Disney Animation Review #44: Brother Bear

Disney Movie Review: 44/52 - Brother Bear

Ryan Dosier- Brother Bear (2003) is my next viewing stop on my ride through one of the weaker periods of Disney animation. The early 2000s failed to capture the love and admiration that other times in Disney animated history has, and it continues to be looked down upon as one of the worst periods for the company. Brother Bear did not help to curb that trend.

Right off the bat, it’s clear that Brother Bear will be a visually stunning piece. The animation is outstanding throughout and the layouts are severely impressive. The colors used in the film are also extremely vibrant and stunning. Disney animators had gotten very good at shading and coloring and lighting their films by this point. The artists created an amazing rendering of the ancient wilderness and watching the characters move in the backgrounds is one of the true highlights of the film.

Unfortunately, the rest of this lackluster effort doesn’t match the wonder of the artistic work. The storytelling is shoddy at best with some major plot holes and contrived resolutions that make no sense whatsoever. Kenai, the main character, kills a bear as a human before he himself is turned into a bear. Later we find out that the bear he kills is the mother of Koda, the young bear cub he has become friends with. Once Koda finds this out, he is—obviously—upset and refuses to be with Kenai. But this lasts all of five minutes before two comic relief moose inadvertently remind him that brothers love each other and sway him. (?!?!?) It is a baffling resolution that is solved way, way too simplistically. It is incredibly disappointing.

The characters are also very forgettable for the most part. Kenai, the main character (inexplicably voiced by Joaquin Phoenix) is not at all compelling. He is grumpy, stubborn, and comes to a very lame resolution. Rutt and Tuke, the two moose, are relatively funny but they serve virtually no purpose and simply appear randomly throughout the movie. The only truly fun character is Koda, who has a wonderful voice and spunk and charm that draws you in. He is very funny and an accurate representation of excitable kids on a road trip. Koda is the only great character in Brother Bear. 

Phil Collins, who had previously done music for Tarzan, wrote the music of the film. Brother Bear fails to have any song that reaches the level of anything in Tarzan, but there are a few great tunes. “On My Way” and “Welcome to Our Family” are both very good and very catchy. The rest of the songs left no impression on me and for the most part, Brother Bear's music is completely forgettable. Throughout the film, the music is not used to further the story, but it is used merely as an excuse to use a montage. This happens at least four times in Brother Bear and it just gets annoying and repetitive.

There’s not much more to say about Brother Bear. The film is entirely forgettable and leaves the viewer no good reason to remember it. While there is some truly stunning artwork in Brother Bear, the inexcusably weak story and resolution, the unenjoyable characters, and the forgettable music make it one of the least impressive Disney animated features to date.

1.5/5 Miffed Moose

Disney Animation Reviews: #43: Treasure Planet

Disney Movie Review: 43/52 - Treasure Planet

Ryan Dosier - With the release of Treasure Planet (2002), Disney animation starts to fall into a rut that they wouldn’t escape for 6-7 years (depending on your opinion). The scope and the ideas behind Treasure Planet are huge and impressive, but the execution is unfortunately lacking on almost all fronts.

The idea to take Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island to space is an interesting one, but one has to wonder if a more straightforward animated adaptation would have been better. Yes, space is modern and fun, but the vast landscape in this film fails to capture the adventurous nature of the original story. Give me the high seas and desert islands for Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver over spaceships and robots any day.

But I digress. The flaws present in Treasure Planet are consistent throughout. The character designs of the alien creatures are, for the most part, very weak. There is very little attractive or interesting about the look of the characters. The most appealing is the cyborg Long John Silver, whose robotic arm, eye, and leg are quite appealing. But on the whole, creatures like Dr. Doppler, Captain Amelia, and Billy Bones just do not look good. The designers should’ve taken note from films like Lilo & Stitch for greater looking creatures. 

There are numerous dynamic and exciting moments throughout the film, especially near the beginning when Jim is surfing on his flying board. The scene in the supernova is exciting, the climax is exciting, and a handful of other moments are fun, but as a whole the film rests on its laurels. There is a lot of wasted potential that is spent on humdrum montages with Silver and Jim bonding.

The writing of Treasure Planet is weak. The jokes are extremely lazy and involve fart jokes, funny sounds, and silly voices. Gone is the wit and smart dialogue of Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s very unfortunate that a film written by the men behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin lacks charm and whip-smart dialogue.

Long John Silver is the only truly entertaining character in the film. He is troubled and appealing throughout and is the only character that really seems to grow. Yes, Jim Hawkins is the protagonist who we’re supposed to root for, but I am more delighted by Silver’s evolution by the end of the movie than I am Jim’s. Silver’s animation is also very impressive, with a great mix of hand drawn and computer generated animation. It’s the first mix of this style on a lead character and it is wonderful.

