How would you rank the different eras of Disney animation?

[Disney's Divinity]

I had the idea for this after reading the Signature Collection thread. To start off with, I know that people disagree on how to group various eras. So group the films and name the groups of the films however you decide, but rank how you see the films as a group objectively (not how much you like them). You can explain why you ranked them whatever which way and why you grouped what films with which.

My personal ranking:

1. Golden Age (Snow White through Dumbo) ~ I do consider that a height animation has never really reached. Which is strange, because things usually get better...
2. The Fab Four (Mermaid - The Lion King) ~ I think they just hit a lucky string with Howard Ashman on their hands. Maybe it was because they were channeling "What Would Walt Do?" or just because they were as desperate when it came to money as Walt was during the Golden Age. Either way, I do see these 4 above the rest of the '90s, the Silver Age, and the Lasseter Era where everything is comfortably good and consistent, but lacking a little of the raw strength. I think what keeps them from hitting Snow White-Dumbo level is some sloppiness in animation because of the financial strain. And another reason is because they're very strict (as in a hard line) and specific with names, plot, etc. in a way that those first Walt films weren't (I know that sounds strange--hard to explain what I mean).
3. Silver Age (Cinderella - The Jungle Book + TMAoWtP) ~ I know TSitS doesn't deserve to sit alongside the others to many people, but at the same time I don't think TJB should be lumped in with the other films of the Dark Age. But neither should The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which is why I cheat and include as part of the Silver Age just because the first short was out before TJB. All of these films have a consistently good, "cozy" quality with similar character designs. Dalmatians and SB are the only variations in the overall style/design, but even Dalmatians has that cozy quality to me. Xerox does mark a difference, but I'm referring more to the designs themselves. I mean, yes, you have peaks and valleys in quality (Alice and Pan being on the low side), but overall they fit together as a whole.
4. The (Rest of the) Renaissance (Pocahontas - Fantasia 2000) ~ I put these below the Silver Age because there are so many qualities here and there that irk me. And their "consistency" is, like the Lasseter Era (and unlike the Silver Age, which is why I rank that period higher), more down to a formula that more often than not is a chokehold on the way the stories/plots were presented.
5. Lasseter Era (Bolt - present) ~ Same on the point about formula being a chokehold. But generally they don't feature any gaping wounds like some of the films in the Dark/Experimental Ages.
6. The Dark Age (The Aristocats - Oliver & Company)
7. The Experimental Age (Dinosaur - Meet the Robinsons)
8. Shorts Era (Saludos Amigos - Ichabod and Mr. Crane) ~ I enjoy several of these (particularly Melody Time and Make Mine Music), but I'd have a hard time ranking the era as a whole above any of the others.

Your thoughts/opinions?

[JeanGreyForever]

