The Disney Classics are of great importance in the history of animated film. ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’) kicked off in 1937, and since then, the studio has given us dozens of unforgettable titles that have marked the childhood of millions of people throughout the planet.
This time we want to remember the most prominent animated titles in the studio with a review of the 23 best Disney movies of all time.
The criterion, as usual in this type of article, is still the personal opinion of the person who writes, so do not take it as absolute truth. In addition, I would like to add that I have only considered the titles made entirely with cartoons. Without further ado, I leave you to judge as you read about the best Disney movies of all time.
THE BEST DISNEY MOVIES OF ALL TIME
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (101 Dalmatians)
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wolfgang Reitherman
There are many memorable villains in the company’s animated Classics, but I will always be left with the fearsome Cruella de Vil, partly for having a greater attachment to reality rather than having a more proper origin of a bad story. Of course, the film also works quite well until its appearance with everything related to Pongo, Perdita, and their owners, but then goes to another level thanks to it.
Aladdin
Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements
The unforgettable genius with the voice of Robin Williams in the original version – and Josema Yuste in Spain – is one of the best Disney characters, but here is also a great adventure with a first-rate villain and the two protagonists are turn most interesting characters. To that, we add a handful of unforgettable songs, and we have something so stimulating that even his first direct sequel to video ended up being quite dignified.
Alice in Wonderland
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske
A waste of imagination with which I must confess that I did not connect too much as a child but to which I have been getting more and more appreciation over the years and the number of revisions. A succession of dazzling ideas that may fit into each other in an improved way, but that keeps the viewer fascinated in the visual section, although the incredible display of secondaries also greatly helps.
Basil the Great Mouse Detective
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener
I am aware that it is not the best Disney movie, but that does not prevent it from being my favorite made by this studio. As a child, I was fascinated by the variant he proposed from the universe of Sherlock Holmes, that darker touch than usual in the company, a couple of magnificent songs, that anthological villain with the voice of Vincent Price and that incredible animation work during the stretch final. A delight to claim.
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Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Directors: David Hand, Wilfred Jackson
The film that started it all, laying not only the basis of Disney’s fairy tales but of all the animated films that would come later. It is true that there are certain situations in it that can be seen as somewhat cheesy by the current public, but its unquestionable charm overcomes all of them before the enormous work done in it, which ranges from animation to the characters themselves – The only prince there is the prince, but the truth is that he didn’t need more of him here either, especially the nice little dwarfs.
Big Hero 6
An intelligent, endearing and exciting cross between Disney’s own forms and those of Marvel superheroes resulted in this film. I would not be surprised if some were left with just how adorable Baymax is – which it is, and much – but there is much more to enjoy in it. Obviously, it falls into certain topics of the two worlds that unite, but in return, it gets the virtues that it inherits from both shine with its own light.
The Emperor’s New Groove
Director: Mark Dindal
I remember going in reluctantly to see her because there were no tickets left for the one I really wanted to see and then go out delighted with a fun madness in which everything seemed to be worth without ever falling into the feeling of being free. His refreshing sense of humor, with an effective love for the absurd, has no equal in the Disney classics.
The Jungle Book
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
A free adaptation of the novel of the same name that includes some of the most emblematic songs of the Disney classics, also building a bit around those jazz rhythms that make the film so good. A careful adaptation work -something that some of the included fails, but I have preferred not to leave out for their virtues in all other aspects- and some stimulating characters, especially the endearing Baloo.
Treasure Planet
Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements
A film that went unfairly unnoticed at the time and deserved a claim in conditions. Yes, the Disney touch to make everything more soft for children is there, but there is also a remarkable adventure that does manage to avoid certain habitual problems of the company’s characters, also creating an unexpectedly stimulating relationship between the two protagonists, not mention the vigorous captain with the voice of Emma Thompson in the original version.
The Lion King
Directors: Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff
One of the summits of Disney, that simple, and that absolutely everything works on it. The songs are wonderful, and the script doses very well the gender changes to build an adventure in which there is room for pain -anda that did not leave us all in shock a certain death-, fun, emotion, and even a little bit of terror. All the important characters work great, including Scar, the excellent villain.
Tangled
Directors: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
The company had already begun to show signs of improvement after a few years in which it was better to run away from its films, but it was here that it confirmed the beginning of a new era that has given us a multitude of joys in recent years. Here several ideas explored years later in ‘Frozen’ in a dynamic and fun adventure are advanced.