The voice acting in Treasure Planet is good, but not great. David Hyde Pierce is the most surprisingly entertaining in the film as Dr. Doppler. He is manic and delightful. Martin Short voices B.E.N., and he is fantastic, but doesn’t appear until 45 minutes into the story, which causes him to lose a lot of potential. Short should steal the show, but he doesn’t have enough screen time to make it work.

While Treasure Planet has a few merits, for the most part it lacks any of the magic present in most of the previous Disney features. There are some fun moments and fun characters, but Treasure Planet never reaches any sort of peak. It drudges on until some legitimately exciting moments at the end, but that is not enough to save the film. Treasure Planet has potential to be out of this world, but instead it stays grounded and dull.

2/5 Space Surfboards

Disney Animation Reviews #42: Lilo and Stitch

Disney Movie Review: 42/52 - Lilo & Stitch

Ryan Dosier - Lilo & Stitch (2002) does not boast any big-name celebrity voices or classic fairy tale or legend backstories. It is a wholly original tale that relies on expert storytelling, outstanding character development, and amazing comedy to make a resonating, beautiful, meaningful film. It stretches the boundaries of Disney animation more than any feature since Aladdin.

The film combines elements of great sci-fi movies with bountiful Hawaiian culture, mixes in some stunning animation, and careens along with an excellent sense of humor. Lilo & Stitch also heavily and impressively features the music of Elvis Presley. The King’s music accentuates the film in so many wonderful places and adds another layer to the story. The original Hawaiian-influenced music is masterful and gorgeous. It is a delight to listen to and perfectly fits the setting. 

From a design standpoint, Lilo & Stitch is at the top of the class. The designs of the countless alien creatures at the beginning of the film are dynamite, and the rest of the characters look fantastic as well. But the true design highlight of the film is the backgrounds, which are all painted using watercolors and are all perfect. This is one of only two Disney animated features that use watercolor backgrounds (the other is Dumbo) and the effect is soft, light, and beautiful.

Lilo & Stitch has some of the most likable, realistic, and funny characters of any Disney feature. Stitch is a riot right from the start and carries a lot of the emotional weight of the story very well. He is surprisingly impressive for a rabid, animalistic character. He becomes more and more enjoyable and impressive as the film goes on.

But far and away my favorite part of the film is Lilo. This beautiful, wonderfully weird, deceptively funny little girl is a spectacular creation. Animated by the amazing Andreas Deja, Lilo is perfection. Lilo is every weird, misunderstood little kid and I absolutely adore her. She feeds peanut butter sandwiches to a fish that controls the weather, attempts voodoo on her friends, listens to Elvis records, and has a book titled “Roadmaps of Iowa.” Lilo is an amazing character and she’s impossible not to love.

Lilo’s older sister, Nani, is another fantastic character. She is realistic looking, realistic acting, and cares for her little sister more than anything. Their relationship is the real soul of Lilo & Stitch and it works on every level. They are such a realistic, impressive representation of siblings. It’s truly amazing how well the filmmakers captured their relationship. 

Much like The Emperor’s New Groove, Lilo & Stitch creates an entirely new tone for Disney animation and animated comedy period. The film is unending excitement, fun, and humor. There is dialogue comedy, physical comedy, visual comedy, and so much more. My favorite sequence is the montage of Lilo trying to turn Stitch into a model citizen—especially when he hits on the little old lady. Positively hysterical.

But, unlike Emperor’s, Lilo & Stitch is much better at balancing the comedy with real, powerful emotional moments. The whole story is very sad and emotional when you consider that Lilo and Nani’s parents have died and that Stitch has no family. Stitch brings them together and makes them a family again while creating a family for himself. The story is powerfully moving and increasingly surprising. It’s hard to see the last act coming, but it all comes together so well.

It is really, really hard not to adore Lilo & Stitch. The film is sweet, funny, and tugs your heartstrings the entire time. The Hawaiian influence is breathtaking with the backgrounds and the music and the entire culture. Stitch may have become a hugely popular Disney character, but the entire film deserves a lot more appreciation. There is enough charm and heart in Lilo & Stitch to fill most of the past handful of Disney movies.

4.5/5 Weather-controlling Fish

Disney Animation Reviews #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Disney Movie Review: 41/52 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Ryan Dosier - Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) is a film that is hard to categorize and discuss. It is an action-adventure period piece while also being a mythical sci-fi fantasy. The idea to pair these genres is a noble one, but unfortunately for the most part the execution in Atlantis just does not work. It lacks the excitement of the action in Tarzan or the solid humor in The Emperor’s New Groove and makes for an overall disappointing film.