1) The Golden Age I (Snow White - Bambi) - this isn't my personal favorite era although most of the films from here are favorites of mine, but I do agree that objectively this is the best era. The animation in Pinocchio and Fantasia are unparalleled except for maybe Sleeping Beauty and animation hasn't reached the same heights. Storytelling, I find these films on par with some of the Renaissance films as well as most of the Silver Age films though, but I'm ranking these films as a combination of everything and not just storytelling. Walt Disney really was a master of storytelling and this era in particular shines, because he was clearly involved in each film. I think Pinocchio might be the best example, considering it's an adaptation of a book which is very episodic and strange in nature, yet he manages to create a coherent plot structure for it which remains true to the book while improving on it.
2) The Renaissance (The Little Mermaid - Tarzan) - I am including the entire Renaissance because I think some of the later films (Pocahontas, Hunchback, and Tarzan) are just as good as the ones before (and even the faults they do have, I don't think are incomparable with faults the Big Four have, and yes, they do have faults as well). The animation is a weak point in the early films, but the storytelling and music (especially the music) are at Disney's all-time high. I would place this as a very close second to the Golden Age, but I feel this era has a few films that lag a little behind unlike the Golden Age which has none.
3) The Silver Age/The Golden Age II (Cinderella - The Jungle Book) - really all of these films shine except for The Sword in the Stone, which of course, was the film that Walt worked on least. Arguably The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh could be placed here as well, because the first short was released in Walt's time, and the second one he had involvement with. I think some people even believe that the ending of the film he may have had some involvement with before the idea of making a feature film was scrapped in order to introduce American audiences to Winnie the Pooh through shorts. I hesitate to say that this era is inferior to the Golden Age, because I feel like that paints this era in a very lacking manner, when that is anything but the case. Honestly, if ties are allowed, I think I would tie my top three choices all for number one. Some people call this era the Silver Age, but others call it the Second Golden Age, or a continuation of the original Golden Age, and there's a reason that the Golden Age of Animation (not just Disney) usually ends right after The Jungle Book.
4) The Revival (Tangled-Moana) - I'm not a fan of the label The Revival, but it's caught on at this point (except by Disney themselves but they don't even use Renaissance so I'll stick with it begrudingly). I know the beginning of this era is often contested, but if the Renaissance didn't start until The Little Mermaid (excluding The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver & Company), then the movies before Tangled should be ignored as well. This era is more of a mixed bag for me, but I generally like most of the films here, except for Tangled which I think is really not as good as people think it is. It panders to much to millennials imo, and while the others films do as well to an extent, it's nowhere near as much as Tangled. Otherwise, however, I think the storytelling is much tighter in the other films (although Frozen suffers a little from this, so does Beauty and the Beast, so I can't judge it too harshly) and the music exceptional after Tangled as well, whether it's the full-fledged Broadway style of Frozen or the pop songs in Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6. I don't care too much for the titles of some of these films, but really that's just Tangled, which I don't have a high opinion of anyway, since The Snow Queen has absolutely no connection to Frozen otherwise.
5) The Experimental Era (Fantasia 2000 - The Princess and the Frog) - I know Fantasia 2000 is another one that gets thrown around either here or the Renaissance. Usually people fit it here, especially because this film could be argued to be more fitting under the label of Experimental. I grew up with this era so I can't despise it as much as other people do and while this era has some of Disney's clunkers, it also has some very underrated gems. Lilo & Stitch really could raise this era alone by itself, but I also think Treasure Planet is very underrated with a beautiful production design and amazing voice cast. I blame the film being a box office disaster on the marketing as well as the release date being pulled up. I also love Meet the Robinsons, which I know people ignore and usually don't classify as part of the Revival/Lasseter era, but I think if people are going to include Bolt and The Princess and the Frog as part of the Revival, then Meet the Robinsons should be included too. It really represents a change with Disney moving forward, not to mention Lasseter may not have greenlighted this film, but he did rework most of it, so his touch is there. Frankly, Meet the Robinsons was my fav contemporary Disney film after Lilo & Stitch and before Wreck-It Ralph came out, so that also raises this era above the others for me.
6) The Dark Age (The Aristocats - Oliver & Company) - I would like to call this something else but I forget what Disney uses to describe this era. I don't think this era is really that bad, and even their worst films aren't really as bad as some of the ones in The Experimental Era, but I find that there are overall more better films in the Experimental Era than in here. I only really love The Rescuers here (and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh if I'm counting that here as well). That film was not just Disney's biggest box-office hit after The Jungle Book and before The Little Mermaid, but it was also loved by critics and audiences alike, basically spawned a franchise with a lackluster theatrical sequel and an almost TV series, not to mention got praise from some of the Nine Old Men who called it the best film they had worked on since Walt's passing. This film alone (and Pooh) would make me raise this era higher, so I'd probably tie it with the Experimental Era if I could. The Aristocats and The Fox and the Hound, I see as films having a lot of potential, but messing up a lot. Robin Hood may be nostalgic, but I find the film atrocious with the animation and basically bringing Baloo and Kaa in. The songs of this era are also pretty awful (with the exception of the two films I like in this era). I have a soft spot for The Great Mouse Detective though, and I never hated The Black Cauldron, and I'm glad it introduced me to the far more superior books.
7) The War Era/Package Films (Saludos Amigos - Ichabod and Mr. Toad) - My least favorite era by far. Maybe I'm a bad Disney fan, but I really can't stand these films, and I grew up watching them almost as much as the classic Disney films. There are some nice shorts here and there that I really like, like Peter and the Wolf and Once Upon a Wintertime, but otherwise I don't share the same anguish other members have on here because these films haven't been released yet on Blu-Ray, or because content has been edited and censored. I know Walt Disney was not really a fan of these films either, and really just made most of them to sustain the animation department. The era also ranks low for me, because had it not been for the war (so this is really more a criticism of World War II I suppose), we would have gotten a more 40s style adaptation of Peter Pan which I would kill to have over the 50s debacle that was released, as well as a full-length film for The Wind in the Willows. I also would not have minded seeing Hiawatha or The Gremlins as films either. Ultimately, this era represents lost potential mostly, even moreso than The Dark Age.

