DVDizzy Forum

We all have our favorite movies, but I'm certain that there are some elements of them you're not so fond of and/or find their equivalents in other movies to be stronger. In other words, the love you have for a movie as a whole may not always translate into love for all of its individual parts. Because the Big Four are considered the pinnacle of Disney animation in the '90s and they all ended up having similar media/pop-culture trajectories, I thought, hey, why don't we rank them on those key aspects they have in common?

The categories to be ranked:
- hero/heroine - protagonist
- hero/heroine - deuteragonist
- villain
- sidekicks
- intro / opening sequence
- climax / end battle
- songs
- score
- sequels
- TV show(s)
- Broadway show
- remake
- overall movie

This is just for fun but depending on how many replies this gets, I may eventually assign each movie a weighted average, just to see how each of them stands. You're welcome to add additional comments to your rankings, but you can also just list them without explaining anything further. Happy ranking and, if possible, try to avoid ties.

I'll begin...

Hero/heroine - protagonist:
(Note: potentially debatable opinion right off the bat, but even though Belle and the Beast share the billing and screentime, the film is often framed as Belle's story in marketing and Disney Princess merchandise. I feel it's actually the Beast's story more and that he's the one with a full character arc, hence why I chose him as the protagonist.)
1. BatB - the Beast
2. Aladdin - Aladdin
3. TLM - Ariel
4. TLK - Simba

Hero/heroine - deuteragonist:
1. Aladdin - Jasmine
2. BatB - Belle
3. TLM - Eric
4. TLK - Nala

Villain:
1. TLM - Ursula
2. Aladdin - Jafar
3. TLK - Scar
4. BatB - Gaston

Sidekicks:
1. Aladdin - Genie, Iago, Magic Carpet, Abu
2. BatB - Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Chip, LeFou
3. TLM - Sebastian, Scuttle, Flounder, Flotsam, Jetsam
4. TLK - Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed

Intro / opening sequence:
1. TLM -- I had a hard time choosing between the top two. BatB's is gorgeous, perfectly sets the mood for the rest of the tale, and it's a quintessential fairytale opening. However, there's just something purely magical about TLM's with the way music builds up, we're shown these mysterious figures swimming, and then comes that dazzling shot of King Triton's castle accompanied by the booming score. It's a breathtaking introduction to a completely new world.
2. BatB
3. TLK
4. Aladdin

Climax / end battle:
1. Aladdin -- even though it features swordfights and spells, I like that in the end it turns out to be a battle of wits. I always thought the way Jafar was defeated was super clever.
2. BatB
3. TLM
4. TLK

Songs:
1. TLM
2. BatB
3. Aladdin
4. TLK

Score:
1. BatB
2. TLK
3. Aladdin
4. TLM

Sequels:
1. Aladdin
2. TLK
3. BatB
4. TLM
The bottom two are ranked mainly on how much I enjoyed The Enchanted Christmas and disliked Ariel's Beginning. The other two (Return to the Sea and Belle's Magical World) I kind of hold in the same regard, even though objectively RttS is a better movie.

TV show(s):
1. Aladdin
2. TLM
3. TLK -- not a huge fan of Timon and Pumbaa, and I've only seen a few episodes of their show. Same for The Lion Guard, cute but not my thing.
4. BatB -- I've only seen one or two Sing Me a Story with Belle episodes, the ones that were released on VHS back in the '90s and I though they kinda sucked. I used to think it was a shame BatB didn't get a "proper" animated show, but looking at Belle's Magical World, I'm glad it didn't.

Broadway show:
(I've only seen the Aladdin show properly; BatB was a local community theater production only based on the Broadway show and therefore didn't have the luxury of Broadway's fancy costumes and stage design. I'll be seeing TLK next month.)
1. Aladdin
2. BatB
3.
4.

Remake:
1. Aladdin
2. TLM
3. BatB
4. TLK

Overall movie:
1. BatB
2. Aladdin
3. TLM
4. TLK

Great topic

Hero/heroine - protagonist:
1. The Lion King - Simba
2. Beauty and the Beast - The Beast
3. Aladdin - Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid - Ariel
~ I agree that The Beast is the protagonist in the movie. Went with how well their arc was but I like them all.

Hero/heroine - deuteragonist:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Belle
2. Aladdin - Genie / Jasmine
3. The Little Mermaid - Triton / Eric
4. The Lion King - Nala


Villain:
1. The Lion King - Scar
2. Aladdin - Jafar
3. Beauty and the Beast - Gaston
3. The Little Mermaid - Ursula
~ Ursula is fun and everything, but what I like about the other three is how they are more or less an externalization of the protagonist inner conflict or directly play into that.

Sidekicks:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Chip, LeFou
2. The Little Mermaid - Sebastian, Scuttle, Flounder, Flotsam, Jetsam
3. Aladdin - Iago, Magic Carpet, Abu, Rajah
4. TLK - Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed
~ I prefer Sidekick which are more useful and serve a purpose in the story. They all are but some to a bigger extent than others.

Intro / opening sequence:
1. The Lion King
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Aladdin
4. Beauty and the Beast

Climax / end battle:
1. Aladdin
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. The Little Mermaid

Songs:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
4. The Lion King

Score:
1. The Lion King
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid

Sequels:
1. Aladdin
2. The Lion King
3. The Little Mermaid
4. Beauty and the Beast
~ Aladdin only because of nostalgic reasons. The rest are mediocre or crap.

TV show(s):
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King
4. Beauty and the Beast

Broadway show:
1. The Lion King
2. Aladdin
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Little Mermaid
~ The Lion King was the only one trying to do something different, the others are basically the movie but longer and not as good.

Remake:
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Lion King

Overall movie:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
4. The Lion King
~ I think The Lion King is technically better than The Little Mermaid and perhaps even Aladdin, but I enjoy them more.

I'm going to second (third?) Beast as the protagonist
- Hero/heroine - protagonist
1. Ariel
2. Beast
3. Simba
4. Aladdin


- Hero/heroine - deuteragonist
1. Belle
2. Jasmine
3. Eric
4. Nala

- Villain
1. Jafar
2. Ursula
3. Scar
4. Gaston

- Sidekicks
1. TLM
2. BatB
3. TLK
4. Aladdin

- Intro / opening sequence
1. BatB (Prologue, "Belle")
2. TLK ("Circle of Life")
3. TLM ("Fathoms Below," Main Titles)
4. Aladdin ("Arabian Nights")

- Climax / end battle
1. BatB
2. TLK
3. TLM
4. Aladdin

- Songs
1. TLM
2. BatB
3. Aladdin
4. TLK

- Score
1. TLM
2. BatB
3. TLK
4. Aladdin

- Sequels
1. TLK
2. Aladdin
3. BatB
4. TLM

- TV show(s)
1. Aladdin
2. TLM
3. TLK


- Broadway show
1. BatB
2. TLK
3. Aladdin
4. TLM

- Remake
1. Aladdin
2. TLM
3. BatB
4. TLK

- Overall movie
1. TLM
2. BatB
3. TLK
4. Aladdin

Anyways, the big four are all winners. Not a weak link among them in my book.

