Disney Renaissance

[ClassyCo]

The Disney Renaissance was the period between 1989 and 1999 where Walt Disney Feature Animation returned to producing critically and financially films. These movies were primarily based on well-known stories, in a similar fashion to what the studio had perfected in the 1930s and 1940s. The resurgence brought the studio back as a box office powerhouse, with the films from this era earning substantially more profits than earlier Disney releases.

The ten films within the Disney Renaissance are as follows:



Anyone a fan of this era of Disney movies?​

Here's a good and thorough ranking from Wicked Binge on Disney Renaissance:

Do you agree or disagree with their list?

 

[Emelee]

My ranking of these:

1. Lion King
2. Little Mermaid
3. Rescuers Down Under
4. Beauty & the Beast
5. Aladdin
6. Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Pocahontas
8. Mulan
9. Hercules
10. Tarzan

 

[DallasFanForever]

I’m surprised Rescuers Down Under only made $47M worldwide. I’m not saying it was as good as The Lion King but when you see that Lion King made almost $1B that’s quite a disappointment.

 

[darkshadows38]

they aren't terrible films but Rescuers Down under (1990) and Aladdin (1992) for me are the best ones the rest some i haven't seen like Tarzan (1999) for example but they aren't among my favorites i do enjoy Beauty and the beast (1991) but it's not among my favorites. i'd say among my favorites i'd say (1940-1977) are my favorites but they were really at their peak during Disney's Era when he was still alive, they aren't terrible now but to me CGI isn't animation now drawing it with your hand is the kind i prefer and yeah i know they do that on computers now but it's just not the same thing in my book.

a friend of mine used to look at cell's and just draw them i think he had a Winnie the pooh one i dunno if he actually owns any cells cause i can't remember but he was that good i dunno why he never worked for Disney now i think he sells cars WTF?

 

[Crimson]

ALADDIN is my favorite Disney film of any era, with THE LITTLE MERMAID right behind it. I enjoy all of the films of this Disney Renaissance era, although some much more than others (except for RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, which I've never seen).

 

[the-lost-son]

The movies are great and the foundation of the Disney enterprise we know today.

But for me personally the TV series in this period are part of my childhood:
- chip 'n' Dale rescue rangers
- Gummi bears
- talespin
-Ducktales

If you enjoy the Ducktales' theme, this video might put a smile in your face:

 

[ClassyCo]

It's been sometime since I've seen some of these movies, and I've never even seen (or heard of) THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. The list I'm going to do below is based primarily off memory and my once-fondness for these particular movies.

1. The Lion King
2. Tarzan
3. Pocahontas
4. Beauty and the Beast
5. The Little Mermaid
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame
7. Mulan
8. Aladdin
9. Hercules
10. The Rescuers Down Under

My list really isn't very accurate (at least not anymore). I know that THE LION KING is still my favorite of these ten, but my ideas on the others has probably shifted over the years. Once I re-watch them, I'll do a reanalysis of what I've posted today.​

 

[darkshadows38]

really you've never heard of The Rescuers down under (1990) ? shit i remember when that came out way back when i loved the book of the 1st film that i think i still have somewhere the 1st film came out in (1977) and so it was a big deal to me when they did a sequel and me being a big Dom Delusise fan sorry for my bad spelling . he does a voice in Down Under (1990). i'd say The Three Caballeros (1946) is my favorite Disney film i also love Song of the south as well (1946)

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Back on the old site, I posted about rewatching all the Disney Animated Classics then available on Blu-ray in chronological order (there were a few gaps from then-unavailable films, The Rescuers Down Under being one of them, though I've since added it to my collection). The rise in creative quality on reaching The Little Mermaid was astounding.

For me, what really makes this era work was the decision to structure them as though they were Broadway musicals rather than films with musical interludes.

In particular, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman really set the tone for this era. Menken's scores are beautiful, and Howard brought such wit to the lyrics. It's a terrible shame that Howard died so soon into this era as theirs was an incredible musical partnership. It's also incredibly sad that Howard didn't live to see the success of Beauty And The Beast as I really feel this is their masterpiece, and a masterpiece for the studio as well.

I do also enjoy the work that Alan did with Stephen Schwartz after Howard's death, especially The Hunchback Of Notre-Dame, which is at times probably as mature and grim as Disney soundtracks have ever been.