To sum it up, I would tie 1-3 together if I could as well as 5 and 6. And if I'm being frank, the favorites I have from 5 and 6, I actually prefer over the films from 4, but since I'm ranking these eras as a whole, I didn't feel right putting them above 4.

[Disney Duster]

I like both of your rankings, but I think JeanGreyForever's matches how I would do them...except I would switch her 5 and 6. I feel like the movies in 6 were better than those in 5.

[JeanGreyForever]

I like both of your rankings, but I think JeanGreyForever's matches how I would do them...except I would switch her 5 and 6. I feel like the movies in 6 were better than those in 5.

Yeah, I'm a little unsure about that myself. I don't hate any of the films in the Dark Age except maybe their execution, but they all have their good points. I enjoy parts of The Aristocats and Robin Hood is nostalgic for me anyway. Even Oliver & Company, which is my least fav from the era, has Oliver who I think has a very cute design. I don't think The Black Cauldron is really that terrible of a film although the books are much better. It certainly doesn't deserve the rep it gets so I hope Disney redeems themselves with a live-action version (if they ever get around to doing it). Even The Fox and the Hound, I think has a lot of potential like The Aristocats, but the execution wasn't done very well. It could have been the next Bambi but not killing off Chief hurt the film, alongside the extraneous filler with the woodpecker (Aristocats has this in the form of Napoleon and Lafayette) and the terrible songs.

Whereas in the "Experimental Era," I really can't stand Home on the Range except to hate-watch it. It can be funny to laugh at though. However I think Lilo & Stitch is one of Disney's best films and I also really loved Meet the Robinsons. And Treasure Planet, like The Black Cauldron, doesn't deserve the terrible reputation it gets and I think it's actually a very well done film with amazing visuals and such a talented voice cast. I blame the marketing and release date for the film's unfortunate reception. Had it been released in the summer of 2003 like it was supposed to, I think it would have done well, especially if coming after Pirates of the Caribbean.

[Disney Duster]

Yes, I agree the decision is hard. And I unfortunately have yet to see all of the Experimental Age films.

[JeanGreyForever]

Yes, I agree the decision is hard. And I unfortunately have yet to see all of the Experimental Age films.

Really? Which ones have you not seen? Some people would not label that unfortunate though lol.

[Disney Duster]

I haven't seen Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons. Or Winnie the Pooh, but that's from the Revival Era and one that people actually think is really good, right?

[JeanGreyForever]

I haven't seen Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons. Or Winnie the Pooh, but that's from the Revival Era and one that people actually think is really good, right?

I think I've posted my thoughts on Treasure Planet before, but I'll recap quickly. The film, if nothing else, should be watched for its beautiful visuals. I also think the voice cast is amazing. If you're a fan of the original book or other film adaptations, then you'll probably like this too. I'm not a sci-fi fan, except for Star Wars, but I don't think that not being a sci-fi fan would automatically mean you would dislike this film. There's a lot of heart in it and I also enjoy the humor from the side characters, which once again works really well because of the stupendous voice acting.

Brother Bear is an overall forgetable film. It may have Phil Collins but the music isn't anything like in Tarzan. It's worth a watch probably once but nothing more than that. I only saw it in theaters and I never had an interest in watching it again after that. The moose characters are especially annoying and I remember the Disney Channel promos used to center on them a lot.

