Disney Movies Ranked: (Round 6) The "Neo-Classical Age"

Disney Movies Ranked: (6) The "Neo-Classical Age"

Hello everybody! I'm back with round 6 of ranking Disney movies. Just a reminder this is part of a series where I critique every single Walt Disney Animation Studios film, and "rank" them on a number of things such as music, character development, etc. If you'd like to visit past rounds, you can do so by clicking the link(s) below:

Round 1 "The Golden Age"

Round 2 "The Silver Age"

Round 3 "The Gilded Age"

Round 4 "The Shadow Age"

Round 5 "The Forgotten Age"

Today, we begin discussing the era in Disney animation known as "The Disney Renaissance". The Disney Renaissance was a period of 10 or so years (spanning from 1989 to 1999) in which Disney created some of its most successful and critically acclaimed animated films ever. Animation was pushed to its limits during this age. Innovations were made in thematics, character design, music, art direction, and animation techniques. This era was an almost non-stop flow of creativity and ingenuity. This era in Disney animation also holds a special place in the heart of millenials, for containing the Disney movies of their childhood.

In this round, I'll be talking about The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, and, Aladdin. I've decided to dub this part of the Disney Renaissance, the "Neo-Classical" age. "Neo-Classical" basically means, "New Classic", which I think is fitting for these four movies because I feel like they were a new beginning for Disney, just as the classics of Disney gave it its first beginning. The Little Mermaid was the movie that kick-started the Disney Renaissance. The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver & Company may have been the movies that saved Disney Animation from dissolution, but The Little Mermaid is the movie that brought back Disney's magic, and felt like a fulfillment of Walt Disney's vision for animation. Disney followed up with, the Rescuers Down Under, its first and only sequel to have a theatrical release (except of course until Wreck-it-Ralph 2 hits theaters). This movie was actually quite a historical landmark in that it was the very first animated movie to be completely digitally colored, which was a huge improvement in animation. Just look at images from the original The Rescuers and this one side by side:

  

 

The difference is quite noticeable. This improvement in animation is part of what made the Renaissance so special. Beauty and the Beast made history by being the very first animated movie to be nominated for the Best Picture award (this was 10 years before the Oscars even had a category for animated movies). Aladdin made history by being one of the first Disney movies to center on a non-European culture--the Middle East, and for being one of the most successful animated films ever to showcase a non-European culture. While its depiction of Middle Eastern culture has been criticized, it still stands as a huge accomplishment (especially considering the conflicts the U.S. had with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries during the time).

Click here to watch a video that discusses the history of the first two movies in this round, and the events leading up to them.

Now, let's see how well these historic monoliths stand up against each other!

1. Best Female Lead

4th Place: Marahute (The Rescuers Down Under)

So, I couldn’t really find any other female lead in this movie besides Bianca, and I’ve already covered her in a previous round. There really isn’t much to say about Marahute. She’s pretty cool, I mean, she’s a giant eagle. I always thought she was one of the coolest parts of the movie when I was younger. However, there’s not much to her other than that.

3rd Place: Jasmine (Aladdin)

Princess Jasmine is pretty fun, and is a pretty good character compared to some of Disney's other female characters (*cough* Aurora *cough*). Like the other Disney princesses in this round, Jasmine takes more of an active role during the movie, and has a respectable amount of screen time, and some great lines. 

However, having spunk doesn't necessarily make someone the best character. While Jasmine can be fun to watch, and has a bigger role than some of the past Disney princesses, she falls short in a few categories. For one thing, she doesn't really have a character arc. There's no real growth that we see in her. She doesn't really have any character flaws that she overcomes, and the only strength that she has is her persistence in not wanting to be controlled. Although this is an interesting character trait, it basically falls flat during the final half of the movie--when she's pretty much fought over by the male characters. The other two female leads in this round pull this character trait off much better.

2nd Place: Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

I must say that I didn’t dislike Ariel nearly as much this time around as I used to. Of course, Ariel is definitely a teenager. She’s headstrong, naïve, and emotionally volatile. She makes some very questionable decisions during the first part of the movie. Plus, she can come across as selfish and self-absorbed at times. However, despite these flaws, Ariel is actually a pretty good protagonist. First of all, her flaws aren’t that bad (she’s not as annoying as Taran for example), and they round her character out and make her a little more human. Everyone’s been a teenager before, and we all made bad decisions at that age. Thus, her flaws are relatable, and not just annoying.

