Your top 10 Disney movies?

[blackcauldron85]

I made a list of my favorite films for another purpose, but there just so happened to be 10...and apparently I've never posted in here before, but I know I've posted lists elsewhere...

1. The Black Cauldron
2. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
4. Pocahontas
5. The Princess and the Frog
6. Newsies
7. Return to Oz
8. Enchanted
9. Dumbo
10. The Fox and the Hound

(Poca & TP&tF always swap places...they're interchangeable. And I can't say that I love Enchanted more or less than Dumbo & TF&tH...)

[MrBananaBeak]

1. The Lion King (greatest film ever)
2. Dumbo (most worn out VHS ever)
3. Mulan (great songs great Mushu)
4. Lilo and Stitch (most original Diney film)
5. Aladdin (1st film I ever saw in the cinema)
6. Hunchback of Notre Dame (beautiful)
7. Alice in Wonderland (funniest Disney film hands down)
8. Treasure Planet (love it even if no1 else does, looks amazing)
9. Hercules (loving those gospel tunes!)
10. Oliver & Company (the film annoys me in certain places.. but the songs are perfect!)

[Disney Duster]

Super Aurora, I thought your analysis of Cinderella and all the films was fantastic. I guess I don't agree with everything exactly the same, but for the most part, I can absolutely see what you are saying. One thing I will always think is that there should have been more time given to the humans, though I really enjoy the mice and cat, a lot actually. The magical part of the film is also my favorite, the main reason I love the film, with Cinderella's sweet, warm, directing personality and character along with it.

There's more to intelligence than street or book or financial smart I think though maybe those are the main categories we can figure out. I wrote something down a while back I was going to say, I think it was that Cindy looked like she was trying to read the invitation to the ball (if there were any words on the outside), and the mice asked what it said, so that showed that she could at least read (I think the mice would know by now if she could or not).

PS. Now you need to do Atlantis.

avonleastories, thank you for what you said, though you have a list of your favorite heroines in another thread and she wasn't part of it. I guess there's just to many really good heroines, huh?

But, even though I wouldn't necessarily label her as the 'smartest' personally, Cinderella does have an earthy positivity to her. She'd have to, to keep from killing herself in the situation she was in. And she had years of practice.

Who do you think would be the smartest? Or did you mean you don't think she's that smart/smart at all?

[DisneyAnimation88]

1. The Jungle Book
2. Aladdin
3. Peter Pan
4. Treasure Planet
5. The Lion King
6. Alice in Wonderland
7. The Sword in the Stone
8. Mulan
9. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
10. Lilo & Stitch

[TheSequelOfDisney]

I don't believe I've posted here in awhile:

1. Fantasia and Fantasia2000
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Sleeping Beauty
5. Bambi
6. The Lion King
7. Aladdin
8. Cinderella
9. Lilo & Stitch
10. Alice in Wonderland

[Duckburger]

I guess I'll post my favourite movies too, even though it changes every time I start to think about it.

Top 10 - DAC:
1. One Hundred and One Dalmatians
2. The Jungle Book
3. Alice in Wonderland
4. Lilo & Stitch
5. Sleeping Beauty
6. Pinocchio
7. The Little Mermaid
8. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
9. Lady and the Tramp
10. Dumbo

Honourable mention: The Aristocats, Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia/2000, The Princess and the Frog
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Top 10 - Pixar:
1. Monsters, Inc.
2. Toy Story 3
3. The Incredibles
4. Ratatouille
5. Toy Story 2
6. A Bug's Life
7. UP
8. Wall-E
9. Toy Story
10. Finding Nemo

Honourable mention: Cars
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Top 10 - Others:
1. The Nightmare Before Christmas
2. Mary Poppins
3. Bedknobs and Broomsticks
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol
5. 101 Dalmatians
6. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
7. Tron
8. Hocus Pocus
9. Enchanted
10. James and the Giant Peach

Honourable mention: The Brave Little Toaster, Cool Runnings, The Black Hole, Return to Oz, Flubber, The Santa Clause
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Top 10 - Touchstone:
1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
2. Dick Tracy
3. What About Bob?
4. Sister Act
5. Good Morning, Vietnam
6. Dead Poets Society
7. Father of the Bride
8. Déjà Vu
9. The Color of Money
10. Ernest Saves Christmas

Honourable mention: Turner & Hooch, Rushmore, Three Men and a Baby, Flightplan, Ernest Scared Stupid, Ruthless People

[Heil Donald Duck]

My Top 10 shorts and Fetures.