My biggest bugbear with some films of this era is that the comedy sidekicks could be just too in-your-face and annoying. Aladdin could have been a contender for a Top Three Disney film, but Robin Williams renders it almost unwatchable for me. Likewise Eddie Murphy and Mulan.

 

[Crimson]

Aladdin could have been a contender for a Top Three Disney film, but Robin Williams renders it almost unwatchable for me. Likewise Eddie Murphy and Mulan.

I'm not too fond of Robin Williams overall, finding him to be exhaustingly frantic. His animated genie is the only time his schtick worked for me, but I think Disney learned an unfortunate lesson from that success. I think too many subsequent Disney films tried playing largely on that same over-the-top and incongruous comedy style, and none of them worked as well as ALADDIN. The entirety of HERCULES feels like an extension of the genie.

 

[darkshadows38]

i love Robin Williams but he's done a lot of shit and Aladdin is not one of them, Good Morning Vietnam (1987) is easily one of the best films ever made, The world according to Garp (1982) also is among my favorites of his. a movie like RV (2006) which i haven't seen all the way through is not a classic film of his.

as for Disney i think i like the old way better when they were actual films instead of musicals. that doesn't mean i don't enjoy the musicals i do but Robin Hood (1973) is a fantastic film that i grew up on and The Sword and the Stone (1963) is also a work of art compared to anything they are doing today. The Little Mermad (1989) don't get me is a fun little movie i watch every couple years or every few years it really varies but it's not in my top 10 favorite animated Disney films i dunno what number i'd put Aladdin (1992) though

 

[Karin Schill]

I have a soft spot for this period of Disney movies since the first movies came out when I was still a kid. So I remember watching "The little Mermaid" at the cinema with my parents. My sister and I also watched "Beauty & The Beast" and "Alladin" at the movies. I think we might have watched "The Lion King" too.

The movies came out a year after in the USA as they had to dub the voices with Swedish actors. I remember two of our favorite singers did the voices of Belle and also one of the characters of Alladin. My favorites out of all those movies is still "Beauty & the beast" the story grabbed me when I was 12. I even remember getting a rose pedal in a glass bowl with water at a second hand shop some years after first watching it.

I remember singing "Colors of the wind"from Pochahontas when I took singing lessons when I was a teenager. I also watched the movie and also the Hunchback of Notre Dame on home video. One of my sister's friends in High School had them so we borrowed them and watched them at home.

I have never watched Mulan, Tarzan or Hercules since when they came out I was basically an adult. It's not the same thing being a 10 year old girl going to the cinema with your folks and being an 18 year old. But I still have a soft spot for those early Disney renaissance movies and I am glad I was still the perfect age to watch them when they came out!

 

[darkshadows38]

true watching Cartoons on the big screen as a kid is more impactful i think than as an adult. honestly i do not remember the last cartoon i went and saw i want to say it was Bewoulf? (2007) it was a decent one to be fair but it's not a part of my collection either i did love the 3D though.

i've never seen Pochahontas to be honest though there was a girl in high school we called that too to tease her cause she did look a little like her. . the Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) i've never seen that one either nor have i seen Tarzan (1999) i do have the soundtrack around here i bought only cause Phil Collins did the music but i haven't listened to it for some reason yet. so those could be good or they could be shit i dunno. Mulan (1998) has a good message for young girls i think i'm for that but it just isn't one of my favorites nor is it one of the better ones either. Eddie Murphy in that is really the only good part in that, but do yourself a favor and stay hell away from the sequel the (2004) sequel which Murphy isn't apart of he finds out he's gonna lose his position from where he was put for helping Mulan and he spends the entire movie trying to ruin their relationship and really making you hate the character.

it's not just that it's just a plain awful film that out of i think 3 songs in it there's only 1 good one the rest are forgettable. Hercules (1997) that is one i have on dvd it's a cute one i enjoy the hell out of that one and James Woods is the key reason for that film he's just so lovable in the film even though he plays i believe the Villain in it.

i still do need to see The Black Cauldron (1985) though that's a pretty damn dark Disney film that a teacher when i was school had the book of but i never got around to actually getting around to finish it. i just could not get into it i dunno why i think it maybe due to the fact i hadn't seen the film and it was hard as hell to find for years upon years before it was able to Hit Video in maybe the late 90's ? i think it was?

