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

PsychBat!

Banned
Ehh, Rank the 00' Disney films if you want a challenge. Talk about a mix bag.

This one is kinda hard....

hm

1. Lilo & Stitch
2. The Emperor's New Groove
3. The Princess and the Frog
4. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
5. Fantasia 2000
6. Meet the Robinsons
7. Bolt
8. Brother Bear
9. Chicken Little

Keep in mind, the margin of quality between the top 3 and the rest are huuuuuge.
I couldn't watch anymore of Treasure Planet so I stopped halfway through and Home on the Range looked like shit.

Also I don't remember Dinosaur. I watched it once.
 

deo

Banned
For me it's

1. Aladdin
2. The Lion King
3. Mulan
4. Tarzan
5. Beauty and the Beast
6. The little Mermaid
7. Hercules
8. Pocahontas
9. The rest
.
 
Haven't seen Rescuers or Tarzan.

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

I feel like the top two are unassailable Disney classics. Mulan is also a great movie. After that, the quality is a little more shaky. Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast both have some pretty problematic themes that sour my enjoyment of them, but they are well made films. Hercules is whatever, a pretty inoffensive by-the-numbers family comedy. Hunchback is tonally all over the place and Pocahontas is a misfire.
 
1. The Lion King
2. Aladdin
3. Tarzan
4. Mulan
5. Hercules
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. The Rescuers Down Under
8. The Little Mermaid
9. Pocahontas
10. Hunchback
 

TDLink

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 post is 100% correct. That stretch of musical films from TLM - TLK is unmatched.
 
You're thinking of The Good Dinosaur which Pixar made and came out at the end of 2015.

I think Disney is cursed when it comes to dinosaurs because I'm pretty sure most people don't remember that one either.

And the best animated dinosaur movie ever made was the one that Don Bluth made after quitting Disney.
 

Oddduck

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

I agree with this ranking. Little Mermaid, Lion King, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast are some of the best Disney musicals of all time.

Although, I don't think Hercules was that great.
 
1. Aladdin
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. Mulan
5. The Rescuers Down Under
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7 The Little Mermaid
8. Hercules
9. Pocahontas
10. Tarzan
 

TDLink

Member
The Hunchback of Notre Dame disrespect in this thread is disgusting

The soundtrack is fantastic, but the movie isn't. The gargoyles are awful and the ending is a lame cop out compared to the original story. There's a reason Disney's stage version of the movie made sure to change both of those problems.
 

Xe4

Banned
  1. Mulan (cut Eddie Murphy and it'd be perfect).
  2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (loved the darker tone, and GOAT song. Shame about the Gargoyles).
  3. The Rescuers Down Under (fantastic, totally underrated film)
  4. The Lion King (despite "borrowing" from Hamlet and Kimba).
  5. Alladin (good film, despite being an iffy recreation or 1001 nights, and borrowing heavily from The Thief and the Cobbler, screwing it over in the process).
  6. The Little Mermaid (not as good as the original book or animated short from Russia but still decent)
  7. Beauty and the Beast (good film, not much else to say)
  8. Hercules (ehhh...)
  9. Tarzan (eeeeeehhhhhh...)
  10. Pocahontis (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhh...)
 
Sorry, Lilo and Stitch is not very good.
Something tells me you need to give it another watch. The first 15 minutes alone is so dense with unique character, storytelling and heart, I can't see how someone could dismiss it so easily while ranking more lacking films higher. There have been films I judged poorly on first viewing for whatever reason, but did a total 180 on second. I feel like this might be a similar case for you.
 

TDLink

Member
I don't think Lilo and Stitch is as good as most of the 90s films, but it's definitely way better than everything else in the 2000s.
 

TDLink

Member
The Great Mouse Detective is better than all these renaissance era movies tbh.

I'll give you that it's underrated given it came right after a bunch of mediocre films and right before TLM started this whole ball rolling...but...nah.
 
The soundtrack is fantastic, but the movie isn't. The gargoyles are awful and the ending is a lame cop out compared to the original story. There's a reason Disney's stage version of the movie made sure to change both of those problems.

While I think the ending had a mixed message (ugly guys don't get the girl), I think Quasi just wanted to be accepted by the people more than anything.

I barely remember anything about the gargoyles, but I don't recall having any strong feelings about them.
 

Ratrat

Member
1. Mulan
2. Hercules

3... the rest are whatever.



I wonder how much age bias affects peoples opinions. I really dont see whats so great about Little Mermaid or Alladin.
 

Altazor

Member
Pocahontas was boring as hell. Pretty to look at, sometimes, but boooring.

Can't quite wrap my head around the hate Tarzan gets. Then again, I have a very soft spot for that movie because my little brother, who's autistic, loves it and watches it a lot (and got obssessed with its soundtrack for a while).
 
The Tarzan and Hercules hate in this thread are crazy to me. Neither of them are in the same tier as Aladdin and Lion King and the like, but the soundtracks are stellar in each.

I assume it was Alan Menken's idea to set a movie about Greek gods to gospel music, but whoever it was, it is in my opinion one of the most inspired choices in any Disney film
 
Lion King
Aladdin
Little Mermaid
Beauty and the Beast

The rest are okay to meh. Pocahontas was the worst film, but no lie "Colors of the Wind" might be my favorite song lol.
 
1. Aladdin
2. Beauty and the Beast
3. The Lion King
4. Mulan
5. Hunchback
6. Pocahontas
7. Little Mermaid
8. Tarzan
9. Hercules
10. Rescuers
 

JSevere

Member
it's like

The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin
The Little Mermaid
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Tarzan
Mulan
Hercules
Pocahontas

for me

actually haven't seen Rescuers
 
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 think in my house somewhere i still have Aladdin 3 on VHS. i saw the second one maaybe twice, but aladdin and aladdin 3 were my favorite.
 

