Disney Movies Ranked: (Round 12) The "Diamond Age"
Disney Movies Ranked: (Round 12) The "Diamond Age"
This is the final round before the final awards of my Disney Rankings series. If you would like to visit past rounds, the links are provided below:
This is it, the final round! Last round, we began the "Revival Age" of Disney, one of the most critically acclaimed and financially successful eras of Disney animation ever. This age continues the revival age, adding even more brilliance and success to Disney's repertoire.
This age starts with Frozen, which to this day is the single most financially successful animated movie of all time. This movie was noted for its amazing music, complex characters, and a very adorable snow man. Then there was the Marvel inspired Big Hero 6--the only Walt Disney Animation Studios movie to have a Stan Lee cameo. Next came Zootopia which made $1Billion world-wide, and had an incredibly written plot and character cast. This age ends with Moana, Disney's first movie featuring Polynesian characters and mythology.
All four of these movies are incredibly well-made, and it was honestly hard for me to rate them against each other. As such, you'll probably notice that some of the critiques I give are kind of nit-picky, but since everything's so good in this round, that's what I have to do.
If you're interested to see some speculation on where Disney will go from this point, watch this video, here
Let's begin!
1. Best Female Lead
4th Place: Honey Lemon and Go Go (Big Hero 6)
Both of these characters play similar roles in the movie, so it's hard to say which one is more important than the other--therefore I decided to just put them both into this spot.
Neither of these characters play a huge role in the movie, though they had some pretty cool action scenes. Honey Lemon's the one who throws those weird goo ball things, and Gogo is the one with the rollerblade-ish wheel tech stuff. There are really only about two scenes in which they use this tech in, though.
To be fair, the movie itself is not supposed to be an action movie--it's a movie about depression and learning how to cope with the loss of a loved one. I think that's where these two, along with Hiro's other friends, really come into play. They help provide support to Hiro, and let him know that they are there for him, which is exactly what you should do in a real life scenario.
3rd Place: Moana: (Moana)
Putting Moana in third place hurts a little, but as I said, it's really hard to judge with a round of such good movies with so many good characters.
Moana is the standard Hero character from the "Hero's Journey" story archetype. She's brave, bold, heroic, and pretty much her only flaw is a lack of experience. She's chosen to be the one to save the world from destruction--and we don't really get a whole lot of background as to why--she just is. I suppose it's nice to see a woman fill this role in a Disney movie for once, but it's kind of a boring role if you think about it. The problem with the standard "Hero" character is that it robs the protagonist of agency and motivation. Moana has no real choice but to go save the world--she's simply doing what she was destined to do. That's weak storytelling compared to what Disney's been able to do with some of its other characters.
Let's look at Mulan for example. Mulan basically does a lot of the same things Moana did--but Mulan had a choice. She didn't go save China because there was some mystical prophecy or wise old person telling her to. She saved China as a result of her selfless choice to take her father's place in the army. Mulan is the one who drives the story forward. Moana on the other hand is driven by the story. Of all the "Hero" characters though, Moana does stand out as one of the better ones. She just doesn't feel quite as powerful as some of the other characters.
2nd Place: Princess Anna (Frozen)
I know a lot of you probably expected to see Elsa in Anna's place, but to be truthful, I feel like Anna is the protagonist more than Elsa is. To be sure, Elsa's contribution to the movie is enormous, but if we look at the movie, we'll see that Anna is the one who is the driving force behind everything that happens.
One thing to note about Anna is just how much her personality stands out in the movie. First of all, the movie is surrounded by cold imagery (of course), and she is surrounded by other characters who, for the most part, have much cooler personalities. Anna, in stark contrast to the atmosphere of the entire movie, has a warm, even fiery personality. Sometimes this leads to reckless impulsiveness (*cough* Hans *cough*), but she provides a warmth to the movie that is irreplaceable.
