All 52 Walt Disney Animated Classics: Ranked From Worst To Best

35. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)

This is as high on the list as you will see any of the package films from the '40s. It is meant as no offence to the films of the time, but as I mentioned before, these were not exactly Pinocchio or Bambi and very few would argue that they were up to such a standard. But Ichabod and Mr. Toad was arguably the best of the bunch. This is one of those films that I had no idea was so popular until I discovered it, either.

It is made up of two longer segments, an adaptation of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, coupled with The Wind in the Willows. The former is actually rather scary, despite being great for families, and the latter is pretty hilarious. The most famous of the package pieces, purely because it still holds up today, a solid Disney effort.

34. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Atlantis is like finding money in your pocket you did not realize you had. Containing some of Disney fan's forgotten favorites like Princess Kida, Atlantis hits with a few good one-liners and has a strong following with twenty-somethings that were the target audience upon the film's release. It is almost as if people are afraid to say how good the film actually is.

The action-adventure direction that followed the style of the works of Jules Verne proved itself to be excellent territory for a Disney feature. Not a box-office success, however, mainly due to the competition of the time and the medium's morphing to digital graphics (this was for the most part hand-drawn), Atlantis: The Lost Empire still has a dedicated fanbase and will be remembered in years to come as a forgotten gem.

33. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

There has not been a more charming, or profitable, Disney film in the first decade of the 2000s, as Lilo & Stitch. The lovable blue alien appeals to the destructive, chaotic side of our mind that always battled with our love for sweet and cute. Stitch humorously gathered the best of both worlds to create an instant hit for Disney that has reached far beyond the movie.

Yet there seems to be a little aggression towards Lilo & Stitch from a high number of Disney fans. I find it hard to explain: Lilo & Stitch was successful financially and the majority of movie-goers loved it, mainly because it was a heart-warming tale which helped to define Disney animation in a more positive light in the mid-2000s. But there are some who would argue that there's something inherently un-Disney about the storyline which doesn't quite gel.

32. Oliver & Company (1988)

Considered to be an obscure film within the Disney canon despite decent success upon release, it's Oliver & Company, which probably has a lot to do with the powerhouse success of The Little Mermaid a year later, followed by a decade of Disney animation dominance. Thanks to that, this laid-back adaptation of Oliver Twist was pushed to the wayside. I personally found the humor and music addicting as a child, and I like to think that many others did also.

Oliver & Company's success did bring in some much needed cash flow to produce the many films we have yet to see on this list. This film takes on a modern New York City in its animation, rather different for a Disney film. This is a feature that perfectly marks the mid-point of the list.

31. The Rescuers (1977)

Why, if I mentioned that some considered The Rescuers Down Under to be an improvement over the original, is The Rescuers much farther up the list, right? Not only was this film just as enjoyable and story-filled as the sequel, the sequel is still unfortunately one of those forgotten pieces and in comparison to its contemporaries, still lacked the impact that The Rescuers did for its time.

The original The Rescuers is considered by some to be the first success during what was a particularly rough time for Disney in the 70s and early 80s, although in retrospect the movies that filled this period are mostly excellent, this picture included. Bianca and Bernard, after all, have some serious character depth for mice, and the story that carries them holds a good deal of thrills and suspense as they hurry to save a kidnapped girl. Filled with humor and lovable characters, this film did not need a home video release to prove its success.