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some strong aspects to Atlantis, because there are a few. The voice acting is very good for each character. The large cast allowed for many talented voice actors to show their chops. Michael J. Fox stars as Milo Thatch and he is unsurprisingly great. Though all of the voices (really, all of them) are great, my favorite is Jim Varney, who voices the chef Cookie. Varney (best known as his character Ernest) also voiced Slinky Dog in the first two Toy Story films and he brings his unbridled down-home country humor to every role. Cookie is hysterical and has the best lines of any character. The great Leonard Nimoy even voices the king of Atlantis and handles it deftly (as only Nimoy can). 

The background design and character design is also spectacular. The backgrounds become exceedingly breathtaking as the film dives deeper and deeper into Atlantis. The design work done on the Atlantean city, language, and artwork is outstanding and is truly the highlight of the film. The characters also look great and strikingly different from any other human characters from Disney. They have well defined features and realistic muscles and bone structures. It is quite impressive.

One of the first problems that Atlantis encounters early on is its scope. It is simply too big to contain in one hour and a half long film. There are so many characters and so much to explore that the surface is barely scratched in the movie. The large cast of characters is especially problematic. Though all of them have their likable traits, they all outshine one another in a rampage of one-liners. Too many funny supporting characters water down the humor and Atlantis is a prime example of this.

The plot is also convoluted and extremely difficult to follow. Again, there is far too much story being told in far too little amount of time. So many scenes and plot points could have been edited down to be more simplistic but instead there are complicated magic rules, odd discussions about ancient customs, and many other confusing moments. The story is too densely packed to enjoy. Oddly enough, the great Joss Whedon is credited for some of the story of Atlantis, which at least explains some of the better dialogue. 

Atlantis is jam-packed with violence and action—perhaps the most in any Disney animated feature to date. There are literally hundreds of deaths in the film, which is jarring when watching a Disney film. This action-heavy style can work, of course, but only when the emotions balance it out. That is not at all the case with Atlantis. There is no emotional connection to any of the characters so all of this hard work and action goes to waste. The care and dedication put into the animated action sequences is astounding and breathtaking, but this same care and passion was not put into the story so it all feels fruitless.

Definitely one of the weaker Disney films, Atlantis: The Lost Empire never becomes anything wonderful. It has plenty of potential to be great, but with a weak story, massive cast of characters, and little emotional connection, the film falters. The great voice acting and the astounding visuals make Atlantis worth watching at least once, but after that don’t be surprised if it remains lost.

1.5/5 Flying Fish Things

Disney Animation Reviews #40: The Emperor's New Groove

Disney Movie Review: 40/52 - The Emperor's New Groove

Ryan Dosier - Of the three films released by Disney animation in the year 2000, by far the sharpest, funniest, and strongest is The Emperor’s New Groove. Just saying the name of this film invokes laughter in the minds of some millennials. New Groove is one of the most distinct Disney films that is totally different from anything else ever produced by the studio. The humor, timing, and charm of this film cannot be denied or stopped. It is relentless.

The story in the film is an excellent buddy comedy. The evolving friendship between Kuzco and Pacha is wonderful. They are one of the funniest pairs in Disney history and deserve a lot more attention than they receive. The duo of David Spade and John Goodman is wonderful. I’ve never enjoyed David Spade more than in this role. He is truly suited for voice acting and clearly loved the role of the spoiled brat Kuzco. Goodman once again shows how adept he is at voicing lovable characters and he is absolutely terrific as Pacha. 

But the duo that completely steals the show is that of Yzma and Kronk. The villain and her hapless sidekick are absolutely phenomenal in this film. Yzma, voiced by the great Eartha Kitt, is one of the most hysterical and inept Disney villains and by far one of the most entertaining. Kronk, voiced by Patrick Warburton, is also excellent and adorable. Their interactions are ridiculous and magnificent—incredibly hard not to enjoy.

The Emperor’s New Groove is also the goofiest and zaniest Disney animated feature. The plot takes a back seat to quips and sarcastic jabs that totally steal the show. The dialogue is outstanding, the humor superb, and the gags phenomenal. New Groove never stops unloading joke after joke and great line after great line. The delivery and timing of everything in the film is top notch.

The design work in the film is also gorgeous. The influence of Incan culture can be seen all around Kuzco’s palace and kingdom. The crazy shapes and forms thrown around in Yzma’s laboratory and in the other creatures and characters and props in the film are truly awesome. No other Disney film has looked like The Emperor’s New Groove either. 

