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Reviews
The Lion King (1994)
Okay...but massively overrated
The Lion King is easily one of the most popular Disney movies out there and perhaps that's because it was very popular with kids at the time and those kids who have grown up now still consider it Disney's best. It is a visual treat which underlines themes of love and loss.
But people call this the "adult" story of Disney and honestly, I find it to be one of the more childish entries in the Canon. Yes, Mufasa's death is pretty hard for a kids film but after that, the movie just continues with a very childish tone. Take Timon and Puumba, for example, who are thrown into the plot to remedy the movie from being too heavy-handed.The scene where they're looking up at the stars and make fun of Simba is rather disconcerting - they literally just laughed at him for speaking of his late father's wisdom. Really? In general, the story is weak and really loses itself after Mufasa's death.
The characters also weren't as good as everyone says. Everyone claims Scar is the best Disney villain....but all he really did was kill his own brother, that's literally it. Why would he send his minions to kill Simba when he's knows how unreliable they are? And when he is in power, he's just lazy. How did Scar gain the title of best Disney villain? Timon and Puumba are also extraneous to the plot just to keep the kids demographic interested. But the worst is Simba and Nala. Not only are they both bland and boring but the romance between them is rather questionable considering they could be brother and sister (or at least cousins).
The music is fine but it doesn't quite live up to the works of Alan Menken and Howard Ashmen in previous Disney movies. The only two songs I loved were The Circle of Life and Be Prepared. Other than that, the soundtrack is somewhat weak. I just can't wait to be King is frivolous and random to the plot, Hakuna Matata has some very stupid lyrics and a whole verse dedicated to a warthog's flatulence, Can You feel the love tonight is a very syrupy song which just doesn't work with its very weak lyrics - "Why won't he be the king I know he is. The king I see inside".
The Lion King can't seem to keep up with its own maturity. The fart jokes, the bi-polar tone of being serious and silly, the questionable incest within the romance....it all just doesn't work for me. A highly overrated movie.
The Black Cauldron (1985)
Better than the reputation suggests
The Black Cauldron will never go down as a classic in Disney's history. It was a complete commercial failure upon first release and it's somewhat easy to understand why - no musical numbers (just an underscore), no fairy tale romance, steps on the dark side an awful lot etc.
Negatives: The protagonist is very irritating, the voice work for Taran, Eilonwey and Gurgi is grating and distracting. There's a few animation inconsistencies and the story-line does feel a little scattered and unfocused at times. Examples of this is when they encounter the witches and the fairies. The jump scares are quite overwhelming too - it makes any viewer anxious of what's going to happen next.
Positivies: The villain is seriously one of Disney's best. The Horned King is haunting, mesmerizing, powerful and terrifying all at once. He's very impressive and I would class him in my top 10 Disney villains. The animation, though inconsistent, is very beautifully drawn at times and detailed (the design of the castle). I also love the scene where the Horned King summons the dead and they march together. It's very haunting to watch but also chilling in a satisfying way.
Yes, The Black Cauldron is certainly not for everyone. And it's definitely not geared towards children. But none the less I enjoy it and it's one which I will considering re-watching soon.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
One of the strongest from Disney's experimental era
Whether you love or hate this film, no one can deny the hard work put into it. For starters, it inspired a new language - Atlantean. The animation is also very good (and one of Disney's last to be animated in its classic form before the horrible Chicken Little came along).
The characters certainly are easy to engage with, especially the main protagonist Milo who is adorkable and a hard worker. Atlantis TLE is also one of the most original story lines Disney has ever come up with for a while too. It's also very much action-packed and has some humour to.
A couple of criticisms I have is that I felt a little bit bored at times so I guess the plot isn't completely solid and the comedy side of it came off as quite gimmicky sometimes (mostly derived by Mole's character).
Overall, Atlantis is not the greatest Disney film ever but it certainly is worth a watch and greatly under appreciated.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
The. Greatest. Disney. Film. Ever.
Okay, I know by the statement 'The Greatest Disney Film Ever', it always sounds like an exaggeration. But in my honest opinion, and as someone who's watched Disney since before they could walk, I don't see why I shouldn't consider this the greatest Disney film ever.
It has everything needed for a Disney movie. It has beautiful animation, fun and engaging characters, humor, emotion, originality, a strong storyline, action-packed - the list goes on!
First of all, I must talk about the ensemble of characters used within this film. Each one has their own steer and adds something to the film. I absolutely adore the character of Hiro and his character journey. Disney have taken a much younger protagonist who I believe is someone anyone of any age can relate to. Hiro is someone who has a major loss in his life but is taught to move on and grow up. We also see a clear maturing point when Hiro learns from his older brother when he goes into the portal to save Abigail (much like Tadashi faced similar danger when going into the burning building). Baymax is also one of the greatest characters Disney has ever adapted on to the big screen. He's charming, adorable and brings the comedy element to Big Hero 6. I can't name a single person who didn't enjoy him as a character.
Of course, those are not the only two characters that are engaging to view. As I said before, each character brings something new and different to the film. Aunt Cass is the fun and hip auntie, voiced by the perfectly matched Maya Rudolph. The villain of the story has completely changed the dynamics of antagonists within Disney. He may not be the scariest villain or charismatic but he certainly has mystery and menace about him. And all characters Fred, Go-Go, Honey- Lemon and Wasabi are the dysfunctional yet caring group of friends for Hiro who help Hiro to grow up and bring out happiness within him.
Big Hero 6 is also one of the most stunningly animated Disney films ever (in fact, I only find it second best to the 1940's Pinocchio). The concept of the Hybrid city 'San Fransokyo' is new and innovative which has been created beautifully for the big screen. Yes, the animators certainly didn't cut corners when producing the image of the film. Each second of it is well detailed and a beauty to view.
The humour of BH6 is also brilliant. Most of it admittedly derives from Baymax and his hilarious one liners but that's not all. Aunt Cass being over the top and excited, Wasabi being ironically cautious for someone who comes across built and tough, the amazing and action-packed montages which are exciting and hilarious.
However, Big Hero 6, in my opinion, is the saddest and most emotionally-stimulating Disney movie since The Lion King, and I think this also adds to the strong themes of the film. Tadashi passing away was both unpredictable and saddening. But it didn't end there - Baymax's health-care programme being violated, Hiro seeing Tadashi on video, the temporary loss of Baymax etc. all added to the strong emotion of this film which is what made the entire discourse of it so brilliantly executed.
To conclude, Big Hero 6 was seriously the greatest of Disney's works for a long time. The constant stream of action and excitement was enough for me to at least like this movie. But the fact that it was also incredibly animated, filled with hilarity, had a strong group of characters, layered with strong messages and morals AND emotionally moving just proves it just the best Disney film title.
I know this film was widely criticized by many fans but I still think it's worth the watch and a great film for anyone to see.