CONTAINS SPOILERS. (Although, to be fair, this is obviously a blog reviewing Disney films so spoilers shouldn't come as a surprise.)
So, I went to see The Lion King in 3D last week at Vue Staines with a couple of friends. Expecting it to be full of kids, I was amazed and kind of thrilled to see that the cinema was packed with 20/21-year-olds who, like me, would have been about four years old when it first came out. Nostalgia-unbound, we laughed right the way through the film (except, of course, when Mufasa dies, whereupon I was quite grateful for the darkened cinema) and the film finished to a round of applause.
Like I said, this experience made me nostalgic for days of old, when Disney was very much in 2D and characters weren't Disney characters unless they frolicked about with animals somewhere along the way. Hence my very first Disney list... what I think is the very best of Disney (2D, which therefore discounts Finding Nemo, Tangled and Toystory, which I still think are amazing films.) I'm open to suggestions- just be aware that I left Snow White and the Seven Dwarves mainly because the actress playing Snow White irritated the hell out of me when I went to Disneyworld, aged 13 (I was in my difficult teenager phase.)
At number Ten, it's Bambi, the 1942 Disney animated film based on Felix Salten's Bambi, A life in the Woods. Following the story of a sweet baby deer who grows up to be the Prince of the Forest, Bambi is packed to the brim full of cute and cuddly woodland creatures such as Thumper the rabbit and Flower, the skunk. It's not all fun and fur though- I got banned from watching it by my dad when I first watched it (I was about three) due to the upsetting scene during which Bambi's mother gets murdered in the meadow. Don't let that put you off though...
9. Sleeping Beauty
'I know you, I danced with you once upon a dream...' Released in 1959, my favourite part of this Disney film are the three tenacious fairies that look after Princess Aurora following the threat made on her life by the the evil witch, Maleficent, who I think is probably the spookiest Disney baddie ever. I was less fussed on the idea of sleeping for a hundred years, as the original fairy story goes, and I'm not surprised that Disney decided to cut that. The end ball scene, watching Aurora and her Prince Charming, Stefan, waltz around the ballroom whilst Fauna and Merriweather bicker over whether Aurora's dress should be pink or blue, is probably the first romantic film scene I ever watched.
8. Cinderella
It's all about Gus-Gus! By the end of the film, I barely cared about whether Cinderella got her Prince Charming or not- I was more worried about whether Gus-Gus would get away from the wicked stepmother's horrible cat. Spookiest moment of the film- when everything fades to black, leaving the stepmother's eyes staring at you. Scary.
7. Aladdin
We jump forward now, from 1950 to 1992, from Cinderella to Aladdin. There's a host of reasons why this amazing film has made the list- the lovers are suitably star-crossed, the king is a sweetheart, and Jafar is deliciously sneaky. It's Robin Williams as the Genie who really steals the show though- obviously enjoying himself, Williams takes on the role of the Genie of the lamp with aplomb. It's a film packed full with characterful characters- even the carpet has an attitude (just look for his poker sessions with the Genie.) "I can't believe it- I'm losing to a rug." Comedy gold, people.
6. The Little Mermaid
"Darling it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me..." We believe you Sebastian! Anorexic heroine notwithstanding, The Little Mermaid is a visual delight, particularly if you're about two years old (going on twenty. Maybe that should be the other way around...) Flounder is the cutest fish in felt tip, but my heart belongs to Prince Eric('s dog.) I don't know whether I was more scared of Ursula or Ariel's dad, but the finale of the film gets me every time. Points lost for making Ariel the only half-way attractive girl in the entire film though- her sisters all look like they've swam into a cliff. Why does every Disney heroine have to be the only conventionally beautiful girl in the film?
5. Mulan
All hail girl power! This re-telling of the traditional Chinese folk tale about a young girl who runs away to war is a masterful animation of real beauty. The song 'I'll make a man out of you' is a party favourite amongst my friends during pre-drink sessions, but it's 'Reflection' that I've got a secret soft spot for. Mushu the Dragon is hilarious and "Dishonour on you, dishonour on your cow!" is the best insult I've ever used. If only I knew someone with a cow I could re-cycle it on...
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
In place of animals, we have gargoyles, my favourite of which chews up bits of metal and then spits them out like bullets during the battle scene. The film loses points because Quasimodo is the rare Disney character that doesn't get the girl- what Disney seems to be seeing that, if you aren't tall, straight-backed and good-looking, you'll never get laid. Not that I've got anything against the charismatic Phoebus, who incidentally is the first main Disney character with a beard. On a random note, keep a look out for a sneaky appearance by Pumba and Belle in the opening scenes that overlook Paris...
3. Pocahontas
I've got a similar issue with Pocahontas as I have with the Hunchback of Notre Dame- the couple I root for right the way through the film don't get together in the end. Is it because, as a star-crossed set of (mixed race) lovers who find each other from across continents is just too star-crossed? Nonetheless, the imagery of Pocahontas (particularly during the song 'Colours of the Wind,' which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1995.)
2. Beauty and the Beast
Nearly there! And to the oddest girlhood crush ever... my love for the Beast (and before he transforms back to the Prince, as well...) Belle is my favourite Disney heroine ever- she's sassy, smart, straight-talking and she loves reading. What's not to love? There aren't any animals to love here really (beyond a couple of birds in the castle gardens over Christmas) but instead we're given a castle packed to the brim full of enchanted furniture. My favourites are Angela Lansbury as Mrs Potts and David Ogden Stiers as Cogsworth, who shares an endearing 'bromance' with the lusty candlestick (no pun intended), Lumier. The transformation scene is truly inspiring, but my favourite scene of all is where the Beast shows Belle his library. What a romantic...
1. The Lion King
Was anyone in doubt of the film that would take the top spot? From the animation's eye-catching beginning as the pride-lands welcome a new prince, to the progression of this spoilt young cub to regal King. Highlights include Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, who has my favourite lines of the film... "well, the buzz from the bees is that the leopards are in a bit of a spot!" etc. Top scene however, is the moment that the deposed King Mufasa returns from the heavens to speak, Hamlet-esque, to his errant son, Simba. Beautiful.