The animation is strong as always. Kuzco as both a llama and a human is animated beautifully. He has the funniest movements in the film. Yzma has outstanding facial expressions that elevate her comedy even further. She grimaces and grins and grouses in an outstanding way. Just watching her move is truly amazing. All of the characters are animated perfectly.

Humor is far and away the film’s strongest trait. It misses out on some of the emotional points seen in other Disney features, but it almost doesn’t matter since you never stop laughing. The relationship between Pacha and his wife and kids is amazing, but not given enough time in the film to truly develop into something that transcends the film. Kuzco and Pacha’s friendship is the emotional core and the end leaves us with a satisfying conclusion, but their friendship never reaches the high point of, say, Aladdin and the Genie.

On the whole, The Emperor’s New Groove is one of the funniest, most impressive, and most relentlessly entertaining Disney animated films. The amount of humor jam-packed into less than an hour and a half is truly amazing. The Emperor’s New Groove is, in my opinion, the most underrated Disney animated feature. It deserves more attention, more merchandising, and more laughter. Emperor Kuzco demands it.

4.5/5 Spinach Puffs

Disney Animation Reviews #38-39: Fantasia 2000 & Dinosaur

Disney Movie Review: 38-39/52 - Fantasia 2000 & Dinosaur

When the new millennium began in 2000, Disney animation celebrated in a major way by releasing three animated feature films in that year alone. The first two features in 2000 were Fantasia 2000 and Dinosaur. These films are strikingly different in quality but neither of them managed to make much of an impression when they were released.

Fantasia 2000 is the continuation of Walt Disney’s idea that Fantasia be updated and continued consistently. Though it took 60 years for the idea to be continued, Fantasia 2000 proved that it could definitely be done. Just like Fantasia, this film features eight animated pieces set to orchestral music. The effect is beautiful and showcases some of the most beautiful animation of this period. 

The seven pieces include some highs and some lows. The only piece that I don’t enjoy at all is “The Steadfast Tin Solider,” which never succeeded in capturing my interest or imagination. The rest of the film is very impressively done. There is a stunning mix of traditional and computer animation throughout most of it, starting with the beautiful “Pines of Rome” segment starring flying whales. The techniques used here provide a consistent sense of awe. The lighting and shadows are incredible.

My favorite segment in Fantasia 2000 is “Rhapsody in Blue,” inspired by the art of Al Hirschfeld, who also inspired the design of the Genie in Aladdin. “Rhapsody in Blue” is a magnificent display of outstanding character animation, impeccable storytelling, and magnificent music. The colors that abound in this piece are amazing and the designs of everything leap off the screen. “Rhapsody in Blue” is the most fun and enjoyable part of an already enjoyable film.

The rest of Fantasia 2000 is packed with fun segments like “Carnival of the Animals” featuring a flamingo with a yo-yo or “Pomp and Circumstance” starring Donald Duck in the story of Noah’s Ark. The most powerful sequence in the film, by far, is the finale, “The Firebird.” It is gorgeously animated and spectacularly epic. It ends Fantasia 2000 on a very high note. 

While Fantasia 2000 may not be as influential as Fantasia, I still find it to be just as strong of a film. While it lacks the narrative of my favorite Disney features, it still has the power and the humor and the fun. Fantasia 2000 is a delight.

And then there’s Dinosaur, one of the weakest Disney animated features ever made. While it is a visually stunning film, it lacks any sort of charm, storytelling prowess, or appeal present in most previous films. Really, the only thing to enjoy in this film is the spectacularly realistic computer animation. The dinosaurs truly look real. The use of actual, real-life backgrounds and props help to enhance this realism even more.

The characters are terrible. None of them make any impression. Even the great Pearl Bailey, who provides the voice of one of the dinosaurs, fails to be anything but boring. The film tries too hard to make its characters “modern” with attempted snappy dialogue—it fails miserably. One has to wonder if the film would have worked better as a silent film with no dialogue. I certainly think it would have, but I don’t think anyone would have seen it.

The only other bright spot of Dinosaur is the musical score. It is wonderful at times and provides some really great tracks to accentuate the excitement of living in the time of dinosaurs. It’s a major shame that the rest of the film couldn’t hold that same level of excitement. For a movie about dinosaurs, Dinosaur is nothing but boring, predictable, and plain. But it’s still better than The Black Cauldron. 

Fantasia 2000 - 3/5 Yo-yoing Flamingos

Dinosaur - 1/5 Leaping Lemurs

Disney Animation Reviews #37: Tarzan

Disney Movie Review: 37/52 - Tarzan

Ryan Dosier - Continuing Disney animation’s string of hits and misses comes Tarzan (1999), which is a really enjoyable film and quite a strong one when compared to the previous Disney animated film, Mulan. While by no means a masterpiece, Tarzan boasts some strong music, animation, and action making it quite a worthwhile Disney entry.