"Mermaid" and "Beast" are the two that I reward the most. In most rankings where they're taking the top two spots, they're almost interchangeable.

Protagonist
1. Ariel / Aladdin
2. Belle
3. Simba

Villain
1. Ursula
2. Scar
3. Jafar
4. Gaston

Love Interest (other than Beast, I don't really think the others are deuteragonists, they are clearly love interests to the protagonist)
1. Eric
2. The Beast
3. Jasmine
4. Nala

Sidekicks
1. Cogsworth
2. The Magic Carpet
3. Lumiere
4. Sebastian
5. Mrs. Potts
6. Flotsam & Jetsam
7. Iago
8. The Wardrobe
9. Genie
10. Zazu
11. Abu
12. Ed
13. Chip
14. Rajah
15. Flounder
16. Pumbaa
17. Shenzi
18. Scuttle
19. Banzai
20. Max
21. Timon
22. LeFou

Original Film
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. Aladdin

Intro
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. Aladdin

Climax
1. Aladdin v. Jafar
2. Giant Ursula
3. Beast v. Gaston
4. Scar v. Simba

Songs
1. Poor Unfortunate Souls
2. Part of Your World
3. Part of Your World (Reprise)
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. Prince Ali
6. Human Again
7. Be Our Guest
8. A Whole New World
9. Poor Unfortunate Souls (Reprise)
10. One Jump Ahead (Reprise)
11. One Jump Ahead
12. Gaston
13. Under the Sea
14. Prince Ali (Reprise)
15. Beauty and the Beast (Peabo Bryson & Celine Dion)
16. Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Elton John version)
17. Les Poissons
18. Kiss the Girl
19. Gaston (Reprise)
20. Arabian Nights
21. Circle of Life (film version)
22. Daughters of Triton
23. Be Prepared
24. Friend Like Me
25. A Whole New World (End Title)
26. Circle of Life (Elton John version)
27. Hakuna Matata
28. I Just Can't Wait to Be King
29. Can You Feel the Love Tonight (film version)
30. The Morning Report

Score
1. The Little Mermaid / The Lion King
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin

Broadway Show
1. Aladdin
2. The Lion King
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Little Mermaid

Remake
1. Aladdin
2. Beauty and the Beast / The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King

TV Series
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Timon & Pumbaa

Sequels
1. The Enchanted Christmas
2. Simba's Pride
3. The Return of Jafar
4. Aladdin and the King of Thieves
5. Ariel's Beginning
6. The Lion King 1 & 1/2
7. Return to the Sea
8. Belle's Magical World

A few others:

Fathers
1. King Triton
2. Mufasa
3. The Sultan
4. Maurice

Locales
1. Agrabah
2. Triton's Palace
3. Ursula's Lair
4. Pride Rock
5. Beast's Castle
6. Eric's Kingdom
7. Maurice's Cottage

Outfits
1. Aladdin (Prince Ali)
2. Eric (Wedding)
3. Ariel (mermaid)
4. Eric (black)
5. Beast (ballroom)
6. Ariel (Wedding)
7. Belle (pink dress w/ winter coat)
8. Aladdin (purple wedding)
9. Jasmine (purple)
10. Belle (blue dress)
11. Ariel (sea foam dress)
12. Jasmine (purple wedding)
13. Belle (green dress)
14. Ariel (blue dress w/out bow)
15. Belle (gold dress)
16. Ariel (pink dress)
17. Aladdin (normal)
18. Eric (sailor)
19. Eric (false wedding red/blue)
20. Belle (pink dress w/out coat)
21. Ariel (blue dress w/ bow)
22. Beast (white shirt w/ purple coat)

Oh, this is a great idea. Here are my lists; I have also added comments to some of them.

Hero/heroine - protagonist:
1. Ariel - she's such a great character, regardless of what the snowflakes say about her.
2. Simba
3. The Beast - I love his temper tantrums, and his facial expressions
4. Aladdin

Hero/heroine - deuteragonist:
1. Belle - I relate so much to her, because I love to read
2. Jasmine
3. Eric
4. Nala

Villain:
1. Ursula - perfect mix of sassy, scary, funny, and weird
2. Jafar
3. Scar, the hyenas
4. Gaston

Sidekicks:
1. Genie, Abu, Iago, Carpet - Hilarious, showstealing characters
2. Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip -
3. Flounder, Sebastian
4. Timon, Pumbaa

Intro / opening sequence:
1. Beauty and the Beast - You can't beat that opening shot of the castle set to Alan Menken's chilling music
2. The Little Mermaid - Love "Fathoms Below" followed by that beautiful overture.
3. The Lion King
4. Aladdin

Climax / end battle:
1. The Little Mermaid - Giant Ursula, can't go wrong with that.
2. The Lion King -
3. Aladdin
4. Beauty and the Beast

Songs:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Score:
1. The Little Mermaid - Alan Menken at his best
2. Beauty and the Beast - Ditto
3. The Lion King - Big fan of Hans Zimmer, but his music isn't as timeless as Alan Menken's
4. Aladdin

Sequels:
1. Aladdin - The two sequels, in my opinion, are the best, because they have the same mood
2. The Lion King - The perfect mix of comedy, romance and a bit of drama
3. The Little Mermaid - I used to love the 2nd movie, and I still love some of the songs
4. Beauty and the Beast - Enchanted Christmas is great, but Belle's Magical World is awful. When did Belle get a tan?

Concerning the TV Shows, I have only seen a few episodes from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Timon & Pumbaa, so I don't think I saw enough to make a countdown.

I have seen the local production of Beauty and the Beast in my hometown and in London, back in 2007, but I have never seen the others. I will see The Lion King in Paris when I go next week.

Remake:
1. Aladdin - I like it the best, because it doesn't take itself too serious. It wasn't afraid to be a little goofy
2. Beauty and the Beast - one of the good ones, but it loses points, because of the whole realism thing
3. The Little Mermaid - good, interesting, but the new songs shouldn't have been added
4. The Lion King - I know fans don't like it too much, but I kinda enjoyed it.

Overall movie:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King
4. Aladdin

Fun idea, Mooky! And nice new avatar, by the way. Have you drawn it yourself?

I've ranked everything by personal preference. I feel bad putting The Lion King last in almost every category, especially in ones where I think it's objectively better than some of the others (like villain or opening sequence), but even though I think it's a great film, it's just not among my top favorites, while the other three are. Its score and songs, for example, are very strong, but I just enjoy the style of music of the other films more. The Little Mermaid, on the other hand, it's not only my favorite Disney classic, but several other elements from the film are my favorites from Disney films in general as well. Ariel is my favorite female Disney protagonist, Sebastian my favorite Disney sidekick and "Part of Your World" is at least on my top three favorite Disney songs.

