The Lion King (1994)

Of all of Disney's animated classics, The Lion King is hands down the most celebrated. I, on the other hand, was never so fond of it as a child. So today I decided to rewatch it and see how I'd feel about it and I still don't think this is Disney's greatest film. 

The Lion King tells the story of a lion cub named Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas) who one day will become the king of the Pride Lands. However, his uncle Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) is desperate for the crown himself and would do anything to get it, even get Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), his brother and king, killed and let Simba believed he is to be blamed for his father's death and Simba runs away from the kingdom. Years go by and, while Simba (now voiced by Matthew Broderick) has found new friends in meerkat Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and warthog Pumbaa (voiced by Ernie Sabella), the kingdom is falling apart under Scar's tyrannical leadership.

The story is very simple and not that original as many people say --I'm specifically talking about the Japanese manga series Kimba the White Lion as not only the name of the main character is very similar but the characters as well. Both have a sage baboon, a hornbill, despicable hyenas and an evil lion. Not to mention an iconic scene from The Lion King being identical to one from Kimba the White Lion-- and I truly struggle to see how it could appeal an adult audience as it is very little exciting. 

As for kids, it's a whole different story as the film deals with themes of family, love, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal. Also, it teaches what being brave means, that you can either run away from your past or learn from it, and that you gotta put your past behind. 

Buena Vista Pictures

The characters are pretty good and make up for the lack of a strong story. Timon and Pumbaa are so lovable and truly wonderful as they provide the film with some good humour probably only adults will appreciate. Scar is an excellent villain, both menacing and so fascinating that I've been rooting for his since I was a child. And Jeremy Irons' voice work is so spot-on! Simba, on the other hand, isn't that likeable and makes for a pretty boring hero.

Just like any other Disney flick, The Lion King is beautifully animated --the African savannah, in particular, is truly breathtaking-- and it has pretty catchy and fun songs.

Robin Hood (1973)

Robin Hood is another of those Disney movies I never cared much about as a kid. Why I can't say since I love animals --all the characters here are portrayed as animals-- and Robin Hood is pretty much doing the right thing by doing what he does.

Just like the classic tale, Disney's film follows Robin Hood (voiced by Brian Bedford) and his companion Little John (voiced by Phil Harris) as they steal from the rich and give to the poor. The riches happen to be the immature and greedy Prince John (voiced by Peter Ustinov) who has the corrupt Sherif of Nottingham (voiced by Pat Buttram) collect crushing taxes from poor citizens. Which is why the Sherif of Nottingham is out to catch them. Being wanted by Prince John, however, won't stop Robin Hood from entering an archery contest to win the hand of Maid Marion (voiced by Monica Evans).

Because Robin Hood tells a story we already know, the plot is very predictable. It also occasionally wanders and loses its focus and yet it manages to keep you interested and engaged.

That happens only because Disney found a way to make the classic story more original by using anthropomorphic animal characters --Robin Hood is a fox, Little John is a bear, Prince John is a lion, the Sherif of Nottingham is a wolf, Maid Marion is a vixen, and let's not forget about Prince John's right hand, Sir Hiss, a snake (voiced by Terry-Thomas). There's something charming and creative about it and makes the characters so much more lovable and funny. Even some of the villains, especially Prince John as he's being portrayed as a spoiled little brat who cries when things don't go his way. Some of the characters though are basically characters from another Disney film, The Jungle Book. It's indeed more than obvious than Little John is Baloo and Sir Hiss is Kaa. The Sherif of Nottingham is by far the least likeable character which is why he makes a great villain. The solid voice work from the cast helps too.

Buena Vista Distribution

The songs are nice too. They aren't as catchy or memorable as songs from other Disney movies, The Jungle Book or The Lion King to name a few, but they are still enjoyable. The animation, on the other hand, isn't that great. Actually, it's terrible as it looks pretty amateurish and very cheap. You can even see pencil marks at times!

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Sleeping Beauty is one of the movies I grew up with, one of those I would watch over and over again. And yet, it was never one of my favourites. The reason? The story just didn't do for me. In fact, I could remember very little about this film's plot before rewatching. And I still feel the same, there's just something off about it.

When a new princess, Aurora (Mary Costa/Helene Stanley), is born, the entire kingdom rejoices and attends the ceremony to celebrate her. Everything is perfectly fine until Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) shows up and curses the baby and announces that before the sun sets on Aurora's 16th birthday, she will die by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. To protect their daughter, King Stefan (Taylor Holmes) and his wife (Verna Felton) place her in the care of three good fairies, Flora (Verna Felton/Frances Bavier), Fauna (Barbara Jo Allen/Madge Blake), and Merryweather (Barbara Luddy/Spring Byington). Everything goes according to plan until Aurora, on her 16th birthday, meets Prince Philip (Bill Shirley/Ed Kemmer).