The film opens in stunning fashion with the backstory of what happened to Tarzan’s parents. This was a smart choice on the part of the filmmakers. By including this, we get an understanding of why a human is living with apes. The sequence with Tarzan’s parents is also one of the most powerful in the film, with some impressive action and silent character development.

In fact, most of the first 10 minutes of the film is completely silent (other than Phil Collins’ music), which is a very interesting choice. It works very well for the film and provides a different sort of feeling for the movie. This also gives a chance to showcase the stunning background art done on the film. Set pieces like the giant waterfall, the tree house, and the dense jungle are all breathtaking pieces of art.

Phil Collins also makes a triumphant stand in Tarzan with his fantastic soundtrack. “You’ll Be In My Heart” is a lovely song and perhaps the strongest in the film. The other songs littered throughout are strong but not as memorable, even though “Son of Man” is really great, you probably won’t find it on any “Disney’s Greatest Hits” albums. The scatting, nonsense song “Trashin’ the Camp” is also a real delight, but works much better onscreen than it does off. 

The animation in Tarzan is magnificent. Tarzan himself is animated by the great Glen Keane who does an impeccable job of moving the ape-man on his knuckles and tiptoes. The movements feel incredibly natural and it’s really an incredible animated feat. Other characters like Kerchak the leader of the gorillas and Tantor the elephant are also animated with dexterity and beautiful movements. It’s amazing how much nuance the animators could get out of such a huge elephant. 

Many scenes in the film are exciting and well animated, but the strongest by far is the scene where Tarzan fights off the leopard. The animation on the leopard is insanely good and the fight is coordinated and animated really, really well. It brings you to the edge of your seat to watch it—as any good fight scene should.

One of the weak points in Tarzan is its voice cast. While Rosie O’Donnel and Wayne Knight are wonderful as Terk and Tantor respectively, the rest of the cast doesn’t measure up. Tarzan himself is especially weak in this regard. A good voice actor makes their character stand out and be noticed, Tarzan does not. He has no real sense of character and is mostly silent and dull. Tarzan just never really manages to click as a character. Thankfully, Jane is an enjoyable character, with wit and simplicity that make her both funny and charming. 

When the final scenes of Tarzan came, I was left with a feeling of satisfaction. I greatly enjoy watching Tarzan leap and bound and swing and surf through the trees, I love the music, and I find the story compelling. The top-notch animation is what stands out most for me in Tarzan, but the whole film is a swinging good time.

3.5/5 Elephant Hairs

Disney Animation Review #36: Mulan

Disney Movie Review: 36/52 - Mulan

Ryan Dosier- While not a total misfire and not a bad movie by any means, Mulan (1998) is not nearly as entertaining or moving as its two predecessors, Hunchback and Hercules. For the most part, Mulan is a relatively weak film with disappointing writing and storytelling that never lives up to the great Disney standard. 

The first 15 minutes or so of Mulan are really, really boring. Mulan (the character) never shows any appealing traits other than wanting to break the traditional Chinese woman mold. Perhaps she didn’t resonate with me since I’m a guy… but I still connected with Ariel and Belle, so that can’t be it. The opening of the film is dark, serious, and straight-laced, making for an awkward transition when the Eddie Murphy-voiced Mushu appears. Thanks to Murhpy’s brand of humor, Mushu tries to pull the film in a whole new tonal direction that never works. Mulan never finds its balance between the silly and the serious moments.

This isn’t to say that Mushu isn’t a fantastic character, because he is. The little red dragon is hysterical and by far the most entertaining and engaging part of the film. Murphy must have eaten most of Mulan's voice acting budget, because he is the only standout voice in the piece. Mushu delivers the funniest lines and snappiest quips—which is probably mostly Eddie Murphy ad-libs. I say this because Mushu's lines are very funny and don't match the rest of the slow film.

Again, I found Mulan herself to be terribly dull. She does have some extremely heroic actions throughout the film, but nothing about her makes her standout like Ariel, Belle, or even Pocahontas. Mulan’s voice actor, Ming-Na Wen, seems like she is bored the entire time and never breathes any real life into the character unless she is singing--which is probably because her singing voice is provided by someone else, Lea Solanga. That said, her song “Reflection” is wonderful and one of the few great moments for the character.

The music in Mulan is notably, painfully weaker than anything else from Disney in the 90s. “Reflection” is the song that stands out the most, but the upbeat “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is more enjoyable and is easier to listen to again and again. The only other song is “A Girl Worth Fighting For” and it never accomplishes anything but being awkward in both its music and lyrics. Mulan's soundtrack leaves so much to be desired. 