Home on the Range is a movie you'll enjoy hate-watching, because of how bad it is. I've only seen it once on DVD shortly after the film was released, so I don't remember the songs or score, but I've heard people say that since Alan Menken was behind the music of this film, it's really not that bad. I've even heard some people say his work here is better than on Tangled.

Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons are both on Netflix if you have that. The former can be fun to make fun of for how ridiculous it is. And the very least, you'll get to see Disney at their lowest. If you enjoy pop culture references and pop songs, then the film will be a bit more tolerable.

Meet the Robinsons is a very good movie imo and highly underrated. If the box office wasn't as high as other films, I'd blame that more on Chicken Little souring people's opinions on Disney's CGI films (not to mention Dinosaur and The Wild). It was actually one of my favorite Disney films at the time it was released, second to The Little Mermaid, and I don't say that often. The humor is very different for a Disney film, but I don't find it obnoxious like in a Dreamworks film, or Tangled for that matter. It's not riddled with pop culture references unless you count Tom Selleck but that's more of an inside joke. I find it far superior to Bolt. This film really honors Walt Disney and sets the stage for Disney's new direction, so although I consider the Revival to have started with Tangled, it could be argued that it really began from this film. I've also heard people call this film the spiritual successor of Lilo & Stitch, at least thematically.

[Kyle]

I haven't seen Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons. Or Winnie the Pooh, but that's from the Revival Era and one that people actually think is really good, right?

I'm surprised you haven't seen brother bear. You really should imo. It was the last great hand drawn movie if you ask me. I love that it has Aaron blaise's fingerprints all over it.

[Disney Duster]

I want to go to the library and see all of Disney's Animated Classics. I think the others I haven't seen are the package features that don't feature Ichabod, Mr. Toad, and Donald Duck.

Thanks for the opinions on those Experimental Era films. I figured Meet the Robinsons would be considered good from what I had heard. I also heard Brother Bear was sorta good, too.

[JeanGreyForever]

I want to go to the library and see all of Disney's Animated Classics. I think the others I haven't seen are the package features that don't feature Ichabod, Mr. Toad, and Donald Duck.

Thanks for the opinions on those Experimental Era films. I figured Meet the Robinsons would be considered good from what I had heard. I also heard Brother Bear was sorta good, too.

In that case you've seen most of the package films. You're just missing Melody Time and Make Mine Music which are arguably the worst ones. There's a couple of shorts I like such as Peter and the Wolf and Once Upon a Wintertime, but the rest is all very dated. You didn't mention Mickey and Goofy, but I'm assuming you've seen Fun and Fancy Free since that features Donald (the one that is a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk).

[Disney Duster]

Yea I need to see those and I have seen Fun and Fancy Free.

[Dr Frankenollie]

Here goes...

1. The Golden Age (1937-42): It's nice to see a consensus around this, both here and in terms of film criticism generally. There isn't really a serious debate to be had, is there? Walt Disney created 4, maybe 5 absolute masterpieces, the logical endpoint of his innovations in short subjects. What is really impressive about the five of them is how different they all are. After all, the obvious next step after doing Snow White is doing another romantic fairy tale - but instead of doing Cinderella or some such, Walt adapts an obscure, serialised black comedy by an Italian journalist, far flung from the tales of the Grimms or Perrault. There's no romance and little to no female presence, and the nature of the plot weighting is the reverse of Snow White (consider: the Magic Mirror, I'm Wishing, all the way up to the forest scene are all tightly packed in the first 10 minutes of Snow White, and then it has a much more languid, aimless pace until another 10 mins from the end when the Witch comes with the Apple. In Pinocchio, we spend a good 25 minutes in Geppetto's Workshop, and then the plot rushes forward from Honest John onwards). Then we get abstract high art with atheistic undercurrents, an extended Silly Symphony which ends up being a proto-Pixar heartbreaker of a parable, and then the darkness and stunning animation of Bambi. It's a staggeringly eclectic bunch, and each offers something spectacular. Dumbo has the worst animation, but the best story, and is the most touching. Snow White remains extraordinary: funny, whimsical, nostalgic (and by that I mean - not in the sense of me feeling nostalgia, but that there's an inbuilt wistfulness from the start. Consider how the "Some Day My Prince Will Come" scene is played. It's not upbeat; it's dreamy, it's looking back, it's for the adults). Pinocchio is obviously the greatest thing Disney has ever done and almost certainly ever will do. Fantasia and Bambi have their weak points, but both are great movies. Disney today just wouldn't dream of making something like either of them. They are some of the greatest films ever made.