1. Der Fuhrer's Face
2. Mickey's Cristmas Carol
3. Education For Death.
4. Bellboy Donald
5. Don Donald
6. Clown of the Jungle
7. Pinocchio
8. Trolley Troubles
9. Grand Canyonscope
10. Lucky Number

[stitchje1981]

1* The Little Mermaid
2* Sleeping Beauty
3* Beauty And The Beast
4* The Lion King
5* Aladdin
6* The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
7* The Princess And The Frog
8* Snow White
9* Treasure Planet
10* Alice In Wonderland


Pixar top 5

1* Finding Nemo
2* WALL * E
3* UP
4* A Bug's Life
5* Toy Story

[Wonderlicious]

I've tended to shy away from making favourites lists for some time now. My favourites change so often, and I honestly don't go making up whole lists and memorise them to give an accurate answer. And the idea of making a top 10 animated films list is so difficult as far as I'm concerned. I love a great deal many other Disney films a lot, and even creating a top 20 list would probably result in a few proverbial casualties.

Needless to say, I'm gonna try and have another go, even though I've written earlier lists in this thread.

1. Alice in Wonderland/Pinocchio
Basically my two favourites since god knows when. I couldn't decide which one to put before the other, so they both get the joint top spot. I could go on for hours about my love for them, but since you'd be listening to a long, rambling monologue, I'll refrain from doing such a thing.

2. 101 Dalmatians
This wasn't one of my absolute favourites until fairly recently. I love the satire of the film (a sort of light-hearted doggy pastiche on escape and WW2 thrillers), but also the fact that it doesn't completely rely on that aspect (unlike a lot of current animated films). Plus, I really like the look of the film.

3. Fantasia
Absolutely fantastic. Practically every frame is a work of art, and the sensation of the beautiful images with the sweeping music is spine tingling. All the segments are so unique, but work so well together strung together as one film. If only I could see this on the big screen...

4. Aladdin
My favourite of the Renaissance films. It quite simply has a bit of everything that's good about Disney; magic, a hissably eccentric villain, a heartfelt hero, comedy, a worldly message despite fantastic trimmings, but most importantly, a princess.

5. Peter Pan
A truly enchanting film. Though it skips a lot of the darkness and human issues of Barrie's original, it makes up for the fact that it multiplies the escapism of the story by a thousand.

6. The Little Mermaid
Of the "princess" fairy tales (I'll skip Aladdin as the princess is quite frankly a supporting character), this is easily my favourite. It has the innocence and naivety of Walt's fairy tales yet still has the spunk and sophistication of the 90s films, a sort of "best of both worlds", so to speak. The universe of the film is enchanting and its characters are fabulous.

7. Lady and the Tramp
It's easy to overlook this film. Though it has one of the most famous romantic scenes in any film, it lies sandwiched between two big fantasy adventure films, and I honestly don't think Disney fans give it enough service. It easily has some of the best characterisation in any animated film and has a very well structured plot.

8. Cinderella
Yep, that's right, the C word. This was actually the first film I ever saw in a cinema (in a 1991 UK theatrical re-release), and so it holds special place just for that. I hate to do comparisons, but it's easily my favourite of Walt's three fairy tales; Sleeping Beauty is beautiful and engaging yet has a few careless story issues, and Snow White, though a lovely film overall, has a general sense of "we don't know quite what we're doing and we're making mistakes but we'll get it right on the next movie we do". The story, characterisation and pacing definitely improves on Snow White, though some scenes with the mice probably go on a bit too long for my liking.