I shouldn't be complaining about the story because that's how the original tale was, but there's nothing new year. It's the typical boy meets girl, they fall in love and live happily ever after kind of story. There are a few obstacles here and there, but the ending doesn't get any more predictable. Also, it's pretty much a copy of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (which is almost 20 years older than this one, so I don't see the point in making this), only with fairies instead of dwarfs. 

Buena Vista Distribution

The plot isn't the only problem with Sleeping Beauty. The characters aren't that good either. Actually, more than the characters, the characters the filmmakers decided to focus on, the three good fairies. If they were so much more interested in developing them, they should have made a movie about them instead. The three fairies are also the most interesting and likeable characters, not because they fight over the colour of the dress or for the stupid way Fauna tries to make the cake without magic --though both scenes are fun-- but because they have a personality. Aurora and Prince Philip are forgettable, to say the least, and Maleficent could have been a great villain if she was given more screen time. 

On the other hand, the songs are nice and catchy, but not so good and catchy to get stuck in your head. They fit the film and all but they don't stick with you much longer. The animation is still very beautiful. The colours are nice, the backgrounds are beautiful, the characters move so fluidly and there's quite a lot of attention to details. 

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but this February I'll be reviewing mostly romantic movies (there will be a few exceptions *coughs*Black Panther*coughs*) and I thought it'd be nice to rewatch one of Disney Classics, the one that is supposedly the most romantic of them all, Lady and the Trump. And quite frankly, what a disappointment. 

As everyone knows, the film tells the story of Lady (Barbara Luddy), a golden Cocker Spaniel who lives in the ritzy part of town. Her life is great until her owners, Jim Dear (Lee Millar) and Darling (Peggy Lee), have a baby. Aunt Sarah (Verna Felton) come to stay in the house along with her two scheming Siamese cats (Peggy Lee) making her life a nightmare. That's when mongrel dog Tramp (Larry Roberts) comes to her rescue. 

Being completely honest with you though, I didn't remember much about the plot. I pretty much remembered only the romance between Lady and Tramp. Which is a very interesting concept --though not original since the film is based on Ward Greene's Happy Dan, The Whistling Dog--, showing love through the eyes of two dogs. My problem with it is that it just felt flat. It wasn't neither moving or charming as I remembered it. It was kinda sweet but nothing more as it's the typical opposites-attract kind of love story. 

As for the plot, that's a different story. I actually liked it. Sure, it's simple and takes very predictable turns and still Lady's adventure, her learning how to be carefree and adventurous like Tramp, is quite interesting and engaging. 

Buena Vista Distribution

The characters also help to make this film a little bit more enjoyable. They are funny and sweet, and they have interesting personalities. Also, there's some sort of humanity in them that makes it easy to relate to them. And at last but not least, the actors do a really good job voicing all these vivid characters.

The animation is nothing compared to today's standard and it looks terribly aged, and still the drawings, from backgrounds to characters, are beautiful and the movements are very well handled. And the songs are nice.

Bambi (1942)

Disney movies were pretty much all I watched as a kid but Bambi never was one of my favourites which is weird considering love animals since I can remember. To be honest, I'm not even sure if I ever watched the entire film before because other than Bambi's mother dying, I could remember nothing. 

Or maybe it's because this film is pretty plotless. This young deer gets his mother killed by a hunter, he befriends other animals, he learns the skills needed to survive and finds love. But it's not all roses, hunters come back and he must save the other deers. 

I usually wouldn't complain about a lack of plot, especially in a movie like Bambi. I mean, it deals with plenty of important topics such as death, friendship, love and growing-up/what it means to be an adult. This time, however, I really felt the lack of a story. A baby deer growing up just wasn't enough for me. It might be cute at first, but then it gets boring. 

RKO Radio Pictures

Also, I didn't find the film neither charming, inventive or emotional. This is probably just me, but I didn't connect with the story or characters. There's plenty of action and some dramatic tension but I didn't feel anything. I didn't cry like most people do (or say they do).

The characters are cute and lovable, sure, but they aren't that charming to be remembered. I really liked the rabbit and the polecat but I can barely remember their names. 

On the upper hand, there's the animation. It looks aged (it's 75-year-old, after all) but it's still beautiful, especially the scenery, and probably the best thing about Bambi.