The artwork put into Mulan is wonderful. The set pieces, such as the impressive Emperor’s Palace, are wonderful. The designs of the characters and the objects they interact with are very clearly inspired by the ancient Chinese. Even the smoke and the fire in the film curls and twists like an elegant Chinese water painting. If nothing else struck me about Mulan, then the designs certainly did.

Mulan suffers from many things and unfortunately becomes the weakest Disney animated feature released in the 1990s. The characters are poor, the music is forgettable, and the story is dull. Mushu and the wonderful design work make Mulan worth viewing, but your attention won’t be held too steadily.

2.5/5 Lucky Crickets

Disney Animation Reviews #35: Hercules

Disney Movie Review: 35/52 - Hercules

Ryan Dosier - Following The Hunchback of Notre Dame is Hercules (1997), yet another woefully under-appreciated gem from Disney animation. The film is the most fun Disney feature since Aladdin and is bouncy, lively, colorful, and hilarious. An eclectic cast of characters rounds out Hercules and the film possesses a fantastic sense of humor.

Hercules opens with some music heavily influenced by gospel and it is outstanding. Alan Menken went from an operatic style in Hunchback to this outstanding gospel soundtrack. The songs performed by the Muses are all magnificent, starting with “The Gospel Truth” and culminating in the fantastic “A Star is Born,” not to mention the rocking “Zero to Hero” in the middle. The performances here are insanely good and the animation matches.

All of the songs in the film are fantastic and they are distributed well between the hero, the heroine, and the sidekick. Phil’s song “One Last Hope” showcases Danny DeVito’s singing ability (I know, right?), while Hercules’ song “Go the Distance” is another master Menken ballad. Megara’s song “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” is also spectacular and a real anti-princess song that works extremely well.

The strongest aspect of Hercules is its outstanding sense of humor. The dialogue is rapid-fire and whip-smart. Characters like Phil, Pain, Panic, and Hades steal the show with their modern dialogue, references, and humor. The whole thing is very “90s” in its sensibility. The snappy comedy keeps the movie from being dull at any time.

The film’s voice cast is stellar. James Woods is a total knockout as Hades, who steals every scene he blazes through. The animation on Hades is also dynamic and outstanding. He is one of the most enjoyable and funny Disney villains yet. Danny DeVito is also spectacular as Phil, my favorite animated role that he has had. He’s snarky and smart and terrific. The rest of the cast is great as well, but these are the standouts.

The character of Megara is a revelation. Disney female characters have never been this strong willed. She stands on her own and doesn’t need anyone. She is the complete opposite of Snow White and shows how well Disney moved their female characters into a new era. 

The designs of the characters and the settings have a very modern, artsy feel to them. The colors abound and truly break the traditional mold. The collection of the Greek gods and goddesses at the beginning of the film is one of the most strikingly colored scenes in recent Disney history. But all of the film is packed with delightful colors and designs. It’s truly distinct in the Disney pantheon.

Hercules is such an exciting, action-packed movie that its quiet and reserved moments are the only ones that don’t really click. Scenes of bonding with Hercules and Phil or Hercules and Zeus just don’t match the emotional resonance of other Disney stories. Yet the nonstop action and comedy completely lift Hercules from this minor fault.

It’s truly hard to say why Hercules is such a forgotten entry in the Disney animation family. It is a wild, fun ride with enough snappy dialogue and terrific music to demand its status as a classic. While not as intense as The Hunchback of Notre Dame or as unendingly funny as Aladdin, Hercules is a spectacular animated film and deserves more attention than it receives.

4/5 Muses

Disney Animation Reviews #34: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Disney Movie Review: 34/52 - The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Ryan Dosier - Perhaps the most underrated Disney animated feature I’ve watched yet is The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Without a doubt it is one of the darkest features in Disney’s oeuvre, Hunchback succeeds in being haunting, hilarious, and heartfelt all at once. The film is gorgeous with its Parisian backgrounds and outstanding animation and it succeeds in adapting a powerful, dark story and not losing any of its emotional points.

One of the first things that stand out in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is its striking, distinct music. Alan Menken truly outdid himself with the score and soundtrack for this wonderful film. Stephen Schwartz, who proves himself extremely capable, wrote lyrics for the songs. After already tackling so many different musical styles, Menken perfected an operatic score for Hunchback. The opening song, “The Bells of Notre Dame,” is powerful and outstanding, immediately letting the audience know they’re in for a different sort of Disney fare.