9. The Sword in the Stone
Yes, the animation isn't amazing. Yes, the songs may not be toe-tapping wonder songs. But quite frankly, its basic theme can make up for all its misgivings. The last time I watched this film (just over a year ago), I felt pretty low. I had just finished an internship where I really wasn't very happy, and I was about to go back to finish my BA studies feeling that I'd do badly. Watching this film really struck a chord with me; hang on there, work hard, follow your dreams, and perhaps fate will bring something better. And if anybody doesn't find that message inspiring, well...

10. Beauty and the Beast
I wasn't really sure whether to put this or one of the films in the honourable mentions pile down. It is most certainly not without flaw, and quite frankly some of the animation and even some of the backgrounds are questionable in their quality. Yet there are some lovely touches, especially the exterior of the castle, a French château built in the dreamy, high turreted style of Schloss Neuschwanstein. The first shot of the film, a Multiplane close-in on the said edifice through the forest, is beautiful, and the film's introduction told through the castle's stained glass windows is very effective. Ultimately, a lot of the film's lure quite simply derives from the story's basic backbone, and the film's creators' wise thinking in keeping that intact, regardless of the addition of singing tea pots and saucy French candelabras. Underneath its fantastic exterior, the tale is essentially a story about human perception and love, touches upon primeval nerves.

Honourable mentions:
The Three Caballeros, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, Mulan, Lilo and Stitch

[Disney Duster]

Honourable mention: The Brave Little Toaster

That's a favorite of mine, too, but that's not a Disney movie!

Wondy, I liked that a lot, I like all your favorites to varying degrees. But a few things I didn't agree with. It's when you said The Little Mermaid had "the sophistication of the 90's", comparing it to Walt's naivete. But I find a lot of Walt's films to either have a higher, an equal, or a different kind of sophistication. Also, with Snow White, I don't get teh sense of not knowing what they are doing or mistakes at all, they had to animate, meticulously, all those long scenes, and I think the length helps in making us get to know, and care for the characters. I think it's a masterpiece that is better than many other Disney films, even of Walt's.

With The Sword in the Stone, is the message really to work hard and maybe fate will help as you keep following your dreams? Like, can you be more specific as to what the film actually really seems to be saying?

Oh, and Frank and Ollie actually said they thought The Sword in the Stone had some of their best animation, if not the best, I forget...

Finally, Beauty and the Beast...the backgrounds are amazing. Doesn't every film have a poorly done background or two? I'm honestly amazed at the detail and shading. I guess what I mean is...the art direction is very, very good. Except the art and colors are some of the things I think that turned me off from it as a kid, and are not my personal cup of tea, go figure. But I appreciate it as good.

[PheR]

1. The Lion King
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Sleeping Beauty
4. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
5. 101 Dalmatians
6. Tarzan
7. Cinderella
8. Bambi
9. The Little Mermaid
10. Alice in Wonderland

[merlinjones]

Today's mood:

Top Ten Walt Disney's Animated Features:

1) Sleeping Beauty
2) Alice in Wonderland
3) Peter Pan
4) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
5) Cinderella
6) Pinocchio
7) Dumbo
8. Fantasia
9) Bambi
10) Lady and the Tramp

Runners Up:

11) One Hundred and One Dalmatians
12) The Three Caballeros
13) Ichabod and Mr. Toad
14) Melody Time
15) The Jungle Book
16) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
17) Fun and Fancy Free


Top Ten Walt Disney's Live-Action Films:

1) Mary Poppins
2) Song of the South
3) The Parent Trap!
4) Swiss Family Robinson
5) Pollyanna
6) Old Yeller
7) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
8. Darby O'Gill and the Little People
9) The Three Lives of Thomasina
10) The Absent-Minded Professor

Runners Up:

Treasure Island
Dr, Syn Alias the Scarecrow
That Darn Cat!
The Shaggy Dog
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
The Love Bug
Babes in Toyland
The Moon-Spinners
Summer Magic
Third Man on the Mountain
Blackbeard's Ghost
Sammy the Way Out Seal
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
The Sign of Zorro
The Monkey's Uncle
Merlin Jones
Escapade in Florence
The Prince and the Pauper
The Light in the Forest

Top 3 Neo-Disney:

1) The Little Mermaid
2) Aladdin
3) Beauty and the Beast

[Wonderlicious]

Honourable mention: The Brave Little Toaster

That's a favorite of mine, too, but that's not a Disney movie!

