Disney Daze
Remembering the good times.
It’s no secret (unless you’re a paid shill, or willfully naïve) The Walt Disney Company is in a self-inflicted tailspin of dizzying proportions…and showing no signs of stopping. The MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe for the uninitiated) is imploding as we speak; one prospective Star Wars film after another has been deep sixed since the Sequel Trilogy (not unlike the flaming husk of Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith) crawled to the finish line back in 2019; and the storied studio’s latest animated venture, Wish, currently sits at an abysmal 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is quite telling considering Disney films are usually graded on a generous curve (not to mention the fact that the animation for this movie looks about as attractive as the early days of South Park).
If, like me, you came of age in the halcyon days of the Disney Renaissance, or their inconsistent (but admirable) experimental phase in the early 2000’s, watching the once unassailable House of Mouse slide further into irrelevance by the day can be a bittersweet affair. Bitter because, as trite as it may sound, your childhood is being obliterated before your eyes (the nostalgia is real); but sweet because Disney is suffering the consequences of what we denizens of the interweb like to call F*** Around and Find Out (the schadenfreude is also real).
However, for all of its many sins (both new and old), The Walt Disney Company has produced some genuinely wondrous films; many of which I’m revisiting nowadays with my youngest. And, because I am a sucker for nostalgia (and because I want my kids to experience the same joy and wonder as I did), I find it of the utmost importance to keep the memories of the good old days alive, even as we’re forced to reckon with the fact that Disney will never again be the trustworthy and reliable behemoth it once was.
Thus, it is in that spirit I present (in no particular order) my Top Five Favorite Disney Animated Films.
Frozen
Yes, I like Frozen more than Tangled. No, I will not apologize, or change my mind. There are few moments as powerful as the end of Frozen when Anna abandons all thoughts of self-preservation to rescue from certain death the sister who’s repeatedly shunned and injured her all throughout her life. If there’s a better pop culture portrait of Christ’s sacrificial love for us, as unintentional as it may be, I’m hard pressed to think of it.
The Emperor’s New Groove
I’m not saying I based my whole teenage/young adult persona off of David Spade's impeccable portrayal of the snarky and sarcastic Kuzco, but I’m not saying I didn’t either. The Emperor’s New Groove was one of the funniest movies of the early 2000’s, and (despite being an extremely prolific source of memes) an oft-overlooked one within Disney’s vast pantheon of animated classics.
Finding Nemo
By and large, most Pixar films are vastly overrated (looking at you Ratatouille and The Incredibles). However, equal parts humorous and moving, Finding Nemo is one of the few truly great movies the studio has ever produced for Disney.
The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh
Winsome, charming, and poignant; this bonafide classic has warmed the hearts and enlivened the imaginations of countless children everywhere. The characters are delightful, the songs are enchanting, and the animation is idyllic.
Beauty and the Beast
The quintessential Disney musical, as well as the peak of their animated endeavors, Beauty and the Beast is an end-to-end masterpiece of storytelling, characterization, and songwriting. Not to mention, this movie is almost singlehandedly responsible for my obsession with sweeping, Gothic romances.
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Also Treasure Planet and The Great Mouse Detective 👍
My wife and kid love The Emperor's New Groove.