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Rank the Disney "Renaissance"-era films (1989-1999)

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
Some of the greatest traditionally animated films ever made, and they were made at a rapid pace over this time period after some misfires and reduced popularity for Disney in the 1970's and most of the 1980's. Sadly, traditional animation is becoming something of a lost art form, at least for films. Seems audiences just want CG now.

A little background below:

In the history of the Walt Disney Company, the Disney Renaissance refers to the era from 1989 to 1999 during which Walt Disney Feature Animation (renamed Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2006) experienced a creative resurgence in producing successful animated films based on well-known stories, which restored public and critical interest in The Walt Disney Company as a whole.[1][2][3] During this era, the studio produced and released ten animated films: The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998) and Tarzan (1999).[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_Renaissance

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For me it's

1. The Lion King (one of the best films ever made)
2. Tarzan
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid
5. Hercules
6. The Rescuers Down Under
7. Beauty and the Beast
8. Mulan (a good film but it has tough competition)
9. Hunchback (bad)
10. Pocahontas (a bad film, nowhere near the first 8 in quality)
 

zeemumu

Member
My ranking isn't entirely based on film quality. There's also some bias in factoring in how much fun I had during each film.


1. Lion King
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid
5. Mulan
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Hercules
8. The Rescuers Down Under
9. Tarzan
10. Pocahontas

Honestly this was harder than I thought once I got past #5. I enjoy Hercules far more than Hunchback but I don't think it's as well put together of a film. Plus while Hades is fun to watch, Frollo's one of the most evil-ass dudes to spawn from that era. Rescuers Down Under would likely be higher but I've never actually seen it the whole way through, so I'm judging it mostly on its fantastic improvements over the original. And Pocahontas was just...just boring. It has a few nice songs going for it and nothing else.
 

kunonabi

Member
1. The Little Mermaid
2. The Lion King
3. Aladdin(pre-censorship)
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. The Rescuers Down Under
6. Tarzan
7. Mulan
8. Hunchback
9. Hercules
10. Pocahontas

The Little Mermaid is my favorite Disney animated feature of all time so it's always going to be number 1. Last three are all junk. Mulan is mediocre and but could really benefit from the upcoming live-action treatment.
 

BriGuy

Member
1. Beauty and the Best
2. The Lion King
3. Little Mermaid
4. Aladdin
5. Hunchback
6. Mulan
7. Pocahontas
8. Hercules
9. Tarzan
10. Rescuers Down Under

I don't remember squat about number 10, which is why it's so low. I don't think Disney remembers making it either.
 

Tagg9

Member
I think the movies can be put into the following groups:

A-Tier
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid

B-Tier
Hercules
Mulan
The Rescuers Down Under

D-Tier
The Hunchack of Notre Dame
Pocahontas
Tarzan
 

Ogodei

Member
1. Aladdin
2. Lion King
3. Beauty and the Beast
4. Mulan
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Hunchback
7. Hercules
8. Tarzan
9. Pocahontas
10. Rescuers Down Under
 
Hunchback, Hercules, and Pocahontas were the only ones I didn't like from that era. Pocahontas was the worst. Not only because it was bad, but it was also boring as hell.
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
The funny thing about The Rescuers Down Under is how much better it is than the original film. Took one of Disney's most mediocre animated films and made an amazing sequel out of it.


The animation quality is far improved also.

people are lumping tarzan with pocahontas

why

I'm with you man.

Which is sort of comical given his line of work.

Perhaps, but it is rather dark for the film's rating and much of its intended audience. Was just an odd choice having a sexually frustrated Catholic priest have a song about it, etc.
 

PsychBat!

Banned
Pocahontas suffers from the worst comedic relief in the world:
250


This fucker somehow will not get out of the frame for just five seconds please god it's all I ask!!!!
 
