Best of the Disney Renaissance

[King James]

Which film is your favorite of the Disney renaissance period?

[Hurricane]

I wouldn't say that it's the best out of those choices, but my personal favorite is Mulan.

[Ecurb]

The Hunchback was ridiculous, with its happy ending. Why not make a cartoon version of Moby Dick, in which a dancing and singing Moby makes pals with Captain Ahab? Hercules was pathetic. Tarzan had some good animation, but the story was weak. The Rescuers was awash in mediocrity.

The Little Mermaid was a trollop, with her flirty sea-shell bra and her constant mooning about “The Boy”. In addition, the original story is so good that ruining it seems a crime (although there were a couple of good numbers in the show).

I didn’t see Pocahontas, or Mulan. That leaves The Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. I voted for Beauty and the Beast, over Lion King, by a bestial whisker.

[OrphanPip]

There are things about The Lion King that I just can't get over, that really annoy me.

In my opinion, Beauty and the Beast is the best Disney film of that era. Since I'm 23 years old I grew up with all of these films. I don't think they hold up as well in retrospect as the Disney golden age, but are much better than those Disney films of the 70s and 80s.

One thing to say about the Disney Renaissance films, they had the best musical numbers.

[qimissung]

I voted for The Lion King. Maybe it was the opening and closing music, anyway, I loved it. Beauty and the Beast is also a winner. These movies were all coming out when my kids were growing up, so I remember them fondly.

[Helga]

I never liked beauty and the beast, the princess or pretty girl thing was never for me. I voted Lion King, maybe because I saw it when my dad was really sick and I knew he was not coming home again, or because it was the only one I saw in a movie theater, or simply because it had animals and not people.... but my son loves it too and I like their explanation of life and death, the circle of life. that is what I teach my son so it is good to have a movie he likes that helps explain it.

[Snowqueen]

My vote goes to Beauty and the Beast.

[Lokasenna]

Ahem...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRO-M4XyAbM

This? In a Disney film?

Sure, the idea to make a cartoon adaptation of something as dark as Notre Dame du Paris was a bold move, but I was bowled over by how well it actually worked. So I have to disagree with you, Ecurb - I think they did a fantastic job with a complex, adult text, keeping most of the spirit of the original while making it accessible for children. Having only ever seen it as an adult, I was impressed - a lot of the darker stuff (particularly Frollo's overtly sexual fascination with Esmerelda) would go right over the heads of kids who couldn't comprehend the idea, but was pitched just right for older viewers who could. About the only thing I didn't like was the three gargoyle sidekicks, but even they a subtely suggested to be nothing more than a product of Quasimodo's tortured mind - again, kids would appreciate the magic and adults would get the subtle tragedy.

Mulan is pretty awesome as well. One of the fringe benefits of having god-children is that I get to watch quite a lot of the Disney films I missed during my childhood, and some of them really are great films.

[Ecurb]

Sure, the idea to make a cartoon adaptation of something as dark as Notre Dame du Paris was a bold move, but I was bowled over by how well it actually worked. So I have to disagree with you, Ecurb - I think they did a fantastic job with a complex, adult text, keeping most of the spirit of the original while making it accessible for children.
.

Not even close in, in my opinion. Why not make a cartoon version of the Bible where Jesus doesn't get crucified, but runs off to live happily ever after with Mary Magdalene? In the book, Esmerelda is hanged. What happens to Quasimodo is unclear, until the last two paragraphs of the novel. Here they are:

As for the mysterious disappearance of Quasimodo, this is all that we have been able to discover.

About eighteen months or two years after the events which terminate this story, when search was made in that cavern for the body of Olivier le Daim, who had been hanged two days previously, and to whom Charles VIII. had granted the favor of being buried in Saint Laurent, in better company, they found among all those hideous carcasses two skeletons, one of which held the other in its embrace. One of these skeletons, which was that of a woman, still had a few strips of a garment which had once been white, and around her neck was to be seen a string of adrézarach beads with a little silk bag ornamented with green glass, which was open and empty. These objects were of so little value that the executioner had probably not cared for them. The other, which held this one in a close embrace, was the skeleton of a man. It was noticed that his spinal column was crooked, his head seated on his shoulder blades, and that one leg was shorter than the other. Moreover, there was no fracture of the vertebrae at the nape of the neck, and it was evident that he had not been hanged. Hence, the man to whom it had belonged had come thither and had died there. When they tried to detach the skeleton which he held in his embrace, he fell to dust.

[OrphanPip]

Not even close in, in my opinion. Why not make a cartoon version of the Bible where Jesus doesn't get crucified, but runs off to live happily ever after with Mary Magdalene? In the book, Esmerelda is hanged. What happens to Quasimodo is unclear, until the last two paragraphs of the novel. Here they are:

I'd love to see that, the Bible is such a drag. Although, it would probably be better if Jesus got to have his final song while being crucified, I'm sure that would work. And Pontius Pilot could get an awesome villain song.

Oh wait, they've already made a ridiculous Jesus musical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvVr2uks0C8

[Ecurb]

At least they didn't call it "The Bible". I don't care if Disney wants to make a musical cartoon on whatever subject they please -- but it's disrespectful to call it "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and then completely alter the plot. It's also a rip-off -- banking disingenuously on the name of the famous novel to help them sell tickets -- and then failing to deliver the promised goods.