About halfway through the movie, we start to see a deeper side to Anna's personality and her motivation. When she finds Elsa on the North mountain, she does everything in her power to help her come back. She actually does a pretty good job of offering her support to Elsa given the circumstances. The thing that I love most about this part of the movie is Anna's tenacity in trying to help Elsa. Even when Elsa strikes her with her ice powers, Anna still stubbornly stays with her sister, having to be physically removed by a giant ice monster. It's truly remarkable and heart-warming (no pun intended) to see just how much she wants to help Elsa.
Winner: Officer Judy Hopps (Zootopia)
It was pretty hard to determine which female character was the best in this round, but when it comes down to it, I think Judy has the most going for her. First of all, she has a very well-rounded, three-dimensional personality, coupled with a strong motivation. Also, she has one of the most well-written and unique character arcs that I've ever seen in an animated movie.
I really like how the movie introduces Judy. It shows us the pure and innocent side of her that wants to make a difference in the world, and also the powerful side of her that drives her to accomplish just that. The movie spends a (refreshingly) short amount of time on her training, and gives plenty of time for us to see her in the thick of accomplishing her dreams.
At a glance, it doesn't seem like Judy has very much room to grow. She's got tons of motivation, has noble goals, and is pretty successful. On the outside, it looks like she's pretty much the perfect hero. But Judy learns something very important during the third act of the movie. She learns that even with the greatest of intentions, she is not perfect. Even though she truly is the cream of the crop, she still has flaws. The lesson she must learn is that of humility. After spending her whole life believing in her strengths, she must learn how to acknowledge her weakness.
It's a simple lesson really, but one that is truly powerful. We live in a society that tells us we have every opportunity to become exactly what we want to become, and that perfection is within our reach if we just keep trying harder and harder. Although this kind of thinking can have its benefits, it can also be incredibly destructive. Eventually, we learn that we can't do everything, and that we have our limits. What we do when we reach this point is what really matters. Do we give in to despair, or do we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses and face life in spite of them?
The latter option is what Judy learns how to do. She comes face to face with her own weaknesses and learns that she isn't as perfect as she thought she was, and at first it crushes her. She believed in her ideals so strongly that it was mortifying to her to realize that she didn't live up to them in every single way. However, she eventually faces this realization head on, and makes the courageous decision to do the right thing anyway. Ironically, the moment when Judy admits her mistakes and weaknesses to Nick, the one time we see her openly cry during the movie, is actually the moment she stands the strongest. She proves that she is strong enough to face her greatest fear, and still make the right choice anyway.
2. Best Male Lead
4th Place: Kristoff (Frozen)
Anyone else notice that Kristoff is basically the closest thing Disney has to Shrek? Think about it, he's a little unhygienic, has a talking beast of burden for his best friend, he's a little surly, and he falls in love with a red-headed princess who's a firebrand. That settles it, Kristoff is now Kris-Shrek.
So, even though Kristoff is in last place here, I still find him to be a very good character. The only reason why he's scored so low is that his character arc is incredibly predictable. Even with that though I still really like him. He adds a down-to-earth kind of feeling to the movie, and helps stabilize Anna a lot. Without his help, she likely would have froze to death in the mountains.
3rd Place: Maui (Moana)
I have to admit, my first few times watching Moana, I really didn't like Maui. I didn't like his personality and I thought he was just the stereotypical "jerk becomes nice" character. I think the movie does this on purpose a little bit though. Maui really does try to act like he's callous and uncaring, that's the mal-adaptive way he's come to cope with his failures and childhood trauma. Just as Moana learns though, Maui isn't motivated by a lack of caring or callousness, but really just wants to feel the love and acceptance he never truly knew.
If you think about it, Maui says his tattoos show up as he earns them right? Well, that means the very first tattoo he ever had was the tattoo of his mother throwing him into the sea. To be rejected by one's own mother, and thrown into the sea to die...that's a pretty sad backstory. I don't think there's really a sadder backstory in all of Disney to be honest. I mean, other characters had their parents die, but none of them ever had parents who tried to kill them as a baby. When you look at Maui that way, then it's no wonder he has so many character flaws. Even given such a hard lot in life, he still comes back to help Moana and face death. And for that, he's earned my respect.