Yes, but they did distribute it (at least in the US). I haven't seen that film since I was around nine, but I remember enjoying it. It's probably best leaving off a list of animated classics, though, as it isn't part of the canon.

Wondy, I liked that a lot, I like all your favorites to varying degrees. But a few things I didn't agree with. It's when you said The Little Mermaid had "the sophistication of the 90's", comparing it to Walt's naivete. But I find a lot of Walt's films to either have a higher, an equal, or a different kind of sophistication.

I didn't use the term "sophistication" to belittle any specific films. I really should have said "certain sophistication". It's just a way of describing the sort of way forward the films in the 90s went, where they incorporated certain things into the films, such as heavier themes, contemporary humour and full, Sondheim-style Broadway scores (whereas the songs prior to The Little Mermaid tend to be lower key, shorter pieces). That said, said things also caused problems in some of those films; Pocahontas is a bit too pretentious, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame would have been a far better film were it not for those "funny" gargoyles.

Also, with Snow White, I don't get teh sense of not knowing what they are doing or mistakes at all, they had to animate, meticulously, all those long scenes, and I think the length helps in making us get to know, and care for the characters. I think it's a masterpiece that is better than many other Disney films, even of Walt's.

I actually watched Snow White again two or three months ago. I wouldn't say that the animation or the artwork is all that bad, because it's not. If anything is a problem, it's really that the pacing and story structure is a bit off, as though they still hadn't quite come to grips with balancing certain things. A lot of sequences don't flow all that well into the next, and some of the sequences featuring the dwarfs could have been cut down. That said, I find that the third act of the film is very engaging. Either way, I do not deny the importance of the film, and very much appreciate it for that reason.

With The Sword in the Stone, is the message really to work hard and maybe fate will help as you keep following your dreams? Like, can you be more specific as to what the film actually really seems to be saying?

Well, when I was relating it to stuff that happened, I was basically saying that I find it appealing as it's an underdog story. It basically says don't stop believing, keep at it, then you may end up the King of England (well, maybe not 'Is Majesty, but with better success than you imagined). Plus, it's a film that openly promotes education, something we need more of.

Finally, Beauty and the Beast...the backgrounds are amazing. Doesn't every film have a poorly done background or two? I'm honestly amazed at the detail and shading. I guess what I mean is...the art direction is very, very good. Except the art and colors are some of the things I think that turned me off from it as a kid, and are not my personal cup of tea, go figure. But I appreciate it as good.

It's not so much that I find the backgrounds themselves displeasing (because they're not), it's just that they could have been pushed further. If you've ever seen Hans Bacher's studies for the film for both the original and reworked versions of the film, you'd possibly understand what I'm moaning about. They are really bold, mysterious and enchanting, a bit like Eyvind Earle's work on Sleeping Beauty. Comparatively, what we actually got isn't as daring, though still pleasing.

Anyway...now that we've discussed my top 10 list, what about yours?

[Goliath]

With The Sword in the Stone, is the message really to work hard and maybe fate will help as you keep following your dreams? Like, can you be more specific as to what the film actually really seems to be saying?