Peter Pan (1953)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Directors

Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Bobby Driscoll, Margaret Kerry, Kathryn Beaumont, Paul Collins, Tommy Luske, Hans Conried, Heather Angel, Bill Thompson, Robert Ellis, Jeffrey Silver, Johnny McGovern, Stuffy Singer, Tony Butala, Tom Conway

Storyline

Wendy (Margaret Kerry) and her two young brothers John (Paul Collins) and Michael (Tommy Luske) receive a visit from Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) who takes them to the magical world of Neverland. 

Opinion

Peter Pan is another of those Disney movies I loved as a kid and I decided to rewatch to find how I'd feel about it today. The answer is, pretty much the same, because after all those years (both from my childhood and from the movie's release) this still is an animated gem.

As a kid, I was very fascinated and enchanted by the story. What kid wouldn't love to fly away and go to a magical land where you never grow up? As an adult, I'm still fascinated by that story. Unlike Barrie's play, this film's story is pretty simple and isn't too deep, but it's a delight to watch.

And the characters play a huge role in that. Although the development and characterization aren't excellent, the characters are nice, funny, likeable and it's easy to side with them. Some (the Indians) are nothing more than stereotypes, I know that, but they still are a nice addition to the film. Also, there's one of Disney's most famous characters (and one of my favourite as well), Tinker Bell. She is so sassy and fun, it's impossible not to love her.

The actors all do a good job with their characters, but it's the animation that truly brings them to life. It's aged and you can tell, especially from the characters' goofy facial expressions, but it's still is pretty impressive.

Also, it has some good humour and the songs are fun and entertaining.

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Genres

Animation, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Odgen Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Brian Cummings, Alvin Epstein, Tony Jay, Alec Murphy, Kimmy Robertson, Frank Welker

Storyline

An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress who turned him into a beast until he learns to love and be loved. His only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle (Paige O'Hara).

Opinion

The new Disney live-action film left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and to fix that I rewatched this classic version. And, while I'm still not a big fan of it, this Beauty and the Beast is way better than Condon's dull movie.

The story, although simple, predictable and really nothing more than a love story, is charming, it has a nice pace and it's well executed. Also, it is engaging and it'll probably move you, even if you are a heartless bitch like me.

What truly stands out in this film, just like in any other Disney movie, are the characters. The two main characters, Belle and the beast, are nicely developed, but the most charming are easily the minor supporting characters such as Mrs. Pots, Chip and Lumiere. The villain though is a bit weak and not charming at all (the only thing the live-action did better in my opinion).

And the animation is great too. Actually, it's quite astonishing and along with the wonderful songs, it gives the film a magical feel.

Aladdin (1992)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Ron Clements, John Musker

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Jonathan Freeman, Linda Larkin, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Jim Cummings, Charlie Adler, Corey Burton

Storyline

Street urchin Aladdin (Scott Weinger) develops a relationship with a genie (Robin Williams) from a lamp and uses his wishes to become a prince in order to marry Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin). However, the evil Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) has other plans for the lamp.

Opinion

Aladdin has never been my favourite Disney flick but on the other hand, Jasmine has always been one of my favourite Disney princesses. I don't know if it's even possible but I think I had a crush on her. Anyway, that's the reason I decided to rewatch it before the new live-action film gets released and ruins her and this film because we all know that's going to happen. But let's move on onto the fact that this Aladdin is a pretty good and very fun to watch movie.

As normal with most Disney films, the story is very simple and not so deep and it's also a story we all know. Nevertheless, it has a wonderful pace and it is so magical, it will definitely grab your attention from start to finish. And it has a very beautiful love story.

But the story wouldn't be anything without its fantastic and beautifully animated characters. The genie is easily the most amusing character as well as the most hilarious genie ever created and that's mainly thanks to the great voice work by Robin Williams. Jasmine isn't only a beautiful princess but she also has a strong personality which is the reason I always liked her. And the animal sidekicks are simply amazing. Abu, Aladdin's monkey, is adorable, but my favourite will always be Iago, the sarcastic parrot/sidekick to Jafar, one of the best Disney villains ever if you ask me.

The only flaw? Aladdin doesn't compare with the other characters. But at least he sings, along with Jasmine, the most mesmerizing song of the film, "A Whole New World". That song is just wonderful.

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Genres

Animation, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Ron Clements, John Musker

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Buddy Hackett, Ben Wright, Paddi Edwards, Edie McClurg, Kimmy Robertson, Will Ryan, Frank Welker, René Auberjonois

Storyline

Young mermaid princess Ariel (Jodi Benson) rescues a human prince (Christopher Daniel Barnes) and falls in love with him so she strikes a bargain with the evil sea witch Ursula (Pat Carroll) to trade her fins and voice for human legs. But Ursula has her own plans.