2nd Place: Nick Wilde (Zootopia)
"I learned two things that day. One: I was never gonna let anyone see that they got to me. And two: If the world's only gonna see a fox as shifty and untrustworthy, there's no point in trying to be anything else."
Disney did something fairly risky with Nick Wilde. He's a symbol of the effects of prejudice and bigotry, a very sensitive and politically charged real-world subject. The brilliant thing about Nick is that since he's a fox, his story can apply to anyone who is a victim of prejudice in the real world.
Originally, the makers of the movie planned on telling the story of Zootopia through Nick's eyes (they also originally planned on having all the predators wear shock collars, which would have made it a totally different movie). Perhaps because of this, Nick has a lot of development and fairly good character arc. Similar to Maui, we learn that much of his cynicism is the result of childhood trauma, but also the result of an entire society telling him he's unworthy of trust.
Even with the demons in his past, Nick is still basically good. He demonstrates a considerable amount of courage and selflessness when he stands up to Chief Bogo on Judy's behalf. Even though he was cynical towards her for the first half of the movie, he can still see her sincerity and good intentions, and it's quite noble of him to stand up for them. We see him do this again when Judy apologizes to him--he willingly puts aside his own hurt feelings (which were rooted in much more than the one bad decision Judy made) and supports her.
Winner: Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6)
I really like Hiro. First of all, his a super-tech genius, which is something I'll always be a fan of. It's always cool to see the hero think their way past obstacles rather than just power through them. I also really like the interactions between him and his brother, Tadashi. It's kind of rare thing to see a Disney character with a sibling who's a good role model (or with a sibling in general). There's also the phenomenal character growth Hiro develops throughout the movie.
Hiro's character growth is centered on the relationship he has with Tadashi--in person and through his brother's surrogate, Baymax. At the beginning, Tadashi is the only one who actually sees Hiro's potential, and does all that he can to help Hiro achieve it. Even after his death, Baymax takes his place in helping Hiro achieve his true potential. Hiro takes awhile to truly understand this potential, but as the film progresses, we see him come to see it step by step.
First, we see him invent his micro-bots, using his technological brilliance in a constructive way, rather than selfishly keeping it in the shadows for his own gain. Then, he starts to use his gift to bring his friends together for a common cause, as he helps maximize each of their own projects to help them stop Dr. Callaghan. Hiro's final step is when he starts to use his gifts purely to serve others--as his brother Tadashi did.
3. Best Villain/Antagonist
4th Place: Dr. Callaghan (Big Hero 6)
This guy honestly makes no sense to me. So, his story is that his daughter got sucked into a portal that was invented by Mr. Krai. Everyone thought she was dead, so Callaghan blamed Krai for it. I get that part. What I don't get is how this guy was seemingly willing to murder innocent people who tried to stop him from getting revenge against Krai. Like, it didn't match his personality at all. I mean, when Hiro tells him that Tadashi died trying to save Callaghan from the fire he started, he blows it off with a simple "that was his mistake". But Tadashi was his star student, he knew him personally. Shouldn't he have felt guilty or something? He just makes no sense.
3rd Place: Tamatoa (Moana)
"Shiny!"
Man, I love this guy. Even though he doesn't play a central role in the movie, he's still one of the best Disney villains around. First of all, there's his absolutely glorious villain song, "Shiny". As my family members will tell you, I really love that song :).
Along with being super catchy, his villain song does a pretty good job of pointing out the deepest insecurities of the movie's protagonists. First of all, he mocks Moana's belief in her Grandmother's words, telling her that they're nothing but lies. Later on in the movie we see that Moana truly worries about the truth of her Grandmother's words--is she really the one who can save the ocean?