It's good you asked that question, because I had overlooked that aspect of Wonderlicious' post. No, that's not the message of The Sword in the Stone --the way I see it. Let's remember that everybody finds different messages in the same movie. But to me, it seemed very clear that the message was not about fate or hard work (maybe a bit), but it was about knowledge. "Knowledge is power" could be the overall slogan of the film. Arthur (Wart) can only pull the sword from the stone, because he was taught by Merlin the virtue of studying and valuing knowledge, which made him (Arthur) eligible to become king. In itself that's a good message, but the film suffered because it beats us over the head with it --much like Princess and the Frog hit us over the head with that godawful song 'Dig a little deeper'.

I watched Sword in the Stone last week and I laughed 'till I cried. It's *such* a funny film and the wizards' duel is a highlight in Disney animated history. But overall, the films' message is communicated in a lazy manner, much too obvious, too preachy, too explicit. The film has no heart and soul. The characters seem to be only vehicles for the gags. Where's the Disney feeling?

[King Louis 2010]

I posted on this thread a while back but my lists change constantly so here's all the DACs in order of personal preference! A few I still haven't seen!

1/ Sleeping Beauty
2/ Pinnochio
3/ Fantasia
4/ Bambi
5/ The Lion King
6/ The Fox And The Hound
7/ The Jungle Book
8/ Hercules
9/ The Little Mermaid
10/ The Lady And The Tramp
11/ 101 Dalmations
12/ Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs
13/ Aladdin
14/ Pocahontas
15/ Dumbo
16/ Brother Bear
17/ The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
18/ Tarzan
19/ Cinderella
20/ The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh
21/ The Black Cauldron
22/ Lilo And Stitch
23/ The Rescuers
24/ Robin Hood
25/ The Aristocats
26/ Beauty And The Beast
27/ Atlantis The Lost Empire
28/ The Princess And The Frog
29/ The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr Toad
30/ Oliver And Company
31/ The Sword In The Stone
32/ Treasure Planet
33/ Home On The Range
34/ The Rescues Down Under

[Dr Frankenollie]

I'm resurrecting this thread as I plan to do my top ten tomorrow. The reason I can't do it now is because tomorrow I plan on watching The Rescuers for the first time in years and I honestly can't remember whether it's great, or good, or bad, but a few of the clips I've seen on YouTube look really good; thus, before I post my current top ten, I'll watch that film. Furthermore, I won't have time to go into the kind of detail I want to for this thread now.

[Chernabog_Rocks]

Apparently I haven't posted an update since 2006

Animated Classics: No particular order.

1) Cinderella
2) Aladdin
3) Tangled
4) Hercules
5) The Rescuers
6) Mulan
7) Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
8 ) Fantasia
9) Pinocchio
10) Lady and the Tramp

Live Action: No particular order

1) Hocus Pocus
2) Pollyanna
3) Mary Poppins
4) Bedknobs and Broomsticks
5) Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
6) Swiss Family Robinson
7) Old Yeller
8 ) Black Hole
9) Treasure Island
10) Something Wicked This Way Comes

[Semaj]

It's been a while since I've done any such list.

1. Pinocchio
2. Lady and the Tramp
3. Alice in Wonderland
4. Lilo & Stitch
5. Aladdin
6. Tangled
7. The Little Mermaid
8. Snow White
9. 101 Dalmatians
10. Dumbo
11. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
12. Fantasia
13. Beauty and the Beast
14. The Emperor's New Groove
15. The Rescuers

[Dr Frankenollie]

It's taken me an age to type up only half my finalised list, so I present only 5-1 here.

I'll post 6-10 (probably) tomorrow. Perhaps obviously, I have began with 5 because I want 1 to be a surprise to the reader, even if the lower half of the list will be presented later.

I hope you enjoy reading my in-depth analyses of my 5 favourite Disney movies.

5. Aladdin -In my opinion the best of the Disney Renaissance quartet, this film topped everything that had already came out of the Disney Studio in terms of comedy, whilst having some of the most imaginative and romantic moments ever seen in not just Disney, but also cinema as a whole. The film is an utterly remarkable, groundbreaking feat, and the creativity, heart and soul that was poured so grandly into the project resulted in a wholly awe-inspiring masterwork.

