Disney Rankings Finals: Best Overall

Disney Rankings Finals: Best Overall

Well, this is it. This is the final entry in my Disney blog. We've looked at which movies had the best characters, best music, best romances, etc. Well now it's time to look at which movies were simply the best overall. Which movies did the best at combining all the many different elements to make an artistic, coherent whole. This isn't really a list of which Disney movies are my favorite per se (although many on this list are), simply put, these are the Disney movies from each round that I think are the most well-made. 

In previous sections I included examples of fan art, and covers of Disney songs, so in a similar vein, in this post, I will share reviews that other writers have about these movies.

12th Place: 101 Dalmatians

Joe the Disney Guy: "101 Dalmatians"

A fantastic movie that was truly heart warming and just really fun to watch. It has great music, fun character designs, unique art design, and very memorable villain. This movie saved animation and paved the way for its survival in the future years to come. It showed that animation could be well done, and still be profitable enough to sustain itself. Financial success aside, this movie took its story seriously, and didn't dumb down any of its themes. It was a movie about family and the power of loving parents, and it embraced it.

11th Place: Pinocchio

Must See Films: Pinocchio: The Darkest Disney Film

This movie has everything that a truly classic, amazing Disney movie needs. Yes, its music is a little lackluster, but that's a minor footnote compared to everything else that this movie gives us. The characters are all fleshed out and fit well in their purpose. Mainly through its main character, the movie shows the learning, set backs, despair, and hope that makes up childhood. 

The movie isn't afraid to put itself, or its characters in difficult situations. It visits themes such as show business corruption, child slavery, and even death (Pinocchio dies while escaping from Monstro with Geppetto, and is resurrected by the Blue Fairy). It shows that while childhood may not always be easy, a child can still unlock their potential and be courageous, even in the face of horrific opposition.

10th Place: Lady & the Tramp

Jambareeqi Orange: "Lady & the Tramp"

One of Disney's finest romance movies. I love how well this movie portrays love and relationships. We start the movie by seeing a married couple who love each other and make sacrifices for each other. And we end the movie with the exact same thing. The movie isn't cynical or satirical about love or marriage, and neither is it preachy or overbearing. It makes the concepts of romance and relationships approachable and understandable even for a young audience. 

9th Place: Bolt

Cosmodore: "...Oh yeah, Bolt was a thing"

Ever since I first saw this movie in theaters (back when I was a moody teenager) I've loved it. The simple, heartfelt story is told so well. The characters feel so alive and deep, and are reminiscent of great characters like Belle and Quasimodo from Disney's Renaissance age. This movie brought Disney back to its roots: making sincere, heartfelt family entertainment. This movie fully deserves to be on this list, and stands as one of my favorite Disney movies of all time.

8th Place: Treasure Planet

Sarah Sterling: "Treasure Planet (Down to Disness)"

I feel like this movie did a great job in every aspect. First off, the visuals were quite well done for their time, and many of them remain stunning to this day (I personally love how they combined the styles of steampunk and space opera movies). I think they did a great job of melding the story of Treasure Island to space travel. The music does a pretty good job of setting the mood, especially Jim's song. The characters go well together, and have some excellent character arcs. Overall, a heartwarming, action-filled, well-done film :). 

7th Place: The Rescuers

Joe the Disney Guy: "The Rescuers"

One of the reasons this movie was so good was due to the fact that it was spear-headed by Don Bluth, the one who would later be responsible for relatively dark, but heart-warming children movies such as The Secret of NIMH, and The Land Before Time. I love how well this movie presents dark themes, and helps children see that there can still be faith and hope even in darkness. That's something quite rare for children's movies, and I think that it's something which should be replicated more often.  

This movie just has a lot to say, and it says it well. It says that there are some people in the world who are willing to do terrible things to children. It also says that there are people devoted to protecting the innocent. It shows that men and women can work together to save the world. It says that faith can sustain someone in the worst of places. It also says that children can understand dark and heavy themes, and that movies catering to children don't have to patronize them with corny themes and crude humor. It says that children are of great worth and value, and that they should be protected and respected.

6th Place: The Fox & the Hound

adamzanzie: "An Oral History of The Fox and the Hound"

As I watched this movie, I was struck by how powerful its two main characters are, and how emotionally invested in them the movie makes you.


I know that this movie isn't the most "exciting" Disney film. However, I feel like this movie traded some action and fun for more emotional depth, a trade which I feel like it pulled off very well. It's been a while since an animated movie made me care so much about its characters. I loved seeing the growth that they made.

5th Place: Wreck-it-Ralph

ElectricDragon505: "Animat's Reviews: Wreck-it-Ralph"

A movie that people mistake for Pixar to this day, which just goes to show just how good it is. Wreck-it-Ralph is a very unique, well-done movie. The animation is beautiful and has tons of unique elements and character designs to it. The jokes are hilarious, the characters are meaningful, and the story is well crafted. More than anything though, I love the themes that permeate this movie, and the love and care that you can tell went into every detail. Overall, I think Wreck-it-Ralph is the perfect example of everything the Disney Revival has come to mean.

4th Place: Beauty & the Beast

Lindsay Ellis: "Is Beauty and the Beast about Stockholm Syndrome?"

This is how you make a good animated movie (though I guess I could say that about all the movies on this list). 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.

3rd Place: Tarzan

JustinWatchesMovies

I really loved how well the characters, story, and music worked together to make this movie the masterpiece that it really is. I know that this movie gets overlooked a lot, but it has some seriously deep themes about parenting, identity, and love. The movie delivers on these main themes through its soul-stirring music, lovable and interesting characters, and well-done writing.

2nd Place: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

ElectricDragon505

One of Disney's best films. All of the main characters are interesting, well developed and help present the overall themes of the movie in really cool ways. The music is Oscar worthy, and just absolutely soul-stirring. The villain is intense and powerful. This movie took a lot of risks, and it really pays off in my opinion. Of the movies on this list, this one is probably my personal favorite. So why isn't it in first place? Well, I have to admit that from an objective point of view, this movie does have some tonal issues. The movie can't seem to decide whether it's a lighthearted comedy or a deep contemplation of humanity. Although I personally am okay with the gargoyles, and even enjoy them to a degree, I must admit that they clash with the movie's themes and tone. This is a very small nitpick, however, I feel like with this being the biggest award, I should look at every detail I can.

Best Overall: Zootopia

CellSpex

This movie isn't technically my favorite Disney movie (I think that honor would have to go to either Frozen or Hunchback of Notre Dame), however, I do believe that without a doubt, this is Disney's most well-made animated 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. And, on top of all that, this movie takes real, bonafide risks--like, the kind of risks that can really ruin a movie--and those risks totally pay off in the best ways. All of these things combined makes Zootopia the best Disney movie overall.

***

And there you have it! My Disney Rankings Blog is finally complete--and it only took me 11 months to do, XD. I've really enjoyed being able to watch all of these movies and write down my thoughts about them. There were definitely some movies that surprised me with how great they were. I've thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I may do something similar like this in the future. Who knows, perhaps someday I'll make a Bottom 12 Disney list...that actually sounds pretty fun now that I think about it :). 

Now that this blog is complete, I've decided to start working on some new projects. For one thing, I'm going to start posting blog posts that center around my study of the Book of Mormon and the Bible, so be sure to read those if that interests you. 

I'm also going to be starting a YouTube channel soon. In those videos, I'll be talking about animation and animated movies/cartoons that I enjoy (or maybe not enjoy), similar to what I did here. Right now, I think my first videos will be about Dreamworks Animation and their movies, so be sure to check it out!