Regarding characters, I personally don't take character arcs and things like that into consideration when it comes to ranking them; just how much I like them or can relate to them, but I think it's great others do. We all have different things that are important to us and our own way of rating things. On that note, though I consider Belle and the Beast more or less equally protagonists, if I had to choose between the two, I'd say Belle is a little more the lead character. Though the story opens with him, and yes, he changes the most, I think there are larger portions of the film where we follow Belle and see things from her point of view.

As for the TV shows category, I've never watched Sing Me a Story with Belle. In fact, this is the first time I hear about the show, so I can't include Beauty and the Beast in my ranking. And I know I said in another thread that I remembered not liking the Aladdin TV series much growing up, but I think I liked it at first, but then the episodes got worse in my opinion. At least, that's what it seemed to me back then. I'll have to watch it again someday, but I guess everyone is probably right it's stronger than The Little Mermaid series in general. Regarding Timon and Pumbaa, I remember not liking the kind of humor and exaggerated animation. It looked more like Animaniacs or something like that than Disney. I stopped watching it after a while. And I've only watched The Lion Guard's pilot episode or film and wasn't too impressed by it.

I haven't seen any of the Broadway shows either, so I'll rank the original cast recordings instead.

There's also something I wanted to ask regarding the climax category. The endings themselves are not included, just the final battle, right? But is the Beast dying considered part of Beauty and the Beast's climax? I wanted to know, because if it is I might rank it higher. I'll add that category to the post once I get an answer.

Hero/heroine - protagonist:
1. Ariel
2. Aladdin
3. Belle
4. Simba

Hero/heroine - deuteragonist or love interest:
1. The Beast
2. Jasmine
3. Eric
4. Nala

Villain:
1. Ursula
2. Jafar
3. Gaston
4. Scar

Sidekicks:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Intro / opening sequence:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Climax / end battle:
1. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
4. The Lion King

Songs:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Score:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Sequels:
1. Aladdin
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Little Mermaid
4. The Lion King

TV show(s):
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King

Original Broadway cast recording:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Lion King

Remake:
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King
4. Beauty and the Beast

Overall movie:
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Aladdin
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Lion King

Thank you all for your participation and comments, it's interesting seeing everybody's rankings and how our preferences shape them. I'm of a similar mind to you both Farerb and D82 in regards to placing TLK so low under certain categories, for I do believe it is technically the best of the four (animation-wise in particular), it's just that I enjoy the other three more so, naturally, I'm more inclined (or, rather, biased) towards them.

I agree that Nala and Eric are more love interests than secondary characters and I should have made that designation clearer in that specific heading (thank you D82 for fixing it), but I'd argue in favor of Jasmine being given an almost equal role as Aladdin even though shes's obviously not the main character (compare just how many scenes she has all to herself and interacts with other characters without Aladdin present, including the villain, and how her wants and needs drive parts of the plot forward). In fact, I'd say she has more of an active role throughout Aladdin than Belle does in BatB, where she just sort of disappears into the love interest role post-wolf chase.

D82 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 6:42 pm Fun idea, Mooky! And nice new avatar, by the way. Have you drawn it yourself?

Thank you! No, my friend drew it for me as a thank-you gift for helping him complete a part of his Disney collection. It's supposed to be myself reimagined as Prince Phillip (the drawing has more hair than I do though, lol). If you're interested in seeing the bigger version, I've uploaded it here.

D82 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 10, 2023 6:42 pmThere's also something I wanted to ask regarding the climax category. The endings themselves are not included, just the final battle, right? But is the Beast dying considered part of Beauty and the Beast's climax? I wanted to know, because if it is I might rank it higher. I'll add that category to the post once I get an answer.

I myself consider the Beast's death/resurrection/transformation as part of the climax and ranked it as such, as the film's central plot point is not yet resolved at that point even though the villain is dead. Same with TLK and Simba's ascension to the throne/mighty roar. The scenes that follow ("happy endings") I'd consider conclusions. Others may disagree.

Disney's Divinity wrote: ↑Thu Jun 08, 2023 12:17 pm Locales

Outfits

Oh, I quite like these two categories!

Setting / locale:
1. BatB
2. Aladdin
3. TLM
4. TLK

Costuming:
1. Aladdin
2. BatB
3. TLM
4. TLK -- well they're naked lions, so there's not much to rank there

Mooky wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:03 am I agree that Nala and Eric are more love interests than secondary characters and I should have made that designation clearer in that specific heading (thank you D82 for fixing it), but I'd argue in favor of Jasmine being given an almost equal role as Aladdin even though shes's obviously not the main character (compare just how many scenes she has all to herself and interacts with other characters without Aladdin present, including the villain, and how her wants and needs drive parts of the plot forward). In fact, I'd say she has more of an active role throughout Aladdin than Belle does in BatB, where she just sort of disappears into the love interest role post-wolf chase.

Well, I didn't mean to fix anything, I just thought Disney's Divinity was right that not all the love interests are necessarily deuteragonists and I decided to specify that in the title of my own ranking. You're right Jasmine has an important role in Aladdin. I don't know who has a bigger role, she or Genie. Genie doesn't appear during the first third of the movie, but he still has a lot of screen time and his friendship with Aladdin is an important element of the film too. Maybe both could be considered co-deuteragonists.

Mooky wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:03 am Thank you! No, my friend drew it for me as a thank-you gift for helping him complete a part of his Disney collection. It's supposed to be myself reimagined as Prince Phillip (the drawing has more hair than I do though, lol). If you're interested in seeing the bigger version, it's here.

The drawing looks even better in the bigger version. Your friend is very talented, and what a nice idea for a gift!

Mooky wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:03 am I myself consider the Beast's death/resurrection/transformation as part of the climax and ranked it as such, as the film's central plot point is not yet resolved at that point even though the villain is dead. Same with TLK and Simba's ascension to the throne/mighty roar. The scenes that follow ("happy endings") I'd consider conclusions. Others may disagree.

Thanks for your reply! I supposed so, but I wasn't totally sure. I've added that category to my previous post.

Mooky wrote: ↑Sun Jun 11, 2023 10:03 am 4. TLK -- well they're naked lions, so there's not much to rank there

That's true, although there's at least one outfit in the film:



I've ranked the settings and costumes too. The former was quite a difficult category to rank for me (as was the sidekick one, by the way, since all these films have amazing sidekicks). I've ranked Aladdin and The Little Mermaid first because I love the palaces in them, but it could very well be a tie between the first three. And, though I've put it last once again, The Lion King also has amazing landscapes and pride rock is an iconic locale.

By the way, I've always loved Aladdin's Prince Ali outfit too, Disney's Divinity. I agree it's as good as many princesses' outfits, if not better. My personal favorite of the Fab Four would be Belle's gold dress, but I'd rank the Prince Ali one quite high as well.

