I want to try to do something more goofy and lighthearted in between putting out serious contemplative material. And, what's more and lighthearted than Disney? Granted, some of my movie choices, or the content within these movies, can be serious, and that is part of my reason for putting that movie on this list. However, when it comes down to it, I have just enjoyed watching Disney movies since my earliest childhood days and I wanted to share my reasons for why these 5 movies (in no particular order) are my favorites.
P.S.-Note that most, if not all of these choices, are not the most popular, not the most music oriented, and certainly contain a very minimal amount of princesses. So, this list will look a little different than what you might expect a Top Disney Movies list to look like.
Robin Hood
As the Nostalgia Critic noted in his Disneycember review of this movie, most kids were introduced to the legend of Robin Hood through this version. I count myself among that number who first heard of the legendary outlaw through Disney.
This is one of the those Disney movies that the boys can really dig without having to feel embarassed to admit they're watching Disney (unlike the princess movies). Naturally, there's plenty of archery , romance, and swordplay but maybe even moreso there's plenty of comedy. I get a kick out of just thinking of scenes like Robin Hood and Little John dressing as fortune tellers, or Little John pretending to be a Duke and befriending Prince John, or Hiss and Prince John arguing.
It was great fun seeing these animal characters move and act like normal humans, and yet are given moments and distinctions that correspond with their animal type (the elephants use their noses to trumpet, Prince John who is royalty is a lion, etc.). It didn't distract me that these were animals portraying people, in fact, I think that was what drew me in as a kid and remains part of the nostalgic appeal of this movie.
While Robin Hood is an enjoyable lead, Little John practically steals the show between the character's dialogue and its delivery from Phil Harris. Also, this is the one of the few movies I recall Disney actually showing a church and throwing moral theology into the storyline. Friar Tuck as a character, his reaction to the wickedness of the Sheriff and Prince John, and Robin Hood's charity are all positive examples of good morality fighting selfish greed (even including when Friar Tuck goes berserk on the Sheriff). In the end, even the songs are catchy and are nostalgic staples of my childhood. Robin Hood is just overall fun.
The Sword in the Stone
While the animation style and the overall story are not high on the epic quality scale by Disney standards, it's the characters that make this movie. The character of Merlin as a grumpy, clutzy, yet wizened wizard is hilarious, as is his interaction with his talking owl Archimedes. I can overlook the constant changes in Wart's (i.e. young King Arthur's) voice because he is the most identifiable character in the movie. I identify with Wart not just because I'm a boy but, because of his adventures with Merlin, Wart is learning many things and his reactions often reflect my reactions (especially when I was little).
I like Merlin's little references here and there to what the future (which is our present or past history) will be like and how it blows Wart's mind. The wizards duel between Merlin and Mim is great fun and it's cool to see Merlin win using wit and brains to overcome Mim's cheating ways. The different moments when Merlin changes himself and Wart into animals are wonderful because they are educational as well as entertaining (though the biggest lessons I learned were that a big fish likes to eat little fish and girls can be annoying when they flirt with their crush). It's the humor and character interactions that make The Sword in the Stone so good to me.
Fantasia
I already explained why I like this movie in my Top 23 movies series, so I'll just note why it's one of my Top 5 Disney movies. This feels like one of Disney's most mature and artsy releases. It feels like watching high art, between the professional classical orchestra and the top notch drawings in each of the vignettes. Fantasia goes through a wide variety of tones and emotions, from dark to light, scary to peaceful, funny to serious.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
As for the first half of the movie, The Wind in the Willows, it's enjoyable enough. The side characters, like Mole and Rat and the Horse, are very funny and given some great lines. The climactic scene in Toad Hall is thrilling too. It's the second half about Sleepy Hollow that I enjoy most in this movie.
First, Bing Crosby's narration is superb, as are his singing bits. He has a great voice for storytelling, especially when the story is as outlandish, charming, and terrifying as this one. Second, this story makes the main cast of characters simultaneously likable and despicable, making it confusing as to who to root for. Ichabod is a victim yet incredibly greedy, Brom is the town hero yet arrogant, and Katrina is pretty but vain. I like that complexity.
Not to mention, Ichabod's trip through Sleepy Hollow and the encounter with the Headless Horsemen is very horrifying. It's one of those classic childhood moments of fright that stick with me even today. The tone for this climactic encounter is set even before Ichabod arrives in the hollow, back when Brom sings the song about the Horseman. From that song onward, the goofy love triangle quickly becomes a faded memory, due to the atmosphere that the filmmakers, from the artists to the sound effects to the musicians, create. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has a lot of emotional range and complexity for a kid's movie.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Where to begin with this movie? This movie utilizes several elements that I liked about previous movies on this list. This is one of Disney's most mature and dark releases, one of its major settings is a church, and it includes ideas of moral theology. I think the songs are some of the best parts of the movie. Not just because of how well they are sung (the music is beautiful), but also because the lyrics reflect incredible ideas and character conflict.
At the end of Bells of Notre Dame, Clopin asks "Who is the monster and who is the man?", which really translates to "Is a person a monstrosity because of their appearance or because of their actions?". In Out There, Quasimodo sings "If I was in their skin, I'd treasure every instant out there" and "Just one day, and then I swear I'd be content with my share", telling the audience to appreciate the beautiful things in the world and to not take our freedom and our surroundings for granted. In God Help the Outcast, we hear Esmarelda sing a humble prayer to beg for aid for her people while others, like Biblical Pharisees, pretend to be pious while selfishly asking for things of vanity. Esmeralda even sings "I thought we all were children of God", marking that all of us are creations from God and that even the poorest and most desperate humans have the same dignity as non-outcasts. In Hellfire, we see Judge Frollo struggle between his pious devotion to God and the sexual temptations he feels towards Esmarelda. Even though Frollo, the symbol of religious piety, is the villain, we still get good characters like the Archdeacon, Quasimodo, and even Esmarelda as a counterbalance so that the audience can see what the dangers are of extremist-type devotion and how a person can truly live out a life of charity.
The artistry is beautiful. Not just the Cathedral of Notre Dame (which is gorgeous to see in such intricate detail), but the whole town of Paris and its citizenry provide a wonderful look back in time. This movie has stuff for both adults and kids, which should be how a family friendly movie is done (I didn't even realize the names of the male gargoyles were references to the author of the Hunchback of Notre Dame book until rewatching it a couple years ago). The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an underrated gem, especially because of the great music.