Quasimodo’s song “Out There” is truly one of Menken’s many masterpieces and deserves to rank alongside any song from his previous Disney works. Tom Hulce gave Quasimodo his voice and his performance in this song is just breathtaking. Dynamic is one of many words I would use to describe the song and Hulce’s performance. Scwartz’s lyrics are phenomenal throughout the film, but they stand out most in “Out There.”

The other songs, such as “God Help the Outcasts” and “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire” tackle heavy, sometimes dark subjects that one wouldn’t normally find in a Disney feature. It is moments and songs like these that make Hunchback such a distinct film. “Hellfire” is the darkest of any Disney song and it is positively stunning. The animation during the song is unbelievably good and Frollo’s voice (Tony Jay) is magnificent.

All of the songs aren’t dark and heavy, thankfully. The songs “Topsy Turvy” and “A Guy Like You” help to make the film funny and charming to balance out its darker moments—something other dark Disney films (e.g., The Black Cauldron) failed at completely. Although these songs are book-ended by more serious moments, they don’t feel out of place since they are so wonderfully entertaining. 

Quasimodo is the film’s strongest character and he is simply excellent. His plight is real and emotional and can be felt by the audience. Quasimodo is put in some truly cruel, horrible situations and still is able to walk into the sun with his head held high by the end. Although he is mistreated by almost everyone, he still sees that the world is not evil. It is a resounding, impressive message that really connects. Quasimodo is a truly lovely character and one of the great Disney protagonists.

The other characters are all really well done also. Frollo, the villain, is one of the most evil characters Disney has ever created. His verbal abuse of Quasimodo and sexual abuse of Esmerelda make him the slimiest, most hateful Disney villain, in my eyes. Esmerelda is very modern and a fun, strong character. She is one of the better female characters in a Disney movie. Phoebas is also enjoyable and quite funny. He gets so many sarcastic asides and sassy dialogue. The Gargoyles are also entertaining, though somewhat crude when compared to the rest of the film.

Though the love story between Esmerelda and Phoebas feels a little forced and the payoff a little weak, The Hunchback of Notre Dame still delivers one of the most exciting and nerve-wracking climaxes in a Disney film. It is completely riveting to watch all of Paris turn against Frollo and his men and fight for justice. When Quasimodo has heroic realizations, you want to stand up and cheer. When he is lifted onto the shoulders of the people of Paris, you actually might stand up and cheer.

With excellent music, fantastic animation, strong storytelling, and wonderful characters, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of my favorite Disney animated features. No, it doesn’t work as well as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King, but it is still outstanding. As a Disney film, it is more adult-oriented and mature than ever before. Yet somehow it all works as an entertaining, engrossing, exciting movie-watching experience. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a magnificent treat in Disney’s second golden age.

4/5 Goofy Gargoyles

Disney Animation Reviews #33: Pocahontas

Disney Movie Review: 33/52 - Pocahontas

Ryan Dosier - After coming off of a major high with three ultra successes in a row, Disney animation studios released Pocahontas in 1995. While by no means a bad film and by every means a visual stunner, Pocahontas never even comes close to matching the success or enjoyability of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. By comparison, Pocahontas feels rushed in its weak story and not as well fleshed out as its predecessors.

 

The animation in the film is as dynamic and stunning as it has always been for Disney. The strong presence of the hand of Glen Keane can be felt throughout the film, guiding it as he animates the incredibly realistic Pocahontas, leading the style for the rest of the animators. Much of Pocahontas is the most realistic-looking Disney animated feature thanks to character designs like this. 

Pocahontas may be ridiculously inaccurate historically, but the treatment of Native American culture is handled with respect, dignity, and even admiration. This doesn’t make up for the weak storytelling in the film, but it is still nice to see. Unfortunately the characters don’t stand out at all. Pocahontas and John Smith are boring and hard to root for. We have no reason to really care for either of them.

The film’s villain, Governor Ratcliffe, is the only truly successful character in Pocahontas. He is funny, over-bearing, and truly dastardly. Thanks to his large stature and hoity-toity nature, Ratcliffe stands out among Disney villains as not ultra powerful, but smart and conniving—similar to Scar in The Lion King. Ratcliffe is a good character that deserves a better film.

The supporting characters, Meeko the raccoon, Flit the hummingbird, Grandmother Willow, etc. are all fun and helpful to Pocahontas but none of them are memorable. They are especially unmemorable when compared to the previous three animated films. They are no Lumiere or Timon or Genie.

The music, once again from Alan Menken, is exciting and wonderful for the most part. There are a few songs that don’t really stand out, but songs like “Colors of the Wind,” “Mine, Mine, Mine,” and “Savages” are all excellent. “Colors of the Wind” is, of course, the strongest song in the film. The colors are breathtaking, the animation is outstanding, and it is the clear highlight of Pocahontas. 