Setting / locale:
1. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Lion King

Costuming:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid
4. The Lion King

What an unique ranking idea!

protagonist
1. Aladdin: love his arc the most. Out of all main characters he does the biggest emotional transformation and learns the most. Also love his witty nature with his tricks on Jafars final wish and getting a free Wish from Genie
2. Ariel: her want to be part of somones World or society speaks Volumes to me. I love her vibrant and curious personality.
3. Belle: similar to Ariel, she wants more from life and shes the hot teenage weirdo in town like me. I love that its also not depicted as something selfish to want more from life. Shes also curious, but not as outgoing as Ariel, i think shes more introverted.
4. Simba: outside of his guilt for his father, there isnt so much going on with him and he doesnt even have a real "want" unlike the others here

deuteragonist
1. Beast: i can see why people see him as the protagonist, because he grows during the movie (way more than Belle), but she gets the most screentime. Besides of the intro, he only Shows up only like 20 minutes later. Belle is also the catalist of the movie. Gaston wants her. Shes the one that can break the curse. Beast falls in love with her and more. But just my opinion. Still, hes a really really interesting and flawed character. Love his low temper, aggressive Beasty nature that contrasts really well with his soft scenes like the feeding the birds, his snowfight with Belle and the Balcony scene. Really great character
2. Jasmine: shes also great. She has her desires to break free and matches perfectly with Aladdin.
3. Eric: hes not as interesting as Jasmine or Beast, but hes still important to the plot and also has goals, which arent as personal but still. Also Its great how he would even sacrifice himself for Max!
4. Nala

- villain
1. Ursula
2. Jafar
3. Scar
4. Gaston

- sidekicks
1. Genie, Abu
2. Sebastian and Flounder
3. Lumiere and Cogsworth
4. Timon and Pumba

- intro / opening sequence
1. Beauty and the Beast: such an iconic opening score and the stained glass paintings are so beautiful and an unique way to explain the plot. The movie EARNED the glass paintings now. It still gives me goosebumps. Later on Showing the Beast and saying "who could ever learn to love a beast" and then the cut to Belles opening is so great.

2. The Lion King: despite my Position about the Film, (as it is my 2nd least fav from the renaissance) the opening song with the sunrise is too iconic. I bet people not having seen the Film still encountered the first 5 seconds of the "Circle of Life" song. And all animals coming together to see Baby Simba. Thats pop culture history. BatB slightly made it on the top due to its beautiful classicness and breathtaking paintings.

3. Aladdin: Arabian nights and the desert sequence. The opening is grand and adventurous. Love how the "camera" flies through the streets of Agrabah. Simply beautiful.

4. The Little Mermaid: the opening score is so beautiful and underwater opening is also inviting and that they established early on with the Fish that escaped that there is more to the underwater life and creatures than meets the eye. All 4 openings are great.

- climax / end battle
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Aladdin
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Lion King

- songs
Great:
1. Part of your World
2. Part of Your World (Reprise)
3. Proud of your Boy (i mean the demos in the Official soundtrack)
4. A whole New World
5. Beauty and the Beast
Really good:
6. Belle (reprise)
7. One jump ahead (reprise)
8.Poor unfortunate souls
9. Poor unfortunate souls (reprise)
10. Kiss the girl
11. Can you feel the Love tonight
12. Belle
13. Be prepared
14. Be our guest
15. Something there
Good:
16. Prince Ali (reprise)
17. Under the sea
18. Never had a friend like me
19. Cant wait to be king
20. Hakuna Matata
21. One jump ahead
22. Gaston
23. Le poissons

- score
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Aladdin
4. Lion Monarch


- sequels
1. Aladdin and the King of thieves (i really love it, but not as witty as the og WDAS film of course and the Animation is bad, but the story is really worthy and the villain and his defeat was great).
2. The Lion King 2
3. The Lion King 1/3
4. Beauty and the Beast: Belles Enchanted Christmas (love to rewatch it in December)
5. The Little Mermaid 2: its the first movie but Uno reverse
6. The Little Mermaid: Ariels Beginning: the Animation is good, but a worthless prequel, weak villain and plot, but I love the "I remember" song.
7. Aladdin: Jafars Return
8. Belles Magical World

- TV show(s):
1. Aladdin: fun to explore what might happen after Aladdin and Jasmines Ever After, like in the Tangled series (although TtS is way better). Although i dont see them as canon, its still fun to see.
2. The Little Mermaid: I fully rewatched this one last year and it was by far a better prequel Exploration than Ariels beginning. Although some Episodes are really boring, I always had nightmares of the charm bracelet Episode lol.
Havent seen Timon and Pumba yet.

- Broadway show
From what ive seen on the net so far:
1. Aladdin: its so colorful and bright, the song additions including my fav Proud of your Boy, and integrating Ashmans original plot beats with the mother is great. It feels destinctive enough to be its own thing while also embracing the movie. The costume alternatives are also beautiful. They did a wonderful Job with the carpet ride sequence.

2.Beauty and the Beast: the costumes, additional songs, Susan Egan as Belle, it has everything a good Broadway Musical needs.

3. The Lion King: it feels really unique with all the actors as animals and it has an destinctive color orientation with its yellow Orange look, i like that. The costumes are beautiful and really african, the Set Design also has character. I can see why its one of the most successful Broadway musicals of all time, but I think Aladdin or BatB deserves more recognition.

3. The Little Mermaid: the Set Design with all the twirls is gorgeous and unique, Sierra Bogges as Ariel is great and i love the colors.

- remake
1. Aladdin: it got the essence of the original right and what made it great in the first place, i like Speechless
2. The Little Mermaid: this one was alright and Halle Bailey really made Ariel her own. And she has an angelic singing voice. The only weird thing about the remake, while in the og, Ariel and her sisters looked similar, but here, all 7 sisters have different ethnical backgrounds. I know they all represent the 7 seas, but does it mean that Triton had a thing with 7 Women in a short amount of time or what? Weirdddddd
3. Beauty and the Beast: its ok but it has too many unnecassary additions that dont help the main plot in any way, like Belles mother. Beasts backstory was worthy tho. And Evermore is my favourite additional song from all the remakes.
4. The Lion King. Its literally the 1994 movie only with way less personality and fun. Worst Disney Remake.

- overall movie
1. The Little Mermaid: the fairytale classic
2. Aladdin: the comedy adventure with big heart
3. Beauty and the Beast: the timeless romance
4. The Lion King: animals

What what great, unique way to rank, Mooky! And good additions, Divinity! I have read everyone's responses, I may add my own, but I just wanted to say I enjoyed reading all of your rankings, everybody!

