Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #56: Moana (2016)

Previous post: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #55: Zootopia (2016)

Walt Disney Animation Studios 55th film, Zootopia, was a complete success grossing (against all odds) over $1b and becoming the third highest grossing film of the year. Audiences were drawn to the fantastic animation, richly-developed characters and a poignant, relevant and timely story. Zootopia continued the winning streak of the studio but it was not their only offering of this year. Moana, their second film of the year, is a more conventional fairy tale that nonetheless provides high-quality entertainment for the whole family and it'll surely become a classic in the years to come.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #55: Zootopia (2016)

Previous post: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #54: Big Hero 6 (2014)

After taking a year off, Walt Disney Animation Studios has returned in a major way with what might possibly be the best film from the new era and one of the best films from the canon ever. Zootopia, the 55th animated film from the studio, is an instant classic perfectly balancing humor, heart and timely themes, all set up against one of the studios' most inventive and gorgeous creations of all time.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #54: Big Hero 6 (2014)

Previous post: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #53: Frozen (2013).

Big Hero 6 is the latest film from WDAS - and also their latest triumph! It would've been easy for the studio to rest on its laurels after Frozen's smashing success, (success that's still resonating today) but it's reassuring to see that the studio has no plans to slow down; Big Hero 6 is the latest proof of that.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #53: Frozen (2013)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #52: Wreck-It Ralph (2012).

The Snow Queen, like many other Disney projects was in development hell for many years. Constantly revived and shelved, the project never seemed to properly take off and fans never knew when/if the film was finally going to be released. After the latest 2002 attempt was cancelled again, Chris Buck (director of Tarzan) pitched a new version to John Lasseter in 2008 and development started once more. Finally, in 2011, Disney officially announced the film with a new title and a 2013 release date. What nobody expected is that the new film, now called Frozen, was to become a critical darling and a box office behemoth that matched the run of The Lion King almost 20 years ago.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #52: Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #51: Winnie the Pooh (2011).

After the more quiet and charming Winnie the Pooh, Disney Animation came firing back on all cylinders with their next film. It was something very different from anything the studio had attempted before, and it seemed like an unlikely endeavour from a studio that seemed more "traditional" in the view of most people. Nonetheless, Wreck-It Ralph came at the perfect time for WDAS, as it helped it reinvent itself and find a new identity, as a pioneer of new and fresh stories, while also developing new technology to match them.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #51: Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #50: Tangled (2010).

After the big spectacles that The Princess and the Frog and Tangled were, I was genuinely surprised that Disney chose to do a Pooh film. The last Pooh feature done by Disney Animation was The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh back in 1977 and it was a compilation of previously done shorts. I've never been much of a Pooh fan and, outside of Many Adventures, I never cared for any of its other incarnations as most of them tended to be kid-exclusive. I went to see Winnie the Pooh with a bit of trepidation but I came out utterly enchanted by its disarming charm.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #50: Tangled (2010)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #49: The Princess and the Frog (2009).

After The Princess and the Frog marked a glorious return to hand-drawn animation, I was disappointed that Tangled was made in CG. Don't get me wrong, I love CG animation, especially Pixar films, but because Tangled was a fairy tale, I expected a similar approach to Princess & Frog. Also, what didn't sit well with me was the title change. Because The Princess and the Frog "underperformed", Disney thought that, in order to appeal to boys, the name Rapunzel was not appropriate. So they changed it to Tangled, a very generic title that doesn't say anything about the film. Fortunately, despite this, Tangled was another triumph for Disney Animation, and their first genuine box office success in a very long time.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #49: The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #48: Bolt (2008).


One of the most exciting things in 2009 was the release of The Princess and the Frog. After a decade of releasing (mostly) misfires and giving traditional animation the death sentence after the abysmal Home on the Range, Disney was finally ready to go back to the technique they practically invented and perfected for over 70 years. Thanks to John Lasseter and his vision, traditional animation was back firing on all cylinders at the studio and with a new fairy tale to boot. Better still, the helmers of this new movie were none others than studio veterans John Musker and Ron Clements and handling the music was Pixar veteran Randy Newman. With all this talent behind it, we could only expect the best film possible and, thankfully, the movie delivered on all fronts.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #48: Bolt (2008)

Last Week’s: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #47: Meet the Robinsons (2007).

John Lasseter didn't have it easy when he arrived at the Disney Studio. First, Meet the Robinsons needed a complete overhaul before it could be released in theatres, and then the following film was even more troubled. Bolt was first titled American Dog and it was to be the next project by director Chris Sanders, who co-directed the highly acclaimed Lilo & Stitch (one of the few popular films from the previous era). However, problems in the production led to the removal of Sanders from the director's chair (after which he left Disney and went to DreamWorks) and the team of Chris Williams and Byron Howard taking over. The film was completed in 18 months and, against all odds, it was warmly received and represented another step in the right direction for the studio.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #47: Meet the Robinsons (2007).

Make Sure You’ve Read: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - The Revival Era (2007 - present) Introduction.

I'm very fond of Meet the Robinsons. It's not a perfect film but it did something remarkable for the studio and for me: it gave us both hope. Hope that a better studio was coming and hope that their future output would return it to its former glory.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - The Revival Era (2007 - Present) Introduction

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #46: Chicken Little (2005).

