2. Treasure Planet
One of the biggest tropes of Disney films, besides being based on classic literary works, is that of the absent/dead parent. Often, it's the absent parent's relationship to the wanna-be princess that fuels the story, although we've seen this subverted with Bambi (he was a prince, and his mother was gunned down) and with Aladdin (his father was absent/believed to be dead, only to reappear after he'd become a prince in the third film) as well. Yet, in my own opinion, a more devastating usage of this trope is present in Treasure Planet, as young Jim Hawkins reveals (in a John Rzeznik backed montage) that the reason he's a delinquent is because his space-faring father never stuck around for his son. Which, of course, leads to his being drafted into an adventure involving a long lost treasure and a ruthless (but ultimately lovable) cyborg on the trail to discovering its whereabouts. Perhaps the most interesting (and best) selling point to this film is that Jim Hawkins is voiced by none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Still a year out from hitting it big with Mysterious Skin, but still not distanced away from 3rd Rock From The Sun, Gordon-Levitt showed some early range by playing this character, which in the hands of an amateur would come off as too whiny or too soft. His performance is equally defiant, and yet equally wounded, making this an extremely early indicator of the career renaissance he'd undertake. Also noteworthy is Captain Amelia, the strong female presence voiced by Emma Thompson. As important as Long John Silver is to Jim's development, Captain Amelia is equally important as she is the anchor on the more positive side of Jim's developmental structure. Who knew that Disney could have a movie "for boys', and still have a strong female presence (apparently it took them until Tangled to realize that they could do just that)? With a beautiful blend of hand-drawn and CGI animation, an excellent soundtrack, and classic sensibilities, Treasure Planet deserves to be up there with the best Disney has to offer.