The Disneynerd wrote: ↑Wed Mar 20, 2024 2:19 am- TV show(s):
1. Aladdin: fun to explore what might happen after Aladdin and Jasmines Ever After, like in the Tangled series (although TtS is way better). Although i dont see them as canon, its still fun to see.

What is TtS? Tangled: The Series?

Disney Duster wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 12:01 am What is TtS? Tangled: The Series?

Yep! In my opinion Tangled the series is far superior as its still a musical (huge plus that Alan Menken Returned for the songs), the story is linear and not episodic (although there are a few pointless filler Episodes) and unique important new characters, something the Aladdin Series didnt had.

Oh, ok, I getcha Disneynerd. I own the series, but haven't watched very much of it myself yet. I have so little time, and so many other things I need to do. Maybe when I retire, lol.

Hero/Heroine - Protagonist:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Belle
2. Aladdin - Aladdin
3. The Little Mermaid - Ariel
4. The Lion King - Simba

Belle has long been a character I loved and admired because of her love of books and her longing for adventure. LIkewise, Aladdin will always be my childhood hero. He was the first Disney character I could identify with in terms of, "Hey, he looks like me! I want to be him when we play!", so I will always love him for that. I've never really identified with Ariel, though I've grown to love her evolution in the film. Simba is an asshole.

Hero/Heroine - Deuteragonist:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Beast
2. Aladdin - Princess Jasmine
3. The Little Mermaid - Prince Eric
4. The Lion King - Nala

Beast looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll.
Princess Jasmine looks like a cinnamon roll, but could actually kill you.
Prince Eric looks like a cinnamon roll, and is actually a cinnamon roll.
Nala looks like she could kill you, and could actually kill you.

Villain - Antagonist:
1. The Little Mermaid - Ursula
2. The Lion King - Scar
3. Beauty and the Beast - Gaston
4. Aladdin - Jafar

Ursula is the most menacing of the four, she gets things done and knows the importance of the fine print. Scar plays a lot of mind games with other characters, but is (understandably) a terrible leader. Gaston manipulates an entire town to his whims and fancy just to stroke his ego, and I have always hated him. Jafar looms in the shadows like a puppetmaster, but kind of goes bonkers by the end. I've never taken him seriously, while the other three have more of a frighten factor to them.

Sidekicks - Support: (in order of favorites per film)
1. Aladdin - Abu, Genie, Magic Carpet, Rajah, Sultan, The Peddler, Razoul, Iago
2. The Little Mermaid - Flounder, Sebastian, Scuttle, Grimsby, Carlotta, King Triton, Chef Louis, That Little Sea Horse, Flotsam & Jetsam
3. Beauty and the Beast - Mrs. Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Chip, Maurice, LeFou
4. The Lion King - Mufasa, Rafiki, Sarabi, Pumbaa, Timon, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, Zazu

I've always loved that the Ron-John films tend to be ensemble pieces even though there is always a central protagonist at the heart. As a result, nearly every character has an arc they go through in the film which makes them worth watching, so Aladdin and The Little Mermaid get higher placements. Beauty and the Beast hinges too much upon their protagonists that even though there are dramatic stakes for the supporting players, it never feels *as important* as Belle and Beast's narrative. This is also true for The Lion King, the majority of minor characters serve mainly as extensions of the main characters.

Intro / Opening Sequence:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Stained Glass Window "Prologue"
2. Aladdin - The Peddler's "Arabian Nights"
3. The Lion King - "Circle of Life"
4. The Little Mermaid - Seafaring "Fathoms Below"

Watching the beginning of Beauty and the Beast when I was a kid was always pure magic. I still get chills thinking about how thrifty and effective the prologue is, and how it then segues into the big number that is "Belle." Likewise, "Arabian Nights" sets us up for an adventure, with the comedic stylings of Robin Williams to let us know it'll be a fun journey. I'll not deny the epic grandeur that is "Circle of Life." Finally, "Fathoms Below" and the main titles for The Little Mermaid in general just feels like a different era now compared to the other three films. It's not the worst, but when you have to rank out of four, something's bound to end up last.

Climax / End Battle:
1. Beauty and the Beast - Death of the Beast / Transformation
2. Aladdin - Battle of Wits / A Wish for Freedom
3. The Little Mermaid - Sea Battle / Transformation / Wedding
4. The Lion King - "Circle of Life"

I cry like a baby anytime I reach the end of Beauty and the Beast. It's stuck with me for so many years now as some of the best that Disney has ever done. The ending for Aladdin also is high up there because it goes from the thrill of that battle between Jafar and Aladdin to the sense of "Happiness comes in on tiptoe" (Kander & Ebb) when we get to the final wish. It gets the beats down better compared to The Little Mermaid, where Ron-John first tried to find the balance between the thrill and the calm. "Circle of Life" is fine and does its job.

Songs: (listed my favorite from each film)
1. Beauty and the Beast - "Beauty and the Beast"
2. The Little Mermaid - "Part of Your World"
3. Aladdin - "A Whole New World"
4. The Lion King - "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"

Overall, all the songs in Beauty and the Beast are instant classics. And even though I like Aladdin as a film more, The Little Mermaid has undeniably better songs. There's just something about the Ashman-Menken collaborations that hit differently. Nothing against Tim Rice or Elton John, but that one-two punch of consistently great material for The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast has yet to be matched by any other recurring songwriting teams in the Disney oeuvre.

Score:
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. The Lion King
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid

While I am quick to award the Ashman-Menken films for their songs, scores go by a different standard for me. I think it's just my inherent bias, but every track on the Beauty and the Beast score works perfectly. Even the unused ones. And so the follow-up Disney films knew to try to find that same energy. The Lion King goes BIG, Hans Zimmer treats the picture like it's Lawrence of Arabia and it shows. I never thought I'd rank The Lion King above Aladdin for anything, but here we are. There's nothing wrong with the Aladdin or The Little Mermaid scores, they just don't contain the same kind of "umph" that the other two do for me. I'm sure if I gave the CDs a listen again, I'd find that "umph," but I'm content with this for now.

Sequels:
1. Aladdin
2. The Lion King
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. The Little Mermaid

Aladdin gets ranked first because I grew up with the sequel films with a semi-regularity in conjunction with the original film, so I'm much more forgiving of them than the others. Simba's Pride gets a pass because I still kind of dig the story more than its predecessor; the midquel nonsense from The Lion King 1 1/2 is amusing but not essential. Enchanted Christmas usually is a hate-watch for me the few times I've seen it since 1997, although I do love the song "Stories." It's the only Beauty and the Beast sequel that exists in my personal canon. Finally, I have no affection at all for Return to the Sea and have never seen Ariel's Beginning.