Balancing out her flaws, Ariel does have a couple of redeemable traits. For one thing, she’s brave and willing to stand up for herself. For example, she’s willing to stand up to her father when he disapproves of her obsession with the human world. As another example, at the beginning of the movie, she risks her own life to rescue Prince Eric during a shipwreck. She’s also passionate about her dreams and is willing to act to make them happen. She’s actually a lot like Walt Disney himself in that regard.

 A lot of people criticize the fact that Ariel doesn’t have a voice for a good chunk of the movie. Some feel that this harms her character and takes away her narrative voice. My response to that is that just because Ariel can’t talk doesn’t mean she doesn’t have “a voice” (I mean, what about deaf women who speak ASL?) In fact, from an artistic perspective, Ariel actually has more to say without her voice than with. Some common advice that’s given to filmmakers is to show, rather than tell. Well, for about one-third to one-half of the movie, Ariel is doing just that. Her actions and expressions speak for themselves. We get to see just how curious and bright she really is. We get to see how much she really cares about Prince Eric. During her time without her voice, Ariel is a lot like Wall-E—a character who uses facial expressions and actions, rather than words, as their voice. And I think that’s a rather unique approach to take for a character.

Winner: Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

Belle is quite unique as a Disney Princess. Like every Disney Princess, she sings, is beautiful, and falls in love. But, she’s also intelligent and innovative, plus, she’s a bookworm. Being a bookworm myself, it feels nice to have some representation. She's also a powerful innovator, and acts as the engine of change and growth throughout the entire film.

I like how she mixes her sense of innovation with compassion. Yes, she sings “I want so much more than this provincial life”, and calls the villagers, “little people living little lives”, but she doesn’t necessarily look down on her fellow villagers with disdain. She’s willing to call out the foibles of rigid tradition, while championing the fact that people can change their ways. This is demonstrated in her relationship with the beast. She calls him out for having a bad temper and being stubborn in his ways (sticking to his “traditional” way of behaving), but also helps him nurture the changes that make him a better person. The fact that she even believes he can change is proof of her magnanimous character. At the very end of the film, the villagers have a mighty change of heart as well--a mighty change all made possible because of Belle's actions.

Usually, Disney has the female character in a reactive role, simply reacting to whatever happens to her. Belle, however, takes an active role in shaping her own destiny. She takes a very important, active role in helping the beast transform himself into a better person. She orchestrates her own escape form the beast’s castle, and then makes the decision on her own to return to the castle and save the beast’s life. There is one moment when she’s a “damsel in distress” and needs to be saved (when she and her father are locked up). But, it isn’t due to any fault of hers; she puts up a good fight, but she was fighting against an entire mob—anyone would have been taken captive in that circumstance. And after that, she’s the one who in effect rescues the Beast from Gaston. She leads her own life, and doesn't really require anyone's permission to do so.  

2. Best Male Lead

4th Place: Cody (The Rescuers Down Under)

First of all, I’ve got to give Cody props for being one of the bravest kids ever. During the first five minutes of the movie, he climbs up a sheer cliff (at least 200 feet in height) all by himself, with no climbing gear. Then, he basically tames a giant, 20-foot eagle. He also has the mysterious ability to speak perfectly with animals and has some underground security system going on with them. When I was Cody’s age, I was playing Mario Kart…

Cody reminds me a lot of Penny, from the original Rescuers movie. Both of them are brave, sympathetic, and play key roles in their own rescues. He’s never grating or unpleasant. He’s a serviceable protagonist for the movie. Unfortunately, he doesn't particularly stand out. 

3rd Place: Eric (The Little Mermaid)

Finally! A Disney Prince who actually has a personality! Eric has a lot of screen time in this movie--Ariel probably being the only character who has more--and the filmmakers didn’t waste a minute of it. Right off the bat, we’re introduced to Eric’s true desire, to meet a woman he can truly fall in love with—which is probably the first time we’ve actually seen a Disney male protagonist vocalize this desire. Eric’s character is pretty much built around this one desire, and it leads him to have a rather touching character arc, which I’ll go into a bit later in the Romance section.

2nd Place: Aladdin (Aladdin)

I used to think that Aladdin was just a generic good-guy-rouge-ish type character. And, he definitely falls into that category--I mean the first scene we see him in, he's stealing a loaf of bread while singing about it. So, on the surface he does seem like just a "street rat", but, as he sings in the shortest song I've ever heard from a Disney movie, "there's so much more to [him]" than that.

