I was trying to think of different ideas for polls that haven't already been done to death... I'll compare them in different ways.
Protagonist:
1. Aladdin ~ Love love Aladdin. In a perfect world, he and Ariel would've been in the same movie together--what a power couple
that would've been!
They both just have it all, imo. Attractive designs, great singing voices, both likable and entertaining. I only wish Ariel could've solved her own plot the way Aladdin does his. His climactic scene with Jafar is so bada$$ and the best scene in the film for sure. Still my favorite climax of any Disney film.
2. Hercules ~ Such a sweet, adorable character. It's all in the personality. Aladdin is the most attractive male character Disney's made, definitely (and he is likable, too), but I love Hercules' personality. I know he and the film are supposed to be like Superman, and yet... I love
Hercules and I've never liked Superman.
I always preferred Batman and Spider-man and the X-Men.
3. Quasimodo ~ Meh. I feel like the character doesn't really act like a character that's been sheltered, isolated, and (to a degree) abused? I've never much liked Tom Hulce either, although I'm sure Quasimodo is a hard character to find the right sound for.
4. Simba ~ I like Simba even though the character's sort of limp. I don't like either of the voice actors though (not as
people I mean).
Love Interest:
1. Megara ~ The only one I like out of these, tbh... And she's probably my number 1 female character if we were to exclude villains.
2. Jasmine ~ I like Lea Salonga's part in "A Whole New World." I don't hate Jasmine like I used to back when, but I'm not overly fond of her either.
3. Nala ~ I feel like Nala had the potential to be a good character... I love her dialogue/voice acting. But in the end she just ends up irrelevant in most ways. She's just a glorified baby-maker with no other story purpose, only less of an irritating character than Faline and Vixey--whose whole characters' seemed to begin and end with "be flirty."
4. Esmeralda ~ I used to really not like this character and a lot of the overly preachy parts of
Hunchback (of which she features heavily in the worst parts), but she's grown on me over time just like Jasmine.
Villain:
1. Hades ~ I love the design, voice acting, the humor, everything. The character's a big part of what makes
Hercules work for me.
2. Scar ~ I love Scar even though he's sort of pathetic in the climax. He's one of the few Disney villains that you just really
hate and whom inspires a visceral reaction. His death is horrible and also so satisfying.
3. Frollo ~ I love Tony Jay and I think Frollo is the best thing about
Hunchbacl. Still, I find him a little overrated simply because he's "adult."
4. Jafar ~ I think Jafar is a powerful villain even if I've never been crazy about the character the way I am about other villains. His design kind of throws me off at times. Sometimes I like it in the more serious scenes, but when he's more comical, the face just looks really ugly (not as in
intentionally ugly, like say Ursula or the Hag, just something about the mouth is offputting). Jonathan Freeman's voice acting is amazing though--that maniacal, grandstanding laugh of his is fantastic!
(What a strong list of villains!)
Misc. Characters / Sidekicks:
1.
Aladdin ~ Genie, Abu, Iago, and the Magic Carpet are a great team of characters (I especially love when Iago is a part of the "team" in the series.) Rajah is okay. The Sultan is annoying at times (I think I just don't like any of the palace characters very much for some reason...), although never as irksome as some of what you can find in the other three films.
2.
Hercules ~ I love the Titans, Muses, Fates, and various gods/monsters. But then there's Pain and Panic, who are an acquired taste at best... And Pegasus is kind of annoying at times, too. Phil is alright.
3.
The Lion King ~ The Hyenas are funny. Timon & Pumbaa are better at comic relief than the Gargoyles at least. Mufasa is great.
4.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ~ Love Clopin, but I don't care for Phoebus or the Gargoyles much at all.
Soundtrack:
1.
Aladdin ~ Aladdin has the best voice of the male leads here, imo. My favorite from this one was always "Prince Ali." OJA's reprise, OJA, "Prince Ali (reprise)," and AWNW are all tied for second place.
"Friend Like Me" is probably the one I like the least, and yet it's probably the second best-remembered from the film after AWNW.
2.
Hercules ~ An acquired taste. I know from an objective viewpoint,
Hunchback should be higher than this, but I'm too attached to
Hercules to not love its music. I love the Muses--"Zero to Hero" and "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" are great. Hercules' theme has a nice melody even if the lyrics leave a lot to be desired.
3.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ~ The soundtrack's great, just leaves me a little cold.
4.
The Lion King ~ Probably my favorite score of the four. While I love Elton John, I prefer his versions of most of the songs to the in-film versions, and even then Menken would beat him in a contest with me. *shrug*
Overall:
1.
Hercules
2.
The Lion King ~ This one's fallen a few spots for me. Still, I feel it's a great film that deserves its reputation as one of Disney's absolute best.
3.
Aladdin ~ It's risen in my ranks over the years. I've been putting it in the 11-14 range lately.
4.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame ~ I try to view the film separate from the Renaissance, because otherwise I can't help but compare the formulaic aspects to other films it followed that did it better. I do think it's a good film though; I enjoy it more when I'm watching it than when I'm thinking about it.