 

[ClassyCo]

My wife and I watched TARZAN a few nights back, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. It's always been her favorite Disney film, and it has always been in my Top 3.

Not only is TARZAN a visually beautiful animated film, it also has a beautiful and often sentimental soundtrack by Phil Collins. He has got to be one of the best artists to contribute their voices to an animated film's soundtrack outside of Bryan Adams, who did the soundtrack for SPIRIT (2002). I often remember the songs "You'll Be in My Heart", "Son of Man", and my favorite, "Strangers Like Me". They add to the dimensions of TARZAN and help flesh out its story.

This version of TARZAN is practically the only exposure I've had with the character and story. I've seen clips of the '30s movies with Johnny Weissmuller in the lead, and the late-'60s TV show with Ron Ely as Tarzan, but outside of that, my sole influence to how I perceive Tarzan as a character and as a movie relies on this 1999 Disney classic.

I know TARZAN isn't high on everyone's list here, and I can understand that everyone's tastes aren't the same. My admiration for the film used to be based solely on the sentiment I had wrapped up in it from loving so much like I did as a child. After watching this past week, however, I must say I appreciate the movie on a more adult level. I enjoyed how the movie glided along smoothly, and didn't waste anytime on "filler" to stretch the story.

I suspect TARZAN will always be one of my favorite Disney movies. I never tire of it.

​

 

[ClassyCo]

I'm bumming someone else's Disney+, so I've decided to make my way through the Disney Renaissance films. So far, I've watched THE LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. I plan to watch them in order, but I'm going to skip THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER because it's a sequel to a movie I've never even seen.

 

[Crimson]

I'm bumming someone else's Disney+

I'm calling the cops.

 

[ClassyCo]

I finally got the Disney Renaissance films re-watched, minus THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. I was actually a little surprised at how my ranking has turned out.

1) The Lion King (1994)
2) Beauty and the Beast (1991)
3) Pocahontas (1995)
4) Tarzan (1999)
5) Mulan (1998)
6) The Little Mermaid (1989)
7) Aladdin (1992)
8) Hercules (1997)
9) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

For me, THE LION KING is the crown jewel of the Disney Renaissance. In this animated animal retelling of Shakespeare's HAMLET, we see life through Simba and how he wrestles with the death of his father and claiming the throne of Pride Rock. Scar is one of the best and wickedly witty villains of the lot, and the movie has some wonderful scenery. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is one of the best romance ballads there's ever been, even if I would've preferred it had the song not been book-ended by Timon and Pumbaa's comedic banter. This movie is a classic from start to finish, with practically every frame a masterpiece in itself. THE LION KING will never, unless something drastic were to happen, leave to top spot on this list. It is near-perfect, and I wouldn't change hardly anything about it.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST climbed drastically up my list during this re-watch. I have next-to-no memories of watching it as a kid, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie during this recent reviewing of it. I found the romance between Belle and the Beast to be natural and engaging, the scenery beautiful, and the supporting cast to be full of colorful, memorable, and loveable characters. The scene of Belle and the Beast dancing in the ballroom has got to be one of the prettiest scenes I've seen in an animated film. I was genuinely invested in how the main duo was going end up together before it was all over. Angela Lansbury is the standout voice in the cast, with her rendition of the title song being nothing short of iconic, but this movie just couldn't beat THE LION KING.

Historical accuracy aside, POCAHONTAS is a beautiful, heartwarming, and emotional movie. I don't even connect the Disney version of Pocahontas with what we know about the historical figure when I watch it. I just enjoy it as a Disney movie, and on that merit, it is a masterpiece of animated entertainment. The colors are beautiful, the songs are great (with "Colors of the Wind" being the highlight), and I was thoroughly engrossed into the romance between Pocahontas and John Smith. In all seriousness, I was honestly quite sad at the final shot of her standing atop a mountain as he sails away to England. Perhaps my biggest drawback was that Governor Ratcliffe wasn't the best villain, even if I did like that they at least attempted to disguise the reveal of him as the film's primary antagonist.

