As people can probably tell from my villain song thread, I've been watching a lot of Disney lately. Mostly because I discovered they're all on Netflix.
There's going to be a lot of text after this. Feel free to click back to the funny pictures thread now.
When I was a kid, my absolute favorite Disney movies were Aladdin and The Lion King. How do they hold up as an adult? More on that in a minute.
First, I want to talk about The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This wasn't a favorite of mine as a kid. It came out after Pocahontas, and even as a kid I was able to tell that Pocahontas was dull and boring. So maybe I was just over Disney movies at that point and wasn't willing to give it a chance. I also remember wearing out a VHS tape of The Mask with Jim Carry, so, you know... take that for what you will.
As an adult, though, The Hunchback of Notre Dame just might be my new favorite Disney movie. Yes, to anyone that's read Victor Hugo's novel, the idea that Disney would want to make a 'Disney' version of the story may seem crazy, but for the constraints they had to follow to Disney it up, I think they did a pretty good job. It's extremely unique as far as Disney movies go, with a much darker and more adult theme throughout. Yes, it has those annoying gargoyles, one of which sounds like George Costanza, but they aren't nearly as prominent as I remembered as a kid. They're restricted to only a few scenes, and the fact that they're always interrupted by someone walking in (and smash-cutting to a scene that shows that what is really happening is wildly different from what is portrayed) means that these only friends of Quasimodo are probably completely imaginary, which makes the scenes even with them kinda tragic. Yes, I know the climax of the movie shows them actually affecting the real world and fighting off the guards, but that could all have easily been in Quasimodo's imagination too, as that section is told mainly through his point of view.
The music is also spectacular. The constant reuse of the Bells of Notre Dame theme (especially in the amazing song Hellfire, which I linked to in the villains thread) gives the soundtrack a constant, epic feel. The catholic chants also help in that. My personal feelings on real religion aside, the gothic imagery of old churches, saint statues, and latin chanting all make for spectacular sets and stories.
Beauty and the Beast
I didn't like this movie as a kid either. It was a Disney princess movie fairy tale, that's been done to death! Aladdin has pop culture references (more on that later,) what does BatB have?
Well, it's really, really, really well done. As someone who has grown up and actually grown to appreciate cinematography and the way that movies are framed and presented, there's nothing in BatB that isn't beautiful. Unlike Ariel who's basically a dumb teenaged girl that's in love with the idea of being in love (can you tell I don't like The Little Mermaid?) Belle is an actual normal woman who is smart, thoughtful, and searching for something more in life. Also unique for Disney romances is that she doesn't meet the hero of the story and fall in love over the course of an afternoon. The romance between Belle and the Beast evolves over time, and the two characters have actual chemistry with each other. You feel for their romance because the movie takes the time to earn it, and it seems all the more natural and touching because of it. You fall in love with both of these characters.
The music is amazing, the characters are great, even the villain isn't really a bad guy if you think about it. This movie has so much goddamn heart and soul that you can't help but love it.
The only downer is that the Beast becomes a lot less interesting when the curse is broken and he turns into a blonde ponce. I think even Belle might have thought "Ehh... maybe we can change you back. I've got a thing for furries..."
Hercules
No... just no. Moving on.
Aladdin
My all time favorite Disney movie as a kid. How does it hold up as an adult? Eh...
The animation and character design is still great. Jasmine and Aladdin both have very striking visual designs and costumes that are extremely iconic and memorable. Bonus: None of the animal sidekicks except one talk. Minus: The one that talks is Gilbert Gottfried. The only real problem with this movie is the stream of consciousness pop culture reference salad that comes from Robin Williams as the Genie. They really date the movie, and I feel like they detract from the overall story. It's less classic Disney and more Shrek. I guess technically you should say Shrek was copying Aladdin, but you're not the one writing this review.
The Lion King
The most successful adaptation of Hamlet ever. This was also a favorite of mine as a kid, so how does it hold up now that I'm an adult? Still good... but not as good as I remember. Again, the character design is still great, the movie looks bold and colorful, and I especially like the use of greens for Scar's scenes and the landscape when he takes over. But the songs are all kinda meh, outside of Be Prepared. Hakuna Matata just gets annoying, and even though I recently rewatched this, I honestly can't name one other song that isn't Circle of Life. Were there others? I feel like there have to have been...
The start and the end still hold up well, I just feel like the middle lost some of its charm as an adult. It's still a good movie, just maybe not the greatest of all time. Mufasa's death can still make me cry though... goddamn you Disney.
