Disneyneeds to take a step back, revisit old projects, and refocus in order to create satisfying and unique animated stories. Disney has always been a leader in the animated space, until more recently when it seems like the studio’s focus is elsewhere. Now that Disney owns a significant chunk of all entertainment media, and several of the biggest IPs ever made, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar and so much more, it feels as though the studio is less interested in making new exciting animated films.
Instead,Disney has spent time remaking classics into live-action, and outsourcing animated projects to studios like Pixar. But the fact is thatDisney still has so much potential for quality, creative, and innovative animated stories. Animation has a way of connecting with audiences across age ranges and various demographics, and Disney has done it best in the past.
8Alice in Wonderland (1951)
Directed By Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson & Wilfred Jackson
Alice in Wonderlandis one of the most bizarre and thrilling stories ever written. The original novel was by Lewis Carroll, and Disney’s adaptation stood out as the very best, despite other attempts to adapt the story into a live-action setting.This movie proved how animation could defy the laws of logic, and explore the wonders and mysteries of fictional stories in a more innovative and original way.
Alice in Wonderland
Cast
Based on the stories of Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland follows the adventures of a young girl after she finds herself in a magical world. She finds Wonderland colorful and enchanting, but it’s dangerous, too: Alice quickly falls afoul of the Red Queen, who has a preoccupation with beheadings. With the help of her new friends, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, and the White Rabbit, Alice must use her head to find her way home.
In addition, despite some of the more intense and dark subject matter within the book, the medium of animation was able to soften the intensity and open the story up to the masses. If Disney were to revisit this kind of creative, bizarre, and original content in animation, it could potentially see big success.Adapting novels and fairy tales has always been an area that Disney excelled at, so there is no reason they couldn’t do it again.
7The Black Cauldron (1985)
Directed By Ted Berman & Richard Rich
Disney also has the platform and size to be able to take obscure or lesser-known stories and make them into global sensations.The Black Cauldronis a lesser-known Disney film from 1985 that took Welsh Mythology, adapted through the lens of novels by Lloyd Alexander, and turned it intoa sensational action adventure film. With a young hero, and an array of magical cast of characters, this movie is incredible, and the animation is a core part of that.
The Black Cauldron
The Black Cauldron is an animated fantasy film from Walt Disney Studios, directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich. Released in 1985, it follows the young hero Taran and his quest to prevent the evil Horned King from obtaining a powerful magical relic known as the Black Cauldron. Featuring the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, and John Hurt, the film combines elements of adventure, mystery, and dark fantasy.
By and large, when a movie features a younger protagonist, it limits the capabilities of the storytelling to what that actor can and can’t do.With animation, young heroes can defy all possibilities, and stand out as incredible heroes. This connects with younger viewers in a way that most stories can’t and Disney should consider revisiting this type of story in an animated format.
6Treasure Planet (2002)
Directed By John Musker & Ron Clements
Treasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the most famous novels ever written. And as such, it has been adapted several times. However, Disney delivered one of themore unique and exciting versions of the story withTreasure Planet.
Rather than create a direct adaptation of the story,Disney took the foundation of the narrative and put it on an intergalactic scale. In live-action, it’s considerably more challenging to take a story and put it into a setting that doesn’t exist. It can be done, but animation is clearly a better medium for delivering these types of stories.
Treasure Planet
Treasure Planet is a 2002 animated adventure and Fantasy film from Walt Disney studios. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the story follows a young boy named Jim Hawkins as he attempts to find a fabled treasure and mend ways with his father who abandoned him.
Likewise, taking a beloved story and reimagining it is another thing that Disney has done incredibly well with in the past.This story and the adaptation could serve as a point of inspirationfor the studio to create equally ambitious and expansive stories.
5Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Directed By Kirk Wise & Gary Trousdale
However, Disney hasn’t always relied on other books and stories to serve as the foundation of their stories. At times, they have created far-reaching, sweeping stories that explore the hidden corners of the world, myths and legends, and fantasy. Such was the case when Disney madeAtlantis: The Lost Empire, a film that is criminally underrated.
In 2001, this movie hit theaters, andproved just how spectacular Disney’s imagination for storytelling could be. The story takes the lost world of Atlantis, a mythological kingdom, and breathes life into it with imagined advanced technology, language, and incredible intrigue. This story is easily one of the most creative and spectacular by Disney, and one well worth revisiting.
4Meet The Robinsons (2007)
Directed By Stephen J. Anderson
Meet the Robinsonsis one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. Not just in terms of animation, but literally, this story about an orphan child and his road to finding a family is breathtaking. From the wonderful sci-fi setting with the incredible time-travel storyline, to the quirky Robinson family, who are far from the average family, this movie is a spectacle in all the best ways.
The film deliversa wonderful, intriguing, and mysterious story, but at its core, it contains a simple, beautiful message. When things get hard, or you falter or fail, you just “Keep moving forward.” Dory repurposed the same idea inFinding Nemowith “Just keep swimming,” but I thoroughly believeMeet the Robinsonsdid it better. It’s beautiful, heart-warming, and the best of Disney, despite being an underrated treasure.
3Big Hero 6 (2014)
Directed By Don Hall & Chris Williams
Due to Disney owning Marvel, they opened the door to a lot of great crossover stories. Now, there are several Marvel Studios animated shows, likeWhat If…?,X-Men ‘97andYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, but when Disney took the lead and madeBig Hero 6based on a Marvel Comics series, it was a huge hit.
The mature themes are handled elegantly, and despite exploring dark topics, the movie manages to connect with audiences across various age ranges.
Similar toMeet the Robinsons,the story is deep and heartfelt, with mature emotional themes. However,Big Hero 6had no problems appealing to the masses with its beautiful visuals and imaginative story. Hiro is a genius inventor, and despite his young age, he manages to make breakthroughs that could change the world.
However, when his brother dies in a terrible incident, Hiro falls into a dark depression. The mature themes are handled elegantly, and despite exploring dark topics, the movie manages to connect with audiences across various age ranges. Disney could learn a lot from this film in terms of how best to appeal to broad audiences and tell meaningful stories.
2The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Directed By Henry Selick
In another way,The Nightmare Before Christmasis also a more mature story, though the themes are decidedly different. This movie,based on a short poem by Tim Burton,was a clear departure from Disney’s usual stories, and as such, Disney released it under a sub-label. However, the popularity and perseverance of the film, and the incredible soundtrack, have elevated this movie to become a seasonal classic.
The Nightmare Before Christmasshowed that Disney does not need to stay within set lines and boundaries. Instead, it can color outside the lines, take risks, and do things that may not be a hit with everyone. But despite not trying to appeal to the masses,movies like this can find their own dedicated fanbase, and become all the more meaningful because of their distinctive natures.
1The Aristocats (1970)
Directed By Wolfgang Reitherman
Finally, Disney does one thing really well with animated films that appear to be hit or miss for some more recent releases. The music that Disney releases, and the iconic soundtracks for movies like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Frozen have transcended the films themselves.
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But Disney has always been in the business of making animated feature films with strong musical identities. However, I would dispute that many of the earlier Disney films had only one or two solid songs, which failed to create an overarching musical identity. That all changed with movies likeTheAristocats.The Jungle Bookpreceded this film by three years, but in the 1970sThe Aristocatsmade music a core focus of the film.
It also follows a group of anthropomorphized cats, which make up the core cast of the story. This focus on alternative, unusual casts, and music make it a standout entry inDisney’slineup, and one worth revisiting for more inspiration on where the company can go with their films next.