TARZAN has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. Along with THE LION KING, this movie was always in my VHS player when I was a kid. It has breathtaking scenery that almost makes me feel like I am actually in the jungle with Tarzan, Jane, and their animal buddies. I recently discovered that some people don't like this movie because Phil Collins sings all the songs. Since when is that a bad thing? Every song in this movie is an absolute winner, and I don't hesitate to vote the TARZAN soundtrack as the best of the Renaissance. I'm not entirely invested in the relationship between Tarzan and Jane, and the movie is quite sad at the beginning with the death of Tarzan's biological parents. Oh, and Rosie O'Donnell as Terk is more grating than when I was a kid. That aside, the movie is very good, and I can't brag on it enough.

MULAN is my wife's favorite of the Renaissance films, but I don't believe I've ever seen this movie before I watched it earlier today. In what might be the "coolest" of the films, I like the story of how a woman steps into a man's world and does the job even better than the men. The plot is actually quite progressive for the time, and especially for an animate film. Eddie Murphy provides some good comic relief as Mushu, and I didn't feel that he was overused. Similar to TARZAN, I didn't find myself rooting for Mulan and Li-Shang to be a couple, but the movie itself was very enjoyable and perhaps my biggest surprise on this list.

I've seen clips over the years of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but I don't know if I've seen the movie in its entirety before now. First, I must brag on Ursula (deliciously voiced by Pat Carroll) being one of Disney's strongest and more memorable villains. For me, she's got the best song: "Poor Unfortunate Souls". There are other good songs, some good voice work, some pretty animation, but the biggest drawback for me was the romance between Ariel and Eric. They barely knew each other. Sure, I'm aware its a fairy tale, but I just wasn't along for their whirlwind romance. Had their been more Ursula and the main relationship been better developed, this movie would've been at least one place higher on this list.

With all the hype, I must admit ALADDIN was the biggest disappointment for me. Aside from the song "A Whole New World", Jafar as a good villain, and some pretty coloring, I didn't particularly like this movie at all. For one, Aladdin lies to Jasmine throughout their entire relationship, and they overuse Robin Williams as the genie. While talented, Williams can be a little irritating for me, and in this role as genie, he's just too much. They could've trimmed his scenes a little and maybe I would've liked the movie better.

HERCULES leans too heavy into Greek mythology, and it looses me along the way. There are some funny parts, but as a Christian, his presentation as a god, the song "That's the Gospel Truth", and some other references just don't sit well with me.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME was the worst of the lot, even if I'd stop short of calling it a bad movie. Visually, the movie is impressive, but the story is much too somber for my liking. The intertwining themes of prejudice, sin, redemption, and hatred are just a little much for my personal preference when I go into a Disney movie. This was the hardest movie for me to get through, with me stopping multiple times and forcing myself to continue on and finish it.

What say you?

Go do your own binge of the movies and rank them yourself.

 

[Toni]

I finally got the Disney Renaissance films re-watched, minus THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER. I was actually a little surprised at how my ranking has turned out.

1) The Lion King (1994)
2) Beauty and the Beast (1991)
3) Pocahontas (1995)
4) Tarzan (1999)
5) Mulan (1998)
6) The Little Mermaid (1989)
7) Aladdin (1992)
8) Hercules (1997)
9) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

For me, THE LION KING is the crown jewel of the Disney Renaissance. In this animated animal retelling of Shakespeare's HAMLET, we see life through Simba and how he wrestles with the death of his father and claiming the throne of Pride Rock. Scar is one of the best and wickedly witty villains of the lot, and the movie has some wonderful scenery. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is one of the best romance ballads there's ever been, even if I would've preferred it had the song not been book-ended by Timon and Pumbaa's comedic banter. This movie is a classic from start to finish, with practically every frame a masterpiece in itself. THE LION KING will never, unless something drastic were to happen, leave to top spot on this list. It is near-perfect, and I wouldn't change hardly anything about it.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST climbed drastically up my list during this re-watch. I have next-to-no memories of watching it as a kid, but I thoroughly enjoyed the movie during this recent reviewing of it. I found the romance between Belle and the Beast to be natural and engaging, the scenery beautiful, and the supporting cast to be full of colorful, memorable, and loveable characters. The scene of Belle and the Beast dancing in the ballroom has got to be one of the prettiest scenes I've seen in an animated film. I was genuinely invested in how the main duo was going end up together before it was all over. Angela Lansbury is the standout voice in the cast, with her rendition of the title song being nothing short of iconic, but this movie just couldn't beat THE LION KING.

