Most Historically Significant Disney Movie

[castleinthesky]

TRON was the first movie to use computer graphic imagery.

Like I said. I was referring to animated films. Tron only has partial animation.

[Aladdin from Agrabah]

But, seriously now, speaking in historical terms "Snowwhite" is the one that started it all and "Mermaid" is the one that started it all again.Noone can deny it. And that's all I have to say!

Oh, I beg to differ. After "Snow White", Disney's next full-length features were not nearly as successful. "Cinderella" started it all again by reviving the studio after the war and making the next films possible (many historians predict the studios would have shut down had "Cinderella" not been successful). Then the after a while the films weren't as successful any more, but "The Little Mermaid" restarted it again again.

Oops! I missed an again!

[Timon/Pumbaa fan]

Well, besides, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Toy Story" for the obvious reasons, I think "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is the most historically significant film at Disney. Most of the ones mentioned here are only important for Disney, while Roger Rabbit is probably the most significant film in animation. Mainly because it was released at a time when animation was in a dark age where Disney was having trouble, "newcomers" as Don Bluth were never topped records and were never hugely successful as say, Pixar and Dreamworks are today, Warner Brothers' animation was all but extinct and even classic Jay Ward and Hanna-Barbera cartoons were considered "old fads". I think that through the combination of innovating animation, an excellent cast of characters, and goofy and loveable script to be loved by any animation fan whether your a Disney or Warner Brothers fan, the film made EVERYONE interested in animation again. Both kids and adults. I don't really think "The Little Mermaid" would've been a huge success had it not been for Roger. As for adults, well, it was also the first time where animated characters would cuss or an animated film has sexual references, which many the film loved by adults. Obviously, today adults liking animation isn't really considered "abnormal" anymore with shows like "The Simpsons", "South Park", "Family Guy" etc. but would any of these shows be as successful or well-recieved without Roger? It's hard to truely know, but Roger deserves some credit to all of that I say. Even all that aside, it was a huge box office success for Disney(more so than The Little Mermaid, despite Mermaid having a 1-year inflation advantage and a re-release), rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, and even 4 Oscars(more than any "Disney" branded name besides Mary Poppins).

I just find it such a shame such a historically significant(and great) movie now gets ignored all the time, with the famous battle with Disney v.s. Spielberg. If Iger can get more Roger stuff, that's when I'll finally support recent "Bob Iger can do no wrong" posts.

[dalmation134]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Aristocats the first Disney animated movie made after his death? I think that should be added somewhere...

[Escapay]

A few noteworthy additions to the growing list...

The Three Little Pigs - the most familiar of all the Silly Symphonies. (and I think only Wondy mentioned it in the entire thread!)

Education for Death - one of the most powerful animated shorts anyone can ever watch.

EPCOT - a bold and daring look at the Future according to Walt.

Escapay

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Tron was not the first one. Westworld from the early 70's was probably the first, and then a lot more movies followed before Tron was made. But it did have a great impact on John Lasseter, which later joined Pixar.

[Wonderlicious]

Obviously, today adults liking animation isn't really considered "abnormal" anymore with shows like "The Simpsons", "South Park", "Family Guy" etc. but would any of these shows be as successful or well-recieved without Roger? It's hard to truely know, but Roger deserves some credit to all of that I say.

Interestingly enough, I heard that James L Brooks (who was one of the executive producers of The Tracy Ulman Show, which the yellow people first appeared on) actually had the confidence to make The Simpsons a proper show (like he'd originally thought it could be) when Who Framed Roger Rabbit came out.

[jwa1107]

[TonyWDA]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the Aristocats the first Disney animated movie made after his death? I think that should be added somewhere...

No, no, your right!

The Aristocats WAS the first film from the studious without Walt - being that he tragically died 4 years before the release.