Top 5 Disney films

Well, I finally have a moment to add a new post to my blog. I have been working furiously the last few weeks to get my debut novel ready for publication. It took almost 3 weeks to get the paperback version submitted, then another week or so for the ebook version. I am now waiting for the review proof to come in the mail so I can check for errors, and on the electronic side, I am waiting for final clearance to see if I formatted it properly for inclusion in Apple, Barnes and Noble, etc for each of their ereaders. So, I figure I had better get my website updated as people start getting the chance to read my book.

On that note, I figure it is time for a Top 5 List. This time, my Top 5 Disney Animated Features. I am not including Pixar in this list, as those should be a list all their own. I am also excluding any that included live action, such as Mary Poppins or Bedknobs and Broomsticks. According to Wikipedia, there are 51 movies on the list, with 2 more in the works, but it started with Snow White in 1937 and the most recent was Winnie the Pooh this past July. So without further ado:

Honorable Mention (because there are so many worty choices that make only 5 difficult):

• The Emporer’s New Groove — this one is downright funny.
• Alladin — this one is also funny, and good songs.
• Cinderella — great songs and story (see also Sleeping Beauty below)
• The Lion King — currently the second highest grossing animated film of all time thanks to its 3D re-release this year (Toy Story 3 current #1), but overexposed, just seen it too much to enjoy sitting all the way through it again.
• Tangled — great animation, some very funny parts, a little uneven in parts and not all songs equal.

The Top 5:

5) Hercules — I really liked this one and feel it was underrated when it was released. A lot of very good songs, funny, and exciting. James Woods was awesome as Hades.

4) Sleeping Beauty — Could have been Cinderella, but I had a crush on Princess Aurora. Plus, the villian, Maleficent, is one of the best ever.

3) The Little Mermaid — Jump start to Disney animation renaissance. A lot of these songs are still my favorites, and it was refreshing and fun. I really enjoyed watching the stage version down at Tuacahn this past summer.

2) Beauty and the Beast — there is a reason it was the first animated film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1991 (lost to Silence of the Lambs). Stunning animation that blended computer and traditional techniques, the songs were all wonderful, and the voices were perfectly cast.

1) Robin Hood — this was the first one I remember seeing as a youth, and this was in the days before VCR, when we would go to the drive-in movies in our little Toyota station wagon. I got a story book and a record and listened to it over and over.  It has been my favorite for a long time, and still is.

© Copyright 2011 Jeff, All rights Reserved. Written For: Jeffrey Olsen