Opinion

There's nothing as rewarding as rewatching your childhood favourites and finding they still are fantastic films and The Little Mermaid makes no difference. It has always been one of my favourite Disneys and it will always be.

Not entirely loyal to Hans Christian Andersen's original tale, the story is pretty simple and yet very enjoyable and engaging. The love story is romantic and touching and will you find yourself rooting for Ariel and Eric which is why the typical Disney happy ending really works here - and has never bothered me at all.

Like all Disney films, the star isn't the story but the characters, and The Little Mermaid has plenty of amazing characters. Ariel is such a vibrant character and I like the way the filmmakers used her to explore womanhood - although the character ends up being pretty much the typical teenager in love. Stealing the show, as usual, are the animal sidekicks, the cute and sweet tropical fish Flounder, Ariel's best friend, and Sebastian, the crab/musical composer. The villain, Ursula, is pretty memorable too.

The music is very good, the songs are memorable and the musical stagings are pretty good too. The animation is beautiful too. Sure, it looks aged, but it's still beautiful and the colours are so vibrant, they fit the characters' personalities well.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Fantasy, Musical

Directors

Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Jerry Colonna, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Verna Felton, J. Pat O'Malley, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Joseph Kearns, Larry Grey, Queenie Leonard, Dink Trout, Doris Lloyd, Jimmy MacDonald, The Mellomen, Don Barclay

Storyline

One day, daydreaming young girl Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) spots a large white rabbit (Bill Thompson), dressed in a jacket and carrying a large watch. Quickly following him, she stumbles into the world of Wonderland where she will live an adventure which culminates in a terrible encounter with the Queen of Hearts (Verna Felton). 

Opinion

I've already said in the past that I've never been a fan of Alice, I guess that's why I have never seen Disney's Alice in Wonderland as a kid. I thought it was about time to fix it, I watched it, and I'm still not a fan. While arguably better than Tim Burton's - and I had a nice time watching it -, neither this one was able to charm me.

The story isn't exactly like the one Carroll wrote, it's a blend of his Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, the events don't have the same order, some rather important parts are left out, but it wasn't a problem at all. I actually liked it this way because it allowed me to enjoy it a bit more, despite the fact that there wasn't a real plot. 

Anyway, the film felt incredibly off, and some of the blame is on the characters. They aren't charming or interesting, they aren't that nice and some of them are quite annoying. What's really annoying though is that lots of characters are introduced only to disappear and never to be seen again. However, some of them are memorable, like the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the Queen of Hearts.

Moving on, the animation is beautiful and very colourful; also, the songs throughout are quite enjoyable and make the film a bit more fun. Still, it's not charming. 

Cinderella (1950)

Genres

Animation, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Helene Stanley, Ilene Woods, Lucille Bliss, Eleanor Audley, Claire Du Brey, Verna Felton, Jeffrey Stone, William Phipps, Mike Douglas, Rhoda Williams, Jimmy MacDonald, Luis Van Rooten, Don Barclay, June Foray, Betty Lou Gerson, Marni Nixon

Storyline

When her cruel stepmother (Eleanor Audley) prevents her from attending the Royal Ball where the Prince (William Phipps) is supposed to choose his bride, Cinderella (Ilene Woods) gets some unexpected help from the Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton) and the rest is history.

Opinion

I've been in the mood for rewatching old Disney movies lately, that's why I ended up watching Cinderella, an almost 70-year-old film that still manages to enchant me as it did when I was a child.

The story is simple and everybody knows it which means no twists - to be honest, it's pretty clichéed -, nevertheless it's incredibly engaging and it's told in such a beautiful and charming way it's impossible not to love it. What I like the most about it though isn't the main plot of the girl getting the boy and vice versa, but the subplot that shows Cinderella's wonderful relationship with all the animals around the house, especially with the lovely mice.

Which brings me to the next point, the characters. Although the lead, Cinderella, is a bit bland and overall they aren't that developed, most of the characters are lovely and fun to watch, in particular Jacques and Gus Gus, who by the way has always been my favourite thing about the film.

The funny characters aren't the only entertaining aspect of the film. This is a musical after all, and it's a good one too. The songs are indeed very nice and catchy.

Truly astonishing is how well the animation still holds up today. Everything, from the characters to the backgrounds, is very well-drawn, colourful and quite detailed. And call it nostalgia or whatever, but I enjoyed this more than the animation of some modern films.