TV show(s):
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
N/A. The Lion King

I grew up watching the "Aladdin" television show, so it's automatically at the top. Although I'm fairly certain I've seen random episodes of "The Little Mermaid," it was not with any regularity, so it gets second by default. "Sing Me a Story with Belle" is basically Reading Rainbow for Disney, but I don't really consider it part of the Beauty and the Beast universe that the animated films encompass, so I can't really rank it, either. However, given that I've actually seen it, I guess I'll have to put it at number three. I'll withdraw from ranking The Lion King because I did not watch "Timon & Pumbaa" growing up, nor have I ever seen "The Lion Guard."

Broadway Show: (caveat: I've only seen Aladdin on Broadway, the rest were touring productions)
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. The Lion King
4. Beauty and the Beast

Of the four, Aladdin has the best libretto because it manages to blend together two disparate projects (the original version of the story with the final version) and has better original-to-the-stage songs. The Little Mermaid tries to course-correct the few shortcomings that the animated film had, but doesn't do enough with the material to make it seem worth the adaptation. The Lion King is impressive visually, but emotionally hollow for me. I hate ranking Beauty and the Beast dead last among the four, but it's mostly because of my disappointment in the libretto. It needlessly elongates the existing script here and there, throws in songs for the sake of having them so few of them are worthwhile, and the end product still feels tailored more for Christmas pantomime rather than a Broadway show that could sit on the same shelf as the likes of Oklahoma! or A Chorus Line or Rent. I should be more forgiving as it was Disney's first full-fledged Broadway production (and second stage musical after Snow White Live at Radio City Music Hall), but sometimes you have to kill your darlings and I don't mind saying that the stage version of Beauty and the Beast is a weaker product compared to the animated film and even the live-action remake.

Remake:
1. Aladdin
2. The Little Mermaid
3. Beauty and the Beast
N/A. The Lion King

Guy Ritchie couldn't direct a musical if his life depended on it, but he still put together a great film in Aladdin. I still revisit this one more than the others because it's just so much more enjoyable a viewing experience. The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast honestly should be tied, but the end product feels more in The Little Mermaid's favor. Also, Rob Marshall is a better director than Bill Condon, but that's another argument for another time. Beauty and the Beast had better written-for-the-film songs, I will give it that. I haven't seen the photo-realistic animated The Lion King so I can't judge that one.

Overall:
1. Beauty and the Beast (35 points)
2. Aladdin (37 points)
3. The Little Mermaid (28 points)
4. The Lion King (18 points)

Technically, Aladdin scored more "points" if you broke down these rankings with 4-3-2-1 points system, but Beauty and the Beast is still my preferred film between the two, so it would always take the top spot regardless.

Thanks for creating this topic, Mooky! It provided a worthwhile insomniatic distraction for me.

Alby

Wow, what a great, well-thought, well-written, fun, funny response Albert!

Escapay wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 1:59 am Beast looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll.
Princess Jasmine looks like a cinnamon roll, but could actually kill you.
Prince Eric looks like a cinnamon roll, and is actually a cinnamon roll.
Nala looks like she could kill you, and could actually kill you.

lol

Disney Duster wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:30 pm I own the series, but haven't watched very much of it myself yet. I have so little time, and so many other things I need to do. Maybe when I retire, lol.

But do you also own the Before Ever After Pilot movie? Just in case

The Disneynerd wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:25 am

Disney Duster wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 10:30 pm I own the series, but haven't watched very much of it myself yet. I have so little time, and so many other things I need to do. Maybe when I retire, lol.

But do you also own the Before Ever After Pilot movie? Just in case

The movie is a part of the complete series Blu-ray set.

Escapay wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 1:59 am
Beast looks like he could kill you, but is actually a cinnamon roll.
Princess Jasmine looks like a cinnamon roll, but could actually kill you.
Prince Eric looks like a cinnamon roll, and is actually a cinnamon roll.
Nala looks like she could kill you, and could actually kill you.

Farerb wrote: ↑Sat Mar 23, 2024 8:52 am The movie is a part of the complete series Blu-ray set.

Oh thats great!

I'm going to do this where I give each movie a 1-4 points based on where I rank it in each category, then get the average to see which I prefer overall for the last category!

- hero/heroine - protagonist
1. Belle (her story/personality has gotten so misconstrued over the years (girl with stockholm syndrome). the live action movie and especially the sequels didn't help in this matter. But she is a fantastically realized character in the film.) 4pts.
2. Aladdin 3pts
3. Simba 2 pts
4. Ariel (To me she's underdeveloped compared to the other three) 1 pt.

- hero/heroine - deuteragonist
1. Jasmine 4 pts. (similar to Belle, she is much better developed in the original than people realize/remember) 4pts.
2. Beast (gets a bad wrap because of other adaptations (live actions, sequel) but is tremendously realized in the original movie) 3 pts.
3. Nala 2 pts.
4. Eric 1 pt.

- villain
1. Jafar 4 pts.
2. Ursula 3 pts.
3. Gaston 2 pts.
4. Scar (a WONDERFUL villain, so this is not a dig. Every villain in these four movies is a 10/10 tbh) 1 pt.

- sidekicks
1. Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Wardrobe, Fifi, LeFou) 4pts.
2. The Little Mermaid (Sebastian, Flounder, Flotsam, Jetsam) 3pts.
3. Aladdin (Genie, Abu, Carpet, Iago) 2 pts.
4. The Lion King (Zazu, Timon, Pumbaa, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed) 1 pt.

- intro / opening sequence
1. Beauty and the Beast (stained glass) 4 pts.
2. The Lion King (Circle of Life) 3 pts.
3. Aladdin (Arabian Nights) 2 pts.
4. The Little Mermaid (Fathoms Below) 1 pt.

- climax / end battle
1. Aladdin (Aladdin outwitting Jafar is pretty cleverly done) 4 pts.
2. Beauty and the Beast 3 pts.
3. The Lion King 2 pts.
4. The Little Mermaid (kind of abrupt) 1 pt.

- songs
1. Beauty and the Beast 4 pts.
2. The Little Mermaid 3 pts.
3. Aladdin 2 pts.
4. The Lion King (Probably unpopular, but I've just never cared for the songs as much as most others do) 1 pt.

- score
1. Beauty and the Beast (goosebump-inducing score) 4 pts.
2. The Lion King 3 pts.
3. The Little Mermaid 2 pts.
4. Aladdin 1 pt.

- sequels
1. Aladdin (the only ones that I think are at all good) 4 pts.
2. The Lion King (overrated to me, but they're fine) 3 pts.
3. The Little Mermaid (bad) 2 pts.
4. Beauty and the Beast (abominations) 1 pt.

- TV show(s)
1. Aladdin 4 pts.
2. The Little Mermaid 3 pts.
3. The Lion King 2 pts.
4. Beauty and the Beast (I'm using Belle's Magical World as evidence what the show would have been like. Again, abomination) 1 pts.

- Broadway show
1. Beauty and the Beast (the added songs are actually good) 4 pts.
2. The Lion King (phenomenal spectacle, but I like the written material in BatB more) 3 pts.
3. Aladdin (eh) 2 pts.
4. The Little Mermaid (the added songs are not great) 1pt.