Quonny

Member
Pocahontas is the only movie in that list that I didn't think was that great. But still not bad.

Also Aladdin and the King of Thieves is better than half those movies.
 
For me it's This was tough btw

1. The Lion King (one of the best films ever made)
2. Hercules (best soundtrack and villain)
3. Mulan (best side characters)
4. Aladdin
5.The Little Mermaid
6. The Rescuers Down Under
7.Beauty and the Beast
8. Tarzan
9 .Pocahontas
10. Hunchback
 
Regarding the 2000s list...

If you're sleeping on Lilo and Stitch I will hunt you down.

And Atlantis is garbage. One of the worst cast of characters in any movie I've seen.
 

Dodecagon

works for a research lab making 6 figures
Classics, I feel these help define disney today and will continue to be remastered and cherished.
1. The Lion King ( Best Everything )
2. Aladdin ( Great Characters and Story )
3. Beauty and the Beast ( Story has aged a bit but definitely has the most disney "magic" )
4. The Little Mermaid ( Similar to Beauty and the beast )

Good,These are great movies but I feel lack that timeless feeling of the Movies above. I think their ranking is purely on how you felt about them as a kid ( which is somewhat true for all of these ).
5. Tarzan
6. Hercules
7. Mulan
8. The Rescuers Down Under
9. Hunchback
10. Pocahontas
 

zeemumu

Member
1. Mulan
2. Hercules

3... the rest are whatever.



I wonder how much age bias affects peoples opinions. I really dont see whats so great about Little Mermaid or Alladin.

Little Mermaid was the kick off point for that era. It was the "BAM! We can do this!" that brought Disney back, with great songs, a charismatic villain, and a few subversions of the standard Disney princess formula.

Aladdin was also something entirely different and was one of the first films to feature the fast-talking supernatural character before it was run into the ground.
 

Glass Rebel

Member
Mulan will always hold a special place in my heart but the best three are obvy Lion King, Alladin and Beauty and the Beast.
 

Madrin

Member
Surprised by the amount of Hunchback hate here. I remember re-watching it a few years ago and being surprised by how good it was.

On the flip side, I think Aladdin is probably the most overrated Disney movie. It had good music and a good overall plot, but it's not a great movie.
 

Astral Dog

Member
Very sad to see no love for the Hunchback its a masterpiece for the music alone :'(

Lion King
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Aladdin
Little Mermaid
Mulan
Hercules
Beauty and the Beast
Pocahontas
Tarzan
 

Astral Dog

Member
Where is this Tarzan hate coming from?!



Too much awkward sexual frustration from the villain for me.
It will depend on how one feels the subject material is treated and how it resonates i guess. Frollo is an unique villain because passion drives him to hunt innocents regardless of his fundamental religious views that get more twisted as the movie goes on.
Which is sort of comical given his line of work.
There is nothing comical about him, except for that hat.
While I think the ending had a mixed message (ugly guys don't get the girl), I think Quasi just wanted to be accepted by the people more than anything.

I barely remember anything about the gargoyles, but I don't recall having any strong feelings about them.
Thats not what happened, at all 😑
The theme was not about Quasimodo getting the girl, despite the happy ending Quasimodo viewed Esmeralda as more of an object than an actual person, like Frollo this reflected on their contrasting songs.
Yes Esmeralda liked Phoebus like on the novel, but it was her decision, im thinking a more traditional ending would have satisfied some fanboys but as it is was perfect. They dared to not fantasize Quasimodo's feelings for the sake of a 'happy' ending, but still was a cheerful and optimistic one
 
1. The Little Mermaid
2. Aladdin
3. Lion King
4. Mulan
5. Hunchback of Notre Dame
6. Beauty and the Beast
7. Hercules
8. Pocahontas
9. Tarzan

The Little Mermaid and Hunchback were a lot better than I thought. Aladdin is still awesome but not quite as good as I remember.
 

badrang

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

2000s list

1. Lilo & Stitch
2. The Emperor's New Groove
3. The Princess and the Frog
4. Bolt
5. Fantasia 2000
6. Brother Bear
7. Treasure Planet
8. Atlantis Lost Empire
9. Meet the Robinsons
10. Chicken Little
11. Dinosaur
12. Home on the Range
 

Neith

Banned
This one is kinda hard....

hm

1. Lilo & Stitch
2. The Emperor's New Groove
3. The Princess and the Frog
4. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
5. Fantasia 2000
6. Meet the Robinsons
7. Bolt
8. Brother Bear
9. Chicken Little

Keep in mind, the margin of quality between the top 3 and the rest are huuuuuge.
I couldn't watch anymore of Treasure Planet so I stopped halfway through and Home on the Range looked like shit.

Also I don't remember Dinosaur. I watched it once.

Atlantis is underrated. It's a terrific film with a great art style. That one and Princess are my favs from this period.

Like you I basically stopped halfway through Treasure planet. It kinda sucked. And most of those low ones are not very good IMO.
 

Neith

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

What the heck is with people dissing Hunchback? It's a beautiful film on bluray. Boo hoo people.

Very sad to see no love for the Hunchback its a masterpiece for the music alone :'(

Lion King
Hunchback of Notre Dame
Aladdin
Little Mermaid
Mulan
Hercules
Beauty and the Beast
Pocahontas
Tarzan

Thank you! It's a great and mature film. And they made Atlantis and Beast, which were both awesome. Trousdale and Wise are great directors IMO.

Wise also did the English language translation direction for Spirited Away.
 
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