I wasn’t even sure if I was going to write this post but I needed a brief interlude for something fun that isn’t beauty and lifestyle related. Don’t get me wrong I love writing those blog posts but I wanted to take a walk into stuff that I like. I grew up in what some people call the “Golden Age” of animated Disney films. I am a child of the 90’s, I am a mid-range millennial, my childhood was categorized by many an animated Disney film and some of those are still my favorites today. Though some of the newer Disney animated films are also on this list. This is going to literally be more of a list, it will be the movie (in no particular order) and a brief description of why it is on my list. Now I wrote my list in early 2017 so there have been other movies that have come out since then but these are my top ten as of when I originally wrote the list.

 

All of these are my opinions and my thoughts, if you don’t agree; that’s cool. We can all have our own opinions on things.

 

1. Tangled
   • Maybe it’s the escapist in me, I love Tangled because it is a story about rebellion for the right reasons. It’s about the unlikely love story and telling people that you don’t have to be perfect to deserve good things in life. I love the musical numbers as well because they are catchy and there is an entire song dedicated to barbarians who want the almost opposite of what a traditional barbarian wants.

 

2. The Great Mouse Detective
   • This movie is so underrated. It is for sure one of my favorite movies from childhood. It was my introduction to Sherlock Holmes without letting me realize that it had a loose basis in the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle character that has become increasingly popular over the last decade. I love this movie it still has all of the Disney elements that you would expect, a rescue, musical numbers, a terrifying villain, (I was afraid of Ratigan for years.) and witty one liners.

 

3. The Princess and The Frog
   • I have been to New Orleans and I love the fact that it was the location basis for this film. Tiana is one of my favorite princesses, (her, Belle, and Rapunzel tie for my favorites.) she is hard working and focused while still being compassionate and generous. I loved this movie for so many reasons, normally when I am feeling down I watch it because it is just such a feel good story.

 

4. Beauty and The Beast
   • How could this not make my list, Beauty and The Beast was a staple in my childhood and I always loved Belle, she was bookish and she was smart but people in her community didn’t understand her and made fun of her for things that most people would cherish. I grew up in a similar vein, bookish and isolated; people made fun of me. Granted I did not run away to an enchanted castle to a beast who suddenly becomes human at the end. (Side note: I did like the live action even though I know lots of people who hated it.) This movie was one of those that helped me accept that the things that made me unique were not something to be judged or hidden under a rug they were to be held proudly because they are what makes you who you are.

 

5. Big Hero Six
   • This movie was also about accepting what makes you unique and basking in that because it can help you overcome so much. It is also a movie about the importance of family no matter if they are blood or not. It has a diverse cast of strong characters while still being relatable and grounded, it lets all sorts of people see themselves in these characters and that is very important in a film. It was a very creative movie when it came out and taught what I believe to be some good lessons. Including, revenge may not always be the answer; it will not make everything better it will not bring someone back it will only hurt more people.

 

6. Robin Hood
   • Also a hugely underrated movie in my opinion it is one of my favorites and again I feel this movie like The Great Mouse Detective introduced us all to classic literature without any of us knowing it. We didn’t know we were learning about something that had been around for a long time it was just a fox running around the forest with a British accent stealing from a lion. There is literally no room to be mad about that. It’s a good movie and it was and still is one of my favorites.

 

7. Wreck It Ralph
   • I was a fan of this movie when it came out because it was about overcoming stereotypes in a way, it was about moving out of your comfort zone because you don’t feel right there anymore. It also provided an interesting backdrop because video games are such a huge thing right now and there were a lot of familiar faces in the film that gamers of all ages would recognize. It was a funny movie because half the main cast are comedians and I was there for it at the time.

 

8. The Little Mermaid
   • Who doesn’t want to be a part of your world, I mean come on some of the songs off this movie were the songs that I can still sing all of the words to. I still want a sassy crab friend to give me advice and tell me that I am stupid. I loved this movie because it was about overcoming a lot of things and also not trusting you know a sea witch who wants your voice. Granted like most of the princesses I have some issues with some things about the relationships with the princes but that is not a conversation for this post.

 

9. Pocahontas

9. • Okay this was not on my original list, it was Frozen and after working with small children for two years I figured it was time to Let It Go. I know that Pocahontas was a very different reality from the Disney film but I loved the Disney film growing up. I watched it a few years ago and cried for most of the end. I love the songs and the animation as well as pretty much everything else about it. Like I said with The Little mermaid, I also want a hummingbird and raccoon sidekick and a sassy willow tree to help me with all of my life problems. (I mean getting the boy would be nice but I also want the assistance of a sidekick who is a cute and lovable woodland creature or magical entity that helps me out with stuff.)

 

10. Lilo and Stitch

• Last but for sure not least, my godfather is from Hawai’i so when this movie came out he took me to see it, we all went to the islands the next year. I love this movie, it is one of my all-time favorite movies in general, I love the message about family that it provides and it is just a fun movie with a great soundtrack. It really shed a light on the difference between the natives to Hawai’i and the tourists.

 

Bonus: Moana.

• This makes my list now because it is a beautiful film again that shows the heritage of many Polynesian islands and peoples. I had lost my grandmother about six months before this movie came out and I cried in the movie theatre when Moana lost her grandmother. Granted my relationship with my grandmother was rocky at best it was still fresh and I understood what she felt as she went out on her own to go and protect her people and her way of life even after losing one of the most important people in her life. I listen to the soundtrack when I am down because Shiny is a huge joke between my best friend and I. (I could not stop laughing in the theatre when I heard that song for the first time. It just hit me somewhere in my giggle bone.)

So there are my top 10 and a bonus favorite animated Disney movies. What are some of your favorites?

 

-MJ