Then of course, Tamatoa reveals the traumatic backstory of Maui--which up until this point had been a tightly kept secret. It's honestly quite sad to see how much Tamatoa humiliates and torments Maui--and horrifying to see how much joy he gets out of it. Tamatoa isn't a villain with grand schemes--he's just a spineless coward who finds delight in tormenting those who are weaker than him.
2nd Place: Mayor Dawn Bellwether (Zootopia)
"We're on the same team, Judy! Underestimated, underappreciated. Aren't you sick of it?! Predators - they may be strong and loud, but prey outnumber predators ten to one. Think of it; 90% of the population, united against a common enemy. We'll be unstoppable!"
I'm really kind of torn when it comes to Bellwether. On the one hand, we only get to see her be villainous for like two minutes before she's stopped. But, on the other hand, we get to see the effects of her villainy throughout the entire movie. I mean, masterminding a plan to turn an entire city against its already marginalized minorities--that's pretty messed up. And the scary thing was how close she was to getting away with it. I was honestly surprised by the reveal that she was the villain, which just goes to show how good she was at covering her tracks.
So, even though she isn't the flashiest villain, or the most menacing, she's definitely one of the most cunning. I personally like Tamatoa more than Bellwether, but I can't deny that Bellwether does a much better job of being the antagonist.
Winner: Queen Elsa (Frozen)
I know what you're probably thinking: "Wait, but isn't Elsa the good guy?" Yes, she is one of the "good guys" of the movie, but, she also happens to be the movie's main antagonist. Is she a villain? No (although in earlier versions of the movie she was intended to be the villain). An antagonist is somebody who opposes the protagonist and their goals. Anna is the main protagonist of the movie, and her main goal is to regain her connection with her sister, Elsa. And who is the one who constantly opposes Anna's goal at every turn? Elsa. Elsa repeatedly shuts down Anna's attempts to repair their relationship, and does everything she can to keep her away--including creating a giant snow monster to attack her.
The genius behind Elsa's character is that she doesn't want to be the antagonist. As the movie beautifully depicts, she is torn between her own desire to repair her relationship with her sister, and her fear of hurting those she loves. Although most of the decisions she makes as the movie's antagonist are motivated by fear, they are also intertwined with love. She loves her sister and her people so much that she is willing to isolate herself from them, putting herself through unimaginable mental/emotional torture in the process. Her opposition to Anna isn't born out of some malicious intent to do harm, but rather, out of a severe misunderstanding of herself and how to cope with her emotional trauma.
In most three-act movie structures, there is an emotional climax that usually follows on the heels of (or is sometimes intertwined with) an "abyss"--the moment when it seems all hope is lost, and the antagonist seems to win. Usually, this involves the protagonist and their allies being dealt a major blow, caused by the antagonist. This is usually the part where the antagonist shows their "true selves" (Ursula, turning into a huge, power hungry tyrant, Jaffar turning into a giant snake, Frollo, trying to murder Quasimodo whilst being surrounded with Hellish imagery, etc.).
Elsa is no exception to this trope--though she fulfills it in a different way. Anna jumps in front of Elsa to save her from Hans, transforming into an icy statue right before Elsa's eyes--a consequence of Elsa's emotional outburst earlier in the movie. At this point, Elsa reveals the true core of what made her Anna's antagonist. Despair. She cries over Anna's frozen body--her greatest fear. At this point Elsa becomes, at least in her own mind, the monster she always feared she would become.
Of course, all of this is reversed once Anna thaws, and the curse is broken. Through Anna, Elsa learns how to truly control her powers, and she finally stops opposing her. She is redeemed from her own fear.
Best Side/Supporting Character(s)
4th Place: Officer Benjamin Clawhauser (Zootopia)
This round had a pretty good cast of side characters, and Clawhauser is no exception. First of all, his voice actor is spot on (he's the same voice actor who played Lloyd from Get Smart). He's lovable, funny, and brings a lot of charm to the film. But, he also provides some emotional punch to the movie too, as we see him fall victim to the irrational fear that starts to envelop the city. The prejudice shown against someone as lovable as Clawhauser helps to demonstrate just how nefarious and powerful Mayor Bellwether's plans really were.
