Welcome to 5 Favorites. Each week, I will put together a list of my 5 favorites (films, performances, whatever strikes my fancy) along with commentary on a given topic each week, usually in relation to a specific film releasing that week.
This weekend, Disney Animation releases its 60th release (not counting ancillaries, such as Pixar), I had thought about possibly looking at all of Disney’s 59 prior features, but selecting five would have been daunting. As such, I decided to stick with the films released since the turn of the century. Disney’s fortieth animated feature came out at the end of the year 2000 and was followed by a further twenty features. Some of them were terrific, others less than stellar. Herein are my pick of the five best 21st Century Disney Animated features.
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
At the time of Lilo & Stitch‘s release, Disney was in the midst of a disheartening downward trend in its quality of product. Thankfully, this film manages to overcome a lot of the limitations that had become apparent in other recent efforts. In this story, a vicious genetic experiment escapes captivity where he ultimately bonds with a young human child. Set on the islands of Hawai’i, the production explores the notion of family in only the way that Disney really can.
With only the second non-white heroine in Disney’s history, the character of Lilo is a heartwarming and endearing creation. Voiced by Daveigh Chase, she adapts to the strange creature of Stitch whose worst impulses lead to turmoil with only Lilo to rein them in. Directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois create a wonderful little film that helps those who have non-traditional families find hope in the chaos of the world. It generates aspiration and compassion for the characters and a few laughs to help enliven the story.
No Original Review Available.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
The last traditional 2D animated film Disney ever made, The Princess and the Frog adapts the story of The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker and turns it into a captivating feature that blends all the best of Disney’s storied animation history with a protagonist for a new generation. Tiana is a young waitress who envisions her future as the proprietor of a popular restaurant. The film may have been the last of the kind of animated films they had made for more than 60 years, but it was such a high note to go out on, especially since the prior effort, Home on the Range, had been such a dismal disaster.
The film, with Disney’s first Black lead, is a lovely throwback to animation styles that once dominated the industry, but which had become passé. While the film might have benefited from CGI effects, it was thankfully spared the ignominy as the end result was something truly special. The voice cast, including Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, and Keith David as Dr. Facilier are all impressive as are the songs, which include the brilliantly hopeful “Almost There,” one of two songs from the film nominated at the Oscars.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
For years, Disney has been noted for its princess stories. Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Beauty and the Beast were among the myriad films that built that reputation, thanks to their use of strong female protagonists. Meanwhile, solid male protagonists are less thematically related. Aladdin is little like The Lion King, which is in turn little like The Jungle Book, and those are just three of the more familiar works from Disney’s animation history.
Wreck-It Ralph was yet another divergence from the princess notion in that it put loutish Ralph at the center of the story. Based on the notion that after hours, video game characters in arcades live normal lives, the film takes a few notions from the Toy Story playbook and turns them into a magical world filled with vibrant characters and even more exotic lessons. Sometimes villains can be good guys and seemingly good guys can be villains, it’s all just a matter of circumstance. John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman head a strong vocal cast in one of the most inventive non-Pixar animation efforts Disney has recently produced.
Frozen (2013)
Even when Disney is leaning into the princess motif, they can often hit a resonant chord that pleases audiences of all ages. Such is the return of Disney animation to the musical milieu with Frozen starring Idina Menzel as the voice of Elsa, a lonely princess whose power to control ice makes her feel like a freak and which drives a frosty wedge between her and her sister Anna (Kristen Bell). As Elsa becomes of age to inherit the kingdom years after their parents were killed in a boat accident, scheming nobles from other kingdoms, risk tearing the nation apart while Elsa fears her citizens finding out about her powers.
Filled with a solid slate of original songs, including the smash hit “Let It Go,” Frozen was a return to the kind of storytelling that launched Disney’s 1990s renaissance. It’s an endearing tale with a lot of kid-friendly themes as well as some adult-friendly ones. It was the first Disney animated feature to feature an adult lead character who didn’t fall in love with or marry a prince in the end. As traditional as it could be with some non-traditional, modern messages at its heart, Frozen is a film that one can enjoy without the risk of feeling pandered to.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
The acquisition of Pixar infused Disney’s animation departments with a renewed sense of self, envisioning new and unique adventures for their fans to enjoy. Big Hero 6 is an example of the new wave of Disney features. As that side of Disney’s production slate began experimenting and innovating, Pixar began to stagnate, focusing on forgettable efforts and sequels and prequels, much to the dismay of the many Pixar fans who once though the studio could do no wrong.
For Big Hero 6, Disney delved into the superhero genre for the first time since The Incredibles, giving audiences an exciting adventure in futuristic San Fransokyo. The protagonist is a 14-year-old robotics genius who enlists his late brother’s six friends to help stop a scientific madman from causing irreparable harm to society. Giving away too much of the plot is dangerous, but apart from the hilarious inflatable healthcare robot Baymax, the film is filled with vibrant characters and thrilling action that makes it and Wreck-It Ralph an amazing new direction for Disney’s fabled animation house.
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