At the beginning of the movie, Aladdin doesn't really seem to see much in himself. He was apparently abandoned by his father as a kid (since it's revealed in the third one he's still alive), and had no friends except a monkey. He spends his days thinking that if only he just had more money, then he'd finally be worth something. A belief which he discovers is false once he finds the genie and finally gets all of the money he's ever dreamed of. He then must confront his true fear--that he's really not worth anything, and that he isn't deserving of anyone's love. It was a little bit more touching of a story than I was expecting.

   

Winner: Adam (Beauty and the Beast)

So, the Beast’s real name is actually Adam, so I’ve decided to call him that for the rest of this post (although I did call him “the Beast” in Belle’s section, oh well). Also, getting a little philosophical here, Adam’s character arc is defined by the growth of his “human” characteristics and the death of his “bestial” characteristics, thus, using his human name seems more appropriate to me.

I love the amount of conflict, and redemption that Adam goes through. He is the textbook case of how to write a good redemption arc. To start off, we see that he has a desire to change. In the scene where he firsts meets Belle, his facial expressions betray the fact that he conflicted feelings about holding Belle and her father prisoner and shows a softening to Belle’s pleas. I like this because it establishes that Adam is a three-dimensional character, right off the bat. He isn’t some one-dimensional monster who awkwardly transforms into a three-dimensional character. He’s a three-dimensional character who demonstrates that he already has the character traits needed for him to transform—he just needs to learn how to apply them.

The thing that I love the most about Adam is how applicable his story is to real life. There are so many people in this world who are labeled “beasts”, simply because of one personality flaw. The world claims that since some of these people never change, that means all of them never change. There are many people in this world who struggle with controlling their temper, or with being agreeable. Most of the time, we don’t comprehend just how hard they’re trying, and how hard they’ve been trying. Adam’s story shows that not only do many of these people sincerely try to be good people, but also that many of them can and do succeed in being good people.

3. Best Villain/Antagonist

4th Place: Jafar (Aladdin)

I used to really like Jafar, until I re-watched this movie and realized that everything I liked about him was really just everything I liked about his sidekick, Iago. Jafar is unfortunately, no more than just a run-of-the-mill goatee'd bad guy who wants power. There's nothing wrong with a generic motivation (most Disney villains have one), but if you have a generic motivation, then you have to make up for it with a non-generic performance. And I don't think Jafar delivers anything other than a cookie-cutter, mustache twirling performance. He isn't all bad, I mean, he does some cool sorcery, has one of the greatest evil sidekicks, and has a pretty good look. The rest of him is just a little bland.

3rd Place: Percival McLeach (The Rescuers Down Under)

One of the most underrated Disney villains in my opinion. McLeach is one of those villains who doesn’t have some big, twisted plan, or complicated motivations. He’s just an unscrupulous dirt-bag who poaches animals for no other reason than to make money…and who also has no qualms with abducting and killing children. Some people think that makes him boring, but in my opinion, I think that just makes him more realistic. Real-life villains very rarely are these evil masterminds with complex plans. Most of the time they’re just greedy and have no morals. And McLeach does an excellent job of representing them.

McLeach is a lot of fun to watch. Yes, he's a little generic, like Jafar, but at least he throws some personality into his villainy. His interactions with his pet monitor lizard, Joanna, are absolutely hilarious. He has one of the coolest trucks ever. All of his lines are delivered with a lot of energy and personality. He also has one of the most satisfying villain death scenes in a Disney movie.

2nd Place: Gaston LeGume (Beauty and the Beast)

“…In a spitting match, nobody spits like Gaston!” Wow, what a claim to fame, am I right?

Anyway, Gaston is a rather interesting villain in that he is actually the first classic Disney Villain to have romantic feelings for the character he opposes (granted, those romantic feelings quickly degenerate into murderous jealousy and rage). This throws in all kid of complications into the story, and actually makes for some rather interesting developments for his character.

Gaston essentially serves as the dark counterpart of both Adam and Belle. Like Adam, he has feelings for Belle right off the bat. Also, like Adam, Belle stands up to Gaston and calls him out on his character flaws. However, whereas Adam becomes inspired to change by Belle’s honesty, Gaston instead chooses to react with rage and defiance. Like Belle, Gaston is considered “beautiful” and stands out from the crowd. However, unlike Belle, Gaston uses his individuality for selfish reasons. Like Belle, Gaston eventually comes to the realization that Adam is gentle and kind, rather than ferocious. However, unlike Belle, Gaston seeks to take advantage of Adam and punish him for his gentleness.