3rd Place: Grandma Tala (Moana)
Grandma Tala serves as Moana's "call to adventure"--the event or person in the Hero's Journey archetype that helps propel the protagonist forward to fulfill their destiny. I feel like Tala does a pretty good job of doing that. I really liked the decision they made of having her come back as a spirit to help guide Moana. I feel like that helps add to they mystical, epic tone of the movie. It would have been tempting for Disney to have her just be the comedic old crazy lady stereotype that animated movies are so fond of, but instead, they made her genuinely wise and helpful--with a fun personality of course.
2nd Place: Olaf (Frozen)
"I'm Olaf, and I love warm hugs!"
Everyone's favorite snowman, and perhaps one of Disney's most merchandisable characters of all time. In addition to being hilarious and absolutely heart-warming, Olaf actually serves as a very important symbol throughout the movie. He's a symbol of the love between Anna and Elsa. To start off, he was created by them when they were children. And right after Anna's accident, the time when Elsa began to be consumed by fear, we see his first form fall apart and disintegrate. One of the first things Elsa does during the "Let it Go" segment is re-create Olaf--and magically grants him life (seemingly without her knowledge). He then follows Anna and tries to help her reconcile with Elsa. He is also the one who helps Anna see that Kristoff is the one who truly loves her. Then, at the end of the movie, his permanent existence is guaranteed by the mini-flurry Elsa makes for him--symbolic of how Anna and Elsa's love for each other is now unbreakable.
Winner: Baymax (Big Hero 6)
Anyone who's seen Big Hero 6 knows exactly why Baymax is in this spot. Just like Olaf, Baymax is a powerful symbol throughout the movie. He is essentially the symbolic stand-in for Hiro's older brother, Tadashi, who dies at the beginning of the movie. He captures all of the best qualities of Tadashi. He's warm, friendly, and genuinely wants what is best for Hiro. He becomes the one who helps Hiro to cope with the loss of Tadashi, by helping him understand what the phrase, "they're not truly gone" actually means. Baymax is symbolic of the fact that our loved ones can live on through the legacies they leave us, and through the legacies we create in their memory.
5. Best Music/Songs
4th Place: Big Hero 6
This movie didn't have the most memorable of music. Fallout Boy's Immortals is a pretty good song to help add some anticipation to their training/equipping montage. Other than that though, I honestly can't remember any of the music from this movie.
3rd Place: Zootopia
This movie didn't have a lot of music that I remembered either. However, this movie does have an original song that's pretty good--Try Everything. The song kind of forms a sandwich of sorts for the movie, since it both serves as an introduction to the city of Zootopia, and as the ending scene. I'm not normally a big fan of Shakira, but she does a pretty good job singing this song.
2nd Place: Moana
Now, we enter the big leagues. I really enjoy this movie's songs, there are arguably the best part of the movie. Where you Are is kind of just meh, and a little on the nose to be honest, though it can be catchy. How Far I'll Go is the heart and soul of this movie, and it does an excellent job of showing off Moana's character--and Auli'i Cravalho's singing voice I might add. Then we have the incredibly fun, What Can I Say Except You're Welcome which answers the question of whether or not Dwayne the Rock Johnson can sing :). Shiny is one of the most gloriously evil Disney songs out there, and I will sing it whenever and wherever I hear it :).