2. The Silver Age (1950-1959): I think suggesting that the Silver Age somehow ends with Jungle Book or something is ridiculous. The tone, source material, formula and aesthetic of the films from 1961 until the 70s are clearly entirely different to the 50s. Dalmatians/Stone/Book/Aristocats/Robin Hood = 4 of them are British stories in origin, all 5 are animal-centric or at least (in the case of Stone) have a heavy animal presence, they're all much more jaunty and jazzy in terms of musical score, they're far less invested in darkness and menace than the 50s films, they're much breezier and have a gentle buddy comedy feel, and ofc they're all Xerox. Rescuers onwards is a bit different. But anyway - the 50s films. You can tell that Walt is rather more detached from the story development of these ones, and they're a mixed bag, but all the same, for all their faults, there is much delight and interest to be found here. They're generally lighter and less ambitious than the Golden Age, but this is still ink-and-paint animation at the top of its game, and the aesthetics of Lady and the Tramp and, of course, Sleeping Beauty are just gorgeous. Cinderella has grown on me immensely in recent years. It is kind of forgotten between Snow White and SB, for good reason - because it's, well, just not as good. But it isn't as bland or banal as it's sometimes remembered as. Ward Kimball's work on Lucifer and the mice might be "filler", but like, a) it's half the plot, so calling this significant and crucial subplot padding is a bit weird, and b) it's really funny and enjoyable to watch, so who cares? The scenes at the ball are stunning, and the climax is nearly Hitchcockian in levels of suspense. Great stuff. Alice is a joyous, surprisingly dark (in terms of visuals) film; Maltin/Kimball said it has too many cooks, but I respectfully disagree. It just about works, and although it has a slightly different spirit to the original novel, it is a great complement. Peter Pan is a bit crap, but it has its moments. Lady and the Tramp has incredibly sloppy storytelling and clearly in desperate need of a rewrite, and all becomes less interesting after the lovely early scenes with Lady as a puppy, but it's not awful. Sleeping Beauty is the best film since Dumbo, and is amazing. An uneven era, but one with some greats.

3. The Anthology Era (1942-1949): Yes, it's a mixed bag, but I rather love these films. One is a psychedelic showcase for the greatest cartoon character of all time, and although it runs out of steam, it's a great ride. Make Mine Music and Melody Time have their hits and misses, but both have a really fun atmosphere and some lovely designs/ideas, esp the Mary Blair stuff. Fun and Fancy Free is the epitome of uneven, containing both a dull mediocrity of a cartoon and a hugely entertaining one. Ichabod and Mr Toad is the best, featuring two quality mini-features; the animation leaves something to be desired, but you don't get something with the black comedy of Ichabod anywhere else in Disney.

4. The Revival Era (2010-present): These films inherit the Renaissance problem of relying too heavily on a particular formula; in this case, the odd couple, buddy comedy/road trip, i.e. the same formula Pixar has been milking for two decades. But hey, they do it with some really lovely use of CGI, sophisticated writing compared to the Renaissance, and some often rather affecting character work. I will always prefer hand-drawn, but the stories of Judy Hopps, Moana and the like are charming, even compelling. I agree with JeanGreyForever that the era really kicks off with Tangled. I think there are some duds: Big Hero 6 is forgettable cliche and would be junk if not for the endearing cuteness of Baymax, and Wreck-It Ralph is obnoxious crap. Tangled is pretty good though, and Zootopia and Moana are really good and promising.