Winner: Ursula (The Little Mermaid)

Ursula is the quintessential Disney villain, all the way down to the creepy, maniacal laugh (seriously, her laugh is the stuff of nightmares). Ursula’s sheer talent for manipulating others is one of the things that makes her a magnificent villain. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of those she opposes, and how to exploit them. She masterfully lures Ariel into her trap, using her greatest dreams and desires as bait. In this way, she’s very much like Satan.

Besides being a master manipulator, Ursula also has the perfect air of dramatic villainy. For one thing, she’s a powerful witch, and does a pretty good job of demonstrating her powers in the movie. She has a top-notch Disney Villain song. She seems to relish being a villain and is very enthusiastic about her villainous schemes. This makes her the perfect foil to Ariel, who is equally passionate and enthusiastic about her own desires.

One of the things that I like about Ursula is that the movie does a very good job of making her look like a threat. We see her succeed a lot—she succeeds in tricking in Ariel, she succeeds in capturing King Triton, she succeeds in gaining his trident and becoming ruler of the ocean (albeit for a short period of time). Seeing so many of her plans succeed adds suspense to the movie, and makes it seem more realistic and fulfilling when the heroes defeat her.

4. Best Side/Supporting Character(s)

4th Place: Jake (The Rescuers Down Under)

Jake’s alright. He’s basically a kangaroo rat version of the crocodile hunter, which makes him pretty cool at times. Unfortunately, he also creates this weird love triangle thing with Bernard and Bianca, which I feel like steals some of their screen time together.

He’s basically a caricature of the stereotypical “Ausy”, so there’s not a whole lot of depth or development given to his character unfortunately. 

3rd Place: The Furniture (Beauty and the Beast)

This movie has so many side-character-furniture things that I decided to just include them all in this section. Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth mainly take the lead of these odds and ends. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. Each of them has a colorful personality, are funny, and actually make you care about them (kind of the exact opposite of their live-action versions). These characters really add some good flavor to the movie, and aren't pointless comic relief.

2nd Place: King Triton (The Little Mermaid)

King Triton gets points for being one of the few Disney parents who lives throughout the entire movie. Plus, he’s a Disney parent who has depth (pun not intended) and meaningful growth to their character.

King Triton is the face of one of the most important sub-plots in the movie: He and Ariel’s conflict and reconciliation. I really like this sub-plot, because it raises the emotional stakes of the movie, and makes us root for both of them. Not only are we hoping for Ariel to end up with Eric, we’re also hoping that she and her father will make things right between them. Also, the conflict helps flesh out their characters. King Triton has a short temper and is prone to violent bursts of rage. However, we’re both shown and told that he regrets these outbursts, and just wants to be a good father to Ariel—a desire which is ultimately realized at the end of the film, as he uses his powers to help her realize her dreams. Ariel is stubborn and headstrong when talking with her father, especially when he’s trying to control her, but she also demonstrates her affection for him. One example that stood out to me was how she always called him, “daddy”, even during his violent outbursts.

All of this conflict makes it worth that much more when we see King Triton willingly transform Ariel into a human--allowing her to be free and to live her dreams. Instead of stubbornly holding to his own desires and what he wants for her--however noble those desires may be--he gives her the opportunity to live her own dreams, and learn from her own experiences. I think this is a powerful lesson, not only for kids, but also for their parents (it's kind of like Finding Nemo, before Pixar was a thing...). 

Winner: Genie (Aladdin)

"I'm history! No, I'm mythology! Nah, I don't care what I am. I'm free-hee!" Man, this whole movie is basically about freedom isn't it? Jasmine wants to be free to marry and love who she wants, Aladdin wants to be free from living on the streets, and Genie wants to be free from being a slave forced to satiate other people's greed. Genie is such a great character. Not only does he contribute meaningfully to the movie's theme, but he also is absolutely hilarious.