Frozen
A delight not exempt from some small problems – as the minutes pass it seems that he completely forgets that he is a musical when he has some fantastic songs like the already mythical ‘Let it go’ – but that shines so much when he bets on fun – then they have burned Olaf a lot, but here it was great – and when he chooses to enhance his nature of modern fairy tales.
Hercules
Directors: John Musker and Ron Clements
A fun reformulation of Greek mythology – although the protagonist emerges from the Roman one – for which I feel a great weakness, especially because of the correctness of his debtor tone of certain classic comedies. And the film is very clear about its nature as a pure pastime and bets on it in a decisive way, including there Hades, the magnificent villain who has to function at the same time as a threat and comic resource, coming out of the air.
Beauty and the Beast
Directors: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
If I had to say which is the best Disney movie, it would be the one that concerns us here. A real gem that became the first animated production that was nominated for an Oscar for best film. A pity that competed against a masterpiece like ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, since it is an exemplary fairy tale that really has that magic that is so difficult to define, starting with its characters, following its songs – the initial gives foot to what is probably the best introduction in the history of cinema – and going through everything else.
Lady and the Tramp
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske
An irresistible comedy with romantic dyes in which the use of music was essential to give the adventures of the Gulf and Queen a unique charm that goes far beyond the remembered scene of both eating pasta. In addition, he takes advantage of the honor of being the first film of the studio released in Cinemascope.
Lilo and Stitch
Directors: Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders
Another rarity in Disney filmography that benefits from the great visual imagination of Chris Sanders, who not by chance was years later behind the extraordinary ‘How to train your dragon’. In addition, it is true that you defend very own values of the study – “Ohana means family” – but it does it with a great personality – it is different while remaining Disney – and using the eccentric contribution that Stitch makes to the film.
Mulan
Directors: Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook
A film that is being claimed quite lately, partly for its remarkable feminist values, but also for offering an unusual adventure within the Disney universe. For my part, I stay with both the physical and emotional journey of the protagonist as with that nice robaescenas that is the dragon Mushu. Maybe his villain lacks a bit more development, far from the best in the company, but it works well enough to motivate Mulan.
Peter Pan
Directors: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske
Memorable rivalry between the protagonist and the fearsome – although also somewhat funny – Captain Hook, although I always had a greater weakness for that crocodile that stalks the villain of the function. From the unforgettable night flight through London, the film becomes one of the best exponents of Disney magic, although for this, it has to somewhat reduce the dark content of the literary original. A timeless delight.
Wreck-It Ralph
Address: Rich Moore
Soon we will see the sequel to this wonderful approach to the world of videogames that is true that works best during its first hour, but I do not agree with those who do it for not thoroughly exploring its great starting point. This one sure made it on our best Disney movies of all time. Simply choose to follow a path, and it does very well, in addition to Ralph and Vanellope form an unexpectedly great adventure couple.
Tarzan
Directors: Chris Buck and Kevin Lima
The golden 90s swan song for Disney is one of the best movies dedicated to the jungle king, but it still falls a little below other unforgettable productions made by the studio during the first half of this decade. It is also more faithful to the original material than usual in the classics of the company, dazzles in the visual section -incredible what they get with the jungle- and has solid and well-defined characters.
The Fox and the Hound
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, and Art Stevens
Another personal weakness that probably did not appear on the list of many, but it was the only Disney movie that I really managed to cry without any remedy when I was a kid, especially in a particular scene that I will not reveal about the spoilers, and The friendship between the two protagonists works great. In general, it can be something soft and represent what some hate about Disney, but to my liking, it hits the target beyond the specific successes that many grant it.
Moana
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Hall, and Chris Williams
A refreshing twist to the Disney princesses that this time is limited to a mere anecdote. The protagonist is an adventurer and counts for it with the help of an amazing ally like Maui. The excellent songs composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, an impeccable animation work – also at the moment when traditional techniques enter the scenes – and a story that unites the fun with emotion marvelously shape one of the best films of the study which is the reason why Moana made it one of the hottest on our list of the best Disney movies of all time.
Zootopia
Directors: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush
Zootopia is also one of the best Disney movies of all time as it is packed with varieties of fun-filled characters. A great cross between fun, black cinema, and police story that does not forget to take care of the development of characters while knowing what path to take at each moment to give us a much more elaborate proposal than it might seem at first glance. Some will remain only with the extraordinary sequence of the lazy, but there are many more things to celebrate here.
Do you agree with our selection of the 23 best Disney movies of all time, or do you miss a specific title? Something tells me that certain tapes are going to be very mentioned, but as I said before this, obeys my personal criteria.
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