- remake
1. The Little Mermaid (has it's flaws, but is somewhat interesting) 4 pts.
2. Aladdin (overrated to me) 3 pts.
3. Beauty and the Beast (so bad) 2 pts.
4. The Lion King (one of the worst movies ever made) 1 pt.

- overall movie
1st Place - Beauty and the Beast (average score 3)
2nd Place - Aladdin (average score 2.92)
3rd Place - TIE between The Little Mermaid and The Lion King (average score 2.08)

I think BatB is truly the best of the four and would have had a much higher average score if it's sequels, TV series, and remake weren't so terrible. The movie itself is pretty much perfect, it's a shame most of it's follow up iterations are so bad.

Hero/Heroine - Protagonist:

1. Ariel - Well, she is undeniably the star, so that part's easy. She has got to be the best heroine Disney has ever created. Naive, but not stupid, selfish, but thinking of others when it counts (at least eventually), lively, but not annoying, flawed, but not really bad. I am so jealous the world seems to love her more than Cinderella, though I am unsure, but yeah, she seems to be the Queen!

2. Aladdin - Oh, I love him! He's so adorable, and his flaws don't bother me (I used to feel he would cheat on me if we were boyfriends, but even if he did, the loveable oaf has a hard of gold, so I know he would really want to stay with his true love, whoever that was!). He is also very smart. Except when the film pretends his wish to become a prince didn't actually make him a prince or stick or whatever and then it would if it was wished again or some bull.

3. Belle - I think Beauty and the Beast really is her story, despite the Beast being the one with the bigger arc. I like the Beast more, but this film starts and is basically resolved by Belle. I like her. She's calm, classy, and of course, smart. Reading books doesn't automatically make you smart, I sense she was kinda born that way, but, she holds her own against the Beast, sacrifices herself for her father, and learns to love someone for who they are. I know people say she had no arc and she already wanted to love people for who they are, but she had to see that even a Beast could have a soul she truly loved. Plus, she loves adventure and stories, and who here doesn't?!

4. Simba: Um...he's...sexy as an adult lion?


Hero/Heroine - Deuteragonist:

1. Beast - He is my favorite prince! He is so flawed and temperamental, and I was always drawn to his human form. I was always curious about who he really is. In fact, I would say he is not as developed as Belle. I don't really know what his interests are, like her book love. But, I like his personality.

2. Jasmine - I would say she is at least way more interesting than Eric. She is so feisty and even tries to leave the palace and have a life of her own before she realizes she really doesn't want that, but wants to live a life of her own still as a princess, with her true love.

3. Eric: Um...he's...he's brave!

4. Nala: She's...there!


Villain:

1. Ursula - Oh my god, Ursula is my second favorite villain! Her design is freaking amazing and her magic is awesome! She is fun, and she gets stuff done! She became ruler of the see for a good few minutes! And she did it rather cleverly with her unbreakable contract with the sea king's daughter.

2. Jafar - FInally a magical guy! He is even kinda scary, especially as a snake! In Disney World, I met him, and he was a very tall mask character. Then, I left, and he was walking behind me, and I got so scared I made me and my parents run away!

3. Scar - He is a scary mofo, and he actually kills someone!

4: Gaston - This is not to mean Gaston is still not an A+ villain like the others! He just is at the bottom because he isn't as scary or reaching his goals as the others. But it's so cool he starts out as a jerk and becomes a villain! Even a villain had an arc this time! Cool!


Sidekicks:

1. Genie, Abu, Carpet, Iago, Rajah - Genie is so big, he is mistaken for the lead of Aladdin! He’s just freaking hilarious and has a great moral compass, and gives great advice. His journey to get freedom is very heartwarming. I don’t care for monkeys, especially stupid ones that touch a forbidden treasure when told by a god not to, but whatever. Carpet is great, and Iago is hilarious and even has the cool voice imitation talent. Rajah is a very loyal guard cat. It’s rather sad when Jasmine leaves him to go…be a peasant for who knows how long.

2. Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, Flotsam and Jetsam – I dunno, these guys are just so charming and full of life, at least the good guys. They are very funny sometimes.

3. Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, Wardrobe, footstool, Phillipe: I like all these guys. Lumiere is a French Pepe Le Pieu stereotype, but he’s char/i\ming, Cogsworth is a stuffy British butler stereotype, but he says “Promises you don’t intend to keep” so he’s great, Mrs. Potts is very warm and caring, and the wardrobe is so loveable.

4. Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed – I love Timon and Pumbaa in the television show, but in the film I find them kind of annoyingly stunting Simba’s growth. I think Ed is funny, though.


Intro/Opening Sequence:

1. Stained-glass story – Wow, this is a deep-feeling, mysterious, classy, elegant, sophisticated way to tell a story, Disney! Good job! Really sets the dark, but not too dark, elegant tone.

2. Fish escapes ship to Triton’s palace – This is a really elegant one, too, it’s very magical, and kind of surprises you when the merfolk appear, plus Triton’s shining palace really wows you.

3. Circle of Life – Iconic. Really deep-feeling.

4. Arabian Nights – This is pretty cool. It’s like you fly through Agrabah. It’s so cool, seems a lot of video games and other media based on Aladdin like to do similar stuff.


Climax / End Battle:

1. Gaston stabs Beast, spell is broken – A near-death done well is always a tearjerker, or at least a heartstring-puller. When Belle finally realizes she loves the Beast and the magic starts around them, it’s magical, and when the Beast becomes his true self it’s deep-feeling, and when he kisses Belle, it’s a mix of sexual and powerful that’s hard to beat.

2. Snake Jafar and Genie Jafar – Yup, this one is clever. Of course, Jafar had to be dumb enough to think that somehow being a Genie was a better deal than being the most powerful, FREE sorcerer in the world, but I’ll let it slide.

3. Ursula becomes giant and Eric stabs her and wedding – Something that is also clever is that giant Ursula dregs up the very ship that destroys her when she just thought she was trying out her new powers. The transformation of Ariel to a human is beautiful, and we love seeing her expression in getting her wish, and coming out like a goddess to greet Eric in her beautiful, purple, sparkly dress. “I love you, Daddy” is a heartstring-puller, and “Part of Your World” playing makes it all deep-feeling,

4. Simba gets Scar to confess what happened and everyone turns on him and then Circle of Life Again – Um…it’s animated well! And, ok, it is deep-feeling with the song and all that happens after Scar dies.


Songs:

1. Beauty and the Beast – Just damn good melodies and genius lyrics. I mean…”Belle” sets up everything, “Something There” starts the love, and “Beauty and the Beast” continues the love, in what I think has got to be the greatest Disney song ever, because it’s beautiful melody combines with brilliant lyrics about how a relationship that started as antagonists to friends to lovers came to be. Just amazing.