5. The Renaissance (1989-1999): Despite the admirable tendency of the animation studio to select unusual source material to adapt, whatever they pick - French Gothic novel, pulpy adventure stories, obscure Chinese legends - they end up turning it into a banal, formulaic product. The films' casts are always Happy Meal-ready. They just don't feel very interesting, for the most part. Little Mermaid is a curious film: it is the progenitor for the Renaissance, but still has elements of the earlier 80s stuff, so straddles the periods in an oddly satisfying way. It is not quite a masterpiece, but it's very good, and creative choices like making Sebastian Jamaican rather an English butler archetype are inspired. Ariel is a brilliant character, and her Broadway-infused character arc sets the trend - which has continued all the way up to Moana - for liberal, progressive politics in Disney features, with a queer protagonist wanting to find somewhere out there, where they belong/unify a divided world. Belle, Aladdin, to some extent Simba, Pocahontas, Quasi, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, Rapunzel, Anna/Elsa, Moana - they all owe something to Ariel. "Part of That World" is a masterful scene. And nearly all of Mermaid's songs are really good. In contrast, Beauty and the Beast is not a good film. It's telling, but not surprising, that whereas Howard Ashman was crucial to the development of Mermaid from the beginning and poured his heart and soul into it, him and Menken were brought on a bit later. Linda Woolverton is a god awful writer, and her most recent screenplays have really underlined this. The animation is very patchy, with little to no interesting designs. Belle doesn't change or grow, she's perfect from the beginning, and the Beast is utterly unlikeable. It's also...well...really boring. Lion King is similarly seriously flawed, but at least looks pretty good. Aladdin is great. The rest of them are all rather flawed, but there can be impressive moments, mostly in Hunchback and Tarzan. Speaking of - why is Tarzan so neglected? It's clearly better than the misfire of Hercules and the tedium of Mulan. It looks great, sounds great, and some of those early scenes are terribly intense. It's not exactly a masterpiece, but it's good entertainment.

6. The Experimental Age (1999-2010): Lilo and Stitch is doing a lot of heavy lifting for this ranking. That said, although rewatching this period of Disney history can be incredibly dispiriting - Dinosaur is the absolute nadir - there are also odd flashes of inspiration, and the variety keeps you intrigued. Whereas the Renaissance feels like the same film being remixed again and again, here you can get something that feels more Chuck Jones than Walt Disney in The Emperor's New Groove, then a steampunk adventure story that feels and looks like a graphic novel come to life, and then the brilliance of Lilo & Stitch. I even quite enjoy - ish - Meet the Robinsons. It's a hot mess, but it's got some fun ideas. Each film offers a kind of potential route Disney could have gone down, and the different voices one gets are interesting; moreover, as evinced by some of the directors/writers, this era *does* inform the style of the Revival Era. It's partly built out of what works (and what doesn't) here.

7. The Dark Age (1977-1988): I wasn't sure whether to split this up from the earlier Xerox stuff, but I think it's right to. Disney clearly doesn't know what they're doing here, but under the surface, you can see a quiet passing of the torch to a new generation of animators and writers, and there is a slow, incremental move towards where we get to in the 1990s. Rescuers' simultaneous commercial/critical success in 1977 and current cultural irrelevance is a bit strange, but makes sense when you watch it: it's no classic, with patchy animation/music (I mean, I do like the songs, but they're not catchy, and so will be forgotten), but it is a well-told story with likeable heroes, and must have felt like a breath of fresh air for starved audiences and critics. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is the secret last package/anthology era film, and it shares that era's qualities - uneven, running out of steam, but still very nice to watch. Black Cauldron, for all its faults, has entertaining bits, and Great Mouse Detective is a cute kids' adventure film, bolstered by its villain. Fox and the Hound/Oliver and Company are dire, though.

