up to the high standards set by its predecessors.

On paper, it would appear the Pocahontas had everything it needed to be a great film. A strong female lead, likeable comic sidekicks, an ill-fated romance, and action and adventure. The animation is again first rate, as is the music. Why it failed to capture audiences hearts they way its peers did is something of a mystery, but likely comes down to two factors. The first is the conclusion. The film is based, somewhat loosely, on historical figures. By choosing to remain true to history and not have Pocahontas and John Smith wide up together the film breaks from what audiences had come to expect of a Disney film: a tidy, happy ending. This led to some dissatisfied movie goers and some bad word of mouth for the film. The second, and bigger, problem, though, has to do with Pocahontas herself. Throughout the film she is portrayed as so stoic and serious that she is difficult for the viewer to connect with. There are some attempts made to humanize her, but they are too few and far between. Without Pocahontas to bring the audience into the film, they are kept at arms length and the entire ordeal becomes somewhat antiseptic, never allowing the viewer to truly feel for any of the characters.

While I loved some of the secondary characters as a child, particularly Meeko and Percy, I never really enjoyed the film itself. Revisiting it, it became a little more apparent why that is. Though it excels on a technical level and can easily be admired for its ambition, it never allows the audience to feel for its lead. This write up has likely made it sound far worse than it actually is. The film is still well worth watching, and both kids and adults will find something to keep themselves entertained. It just never quite reaches the level of excellence that it strives for.

Original 1995 trailer

Up next: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

D52–The Lion King

In a lot of ways, The Lion King is very typical of the classic Disney films. It revolves around anthropomorphic animals, has a child protagonist who lost one of their parents, and that child eventually learns an important truth about themselves. It also combines some of the best elements of its preceding Golden Age films, inheriting strong music from The Little Mermaid, a maturity from Beauty and the Beast, and the outlandishness of Aladdin. Combining all of this in a single film, it should be no wonder that it went on to become the highest grossing animated feature of all time, only recently surpassed by 2010’s Toy Story 3.

Elton John’s music played a huge role in the success of this film, and no where is that more evident than in its stunning opener The Circle of Life. The music and animation here perfectly set the tone of the film and establish its setting. The animation is very strong throughout the entire film, as is typical of this period in the studios history. Though the story itself is simple, it is filled with wonderful character moments that invest the audience in the tale being told.

As a child and now as an adult, this is a thoroughly enjoyable film. Right from the opening scene it is clear that there is something special on display. It is one of Disney’s best and should not be missed by anyone.

Original 1994 trailer

Up next: Pocahontas (1995)

D52–Aladdin

The third in a string of Disney hits in the early ‘90s, Aladdin differed greatly from its predecessors in both tone and visual style. The choice to have the manic Robin Williams portray the Genie led to a veritable boatload of improvised jokes and impressions captured during the recording sessions which greatly shaped the movie as a whole. As such, the humour is far more irreverent and pop culture aware than Disney films that had come before. Likewise, the art direction took many of its cues from the middle eastern art native to the story’s setting, leading to a less naturalistic and more stylized look that hadn’t been used at Disney for years.

Even with these seemingly major changes, Aladdin still easily fits in among its Golden Age brethren. The animation is still wonderful, as is the music. Like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin features music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, but also features the debut of Tim Rice, who replaced Ashman after his unfortunate death. The film’s frenzied pace may have been a departure, but directors Ron Clements and John Musker do a fantastic job keeping it all under control, even while allowing it to appear to stay just this side of chaos.

This remains a fantastic movie, thanks in large part to all of the moments Williams brings. Though it features a lot of pop culture references, they are varied and well known enough that nearly all of them remain relevant today. At some point in the future that will no doubt cease to be true, but even then, they are broad enough that they remain funny without any knowledge of what they are lampooning. Kids and adults will both find a lot to enjoy here, and I definitely recommend they check it out.