2. The Little Mermaid – These songs are iconic. “Part of Your World” is the greatest “I Want” song ever. It kind of solidified the trend and became the standard and model for which all others followed. Plus, the mix of lyrics about wanting a collection to dreaming about experiences and then getting respect as a woman/person, really, just, genius.

3. Aladdin – “A Whole New World” must be the next best Disney love song, is not love song period. What a great melody, and though the “red letter” lyric is bad, I think the rest are great. It’s about going where you wanna go and following your heart’s desire along with love. The “adventurous” love song! Plus I love “One Jump Ahead” and it’s reprise.

4. The Lion King – Well, they are certainly classy and iconic. I love “Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. That last one especially is the most deep-feeling Disney love song I can think of. Kind of frisson-inducing. I also think “Be Prepared” is the best Disney Villain song.


Score:

1. The Lion King – Wow. When I re-watched the film for this thread, I was astonished at how deep-feeling the score was. It wins.

2. Beauty and the Beast – Also deep-feeling, just less than Lion King.

3. The Little Mermaid – It’s magical!

4. Aladdin – It’s great, just not as great as the others.


Locales:

1. Beauty and the Beast - I’m a sucker for a European fairy tale setting, plus that castle is damn good design!

2. The Little Mermaid - Another fairy tale, and I LOVE Ursula’s lair, the Leviathon. What a cool and pretty design. Love her giant shell and vanity and cauldron,

3. The Lion King - I love a summer-feeling scape.

4. Aladdin – Not a fan of Middle Eastern designs.


Outfits:

1. Beauty and the Beast – How does Belle’s gold ballgown not trump them all?!

2. The Little Mermaid – I love Ariel’s pink dinner gown, I like her blue peasant dress and her magic purple dress, and I love Vanessa’s outfits, too.

3. Aladdin – They do look nice, especially Jasmine’s first purple gown.

4. The Lion King – N/A.


Sequels:

1. The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride/The Lion King 1 ½ - I watched these in full for the first time in my life a few night ago, for this thread. It’s true, Simba’s Pride is one of the best sequels, and it make sense they used Romeo and Juliet, since the original used Hamlet, if they did use both of those on purpose. Simba’s Pride reminded me of the remakes in the quality of the writing and execution, but even better than most, if not all, of the remakes. I was invested in Simba’s Pride. And I love “He Lives In You”, got a deep feeling during that when Mufasa’s ghost appeared, and I especially love “We Are One.” I got a near-deep feeling when Kiara asked Simba "What differences do you see?" and convinced him to let the outsiders live with them again. I was surprised Andy Dick was in Simba’s Pride, and his death was actually sad. I was also surprised Marge Simpson’s voice was in 1 ½. That one sucked, though.

2. The Return of Jafar/ Aladdin and the King of Thieves – The first one I don’t like, but the second one is about how Aladdin found his DAD?! That’s getting close to being deep. Because this time the parent is developed and not a plot device.

3. The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea/ The Little Mermaid III: Ariel’s Beginning – I have nostalgic love for the first one, plus I love merfolk, half octopus sea witches, and magic, so yeah. The other one is terrible.

4. Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas/Belle’s Magical World: I only vaguely remember The Enchanted Christmas. I remember the animation was bad, I didn’t care for all these new characters, but the way they did the enchantress and the spell on the castle I thought was near deep. It was affecting. Strangely, I remember the enchantress becoming a huge floating head surrounded by pink mist. Then I saw the movie again and realized that never happened. I watched Belle’s Magical World for the first time ever last night. The animation was horrendous and the stories dire. Characters often acted unlike themselves and the problems they had to overcome were small and just plain stupid.


TV Show(s):

1. Aladdin - I swear more deep stuff happened in this show than the others. Plus, it’s just so fun and entertaining.

2. The Little Mermaid -But this show was super good, too! One of my favorite memories is Ariel having a curse put on her that the world would shake if she laughed. So she laughed in front of the fish that cursed her and he didn’t want the world to shake around him so he removed the curse! Brilliant, Ariel. I also remember it being sad she thought she could never go home when she had a human bracelet stuck on her wrist. And her getting attacked by the brain sponge was scary! The show does make Ariel seem a little stupid for taking Ursula’s deal after all Ursula did in the show, but that’s not really a problem for me since I don’t have to accept the show as canon.

3. Timon and Pumbaa – I LOVED this show as a kid. Watched it every morning. Very funny.

4. Sing Me a Story with Belle: I don’t really remember it, but I think I at least found Belle a likeable, sweet, comforting presence.


Broadway Show:

1. Beauty and the Beast: This is only in the top spot because I was able to see the whole thing on YouTube, and the ending with the Belle singing “Home” to the dying Beast made me cry.

2. Aladdin: It was good enough for me to see three times, even if one time was just because I made a mistake and bought tickets for the wrong dates.

3. The Lion King: Well, I heard it’s good, and heard some songs from it that are good.

4. The Little Mermaid: They botched this one.


Remake:

1. Beauty and the Beast: I just like this one because almost all the visuals are amazing, and the new songs are all great. I just love good rococo era architecture and clothing.

2. Aladdin: At least this one is actually fun!

3. The Little Mermaid: It’s kind of a chore to sit through, but the "Part of Your World" second reprise managed to make me cry.

4. The Lion King: Dire. Terrible.


Overall Movie:

1. Beauty and the Beast

2. The Little Mermaid

3. Aladdin

4. The Lion King

I think Beauty and the Beast is the finest, greatest thing Disney has ever made. It is the only one of Disney’s animated classics to be nominated for Best Picture, and you can see why. Yes, these fab four are among the best, but Beauty and the Beast outshines them all. Pinocchio is said to be Disney’s masterpiece, and has the 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, but Beauty and the Beast is that film done better. They both have a character that has to learn to be good to become human. Plus a near-death. All that is the depth that makes them masterpieces. But Beauty and the Beast adds the love story, the even more developed characters, and the amazing music. Plus, I prefer the fairy tale setting and costumes and animation of Beauty and the Beast. It’s interesting The Lion King is the more common favorite. Maybe because every straight guy feels depth from the pseudo-religiousness of the circle of life and stars of kings in The Lion King, just like the force in Star Wars. I am just seeing a pattern here. The Lion King is similar to Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio, too, in that Simba has to learn to grow to become a better character, to become a king, owning up to his mistakes and taking responsibility. Or he WOULD IF HE ACTUALLY MADE THE DAMN MISTAKE OF GETTTING HIS DAD KILLED, WHICH HE DIDN’T, SO YEAH, LION KING IS LAST. I just love The Little Mermaid and Aladdin more than The Lion King, so that’s the real reason it’s last. The Lion King still feels deeper than those two, I must admit, probably because of the death-related and circle of life stuff. But this is a biased ranking. I like the others more.

This was fun, thanks, Mooky!