8. The Gentle Comedy Era (1961-1973): I feel bad putting this so low. I mean, 101 Dalmatians is one of the best films Disney has ever made. It's just - god, I really hate The Aristocats and Robin Hood. They're terrible. I think this era could be worth splitting up even further - and I know it's already split from the later 'Dark Age' stuff, but still. Bill Peet had an enormous influence on the first two, and you can see he knows how to create funny characters and include some witty dialogue; he improves on Dodie Smith's original Dalmatians novel, but is stuck when it comes to tackling TH White's spin on Arthur. I love Archimedes and Mim, but it's a bad film; Wart literally has no interest in being anything other than Kay's squire, and seems relatively content, so his arc has no natural trajectory. It's just a series of awkwardly stuck-together life lessons, with dubious educational content, and the ending is utterly stupid: Wart ends up taking the sword from the stone simply because he had to find a sword, because he forgot to bring Kay's sword, which was his one job. Wart doesn't become king because he's a kind hero who has to fight some villain, or defy the odds. He doesn't earn it. He takes it out because he's been preordained by God, and because his own incompetence necessitates finding a new sword. I mean. Christ. It's impossible to not be annoyed at. And so after this mess, Peet slowly loses his influence, and Walt comes back to sort things out, resulting in a very different kind of Jungle Book adaptation to what was originally intended. It's fun, sure, but immensely overrated (although I do like the little emotional bits, like when Bagheera persuades a reluctant Baloo to take Mowgli back to the Man-Village). One other thought, re Jungle Book: it's sometimes said that this film somehow supports segregation or racism. This is clearly nonsense. The film isn't literally calling for separation - rather, it's a metaphor about growing up. After all, what is it that makes Mowgli interested in moving on from his animal friends...?

[Disney Duster]

Interesting and well-written and thought out list, Dr Frankenollie.

I can agree with a lot, obviously.

Why do you feel Dumbo is the best story? I mean, if you can explain it.

Why is Sleeping Beauty the best film since Dumbo? The film isn't anywhere near as emotional as Dumbo and emotion is the reason I think Dumbo's good in the first place. And Cinderella has the terrorizing dress-destruction scene, the sad scene of Cinderella crying right after it, the suspense in the attic scene, and the joyful slipper reveal and happy ending that I think make it better than Sleeping Beauty.

Why is Pinocchio the best film? You don't have to explain if it's the reason that I think it's almost the best - it's a story about how to be a good person and how it earns you the best happiness in life - being human.

What is atheistic about Fantasia when it has the devil beaten by a holy song? The Rite of Spring and evolution isn’t necessarily atheist.

For the Reniassance, who cares if the same formula is used if the movie makes good use of it?

Why is Zootopia so low? It's almost is about what Pinocchio is – isn't about what it means to be a civilized, good person? At least, that you can’t think certain people are not good people just because of superficial stuff. Unless, that's not the message (I hate when people say it's about not thinking certain people commit crimes more than others - that's such a small message)? That’s also close to what Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame are about.

It’s obvious Wart pulls out the sword and becomes king because he is a kind guy who learns about life form Merlin.

After all, what is it that makes Mowgli interested in moving on from his animal friends...?

Well, growing up, but…it is a human like him who draws him away. I don't think the film is racist either, but...people could use that.

Oh, and I don't think Fox and the Hound is dire. It's deep, adult and emotional to me.

[Disney's Divinity]

2. The Silver Age (1950-1959): I think suggesting that the Silver Age somehow ends with Jungle Book or something is ridiculous. The tone, source material, formula and aesthetic of the films from 1961 until the 70s are clearly entirely different to the 50s. Dalmatians/Stone/Book/Aristocats/Robin Hood = 4 of them are British stories in origin, all 5 are animal-centric or at least (in the case of Stone) have a heavy animal presence, they're all much more jaunty and jazzy in terms of musical score, they're far less invested in darkness and menace than the 50s films, they're much breezier and have a gentle buddy comedy feel, and ofc they're all Xerox.

Can't say I agree with most of this. I noted the fact that Xerox is a differentiation in animation, but stylistically the characters from TSitS and TJB don't stand apart from the '50s designs--neither would those in TMAoWtP, imo. Dalmatians is an exception on that front, but so is Sleeping Beauty. Animals also feature heavily in Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and Alice. And I think there's plenty of menace in the TJB, Dalmatians, and even TSitS--at least at the same levels as Alice and L&tT, if not the other '50s films. The buddy comedy aspect is something I hadn't considered, but I don't think it's as distinctive or as entrenched as in the Lasseter's films for example that it differs them from the '50s to that great of a degree. And Alice and Pan are also British lit.

