I was born in the early 90s, in the midst of the Disney Renaissance, and I grew up on Disney movies. My mom showed me a lot of the classics in addition to the new ones that came out during my life, but I hadn't seen the vast majority of these films since childhood. So, nearly two years ago, I set out to watch every movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios (so, no live-action remakes, no made-for-TV sequels, etc.), in chronological order, to refresh my memory and fill in my blind spots. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. I ranked all of the movies on Letterboxd, and included my favorite moment from each one (usually an animated flourish, but occasionally a quote or an extended sequence). And below, I listed some good and bad surprises, and I ranked villains, vocal performances, and songs, just for fun!
https://letterboxd.com/grant692/list/disney-ranked/
Good Surprises:
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Cinderella - I really, really did not expect to come away from this with Cinderella as my favorite Disney movie and one of my favorite animated movies of all time. But it is. In my memory, it was the classic "helpless princess, handsome prince, happily ever after" story. Imagine my surprise when I find that it's a movie about a woman overcoming the most dreadful circumstances with kindness and humility and persistence and self-confidence. She's not immune to the weight of her terrible life, but when life gets her down, she picks her head up and gets back to solving her problems. She is a role model not just for little girls, but for all of us. AND it's beautifully animated, well-paced, and has one absolutely remarkable sequence (the transformation of everyone/everything in preparation for the ball). It's just splendid.
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One Hundred and One Dalmatians - I expected One Hundred and One Dalmatians to be relatively minor Disney, but I was blown away. From the gorgeous, painterly animation style, to the thrilling plot, to the devious villain, to the delightful side characters (Horace and Jasper are all-time great laughable lackeys)...it all just works.
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The Emperor's New Groove - I knew I was going to love The Emperor's New Groove, but not this much. It's just one amazing sight gag after another, coming in at an efficient 72 minutes (not including credits), and its blistering pace never runs out of steam. Amazing.
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Robin Hood - Robin Hood was one of my favorite Disney movies as a kid, but as an adult, I realized it didn't have the best reputation, so I wasn't optimistic going in...but I still loved it. It's fun, it's got some great music ("Phony King of England", especially), and a ridiculous villain+sidekick combo (Prince John and Sir Hiss).
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Atlantis: The Lost Empire - The crew could not be any more trope-y if it tried. Milo, the out-of-his-depth, nerdy scholar who the group reluctantly depends on. Rourke, the gruff, grizzled captain who clearly has ulterior motives. Helga, a young German woman and Rourke's second-in-command, who thinks she has to act all tough to look like she belongs next to her superior. Vinny, the cavalier Italian demolitions expert who just wants to run the family flower shop. Dr. Sweet, the physically imposing African-American/Native American doctor with a heart of gold. Audrey, the plucky, teenage Puerto Rican mechanic trying to impress her dad (who really wanted a son). Wilhelmina, the chain-smoking communications officer who looks and acts like she should have retired years ago. Cookie, the elderly chef of the expedition, who seems to have come from the Confederate South. Geatan Moliere, a Frenchman who goes by Mole, and also acts like a mole, and also looks like a mole. But it leans into those tropes with such affection, that I couldn't help but love it.
Bad Surprises:
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The Sword in the Stone - Like Robin Hood, The Sword in the Stone was one of my favorites growing up. I don't know what childhood me was thinking. The wizard duel is entertaining, but the plot is just totally inert otherwise.
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Tarzan - I didn't find the story all that interesting, nor the characters compelling. Much to my surprise, I also didn't love the music - it all sounded the same and didn't hook me whatsoever. RIP to the Phil Collins burning piano meme :(.
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Fantasia - Hailed as one of the all-time greats of Disney, I was excited...but it was too inconsistent. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is among the best things Disney has ever done, and Night on Bald Mountain is a good time...but otherwise? Couldn't find much to latch on to.
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The Black Cauldron - Yet another of my childhood favorite that I ranked lower than I'd hoped. I still probably have it higher than most, maybe due to my affinity for all things spooky and the fact that this is certainly the darkest Disney has ever gotten...but still didn't live up to expectations.
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Wish - This movie is SO bad. I skipped it in theaters when it came out a couple years ago (shortly after I started this project, actually) because of the so-so reviews, but I still thought I'd at least give it a solid 3/5 stars. But it looks terrible (like something from Disney Channel 10 years ago), the songs aren't the least bit memorable, there are no interesting characters, and the plot doesn't carry half the weight that it feels like it should. I LOVE the idea of this movie, and it fits so well into the mythology of Disney...which I think made me all the more angry at how it turned out.
Top 10 Villains:
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Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians)
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Hades (Hercules)
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Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
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Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
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Mother Gothel (Tangled)
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Yzma (The Emperor's New Groove)
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Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)
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John Silver (Treasure Planet)
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Scar (The Lion King)
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Doctor Facilier (The Princess and the Frog)
Top 10 Vocal Performances:
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Robin Williams (Genie, Aladdin)
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James Woods (Hades, Hercules)
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Jodi Benson (Ariel, The Little Mermaid)
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Susan Egan (Meg, Hercules)
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Pat Carroll (Ursula, The Little Mermaid)
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Eleanor Audley (Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty)
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Eartha Kitt (Yzma, The Emperor's New Groove)
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Peter Ustinov (Prince John, Robin Hood)
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Patrick Warburton (Kronk, The Emperor's New Groove)
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Ming Na Wen (Mulan, Mulan)
Top 20 Disney Songs:
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Friend Like Me (Aladdin)
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Part Of Your World (The Little Mermaid)
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I'll Make a Man Out of You (Mulan)
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Lost in the Woods (Frozen II)
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I've Got a Dream (Tangled)
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The Phony King of England (Robin Hood)
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For the First Time in Forever (Frozen)
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Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid)
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Surface Pressure (Encanto)
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Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
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Poor Unfortunate Souls (The Little Mermaid)
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Hellfire (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
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I Just Can't Wait to Be King (The Lion King)
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Zero to Hero (Hercules)
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Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)
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The Bear Necessities (The Jungle Book)
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The Family Madrigal (Encanto)
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How Far I'll Go (Moana)
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I Won't Say (I'm In Love) (Hercules)
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Cruella de Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians)
That's it! It was a great little journey through the history of animation, and I'd encourage anyone interested to take it!