Overall, Pocahontas is a real misstep in the Disney animation catalogue. It is enjoyable and beautiful, but it will never be considered a masterpiece or an excellent film. The strong music, awesome Disney animation, and impeccable design make Pocahontas worth watching, but if you’re expecting another masterpiece, look elsewhere.

2.5/5 Blue Corn Moons

Disney Animation Reviews #32: The Lion King

Disney Movie Review: 32/52 - The Lion King

Ryan Dosier- The third masterpiece in a row for Disney animation came in 1994 with the arrival of The Lion King. You would be hard pressed to find anyone born after 1984 that doesn’t positively adore this movie and connect it 100% with his or her childhood. The Lion King allowed a warthog to sing and delivered the biggest hit animation had ever seen. The impact and love for The Lion King can still be seen to this day. It truly is the king of them all.

After the unbelievable success of Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin it seemed doubtful if not impossible that Disney could create a trifecta of masterpieces—but lo and behold, they did it. The Lion King is a powerful, resonating, joyful, dark, and astounding ride from start to finish. It is a triumph of animation, voice acting, layouts, music, and so much more. 

Simba is one of the truly fantastic characters created by Disney. He is incredibly real with emotions that connect powerfully with any audience. Simba goes from plucky kid to would-be king and his journey shows how we all must accept our place in the “Circle of Life.” Simba’s reluctance, acceptance, and power make The Lion King what it is.

The villain of the film, Scar, is one of Disney’s strongest. Cruel, contained, and crazy, Scar is willing to kill his own brother and nephew to get power. Watching Scar fail at being king and starving his people is a smart, subtle story point that I just love. Jeremy Irons provided Scar’s voice and it is amazing. Every line of Scar’s is sardonic or evil and it shows what a great actor Irons is. Andreas Deja, who animated Scar, also deserves special mention here for doing more masterful work with a Disney villain after his turns as Gaston and Jafar.

But once again my favorite characters in the film are those in the supporting cast. Timon, Pumbaa, Zazu, and Rafiki make for Disney’s funniest, wittiest, and most delightful cast of characters yet. Of course Timon and Pumbaa steal the show completely (most of the credit there goes to the fabulous Nathan Lane), even though they smartly don’t appear until 30 minutes into the film. Timon and Pumbaa are so funny and so enjoyable that it’s no wonder Disney chose them to star in a TV show and a sequel as well as countless promotional things. 

Zazu is my favorite character in the film. The put-upon British hornbill provides all of the comedy for the film’s first act and he does so brilliantly. Rowan Atkinson provided Zazu’s voice so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the bird is so funny. Rafiki the baboon is also a true delight. He only has one real scene of significance, but Rafiki turns it into one of the most memorable scenes in the film. Again, he is hilarious, but he is also powerfully wise and provides great guidance.

And for the third film in a row, a Disney filmed is packed full with amazing music. Elton John and Tim Rice created some of the most memorable Disney moments ever with “Circle of Life” and “Hakuna Matata.” I cannot think of a more powerful, electric opening to a film than the “Circle of Life” sequence. Talk about breathtaking. “Hakuna Matata” created a phenomenon and made a Swahili phrase an international hit. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” is incredibly fun, “Be Prepared” is the best Disney villain song, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” joins the long ranks of Disney love songs and stands high on that list.

The film’s score is the greatest of any Disney film, in my opinion. Musical mastermind Hans Zimmer orchestrated the film with unbelievable grace and power. The ever-present chorus of African voices throughout the film gives The Lion King a truly authentic and magnificent feel. Kudos to African singer Lebo M. and his choir for their impressive and under appreciated work. 

The Lion King boasts some of the most gorgeous and seamless animation in a Disney film as well. All of the characters are so fluid and lifelike and amazing to watch. Rafiki is especially amazing as he hops and runs and goofs around. Same with Zazu—a bird has never been animated as well as he is. And sequences like the wildebeest stampede, Mufasa in the clouds, and “Be Prepared” all stun with outstanding colors and animation.

The Lion King is a story of coming to terms with your past and fighting for your future. It is a story of family, friendship, love, acceptance, honor, power, greed, and a score of other themes. Rafiki illustrates the plight of Disney animation so well with one line: ”The past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it or learn from it.” Disney animation learned so much from their past misfires (The Rescuers, The Black Cauldron, etc.) and it took them to The Lion King, their crowning achievement. The film is royally fun, heartwarming, exciting, and just plain perfect. The Lion King is deserving of the endless praise and love it receives.

5/5 Batty Baboons