Accessible to both kids and adults, the most notorious thing about this is Robin Williams' performance. I have a love-hate relationship with both Williams and his performance in this: while he did One Hour Photo, he also did Flubber. And while in Aladdin, Williams' character (Genie) is a memorable, hugely entertaining and joyfully exuberant force for comedy, he also inspired greedy movie producers to hire well-known celebrities to voice their characters, which in turn would spout as many pop culture references as the Genie...except miss out the humour. But, alas, that's another story. So I digress.

All the characters in Aladdin are sheer, utter triumphs. The film's villain, Jafar, whilst cackling psychotically like the common Disney bad guy half the time, is also unique in being a world-weary antagonist, with sunken in eyes and a droll, bored voice (provided by the great Jonathan Freeman).

The hero's sidekicks, Abu and the mute Carpet, are entrancing, colourful and hilarious. The Sultan, whilst being a minor character, is voiced jovially and exceedingly well, and the little touches, like his excitable, child-like run is a great visual gag.

Finally, the hero himself is marvellous and not only one of my favourite Disney characters, but also one of my favourite movie characters. He is the perfect Disney hero, being funny, extremely charming, appealingly designed (based on Tom Cruise, Michael J Fox and even Calvin Klein male models) and his two portrayers (Scott Weinger and Brad Kane) are charisma concentrated. He is also a little flawed, and is easy to relate to, a great advantage for the movie.

His sweet romance with the well-rounded Princess Jasmine is one of the best believable Disney romances of all time, if not the most, and 'A Whole New World' is truly heart-warming. The other songs are just as great, like the fast-paced, brightly-coloured 'Prince Ali' and the eye-popping, well-written 'Friend Like Me.'

And finally, even though the voice of Gilbert Gottfried as Iago can irk some, I love him.

4.Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -While this is not the first Disney film I watched (The Jungle Book, Pinocchio and possibly one or two others came before it), it's the first I very clearly remember watching, and ten years on, I still am scared out of my wits by the Hag.

It’s a brilliant piece of craftsmanship; Walt Disney went against all odds to get his so-called ‘folly’ to the big screen in 1937.The characters are likable, charming and funny, the animation is rich and vibrant, and every scene shows the attention to detail Walt Disney’s loyal animators slaved over. The visual concepts and daringness of the animators is very obvious in the early ‘I’m Wishing’ sequence, where Snow White appears to be ‘shot’ from the bottom of a wishing well, with believable-looking ripples and bubbles adding to the inventive effect.

Another memorable scene is the Queen’s transformation into a terrifying, gleeful old hag; the pernicious Queen is creepy and has a ghastly grace at the start, and has a presence that even today live-action actors and actresses would struggle to command, but she becomes truly terror-inducing as the Hag. The post-transformation queen would be disturbing enough in voice alone (the Queen's vocal portrayer, Lucille LaVerne, removed her false teeth to achieve the satisfyingly menacing croak and crackle in her voice suitable for the Hag), but her formidable, ghoulish appearance completes this perfect of antagonists. Little wonder Vincent Price once said that Snow White was his favourite horror movie.

Adriana Caselotti’s voice (used for Snow White) is now iconic; it may be too shrill for some, but it compliments Snow's memorable appearance and infectiously sweet personality. In fact, Walt Disney ended up ‘owning’ Caselotti’s voice, not allowing her to use it again in cinema as it had become too associated with the Snow White character (the only time she was allowed to use it outside Disney was in The Wizard of Oz, when she made a voice cameo in the Tin Man’s introductory song).

The movie isn’t really about Snow White, but actually the forever-likable Dwarfs. Each one is hilarious in his own unique way, and they carry the movie through the darker elements of the Queen and her Magic Mirror, also giving the movie a very human quality.

It’s the Seven Dwarfs (Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy, and Bashful) that give the movie heart. Some may dismiss some of the Dwarfs’ scenes (like when Grumpy refuses to wash before dinner and appears to hate Snow White) as nothing but filler or cartoonish pandering to children, but if they do, they are heartless imbeciles who should burst into flames and die. The Dwarf scenes aren’t just there for the sake of it; they make the final scenes, where Grumpy finally accepts Snow White, pack a stronger emotional punch, which of course means the happy ending is even more uplifting and touching.