Unlike most comic-relief characters, Genie actually matters to the plot. He of course is the one who grants Aladdin's three wishes, and helps Aladdin get back to Agrabah and Jasmine. He also serves a very important mentor role for Aladdin. Right off the bat, he tells Aladdin to share the truth with Jasmine about who he truly is. He's the first one to tell Aladdin that he was worthy just the way he was--and that matters a lot. Because of Genie's faith in him, Aladdin finally comes to believe in himself, and is willing to live without fearing the truth. Genie is just so willing to see Aladdin's dreams come true (which is pretty cool considering that it would be easy for him to be bitter after being a slave for 10,000 years). Probably one of the most touching scenes to me is when Genie tells Aladdin to use his final wish to turn himself into a prince for good, so that he can be with Jasmine. Genie was willing to give up his freedom--something he desperately wanted--so that his friend could be with the woman he loves. If that's not a meaningful character development, then I don't know what is. 

5. Best Music/Songs

4th Place: The Rescuers Down Under

This movie has a pretty decent score. The intro music is very fun and well done. The Australian music and sound effects help add to the movie's atmosphere. All in all, a well-done score. But, let's be honest, compared to Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast, this movie's music is pretty forgettable. 

3rd Place: Aladdin

Hands down, "Never had a friend like me" is one of the best Disney songs, ever. And now I just got it stuck in your head :). The rest of the movie's songs are good. "I can show you the world" is a decent love song, and "One jump ahead" is alright. These songs just pale in comparison to Genie's song--making this movie's music quality not as consistent as the other two.

2nd Place: Beauty and the Beast

I could pretty much just say that every movie in this round has one of the best songs in Disney's line up. This movie has the great "Gaston" song (a top-notch villain song), "Beauty and the beast" which is a beautiful orchestral piece, and of course, the unforgettable "Be our guest". Pretty excellent overall.

Winner: The Little Mermaid

As much as I liked Beauty and the Beast's music, I found myself liking The Little Mermaid's music a little more. "Kiss the girl" has pretty much become the young romance theme song, "Under the Sea" is an instant classic, "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a deliciously evil Villain's song, and "Part of your world" was basically the mother of "Let it Go" and "How far I'll go".

6. Best Romance:

4th Place: Bernard and Bianca (The Rescuers Down Under)

So, I know that I’ve already included the romance between these two in a previous round, however, I couldn’t really find any other romance in this movie. I won’t let them win again, to be fair. So, here you have it.

I actually liked Bianca and Bernard’s romance better in the first movie. In this one, I just feel like there isn’t quite enough time devoted to their relationship. We do get the subplot where Bernard is trying to propose to Bianca and worries about Jake stealing her. And I like this subplot, it helps Bernard come out of his shell more and grow as a character. I guess I just wish they’d had more time actually together. They just have so much chemistry together, and that chemistry is sadly wasted in this movie in my opinion.

3rd Place: Jasmine and Aladdin (Aladdin)

Man, I feel like I'm going to make a lot of fanboy/fangirl shippers mad with this round's Romance section, but here it goes. Just a little disclaimer, these next three romances are all very well done, and come very close to each other in overall quality, so don't worry, I don't think your favorite pairing is bad (everything I write on these posts is purely subjective, and just my own opinion, so your opinion is just as valid as mine).

I liked the growth these two characters made as a couple. At first, Aladdin is very comfortable around Jasmine, and pretty much just acts like himself--which Jasmine is totally attracted to. He respects her and they have have some great chemistry. But then, after learning who she truly is, Aladdin has to come to grips with his own self-worth. It isn't until he overcomes this and sees his self-worth that he lets himself be with Jasmine. So, just writing this, I realize that I made a mistake earlier. Genie wasn't the first one to see worth in Aladdin, Jasmine was. She's the whole reason that he went on his self-discovering journey in the first place. 

2nd Place: Ariel and Eric (The Little Mermaid)

I think this is the first Disney Princess romance to actually play a major role during the actual movie. The movie gives plenty of time for these two to interact with each other and fall in love. While it’s often criticized for its “love at first sight” cliché, I think this romance works very well. Something that I really loved about the romance between these two was the theme of sacrifice that permeated it.

Both characters made (or were willing to make) huge sacrifices for each other. Ariel was willing to sacrifice her voice so that she can be turned into a human and is also willing to sacrifice ever seeing her family again. Eric spends a large chunk of the movie obsessed with the mysterious singing woman he met after his shipwreck, believing that she is his true love. However, after he gets to know Ariel, he decides to be with her instead. He sacrifices the perfect ideal image of his true love for the imperfect, human love he’s found.