Original 1992 trailer

Up next: The Lion King (1993)

D52–Beauty and the Beast

If The Little Mermaid was the film that changed the face of Disney animation, Beauty and the Beast is the one that perfected it. Thanks to the success of Mermaid, Disney was invited to show the film at the New York Film Festival. Even in its incomplete state, filled with storyboards and raw pencil animation as placeholders, the film received a huge standing ovation. It was clear this film was something special even to the marketing department. While it still had a typical child oriented ad campaign, the company simultaneously ran a more adult focused one, including the above poster, to attract a more mature audience to this very worthy film.

Everything that was learned on Mermaid was elevated here. The music is richer and more deeply ingrained in the story. The animation is stunning throughout, without a hint of the rough or jerky movements of the ‘80s. In fact, the animation is so strong that the Beast’s transformation scene is still considered to be one of the pieces of 2D animation ever created. The pacing of the film is perfect throughout, and each character is instantly intriguing.

Beauty and the Beast was and remains my favorite of the Disney animated canon. Though it is now common, with the expansion of the category to ten nominees, for animated films to receive ‘Best Picture’ Oscar nominations, Beauty was the only animated film to receive a nomination under the old rules in the history of the awards. as well as the only animated film to receive a Golden Globe for ‘Best Picture (Comedy or Musical)’. These honours are richly deserved. This is a film that absolutely everyone should both see and be able to enjoy. If you’ve somehow missed it all these years, remedy that immediately.

Original 1991 trailer

Up next: Aladdin (1992)

D52–The Rescuers Down Under

Though the second Golden Age of Disney animation is usually, and rightfully, thought of as beginning in 1989 with The Little Mermaid, 1990’s The Rescuers Down Under is not typically included in that storied group. By the time Mermaid was released and it was clear that that was the future of Disney animation, Down Under was already too far along in production to even think about making any modifications. As a result, it stands as the last of the ‘80s films; a relatively simple story with no songs, but a lot of laughs.

The Rescuers Down Under is far more action packed than its predecessor, and it is all the better for it. Where The Rescuers was slow moving almost to a fault and only had a couple memorable characters, this outing is filled with humour, action, and great characters. Aiding in this is the most extensive use of CGI in a Disney animated feature to that point, allowing for thrilling chases and a rendering of the Australian outback that at once conveys not only its massive scope but also its abundance of life.

As a child, it was the characters that made this one of my favorites. Each one had a distinct personality and each would make me laugh throughout, with my favorite being the sarcastic koala, Krebbs. Though the sparse plot was slightly less enjoyable as an adult, most of the humour still holds up and it is certainly more engaging than the original. Kids will love this and adults and animation fans will find a lot to enjoy here too.

Original 1990 theatrical trailer

Up next: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

D52–The Little Mermaid

And now we finally come to the one that changed everything. The 1980s were a rough period for Disney animation. Though the live action division was starting to turn around, thanks to the more adult skewing Touchstone Pictures and a string of successful films such as Splash, the family friendly Walt Disney Pictures label had churned out a batch of films that ranged from underperformers (Oliver and Company) to outright failures (The Black Cauldron) at the box office. The Little Mermaid was new animation head Jeffery Katzenberg’s attempt to revitalize the division, and it was shockingly successful. By returning to classic fairy tales and combining them with Broadway style musical numbers, Disney suddenly had audiences flocking to see its film in record numbers.

The film stands as a demarcation point between the old and the new Disney not just stylistically, but also from a technical standpoint. The animation is noticeably more polished than its recent predecessors, though it still retains some of their roughness and muted tones. It is additionally noteworthy as Disney’s last film to utilize cel animation. All films after Mermaid were hand drawn and then scanned into a computer for coloring, rather than traced and painted onto a cel. The most important feature of the film, however, is the music. Broadway composers Howard Ashman and Alan Menken were hired to compose the music and their work transformed what a generation would think of as a “Disney” film. Their lively songs, perfectly mixing narrative with musicality, not only won them an Oscar, but became the de facto standard for music in an animated film.

I distinctly remember seeing this film in theatres as a child and being unimpressed. Thankfully, upon revisiting it now, that opinion has greatly changed. The music is still great and the animation very strong. This film can easily be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age.

Original 1989 trailer

Up next: The Rescuers Down Under (1990)