Admittedly, most of the Dwarfs lack depth and their personalities can be described simply by their names; but Grumpy the Dwarf, often used as mere comic relief, develops exceedingly well, and is wholly believable as a character.

The music of Snow White is nearly unbeatable, with its songs varying between sweet, romantic and wistful (like the aforementioned ‘I’m Wishing’) and catchy, bouncy and jolly (‘Heigh Ho’, ‘Just Whistle While You Work’, etc.) But not only the songs are grand; the movie uses extensive background music, probably due to the fact its makers started their careers making cartoons that focused more on music than anything else, which in my opinion was a step towards revolutionising cinema; if you look at the old movies of the early 30’s like Dracula, you’ll notice that they lack music even during intense scenes of horror and action, which is unusual in comparison to modern movies. The frequent use of background music in Snow White was a minor milestone for cinema, and its influence made subsequent movies much more ‘cinematic’.

3. Pinocchio -The thing I really love about this film is its world. Every time I watch it, I'm transported to the lands it displays, the best of which is Geppetto's utterly delightful workshop. I am always enthralled by that place.

Pinocchio, Geppetto, Figaro, Cleo and Jiminy Cricket all appear to inhabit their own little world, bursting at the seams with creatively-designed clocks and watches (which have such great images, from a woman spanking her misbehaving son to two men clinking beer mugs together merrily). They spend their time singing and dancing in this little shop of dreams, and at night they look out into the night sky, dotted with bright, shining stars.

Not a second is wasted in this animated masterpiece. Even though I oddly haven't seen it for a few months, the film is as fresh in mind as if I watched it merely a few hours ago, rather than months. As is usual for Disney, the music is of the highest quality, and such tuneful melodies as 'Hi Diddle Dee Dee' and 'I've Got No Strings' will never leave your mind. They are catchy, undeniably fun toe-tappers that are rhythmically exuberant in their musical notes and inspired when it comes to their lyrics.

But of course the best song is 'When You Wish Upon a Star', sung almost heavenly by Cliff Edwards (also the voice of the charismatic, aforementioned Jiminy Cricket). That song became, in some ways, a magnificent mantra for the Disney Studio, and words cannot describe its beauty.

I also love the brutal darkness of the movie, and it's practically jolting how the outside world goes from colourful and only mildly threatening to terrifying (when Stromboli shows his vile true colours). Pleasure Island once horrified me, and it's still unnerving, especially due to the roly-poly Coachman and his ghoulish minions. These villains don't get punished, and scarily but truthfully so.

The film doesn't try to protect children from the very real evils of the world, and in that regard (as well as in many others) it's a bold, brave slice of cinematic genius.

2. Dumbo -Dumbo is a simple, pleasant film which has a lot of charm, and which returned to the style of Disney before his features: an animated fable with anthropomorphic animals and a moral. It’s a refreshing film with the unusual but forever preferable case of substance over style, rather than vice versa.

The thing that gives Dumbo a lot of its strength is its emotion: there are a great many funny moments, like when Mrs Jumbo throws the Ringmaster into a wooden tub of water, and also a great many tear-jerking moments. In the latter camp, the song ‘Baby Mine’ springs to mind: ‘Baby Mine’ is not only one of Disney’s greatest songs (stopped from being the best only by ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’ from Pinocchio), but also a truly beautiful, tear-inducing lullaby.

Also, throughout the film, the animation is something to marvel over. Whilst not as technically groundbreaking as Fantasia or as realistic as the animation of Bambi, the smooth look and feel to the movie gives it softness without making it too cute or fluffy. The character animation is also superb; when we learn that Mrs Jumbo so desperately wants a son, it’s not through dialogue, or even music; it’s through her expression.