Moreover, just to be clear--I was not including RH or The Aristocats in that grouping. And in the first post, I was clear in asking how you would rank and group the various films (which is why I separated the various films the way I think of them). If you would rather stick to Disney's preferred groupings, good for you.

[The Disneynerd]

1.Disney Renaissance (1989-99): Iconic movie after iconic movie (and the Rescuers down under!) Beautiful timeless Animation, great lead characters with interesting arcs and wants.Im so invested in their journeys, like Ariel, Aladdin, Mulan, Beast, Hercules, Quasi, Tarzan... really interesting & great main characters alongside the best sidekicks like Genie, Sebastian, Lumiere and more! The settings are also so unique, from China to Arabian inspired Agrabah, African wildlife and Greece, all so unique for disney, and the music, from the timeless score and broadway style songs to the more gentle Pop songs, this era had EVERYTHING. Plus Down under is a really worthy sequel that is as entertaining as the first. Probably the best sequel from WDAS (not a hard competition when you have something like Ralph 2 or Frozen 2). This era is the "grand storybook adventurer"

2. The Silver Age (1950- 1959): 2nd place with only 5 movies! This era is the Definition of "quality over quantity". Sleeping Beauty and Lady & the Tramp are like in my top 10 fav disney movies of all time, and both are imo the most beautiful Animated movies ever. Merryweather is the pinnacle of a great disney "sidekick", love her shes my fav disney character from Walts era. Cinderella is also a top 10 fav, love the Disney spin and her goodhearted strong and hopeful character. Icon Tink carries the Peter Pan movie on her wings, and I love to rewatch Alice in Wonderland. All 5 movies are so distinctive with their world and interesting unique characters. And they had all great villains (L&tT had no "real" big bad, and it didnt need one for its casually going and beautiful story). This era is the "beautiful elegance"

3. The Experimental Era (2000-2008): all unique movies. From animation style, genre and characters, they covered up probably everything. Lilo and Stitch and tEnG are great and Brother Bear grows on me more and more. Atlantis is also strong. Most of the other movies like Bolt, Robinsons, Home on the Range are far from timeless disney perfection, but they are still good and enjoyable. Overall, a really entertaining and striking era. This era is the "vibrant (hawaiian) rollercoasterride"


4. The bronze age (1960-88): this era had a sincere charm to it. tF&tHs bittersweetness destroys me in a good way, Black Cauldrons dark fantasy feel is unique and something disney Animation should step into again and Oliver & Co is such a colorful feel good movie. And the Great Mouse Detectives characters are fun. Aristocats has an elegant grounded charm (similar to L&tT) to it alongside Robin Hood Rescuers with Bianca. Also, the dark blackish sketchy lining of the characters gives me a crispy raw feeling which i really start to like. Feels more handcrafted. But still prefer pretty cleaned up Animation like in the renaissance. And while this era of WDAS handled its identity crises with more self respect and confidence, the Experimental era flicks had way more personality imo. This era is the "depressed but cool underdog"


6. Golden Age (1937-49): the Golden age has many iconic and beautifully timeless characters and movies like Snow White, Bambi, Dumbo and Pinocchio, but the rest like the package movies and Fantasia feel like only fillers and drag it all down. This era is the "enthusiastic storyteller"

5. The Revival Era (2009-now?): This era is more of a hit and miss. First you have great enjoyable movies like tPatF, Frozen, BH6, Zootopia, Moana and Tangled and then total garbage like Frozen 2, Ralph 2, Wish and Strange World. This era is the "attentionseeker".

[Sotiris]

5. The Revival Era (2009-now?): This era is more of a hit and miss. First you have great enjoyable movies like tPatF, Frozen, BH6, Zootopia, Moana and Tangled and then total garbage like Frozen 2, Ralph 2, Wish and Strange World. This era is the "attentionseeker".

I agree with your overall rankings of the different eras. Personally, I separate the Revival Era (2007-2018) from the Post-Revival Era (2019-Present) with the latter being the absolute worst with very little to no redeeming qualities about it.