All 52 Walt Disney Animated Classics: Ranked From Worst To Best
20. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
One of Disney's darker efforts from the '90s, that also seems to be the main reason why people like it. The usual Disney formula considered, The Hunchback of Notre Dame feels like a breath of fresh air. It holds nothing back by delivering an evil villain that doesn't hide in a veil of humor and a story that isn't afraid to emphasis some incredibly dark themes.
Notre Dame makes us, the judgmental and materialistic audience, the bad guy. Furthermore, our main man, the deformed Quasimodo (who bears society's worst taunts), doesn't even get the girl in the end. There is no light-hearted Disney repetition on show here. Instead, we explore the true nature of the human soul and what one must sacrifice in order to live a good life. Certainly, it's one of Disney's most mature efforts.
19. Mulan (1998)
Almost every single Disney animated feature clings to a wonderful soundtrack, but now we dive into those films that mash soundtrack and story together seamlessly, creating the "much-beloved" entries I have been mentioning throughout. Everyone knows Mulan by now, of course. With comedic performances by Eddie Murphy, memorable songs, and a fantastic story about equality and breaking boundaries, Mulan has a lot to bring to the table.
This is a well-rounded film with a large following. Male or female, Mulan is a character everyone can relate to as we discover the virtues of strength, courage, and honor, both inside and out (not to mention that "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" is catchy as heck). Now we're moving into movies that start speaking beyond an entertainment level and aim to teach the audience something about life, as any good piece of art should.
18. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
The return to hand-drawn animation was welcomed with opened arms, but the true success of this film's great story and characters was slightly lost (but not much) amongst the box-office success of Tangled the very next year. The Princess and the Frog was a return to form. The tale's under-appreciated quality brought back the majesty and fantasy to Disney animation and started what is considered The Revival Era.
The villain is one of the most vivid and dynamic bad guys in years. Princess Tiana is the most down to Earth princess ever created by the company, and her dreams are so relatable to us as an audience that it's hard not to fall in love with her. The musical numbers are so jaunty and well-written that it is a shame that Tiana was overshadowed by the release of the much lesser Tangled.
17. Tarzan (1999)
The last true film of the Disney Renaissance before the turn of the millennium, Tarzan gave us some emotion, some heartbreak, and some self-discovery. What a fine recipe for a good Disney film? Our title character is thrust in the middle of two worlds, the one he has grown with and the one he biological belongs to, and love is pulling him in both directions. Tarzan is a character that must make the toughest of decisions if he is to remain happy.
But thankfully he gets everything he wants by the end. But that is not after some phenomenal kinetic animation and one of the greatest soundtracks around: Phil Collins -that is all that needs to be said. Tarzan is a tale with some depth and feeling that after a decade and a half still holds strong as any other Disney classic.
16. Lady and the Tramp (1955)
One of Disney's greatest love stories is presented in the film Lady and the Tramp. The romance of this story rivals that of Beauty and the Beast. The tale of a lost house dog named Lady who meets and falls in love with a stray dog named Tramp also portrays the familiar contrasting tale of "rich versus poor" or "stability and comfort against hardship and adversity".
The movie is cherished by hordes of film lovers and very few films have aged as well as Lady and the Tramp which attests to its very high placement on this list. And who can forget one of the greatest scenes in romantic movies where the two dogs share spaghetti, eventually leading to a kiss.