My Top 5 Favorite Disney/Pixar Films

     Like most people, I grew up watching the classic Disney films and they were a big part of my childhood. That love has continued as an adult, and I still make sure to see all the new movies that Disney and Pixar come out with. While I do enjoy most of them, there are some that, for whatever reason, were the ones that I watched over and over as a kid, and some that I discovered as an adult and came to be among my favorites as well. These are my top 5 favorite Disney/Pixar films (I’m counting Disney and Pixar together for the purposes of this list, since they have pretty much always been linked together anyway).

5. Wreck-It-Ralph (Rich Moore, 2012)

    This spot was a little hard to decide. I went with Wreck-It Ralph, though, because it’s right up my alley and I loved it. I grew up playing those 80’s/90’s arcade games so I geek out at pretty much everything in this film. Everything from the parody of the awkward Sonic PSA’s to the “Aerith Lives” graffiti was so funny to me and just felt like a treat. It was also interesting to have the focus on the bad guy, even if he turns out to not be such a bad guy after all, which gives it a “don’t judge a book by its cover” vibe. Everything is so colorful and fun. The only thing is, though, Vanellope seems pretty much like a more family-friendly/kid version of Sarah Silverman (obviously), and so if you don’t care for her, you might find Vanellope a bit annoying (though I didn’t really, personally). I feel like this film was really mostly made for people of my generation who did grow up playing those games, so if you don’t fall into that demographic, you might not enjoy it quite as much. To me, though, it was a fun and nostalgic trip. Disney even made a playable version of the Fix it Felix Jr. game from the film on their website, made in the style of an 80’s arcade game (and it’s pretty fun!).

4. Mary Poppins (Robert Stevenson, 1964)

     We had the VHS tape of this film as children and we watched it a couple times, but I don’t remember really finding it very interesting or enjoying it that much (though I did grow to learn some of the songs). I guess back then I didn’t really like “old” stuff; I found it boring and “lame”, and I only wanted to watch/listen to the “cool” new stuff, which is definitely not the way I am anymore (now, to me, a good movie is a good movie, regardless of when or where it was made). When I went back and watched Mary Poppins again as an adult, I found it absolutely delightful, charming, and heartwarming, and I  couldn’t help but wonder, “Why the heck did I not like this?!” Julie Andrews is, of course, wonderful as the title character and Dick Van Dyke (although his fake Cockney accent is just horrendous) is charming and likeable as the energetic, happy-go-lucky Bert. The special effects, particularly the mixing of live action with hand drawn animation, were groundbreaking for the time. Although some of them might look just a little dated now (like green screen spillage, etc.) they still look really good. It’s amazing how they were able to accomplish all of that back in 1964, and Disney would go on to improve their techniques even further with films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The story is mostly lighthearted and whimsical, but it also has heavier moments, like when Mr. Banks is solemnly walking back to the bank knowing he is probably about to get fired. The music and songs are catchy and enjoyable and the choreography is impressive, especially for the limber-legged Van Dyke and his chimney sweep friends. My favorite songs are probably A Spoonful of Sugar (a nice way for Mary Poppins to introduce herself to the kids) and Let’s Go Fly a Kite (it does just feel freeing, doesn’t it), though Feed the Birds is really nice too. It just has such a magic to it, and as the Nostalgia Critic put it, it will make you feel like a kid again. (*note*  I wrote this before the whole “change the channel” drama, and I don’t really watch the Nostalgia Critic any more)

3. Finding Nemo (Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich, 2003)

     I’m pretty sure this film is the one that holds my record for the film that I saw the most times in theaters (three). When it came out, everyone went nuts for it and started quoting it over and over, and I must admit I was not an exception. The underwater environment and colors are beautifully rendered and animated, and you really feel like you’re in the ocean. Ellen DeGeneres as Dory is great too, as she is able to do her thing and be funny and likeable without being annoying, except to the extent that she is supposed to be. In fact, all the voice cast does a pretty good job. The story of a father facing his deepest fears to rescue the son he loves is sweet and compelling. I also like how the son isn’t just helpless either; he has to overcome his disability and does what he has to do to try and get out. The jokes are pretty funny too and there’s even some for adults, like the Shining reference, that totally went over my head as a kid. Beautiful animation, likeable and interesting characters, and a sweet story- what’s not to like?

2. Fantasia (Various, 1940)

    I’m actually kind of glad I didn’t see Fantasia as a kid; I probably wouldn’t have liked it at all and found it boring. When I saw it as an adult, after having performed and acquired an appreciation for orchestral music and the like, I loved the experience of watching this film, and that’s really what it is: an experience. Fantasia works beautifully as a unique “visual concert” and has been imitated, but never matched. This movie has such gorgeous animation; there are shots that were probably complex for the time and they are so creative too! I love the pure artistic imagination that they put into creating animations for these songs. The animation fits perfectly with the music and, while some segments are better than others in my opinion (I personally don’t think the Rite of Spring, Pastrorale, or Dance of the Hours work quite as fantastically well), they still all work very well. My favorite segments are the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor opening with its abstract shapes and colors, which does well as a portrayal of what might be going through your head as you listen to this music, and the final A Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria segment. That one is so powerful in how it brings you into fear and despair with Bald Mountain, but then it transitions into hopefulness as the darkness is slowly banished by the light. The emotions that Fantasia evokes feel almost primal in a way, and that makes it all the more unique and interesting. I do like many of the segments in Fantasia 2000 (particularly the Firebird Suite), but that film just doesn’t reach the same level as this first one.

1. The Lion King (Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, 1994)

     I have already talked about this film in my top 5 favorite films list, so I won’t just repeat myself here. Suffice to say, always loved it- always will!

Honorable Mentions:

Frozen (Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, 2013) – I really like the great characters and their designs in this film. Elsa in particular is such an interesting character, from a psychological standpoint. The animation, particularly for the snow and ice, is beautiful and the costumes are lovely. Of course, I love the songs. I still haven’t gotten sick of them yet haha! Unfortunately, the story is probably the weaker part of the film, but I still really like it.

Inside Out (Pete Doctor and Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015) – This film is so great in how emotionally complex it is, which makes sense given the premise. It takes you through the hardships of growing up and shows you how Riley and her personified emotions deal with them. This can have a profound impact on kids who might be going through similar things that Riley is going through or for parents who might need to help their kids as they struggle. It sets out to teach you something important about life, yet it’s still fun and enjoyable.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) – If you know me, you know that I love Halloween (it’s my favorite holiday). This film captures the spirit of the holiday so well and the intricate stop motion animation is very impressive and well done. Danny Elfman is great as Jack’s singing voice and his music fits the Halloween/Christmas/Tim Burton style of the film perfectly. He adds so much character and emotion with his performance, and really brings the character to life (as does Chris Sarandon with Jack’s speaking voice).

     What are your favorite Disney/Pixar movies? Let me know in the comments below!