I adore the characters, from the silent, child-like Dumbo (his bathing scene is pure bliss in terms of both style and substance) to Timothy Q Mouse, this movie's Jiminy Cricket, who is the only person to see through Jumbo Junior's apparent deformity; heck, he hardly even notices. Also, the way the Elephants coldly shun Dumbo is so true; they're not like other Disney villains, who are flamboyant and draped in dark colours and enjoy a cackle or two, but are the true evils of the world, taking pleasure in others' misfortune. They are the bitchiest gossipers to ever parade around the silver screen, and their comueppance, although very brief, is also very satisfying.

But the best part of Dumbo is the ending; undoubtedly one of the most uplifting endings in all of cinematic history, it’s a triumphant climax and an excellent way to finish a journey. The journey I refer to is the journey of the audience, who have laughed at Sterling Holloway as the bumbling Stork and been thrilled by the Pink Elephants, and it leaves with the promise of a lovely memory for movie-goers everywhere.

Dumbo is a perfect film that can be interpreted as a buddy comedy, a coming-of-age story, a sweet, nostalgic fable or even a harrowing and thought-provoking parable on society, sporting more emotion and a stronger story than usually seen in animation due to its simplicity.

1. Fantasia -The best of the best, this is the film which I think defines Disney: it has elements of wonder, excitement, terror, humour, romance, everything. It is an amaglamation of everything great and wonderful about Disney, brought together by the happy marriage of great animation and great music.

It features remarkable scenes that you would hardly expect to be featured in a Disney movie (especially by the ignorant general public): Satan calling up demons to dance as enflamed sprites for him above a little mountain town; Mickey Mouse technically killing someone; and perhaps most extraordinarily, telling the story of the universe's creation to the day the dinosaurs died.

Furthermore, Fantasia is a rather good introduction to the world of classical music, and every brush stroke and pencil line is an achievement, with the animators' drawings - painstakingly slaved over in Burbank, California - being brought to life by bright, lush colours and marvellous music. Every single sequence tells a mesmerising story, and characters like Chernabog, Hyacinth Hippo and others are unforgettable.

Most remember this for the 'Sorcerer's Apprentice' segment, which, while triumphant, is not the best, but it's certainly one of the best; while it ruined some of Mickey's appeal indirectly, it's first rate animation and the characterisation through facial expression and the timing of the music/animation is always impressive. The shadows implying Mickey's killing of a sentient broomstick off-screen are effective and reminiscent of the brief shadow duel in The Adventures of Robin Hood, and the little bit at the end where everything turns to black-and-white is atmospheric and a good counter-balance to the frenzy of Mickey's murderous rampage.

'The Nutcracker Suite' is also fantastic, with scenes like the little fairies floating through the flowers or doing ballet on ice beautifully. It varies between slow-paced moments and fast-paced moments, and demonstrates how skilled the original Disney animators were even they just took a simple concept and idea and made it one of the greatest movie moments ever (for example, Art Babbitt’s animation of the dancing mushrooms may be considered racially insensitive towards Asians by some, but it’s nevertheless funny and charming.)

Every protagonist, object and abstract location is full of rich detail, and every single character brilliant in their own unique way: there are the bouncy, flamboyant hippos in comical tutus; the graceful and elegant Pegasus and his family; the plump, red-faced and merry Bacchus; and finally the dark and grotesque Chernabog and his demons, with their gruesomeness intensified by the dark, creepy music.

Unequivocally, this film is an artistic masterpiece, a forever captivating experience, the Holy Grail of animation. It's my favourite Disney film, as well as my favourite film, and its brilliance knows no bounds.

[dvdjunkie]

I think my Top Ten Disney favorite changes from day to day if not week to week. But right now the 10 Disney movies closest to my Blu-ray/DVD player are:

1. Song of the South

2. The Little Mermaid

3. Cinderella

4. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs

5. Fantasia/Fantasia 2000

6. Beauty and the Beast

7. Mary Poppins

8. Dinosaur

9. So Dear To My Heart

10. 101 Dalmations