Historical accuracy aside, POCAHONTAS is a beautiful, heartwarming, and emotional movie. I don't even connect the Disney version of Pocahontas with what we know about the historical figure when I watch it. I just enjoy it as a Disney movie, and on that merit, it is a masterpiece of animated entertainment. The colors are beautiful, the songs are great (with "Colors of the Wind" being the highlight), and I was thoroughly engrossed into the romance between Pocahontas and John Smith. In all seriousness, I was honestly quite sad at the final shot of her standing atop a mountain as he sails away to England. Perhaps my biggest drawback was that Governor Ratcliffe wasn't the best villain, even if I did like that they at least attempted to disguise the reveal of him as the film's primary antagonist.

TARZAN has always been one of my favorite Disney movies. Along with THE LION KING, this movie was always in my VHS player when I was a kid. It has breathtaking scenery that almost makes me feel like I am actually in the jungle with Tarzan, Jane, and their animal buddies. I recently discovered that some people don't like this movie because Phil Collins sings all the songs. Since when is that a bad thing? Every song in this movie is an absolute winner, and I don't hesitate to vote the TARZAN soundtrack as the best of the Renaissance. I'm not entirely invested in the relationship between Tarzan and Jane, and the movie is quite sad at the beginning with the death of Tarzan's biological parents. Oh, and Rosie O'Donnell as Terk is more grating than when I was a kid. That aside, the movie is very good, and I can't brag on it enough.

MULAN is my wife's favorite of the Renaissance films, but I don't believe I've ever seen this movie before I watched it earlier today. In what might be the "coolest" of the films, I like the story of how a woman steps into a man's world and does the job even better than the men. The plot is actually quite progressive for the time, and especially for an animate film. Eddie Murphy provides some good comic relief as Mushu, and I didn't feel that he was overused. Similar to TARZAN, I didn't find myself rooting for Mulan and Li-Shang to be a couple, but the movie itself was very enjoyable and perhaps my biggest surprise on this list.

I've seen clips over the years of THE LITTLE MERMAID, but I don't know if I've seen the movie in its entirety before now. First, I must brag on Ursula (deliciously voiced by Pat Carroll) being one of Disney's strongest and more memorable villains. For me, she's got the best song: "Poor Unfortunate Souls". There are other good songs, some good voice work, some pretty animation, but the biggest drawback for me was the romance between Ariel and Eric. They barely knew each other. Sure, I'm aware its a fairy tale, but I just wasn't along for their whirlwind romance. Had their been more Ursula and the main relationship been better developed, this movie would've been at least one place higher on this list.

With all the hype, I must admit ALADDIN was the biggest disappointment for me. Aside from the song "A Whole New World", Jafar as a good villain, and some pretty coloring, I didn't particularly like this movie at all. For one, Aladdin lies to Jasmine throughout their entire relationship, and they overuse Robin Williams as the genie. While talented, Williams can be a little irritating for me, and in this role as genie, he's just too much. They could've trimmed his scenes a little and maybe I would've liked the movie better.

HERCULES leans too heavy into Greek mythology, and it looses me along the way. There are some funny parts, but as a Christian, his presentation as a god, the song "That's the Gospel Truth", and some other references just don't sit well with me.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME was the worst of the lot, even if I'd stop short of calling it a bad movie. Visually, the movie is impressive, but the story is much too somber for my liking. The intertwining themes of prejudice, sin, redemption, and hatred are just a little much for my personal preference when I go into a Disney movie. This was the hardest movie for me to get through, with me stopping multiple times and forcing myself to continue on and finish it.

What say you?

Go do your own binge of the movies and rank them yourself.

I'd change Tarzan for Hunchback, but agree with you about the rest.

 

[ClassyCo]

I'd change Tarzan for Hunchback, but agree with you about the rest.

So, wait, you'd put TARZAN in last place?

 

[Toni]

So, wait, you'd put TARZAN in last place?

Yess, and I usually love Phil Collins, but I don't like this one at all!