Winner: Frozen
This one probably isn't that big of a surprise. First of all, I really love the environmental music for this movie--it adds a perfect wintry feeling to the movie. Then of course, there's the songs. The songs in this movie provide the emotional heart to the story. Frozen Heart basically sets up the entire plot, describing the powers of ice and its dangers, and ending with the warning "beware the frozen heart", which foreshadows the betrayal of Hans. Do You Want to Build a Snowman delivers exposition in a very powerful way, helping us understand how Elsa and Anna's relationship begins to deteriorate. For the First Time in Forever helps contrast the different ways Anna and Elsa see the world, and helps us understand their individual loneliness. Love is an Open Door is both the epitome of, and the greatest satire of a classic Disney romance song. Let it Go is of course an emotional (and financial) bomb-shell. In Summer and Fixer Upper aren't quite as powerful, but they both do a good job of helping us get to know Olaf and Kristoff. All in all, I absolutely love this movie's music, and I whole-heartedly believe that it deserves this spot.
6. Best Romance
4th Place: Absolutely nobody (Big Hero 6)
So Big Hero 6 does not have any romance in it all. I mean, everybody loves Baymax, but it's pretty much in a platonic way.
3rd Place: Stu & Bonnie Hops (Zootopia)
So, there's a ton of people who want Nick and Judy to be an item, but there's no actual romance between them during the movie. Her parents are kind of a cute couple though--but the movie doesn't really show much of them together.
2nd Place: Chief Tui & Sina (Moana)
One of the things that is often lauded about Moana is that there isn't any romance in it. Which isn't technically true since Moana has two parents who clearly love and support each other. Something that really touched me was how Sina helped Moana understand why her father was so protective--which is something movies don't usually do with overprotective dads, so it was kind of nice.
Winner: Anna & Kristoff (Frozen)
So, this one pretty much wins by default since it's the only romance that's given any time or development. That being said though, I do really like Anna and Kristoff together. They balance each other out really well. Anna helps Kristoff become a little less selfish, and Kristoff helps her develop a more realistic world-view, and he was the one who helped give her hope after Hans betrayed and manipulated her. I hope to see more of them in the sequel.
7. Best Overall
4th Place: Moana
Setting aside that this movie is still really good, I do have some bones to pick with it. For one thing, it's incredibly formulaic. It follows the standard Hero's Journey/Chosen One tropes to the "T". The songs, while being great, are quite generic and didn't feel quite as inspired as some of Disney's other musicals. I also feel like there's a lot of plot convenience in this movie (like the countless times the ocean gains sentience to help Moana out). All that being said, it's still a great movie and would definitely score higher if it was competing against different movies.
3rd Place: Big Hero 6
I found this movie to be a lot of fun first of all. There's surprisingly a big lack of animated superhero movies, so it's kind of cool to see that kind of story applied to a Disney animation format. The movie also does a fantastic job of weaving in a dialogue on loss, and how people respond to it and how a person can learn to cope with loss.
2nd Place: Frozen
One of my favorite movies of all time, and honestly my personal favorite out of this round. I love how powerful the characters and music are. You can tell that a lot of heart and soul went into the making of this movie. I also love its message about love being able to conquer fear. However, this movie is not perfect. It tends to lag in the middle, after having such an emotionally powerful beginning.
Winner: Zootopia
Even though I personally like Frozen better, I have to acknowledge the fact that Zootopia is objectively a better movie. For one thing, the plot is incredibly well-written, and it has great pacing throughout. There doesn't seem to be a single moment where the flow of the movie starts to lag. The characters work very well together, and their interactions help form an important central theme of tolerance, humility, reconciliation, and forgiveness. It's themes are incredibly relevant to today's world, and I feel like the movie does a powerful and passionate job of getting those themes across. To be honest, I can't find very many flaws in this movie, it all fits together quite seamlessly.
***
Alright, that's the final round before the final awards! Right now, I will separate each award into its own section. Thus, the next post will discuss the Best Female Leads of all 48 films, then the next one will be the best Male Leads, and so on so forth. I'll be working hard to have all of those available as soon as possible!
This round, I'd simply like you to find somebody to serve in a special way during this Holiday season. There's plenty of time for a lot of us to get out and do something for somebody else. To see some ideas visit Mormon.org/Light the World
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