GOAT
1. Aladdin

Great
2. The Lion King
3. Beauty and the Beast

good
4. Tarzan

okay
5. Mulan

meh
6 Little Mermaid
7. Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Pocanahtas

did not watch the rest
 

Not

Banned
Out of what I've seen:

1. Mulan (Progressive hero, especially for the 90's. Drawn like an actual Asian person.)
2. The Lion King (Come on.)
3. Aladdin (Most watchable out of the bottom seven movies. Genie goes a long way.)
4. Tarzan (Solely for animation. Some cool shit.)
5. The Little Mermaid (Fine. Well-crafted. Shitty message for girls is par for the course.)
6. Hercules (Animation, songs, and voice work are well done. But it's not a good movie.)
7. Beauty and the Beast (#5 but worse, w/ better animation. The Beast is well realized.)
8. Pocahontas (Like #1, but the opposite of that.)
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Vomit.)
 

PeaceUK

Member
1. Aladdin
2. Hercules
3. Lion King
4. Rescuers Down Under
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Mulan
7. Tarzan
8. Hunchback
9. Beauty and the Beast
10. Pocahontas

I never got all the Hercules hate, it's easily one of my all time favourite Disney movies.
 

Ezalc

Member
Aladdin, Mulan, Tarzan, Hercules and Lion King are the Top 5 in no particular order from that list. Everything else is after that.

People hating on any of those listed above are out of their minds, those have easily all the best songs in any disney film ever made.

Hell Aladdin and Mulan are the top two films from disney for their soundtracks alone, never mind the great stories, characters, animation and etc.
 

zeemumu

Member
What about Disney sequels? Excluding The Rescuers Down Under since it's already on this list, I'd go:


1. Lion King II
2. Aladdin 3
3. Cinderella 3
4. Everything Else
 

Finaj

Member
1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Lion King
3. Aladdin
4. The Rescuers Down Under
5. Mulan
6. The Little Mermaid
7. Tarzan
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
9. Hercules
10. Pocahontas
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
What about Disney sequels? Excluding The Rescuers Down Under since it's already on this list, I'd go:


1. Lion King II
2. Cinderella 3
3. Everything Else

The Lion King II was solid. Good choice.

Since Disney sequels for their traditionally animated films were mosty smaller direct-to-video experiences (except for The Rescuers Down Under), might as well throw An Extremely Goofy Movie in there for my #2.
 

RowdyReverb

Member
What about Disney sequels? Excluding The Rescuers Down Under since it's already on this list, I'd go:


1. Lion King II
2. Cinderella 3
3. Everything Else
You'll have to track down the dozen or so people who watched them first
I rewatched the Aladdin sequels several times as a kid
 
I don't think I've ever seen The Rescuers from Down Under and I've only seen Beauty and the Beast once and I was like 3. My favorites are:

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Rightfully called a Disney masterpiece and absolutely my favorite Disney film. I love the energy to this movie, the dread, the anger. The only thing I flaw I find is that I think the Gargoyles were added just for the children to have something to laugh at. I liked the idea that Quasimodo was just imagining talking to them because he stays up in that bell tower night and day and has no one to talk to except for the abusive Judge Frollo. But that theory goes out the window when we see the Gargoyles actually engage in the battle at the end. And Frollo, gosh damn if that isn't a despicable human being. Kills a woman for being a gypsy and then grabs her baby and attempts to drown it in a well. When a priest asks him what he's doing he replies "I'm putting this demon back to hell where it belongs". "Hellfire" is one of my favorite Disney songs and I like "God Bless the Outcasts" too. I had a lil crush on Esmerelda too.

2. The Lion King
I'm not sure what to say here. Y'all know the deal.

3. Aladdin
I watched this movie so much that I know the entire script by heart. It's ridiculous, but I feel maybe it's also because Aladdin has a melodic sense to its dialogue or I could be imagining that. It's weird I've watched the Lion King probably as much, but I don't know it by heart.

