Okay, so I started the 100 Greatest Movies of the Last 25 Years, but it was too long and tedious, so I deleted it. Instead, I'll stick to smaller, simpler lists. For most of my inspiration, I go to Empire Magazine Online or AOL for their lists and just do my own variation, because theirs kinda suck sometimes. Like, today I'm doing 25 Best Animated Movies. Here's AOL's opinion: 25. The Simpsons Movie, 24. Dumbo, 23. The Triplets of Belleville, 22. Lady and the Tramp, 21. The Nightmare Before Christmas, 20. The Jungle Book, 19. Princess Mononoke, 18. Pinocchio, 17. Toy Story 2, 16. Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, 15. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, 14. The Iron Giant, 13. Beauty and the Beast, 12. Rataouille, 11. Finding Nemo, 10. Fantasia, 9. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, 8. Spirited Away, 7. Cinderella, 6. The Little Mermaid, 5. Bambi, 4. The Incredibles, 3. Shrek, 2. The Lion King, 1. Toy Story.
Okay, what are some of these movies, like the Triplets of Belleville? And, Beauty and the Beast at the thirteenth spot? And no Aladdin? What is this crap? Oh, and will they please give up on Pixar movies. They're not that good! Toy Story was great, but most of the others are forgettable compared to classics like The Lion King and Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
25. The Pagemaster (1973)- Okay, so this is not Oscar-worthy, but not all films should be. Pretty much everyone under 25 remembers this fun, cheesy animated movie that's exciting, entertaining, scary, funny, and colorful. What more could you want in an animated movie?
24. Robin Hood (1973)- Again, a little forgettable compared to the others, but it came out in the '70s; not exactly Disney's heydey. Still, it's an original and funny take on such a well-known story. The best part? The lion King John who is perfectly cawardous and idiotic.
23. Cinderella (1950)- Now before any of you freak out and say this should have a better spot, let me just say this is a good one, yes, but its story is really simple compared to all the others. It's like 76 minutes and pretty much just the mice and Cinderella. It's a classic, but not the best.
22. Peter Pan (1953)- How on earth did they forget this? From the adorable dog Nana to the fabulous Captain Hook to the hilarious ticking crocodile, this movie is great. It's probably the best version of Barrie's original tale, bringing the Disney charm and color and imagination to a wonderfully youthful tale.
21. 101 Dalmatians (1961)- Again, what were they thinking? This movie is great? The portrayl of Cruella De Vil is perfect (and listed as one of the best villains), the voices for the dogs are spot-on, and the story is fun and exciting. It may be more of a kid favorite, but it's still good.
20. Thumbelina (1994)- Some of you are either thinking what is this or thinking Oh my God, I remember that. Again, you'd probably have to be under 25 or have kids under 25 to know this movie. It isn't on the scale of Disney, but it's the best version of the fairy tale with great music (one of the best love songs), a great ending, fun characters, pretty animation, and a pretty hot cartoon hero.
19. Tarzan (1999)- The first thing about this movie. and probably its best feature, is that it has gorgeous animation. THe music may get annoying because it's all just Phil Collins, but the story is good and again, the animation is to die for. Plus, it's funny and romantic.
18. Lady and the Tramp (1955)- Oh, who doesn't love this sweet love story? Dog movies are pretty much always fun, but this one is definitely the best. The classic spaghetti scene? And what about those great supporting characters like the Siamese cats or the evil rat or the whistling beaver? Classic Disney.
17. Shrek (2001)- How shocked was everyone when they saw this cheeky satire on fairy tales? It had fart jokes, innuendo, and Eddie Murphy? Still, this hilarious spoof totally made sense and managed to be a great classic and pave the way for new and different animation. Although, that I might have to regret.
16. Sleeping Beauty (1959)- This is classic fairy tale. A handsome prince, an evil witch, a beautiful princess, fairies...It may be a little dated now and may not have as funny or colorful characters as other Disney fare, but it's a great, beautiful rendition of a favorite story.
15. Quest for Camelot (1998)- You may not have seen this underrated King Arthur-esque story, but you missed out. It's a great story about a daughter of a Knight of the Round Table who has to go find Excalibur before the bad guy does. It's beautiful to look at, it has gorgeous music, great characters, and for you feminists it has a heroine doing most of the work.
14. Shrek 2 (2004)- I'll tell you why this is better than the first: Puss in Boots, the fairy godmother, the prince, and more of my favorite, the Gingerbread Cookie. This sequel is funnier, stranger, and just perfect with a new bunch of unforgettable characters, more innuendo and pop culture refrences, and we get to see Shrek as a human. Priceless.
