Oh, the money Disney has made over the years from their movies. Noticeable enough, they have made their movie money in three very distinct eras. There was the "Classic Princess" era which gave us Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and even Fantasia, a marvel for its day. Then there was the "Renaissance Era", where Disney tales became animated musicals, and no doubt paved the way for the current era, the "Pixar Era", which was the single biggest threat to Disney Animation until they bought Pixar in 2006 for $7.4 billion. But in Disney's long and storied history, some of their best films fell between the cracks; many were overshadowed by the glitz of bigger budget films, and some just experienced bad timing.
Before I reveal my picks, let me just say that I wrote this list on my blog back in February. I saved it as a draft, so nobody could see it, but when I came back to this idea just a few days ago, I didn't even bother looking at the old list; rather, I decided to really think about my picks and why I chose them. Funny enough, when I sat down to type this post, I noticed that I had chosen the same five movies as before. The only difference was the order in 3-5, but my 1 and 2 were still the same. So without further ado, here's my list!
#5: Doug's 1st Movie (1999)
When Nickelodeon sold Doug to Disney in 1996, viewers my age were upset. How was Disney going to mangle one of the best Nicktoons ever? Guess what? They didn't, and not only that, they provided two things that Nickelodeon didn't- a movie, and closure. Doug's 1st Movie also doubled as the series finale, it being the last bit of Doug animation to come down the chute. Often times we find that we really don't want the characters in our favorite shows to grow up. But the Disney switch allowed that to happen, and with it came the prospect of growing with the characters. Doug's 1st (and only) Movie may not have been a box office smash, but Disney did a lot with the show that it doesn't get enough credit for, and for that, it earns the #5 spot on my list.
#4: Oliver And Company (1988)
A modern retelling of Dickens' Oliver Twist with stray pets, Oliver and Company was not just a great way to introduce the story to kids, but also can be seen as the first time that Hollywood was brought to Disney. Before Oliver and Company (and even during most of the Renaissance Era), one or two of your main characters would be recognizable names. Past that, Disney used regular voice actors. It wasn't until Pixar came along that Disney films became A-list affairs. But in 1988, this was some cast. Joey Lawrence, Cheech Marin, Bette Midler, Dom Deluise, and Billy Joel topped this cast of misfits. Most importantly, at the time of its release, this was the highest grossing film Disney had put out in TEN YEARS, and thus reaffirmed Disney's confidence in 1989's The Little Mermaid- we all know what happened after that.
#3: A Goofy Movie (1995)
First of all, props to Disney for giving, essentially, a bit character in the classic Disney lineup, a shot at a TV show and a feature length film AND making it work. The follow up to the 1992-93 television series Goof Troop, A Goofy Movie was unique in that it didn't have the traditional "musical" style of Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast; in those two movies, you knew when and how the music was coming. Here, the majority of the music seemed more organic for the situations, and it worked. Just listen to "Open Road" or "Lester's Possum Park", and it just may remind you of some music from a terrible family vacation you erased from your memory until now. Sandwich that between high energy selections from rock/pop star Powerline (Played by Tevin Campbell), and you've got a great soundtrack that doesn't sound forced. I also commend Disney for tackling "real issues". The highs and lows of being a teenager, having embarrassing parents, wanting to do just about anything to be cool and get the girl, etc. Until Pixar (there we go again), Disney really didn't deal with "people" issues- they really only told fairy tales with fairly predictable plot lines. Had they taken more storytelling risks like this back in the day, I think Disney Animation would be in a far different position today.
Besides, You can't go wrong with a dancing Bigfoot.
#2: The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
Remember when I said that Oliver and Company was the highest grossing Disney film in ten years? The Rescuers, a 1977 Disney effort, was the film on the other end of that ten year span. Its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under, takes a very similar plot to the original and reworks it with much better animation (the first of the Disney line to use computer animation for the entire film). Essentially, this is how the films work: There's a secret society of mice called the Rescue Aid Society, complete with anthem, who, from the missions of both movies, seem to be in the business of rescuing kidnapped children. The RAS is made up of a United Nations of mice, who, fittingly enough, assemble in what I assume to be the inside of some wall in the United Nations building. Two of the mice, Bernard and Bianca (from the USA and Hungary, respectively) are elite members of the society, having successfully rescued a young girl in the first movie.
The plot isn't anything to write home about, but everything else seems to shine here. Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor play Bernard and Bianca, and sound EXACTLY the same as they did 13 years prior. Add the quirky voice talents of Frank Welker, John Candy, and George C. Scott, and you've got a great cast. As mentioned before, the animation department comes up with some absolutely stunning visuals, and the masterfully orchestrated soundtrack by Bruce Broughton (seriously, it's playing on my iPad as I type this), and The Rescuers Down Under is a great overall film that suffers from middle child syndrome; Disney had done so well with The Little Mermaid (1989) that they were already looking towards Aladdin (1992)- I think this film got lost in the shuffle at some point, but can hold its own, referenced by the fact that its one of only three Disney Animation Studios sequels to go to theater instead of straight to video.
#1: The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
There really isn't enough for me to say about this movie. I guess I should start here: Through most of the 70s and 80s, Disney Animation was non existent. Save three or four films, all the rest performed poorly at the box office. Animation hadn't been the bread winner for Disney since the 1950s, and with the advent of Disney World in 1971, animation was seriously lacking- it even got to the point where Disney considered shutting the animation studio down altogether and focusing its efforts on the theme parks. Simply put? This film saved Disney Animation. Putting it another way: without this film, there is no Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast. There's no Toy Story, no Cars, no Up, no Wall-E. No Pocahontas, no...okay, you get the point.
Based off that alone, and considering that Disney has banished it to relative obscurity, you could easily see why I would put it at the top of the list. But it's not just that- the story itself was compelling, and ballsy- seriously? Sherlock Holmes with mice? And they expected children to actively watch this movie? It was a risky move, but their assumption that a good story is a good story definitely paid off. It takes the "mice living in a human world, but having their own similar mouse world" concept from The Rescuers, but they take the ball and run with it here.
A relatively unknown actor here in the US, Barrie Ingham played the role of Basil of Baker Street- and he played it well- Basil is constantly at odds with himself- he tries to keep the movie's mission in mind, but catching his nemesis is the goal that eats away at him. Ingham was joined by a relative cast of unknowns, save for Frank Welker and Vincent Price. Vincent Price played the role of Ratigan, the villain, to a T, in all of his Vincent Price-y goodness. Even before the Renaissance Period, where just about every villain was given an "evil" song, Ratigan's was the first- and to this day, is still better than them all. Better than Scar, Ursula, Gaston, or anybody else- Ratigan's tops the list.
The final fight scene of the movie is only the second Disney movie to use CGI, as the fight scene takes place inside of Big Ben. Like I said, a lot of risks were taken to make this movie, and the vast majority of them paid off. It worked out so well that The Great Mouse Detective got a re-release in theaters in 1992, and tends to make its way out of the Disney Vault a bit more frequently than other movies. Overall, though, considering the quality of the movie, its impact on Disney as a whole, and it's relative obscurity, this was definitely my #1 hands down, and considering the quality of movies that Disney puts out now, this could very well stay my #1 for the rest of my life.
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