From 1989-1999, Disney kicked their animated minds and talents into hyperdrive, creating many of the stories and fairy tales we grew up with into animation milestones and masterpieces, captivating an entire generation of moviegoers with an irresistible sense of charm and delight. These films, no matter how you look at them as a critic, have undeniably created the foundations on which the morals, beliefs, and actions of the next generation of politicians, doctors, heroes, and princesses will have in their hearts. The Little Mermaid taught the beliefs that following through on your dreams can really make them come true. The Rescuers Down Under taught that the consequences of our actions sometimes outweigh the rewards flashed in our faces. Beauty and the Beast preached the longstanding fable that true beauty comes from within. Aladdin spoke to us about being yourself, no matter how poor or downtrodden you are. The Lion King lectured us on the cyclical nature of life and no matter how bad things are or can get, the circle of life will carry you through. Pocahontas taught that no matter how different we look or act, we are all connected by our words and deeds. The Hunchback of Notre Dame spoke about how genuine love and kindness towards your fellow man, no matter how ugly or misshapen, was God's intended message. Hercules taught us that no matter how many trophies or how many demons we slay on our journey, it is only on how we act as people that our heroic legacy will be written. Mulan spoke about how anyone can do anything and accomplish anything, regardless of race or gender. And Tarzan preached the long standing belief that though we may not understand one another, through species or language barriers, we can all affect each other in both positive and negative ways. As the 2000's rolled along, Disney went away from telling these grand and legendary stories towards telling more child friendly stories that lacked the passion and involvement of animated ideas and creativity. It showed both at the critical level and at the box office. Atlantis, Treasure Planet, and Home on the Range all bombed at the box office, while Brother Bear, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinson's all failed on a critical standpoint. But, as the decade wound down, just like the 1980's before, an Oliver and Company like film came out in Bolt. It wasn't outstanding, or groundbreaking, but it did give us a story and group of characters we could care about and learn to love. Maybe it was a bit like Oliver in terms of trying to sell the idea more than tell a story, but it was a step in the right direction nonetheless. Then, in 2009, a new era began for Disney Animation. But the question remained, would this be another renaissance, a lucky break, or maybe a new hybrid of both? The Princess and the Frog gave audiences not only the first hand drawn animated film in years, but the first since perhaps Tarzan to truly entertain it's audience. It gave us a heroine we could root for, a supporting cast of comedic and faithful proportions, songs we could sing on the ride home, and a villain we could loathe for his wicked deeds. It was perhaps the most faithful Disney film we'd seen in 15 years, and yet, the film didn't garner the money it was expected to. Was animation really being deemed children's fair, or was this just a fluke? Tangled flung open the money gates for Disney, becoming the second highest grossing animated film in their library, just behind The Lion King. Rapunzel was a strong hearted and beautiful maiden, Flint Ryder was a worthy compliment, the songs were well written, and the villain, while far less intimidating than your ordinary villain, was also vain and selfish. It proved that a Disney Film could make lots of money while still being good, but it is debated on whether or not the 3D animation element helped the film reach those levels. While not a particularly successful film, Winnie the Pooh was well animated and a seriously well told film that continued the story that no matter how many times we hear, we still love. The characters are still endearing, the songs, while not classics, still hold our interest, and (perhaps most importantly) the film is able to widen and expand the imaginations of the artists and the children. And finally, Wreck it Ralph gave us a imaginative and funny look at the world of video games and how they work and are structured. It challenged the norm and like Toy Story, gave us the kind of movie we would expect from a world where video games can come to life. While not a serious hit at the box office, the film was a critical darling and brought about a fresh new approach to animation. This was not just Pixar vs Dreamworks anymore. It was a whole new game. Finally, we get to Frozen. I have yet to see the film, but the things I am hearing both impress and underwhelm me. I do not want to hear any of these films being compared to the previous generation films. Why? Well for starters, the three generations of films had three very different generations of audiences. The films made in Walt Disney's day had to cater to an audience that expected to be blown away by how impressive and beautiful the animation and songs were, regardless of what the plot was or how the characters acted. The animation was all an illusion to them and they were as emotionally connected to the characters as the characters were to each other. Cinderella didn't need to seriously know the Prince, nor did Mowgli need to have a well thought out reason to go back to the Man Village. If the audience could be convinced by the animation, logic didn't really matter. Which is why Dumbo remains one of my personal favorite movies. It didn't need to impress us visually, just reach us on an emotional level. Time passed, and the Cecil B. Demille's, Clark Gable's, Orson Wells, and Walt Disney's of the world had either passed away or long since retired. Replacing them were the likes of Coppola, Scorsese, Spielberg, Cameron, Lucas, and Jackson, who gave audiences jaw dropping effects, but also rich and emotion AND logic filled stories. This era brought about the likes of The Godfather, The Empire Strikes Back, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Goodfellas, and Titanic. Audiences seemed to be sick of animated films that pandered to them and meandered around the kids to little kids genre. We wanted to see films that could challenge us intellectually and emotionally. And The Little Mermaid gave us just that. It gave us an updated protagonist, more modern day music, and even a father who was emotionally involved and evocative in the story. Logic also played a major role in these stories. If Walt Disney had been alive when The Lion King was written, he would have most likely gone for a Bambi style story where the death of Mufasa was glanced over and Scar a practically non existent character. But for the story crew in the early 90's, they made the death of the father a much larger and more emotionally scarring for Simba to deal with. His conflict with his Scar is also more of the 90's style, as they associate more than in just two scenes with buildup. This generation is also more different than twenty years ago, surprisingly. We're starting to get sick of the special effects Hollywood keeps shoving down our throats, but we're also in high demand for darker more challenging stories. The Nolan's, Whedon's, and Abrams's of the world are giving us dark and thrilling adventures, something Animation handicaps itself to. But should it? Should it just be handicapped to horrid sequels (Madagascar 3, Despicable Me 2, Ice Age 4), or child friendly nonsense (Cars, Monsters University, Turbo)? Can animation really be dark and brooding, like a Nolan film? Herein lies the problem. Films like Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, Miazaki's Spirited Away, Bluth's The Secret of Nimh and even Disney's The Black Cauldron were unsuccessful attempts to change the child friendly pattern and bring an adult audience into seeing cartoons. And while these films nowadays have incredible followings, the message still hasn't caught onto in Hollywood. People shouldn't look down on The Hunchback of Notre Dame just because Quasimodo didn't get the girl, or on An American Tail for having the audience put through so much misery leading up to the reunion with Fievel and his father. Nor should these people ignore the fact that The Prince of Egypt's ending wasn't entirely happy ever after. These films have enormous followings today, despite not being for kids, but the stereotype lived on. Pop cultural references and dumb comedic moments are what dominates animated films now, and it is a shame. Unfortunately for Frozen, this puts an extreme amount of pressure on the film before I even see it. When you hear that a film is "The Best Disney Film since The Lion King" it raises expectations to unbearable heights. I will see this film, but the pressure will be on the film to deliver. Whether that is fair or not is still up for debate. Still...that doesn't mean the film can't deliver. I've gone into films with high expectations before and have still come out satisfied. For example, I went into Up with a lot of optimism and still came out stunned at how wonderful the film is.This film could actually challenge The Lion King, or it could flop miserably and end up as forgotten as A Bug's Life or The Prince of Egypt. I have faith in this picture, because I had faith in all of the Disney films, no matter 2D or 3D. I expect a film that can be as good as Tangled, if not better. I won't put it on the pedestal with the films like Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast just yet, though. I want to see how this one plays out and then we'll see.
Give me your best shot Disney. I can handle it.
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