13. Toy Story (1995)- This may be a long way's run from normal Disney movies, but it really worked. The story is so strange and original and the characters are perfect. It's without a doubt one of the funniest Disney and animated movies, and even though I think they got carried away with Pixar movies and inanimate object movies, you gotta love this one.
12. The Swan Princess (1994)- Again, some of you may not have seen this, but you should. Disney should be jealous of this lovely fairy tale story that is full of funny, Disney-esque characters, great music, pretty (but not flawless) animation and a great premise. It's the ideal little girl fantasy movie: romantic, sweet, and easy to watch numerous times. I sure have.
11. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)- Some didn't like this movie because it is a little darker and intense, but it's still good. The story is very sweet and the characters are well-developed and the animation is very pretty. The music is okay, not The Little Mermaid kind of stuff, but it's still enjoyable. Truthfully though, it is a little heavier. Esmeralda is way slutty (check out her pole dance) and there's a lot of sexual innuendo. Most important: Did anyone else think Phoebus was way sexy?
10. Pocahontas (1995)- Like Hunchback, this is much more serious and intense than normal Disney films, but that's kinda refreshing. It's beautifully done with great music and a really good love story. And although, the ending sucks (JUMP OFF THE BOAT AND SWIM TO HIM, DAMN IT!) it's a lovely telling of an American tale.
9. Toy Story 2 (1999)- One again, the sequel is better than the original. THe first was amazing, but this one was even better, in my opinion, because of all the interaction of the supporting players and their adventures to find Woody. Jessie could get a tad annoying (her song was sad) but it was all worth it with that great scene in the Barbie aisle. Who wouldn't want to be a toy?
8. Hercules (1997)- Critics must have been on crack when they downplayed this hilarious and spirited Disney film. The animation is lush and unique and the characters are perfect. From Danny DeVito's Phil to James Woods' spot-on Hades (who steals the movie) to Megara, the fesity heroine, it was a ball to watch this story pan out. It's like watching cotton candy: light, fluffy, pretty, and fun.
7. Mulan (1998)- Who could resist this fabulous film chock-full of great music, great animation, great characters, and a GREAT ending. That is what made Disney, isn't it? It's a wonderful story that steals hearts and entertains everyone with a pulse.
6. The Prince of Egypt (1998)- Okay, maybe I'm a little biased because of my own beliefs and the significance of the story, but come on, it's incredible. The music is incredible, the animation is breath-taking, the scale is epic. In the opening scene you're blown away. And while this isn't light, Disney fairy tale stuff, it's poignant and can be appreciated by all audiences.
5. Anastasia (1997)- Yeah, yeah this number five. And you want to know why? Uh...well, it's freakin' amazing. Probably my favorite animated movie ever, this incredible, completely underrated film is delicious. With a beautiful soundtrack, great characters (best voiced-animated characters ever), and a great story, it's unbeatable. The ending is the best ending ever (before the bat thing) and Dimitri (above, right) is the sexiest cartoon ever. Period. Watch it.
4. The Little Mermaid (1989)- Chya, this movie rocks. This movie single-handedly brought back Disney from death and gave it its best era of movies ever. One part of the Disney classic foursome (the other three are next), this movie is perfect. Ariel is a beautiful, determined heroine with heart and a purpose and strives for winning her feet-ridden prince. The supporting characters are the best and inspired plenty of the next ones in later films. The music is gorgeous. "Part of Your World" can stop any one. It's just...timeless.
3. The Lion King (1994)- This is one of those movies everybody loves. And who wouldn't? Successfully taking an entire cast of animals and not boring us to death, Disney created an epic of betrayl, love, honor, and manhood (or...lionhood, I guess). With a great cast of characters, heart-stoppingly beautiful music, poignancy, and incredible animation, The Lion King melts everyone's heart.
2. Beauty and the Beast (1991)- You know it says something when an animated movie is nominated for Best Picture (and damn it, it should've won). My favorite as a child (I watched it about a thousand times, seriously), it is powerfully moving. The story is phenomenol and unforgettable and melts your heart lice a fire. The characters are developed, three-dimensional, funny, the music is genius, the love story is...heart-breaking. Beautiful, breath-taking...Classic cinema.
1. Aladdin (1992)- This is the epitome of Disney perfection. The music is to-die-for, the animation is gorgeous, and the story is the best. Epic, romantic, laugh-out-loud hilarious, exciting, and much more, Aladdin really does take you on an incredible ride. With one of Disney's best heroes, you're taken through a wonderful feast of color and fun. Robin Williamd is his best ever as the genie and Jafar is the best Disney baddie. Along with Carpet, Iago, Abu, and the greatest Disney couple, you learn the lessons of life and have the best time doing it.