Winner: Belle and Adam (Beauty and the Beast)

First of all: this relationship IS NOT STOCKHOLM SYNDROME!!! Stockholm syndrome is when a person who is held against their will or is the victim of abuse starts to develop positive feelings toward their captor/abuser, begins to hold delusional beliefs about their captor/abuser's supposed "goodness", develop aggressive attitudes towards police, family, and friends who try to separate them from their captor/abuser, and continue to stay with their captor/abuser even when opportunities of escape present themselves. 

Belle does not fit any of these symptoms. She only develops feelings for Adam after he saves her life and demonstrates that he is genuinely trying to change. She is under no illusion about Adam's flaws--in fact, she actively stands up to him several times for losing his temper (something a person with Stockholm Syndrome would not do). She doesn't develop hostile feelings towards her father when he tries to rescue her. And, Belle actively escapes from Adam twice. Once, after he throws an explosive temper tantrum, she leaves. She books it. And, she doesn't come back until he demonstrates true character change. The second time, she leaves him to go find her father. Belle and Adam's relationship is the exact opposite of Stockholm Syndrome, and is built on redemption and forgiveness, not fear and delusion. Look at this article here to learn more about this.

Mini rant over.

I love the relationship between these two so much (which is why it bugs me so much when people try to classify it as something it's not). Adam and Belle both grow to see the true beauty in one another, and they help bring out the best in each other. Both of them change themselves for the better for each other. Belle actively begins seeing the good in Adam, and starts to treat him with more kindness and openness. Adam starts to overcome his temper and becomes interested in Belle's desires and dreams, rather than his own. Their relationship shows that genuine change for the one you love is possible, and a very healthy dynamic.  

7. Best Overall

4th Place: The Rescuers Down Under

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Overall, this movie was decent. I don’t think it was as emotionally impactful as the first one, although this one does have more action and fun in it. I’m not sure how well it compares to the other movies in this round though. As you can probably tell, I tend to prefer movies that have more of an emotional impact. And while this movie was fun, I don’t think it was emotionally impactful.

3rd Place: Aladdin

Wait, why is Jasmine's dress green in this picture? Meh, VHS covers were just weird I guess. Anyway, this movie was really fun, and I had a great time watching it. I really hate to place it so low, but I did like the other two better. I feel like the other two focused a little bit more on developing their main themes, and a little less time on going for laughs. A little less comedy, and a little more heart, and this movie could have been perfect in my opinion.

2nd Place: The Little Mermaid

This movie was very well made. The animation is vibrant, the music and songs are amazing, the characters are full of life. Plus, this movie has some great themes about parenting, true love, and sacrifice. I do mark this movie slightly behind the winner though because I think the next movie has better main characters.

  

Winner: Beauty and the Beast

This is how you make a good animated movie (though I guess I could say that about all four of these movies). But, this movie is one of the best of the best. The most impressive part of this movie is how well its characters are written. Belle and Adam both serve as engaging protagonists who carry the plot. Gaston provides the perfect conflict for them to overcome. And, this movie shows a beautiful example of what can happen when two people actively work with and forgive each other to become one. All of these factors combined make Beauty and the Beast this round's ultimate winner.

***

Phew, with this round all done, this means I'm officially half way through this project! I have to admit, it's been pretty cool, and a little exhausting at times, to be able to write all of this. I'm thankful for everyone who has read this series so far, and shared with me their opinions. If you guys have any suggestions for things you'd like to see in future posts, please let me know! 

The second half of this blog series will kick off with round 7, which will include The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of NotreDame, and Hercules! So make sure you stay tuned in for that. 

So, the last couple of rounds, I provided a link to the website for Operation Underground Railroad, an organization who helps rescue children from sex trafficking and abduction. I've decided that this time, I wanted to highlight a different organization. From now on, I plan on highlighting a different organization that helps children each round. I figured since most of these movies are symbolic of childhood, and show children being rescued or aided in many ways, that it would be appropriate to show you guys examples of real life people and organizations who do the same thing.

This round's organization is UNICEF--the United Nations Children's Fund. This is an organization that was created by the United Nations for the sole purpose of providing aid for children world-wide. They help promote children education, help fight crimes involving children, help children who are in poverty or who are starving, and many other things. Many humanitarian projects, like delivering hygiene kits and food essentials to children in third-world countries, are done through UNICEF, and the funding it provides.

If you guys would like to donate to UNICEF, or learn more about them, you can visit their website here.