4. Mulan
I like the empowerment and the imagery of this movie.

5. Hercules
It's just fun.

8. The Little Mermaid
I barely remember it. I need to see it again.

6. Pocahontas
I remember watching this in my Kindergarten class and next to the girl I had a crush on.

7. Tarzan
 

Azuran

Banned
1. Lion King
2. Hercules
3. Aladdin
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Mulan
7. Tarzan
8. Lilo and Stitch
9. The Emperor's New Groove
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
11. The Rescuers Down Under

Pocahontas is low tier trash that I won't even bother to rank.
 

zeemumu

Member
You'll have to track down the dozen or so people who watched them first
I rewatched the Aladdin sequels several times as a kid

You know what, you're right. I completely forgot to add Aladdin 3 to the list. That one was actually pretty good because they got Robin Williams back for Genie
 

jiggle

Member
1. Hunchback
2. Hercules
3. Aladdin
4. Mermaid
5. Mulan
6. Tarzan
7. Beauty
8. Rescuer
9. Pocahontas
10. Lion
 

Tadale

Member
1. Lion King
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. Aladdin
4. The Little Mermaid
5. Mulan
6. Hercules
7. Hunchback
8. Tarzan
9. Rescuers
10. Pocahontas
 

Laieon

Member
This list is purely based on how much I personally enjoyed each movie along with how much I assume I've rewatched them.

1. Mulan
2. Hercules
3. The Lion King
4. Tarzan
5. Aladdin (best Aladdin movie is King of Thieves though).
6. A Goofy Movie
7. Beauty and the Beast
8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
9. The Little Mermaid
10. Pocahontas
11. The Rescuer's Down Under

Aladdin, Mulan, Tarzan, Hercules and Lion King are the Top 5 in no particular order from that list. Everything else is after that.

People hating on any of those listed above are out of their minds, those have easily all the best songs in any disney film ever made.

Hell Aladdin and Mulan are the top two films from disney for their soundtracks alone, never mind the great stories, characters, animation and etc.

I like you.
 
The Hunchback hate in this thread, Jesus Christ. Disney's secret masterpiece.

1) Beauty and the Beast
2) The Hunchback of Notre Dame
3) Aladdin
4) Tarzan
5) The Lion King
6) Mulan
7) The Little Mermaid
8) The Rescuers Down Under
9) Hercules
10) Pocahontas

And I'd still call Hercules a good movie.
 
1. Lion King
2. Hercules
3. Aladdin
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. The Little Mermaid
6. Mulan
7. Tarzan
8. Lilo and Stitch
9. The Emperor's New Groove
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
11. The Rescuers Down Under

Pocahontas is low tier trash that I won't even bother to rank.

These two came out in the 2000s.
 
  1. Hunchback of Notre Dame
  2. Lion King
  3. Aladdin
  4. Mulan
  5. Beauty and The Beast
  6. Tarzan
  7. Hercules
  8. The Little Mermaid
  9. Rescuers Down Under
  10. Pocahontas
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
I don't think I've ever seen The Rescuers from Down Under and I've only seen Beauty and the Beast once and I was like 3.

You really should watch The Rescuers Down Under if you're into Disney's animated films. It's seriously one of the best. Sequel to an iffy film though....oddly. Frankly a weird choice to make as Disney's first animated film sequel too.
 

Pharaun

Member
In order of how much I enjoyed them and not necessarily the objective quality.


1. Beauty and the Beast
2. Alladin
3. Hercules
4. Little Mermaid
5. Lion King
6. Mulan
7. Rescuer's Down Under
8. Tarzan
9. Hunchback of Notre Dame
.
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10. Pocahontas
 

matt360

Member
I think the movies can be put into the following groups:

A-Tier
Aladdin
Beauty and the Beast
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid

B-Tier
Hercules
Mulan
The Rescuers Down Under

D-Tier
The Hunchack of Notre Dame
Pocahontas
Tarzan

This is the correct answer.
 
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