After a very difficult early/mid-2000s, Walt Disney Animation Studios could've easily ceased to exist and no one would've cared. Yes, the oldest animation studio was in such a crisis that putting it out of its misery was a very viable and merciful option at the time. Thank goodness for John Lasseter. Yes, I just said that. The man often reviled nowadays, John Lasseter, completely rehauled the studio, giving it back its identity, putting it back on the map and making it a worthy competitor to the other animation studios again. He healed the heart of the Disney Company and released a string of films that, step-by-step, created a stronger studio, a confident studio that not only embraced its rich history but also wasn't afraid of trying new things and delivering fresh stories with wonderful characters and heartfelt messages. Better still, the studio was no longer a DreamWorks or Pixar wannabe, but had its own style to differentiate it from the others. That wasn't an easy feat. Critical reception and box office started to grow slowly but surely, and now, seven years after Lasseter took over, the studio is back where it was always meant to be: at the very top of the pack. Whether it's a musical fairy-tale that pays homage to the Renaissance features while also offering something new and exciting, or a completely fresh story set in the video gaming world or a shiny future, Walt Disney Animation Studios has returned from the dead, risen like the phoenix, and taken the world by storm. We can only hope that this comeback will never subside again, as the studio's recent output has been simply outstanding to say the least. Welcome back Disney Animation, I hope you're here to stay!

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #46: Chicken Little (2005)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #45: Home on the Range (2004)

The early-to-mid 2000s was a difficult time for Disney Animation, one where it tried to stay relevant amongst a fiercely competitive market. Troubled productions, half-baked stories and little revenue were some of the reasons why, in my humble opinion, they made the worst mistake they have ever made in their long and storied history. Instead of trying to tell better stories, executives blamed traditional animation as their main source of box office disappointment, judging it as "old fashioned" and switching completely to CGI like all the other studios. This not only caused Disney Animation to lose its identity, but also to hit rock bottom and release what can only be called their worst animated film of all time: Chicken Little.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #45: Home on the Range (2004)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #44: Brother Bear (2003).

And now, we've arrived at the moment where the word "classic" is really a stretch. Here's a movie that could've been a charming half hour special for the Disney Channel, but instead it's from the same studio that brought you timeless classics like Snow White and Beauty and the Beast. Home on the Range is the worst traditionally animated film from the studio, and now, nine years after its release, it's still hard to fathom why a film with such a generic story, unappealing characters and cheap animation was ever released to theatres.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #44: Brother Bear (2003)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #43: Treasure Planet (2002)

After departing from the Broadway formula for most of the new decade and striving for a darker approach, and yielding few effective results, the Disney Studio returned to a more 90s formula with Brother Bear. Bearing a striking resemblance to Tarzan in its music style, Brother Bear is not a perfect film, but remains one of the better films of this (mostly) lacklustre era. The main problem with the film is that it doesn't quite know what it wants to achieve, with many serious and powerful moments being hindered by poorly executed humour.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #43: Treasure Planet (2002)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002).

2002 arrived with a ray of hope for Disney Animation. Lilo & Stitch was released in the summer to great acclaim and box office success, something the studio hadn't achieved since the beginning of the decade, and the second film to be released that year looked to be a promising endeavour. After all, Treasure Planet was directed by two of the top people at the studio, John Musker and Ron Clements, who practically launched the Disney Renaissance a decade earlier with beloved films like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Also, Treasure Planet was a dream project for the directors, something they'd been wanting to do for a long time. Finally they were granted the chance to adapt Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved novel, Treasure Island, but in a sci-fi setting. Unfortunately, when the film arrived in the Fall of 2002, it bombed at the box office and now remains one of the most obscure films from the canon.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).

When Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, I was in a phase where I no longer cared for Disney Animation films. After Tarzan, my excitement and interest for Disney films was gone, and replaced by enthusiasm for Pixar's output, which was (and still is) formidable. So, while I was disenchanted by films like Atlantis and Dinosaur, I was utterly thrilled by Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. By the time Lilo & Stitch was released, I was completely devoted to Pixar, so I wasn't excited by this film. When I first saw it, more than ten years ago, I wasn't impressed and quickly discarded it like I did with so many of its contemporaries. As I got older and wiser (hopefully), I've come to realise how good Lilo & Stitch is and how it has stood the test of time to become a true Disney classic.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #40: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000).

Looking back, Atlantis seemed like a sure winner. From the directors of the magnificent Beauty and the Beast (which in my opinion is the finest Disney animated film, a sentiment not shared by my A113 colleagues, but one that seems pretty popular within the Twitter community) and the also very good Hunchback of Notre Dame, the film offered an adventure like no other. Staying away from the "Broadway style" that they employed for their previous two films, directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise - and producer Don Hahn - created a superb looking film that unfortunately suffers from a lack of heart and too many characters, which only serves to make the already contrived plot even more confusing.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #40: The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #39: Dinosaur (2000)

The perfect example of a troubled production that, in the end, managed to be turned into something great. The Emperor's New Groove's production history is fascinating, as the film began being life as one thing and ended up as something completely different - in a good way. The film might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it delivers one of the best comedies the Disney studio has ever produced.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #39: Dinosaur (2000)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #38: Fantasia 2000 (2000).

The second Disney film released in 2000 is also a late inclusion in the official canon; for years, fans debated whether Dinosaur belonged in the canon or not. Disney put that to rest in 2010 when they did that retrospective video to celebrate Tangled as their 50th feature film, including Dinosaur as number 39. Even so, the film remains an odd element among its hand drawn contemporaries making its inclusion more of a marketing campaign rather than an honest acknowledgement of its status in the studio's history.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #38: Fantasia 2000 (2000)

Make Sure You’ve Read: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Second Dark Era (2000-2005) Introduction

Making a sequel to a sixty year old, revered film wouldn't be the brightest idea but that's exactly what Disney Animation did back in the 2000s. The pet project of Walt's nephew Roy Disney, Fantasia 2000 was envisioned as the culmination of Walt's dream to make a Fantasia film every year (something which didn't happen because of financial troubles) and while it's a charming love letter to the original film, it also hardly breaks new ground and remains on the family-friendly side of things.