Let There Be Movies

Last week, Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney parted ways after a wonderful 20+ years of working together, bringing great stories to a theater near you. Bruckheimer is responsible for producing the likes of Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Remember the Titans, and more recently, The Lone Ranger. Fortunately, they will continue working together on the fifth installment of Pirates, as well as the next National Treasure.

According to IMDB.com, Disney is credited as “production company” in over 1,600 films, dating all the way back to 1924! I haven’t cross-checked that with any other company, but it’s probably a good bet that they are leader of the pack in this category. Most of the time when you think of a Disney film, you probably think of something animated. One of their first films ever was the animated Steamboat Willie starring none other than Mickey Mouse. This was followed with other animated classics like Snow White, Pinocchio and Dumbo, all before the U.S. entered World War 2! Disney has joined forces with Pixar on multiple occasions to bring movies like Toy Story, Monster’s Inc. and Finding Nemo to life on the big screen. They also have their own animation studio which has produced some of the more recent classics like Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. Taken as a total however, Disney has produced far more live action films than animated ones; Old Yeller, The Love Bug, White Fang and Holes just to name a few. Not to mention many of those done by Mr. Bruckheimer.

The parting of ways between Bruckheimer and Disney got us all here at LTBM thinking of some of our favorite Disney films. Obviously, there is a lot to choose from! It can also be a little confusing. Afterall, Marvel Studios is a subsidiary of Disney, so is Avengers included in a list like this? The simplest way to weed it all out I guess is to only include the movies with Disney credits of some kind on the cover. There is no way we’ll be able to list all the greats, but here are the top three favorite Disney films from some of us…

Tres

1) Mary Poppins (1964)

I have seen this movie several times every year for as long as I can remember. I can quote the movie. I can sing every song. I can also do a great Bert impression. The movie is all about loving life while never taking it too seriously and believing the impossible is possible.

2) A Nightmare Before Christmas

Great songs. Tim Burton’s visions. And a twist on Merry Christmas!

3) Enchanted

This is a funny quirky movie. The cartoon acting brought to life is good within itself. The more you watch it though, the more you see how many tidbits of so many other Disney movies are inserted into this enjoyable film.

Elliott

1) The Swiss Family Robinson (1960)

When I watched this as a kid, it made me want to get stuck on a deserted island. Awesome tree houses, a mini water park, Chinese pirates, booby-traps, and best of all coconut bombs. I have no idea how many times I watched this, but it never got old.

2) Aladdin

One of the few Disney movie, were the main character isn’t a princess. Flying carpets, a genie, pet monkey, and a talking parrot who hates crackers. As far as I’m concerned this is a 10 out of 10.

3) Mulan

“I’ll make a man out of you!” The coolest of all the Disney princesses with the coolest pet ever. Eddie Murphy in the shape of a dragon, oh, and a pet cricket.

Gene

1) Toy Story 3

In one of the few trilogies whose third installment was better than the first, Toy Story 3 is also my favorite Disney movie of all-time. My generation has the unique perspective of seeing the first two as children when they were released, and seeing the third now as adults. It is the perfect mix of nostalgia, new adventure and sentiment. I really loved this movie and I am not at all ashamed to say I teared up at the fiery dumpster scene.

2) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

This is one of the first adventure movies I ever remember watching. It’s a credit to two things: One, Disney’s great ability to grab an audience of any age. And two, the dual meaning a movie can possess. As a kid, my biggest memory of this film was the octopus attacking the submarine. But having seen it again as an adult and reflecting on some of the popular quotes from the film, it has a ton to say about our humanity and human nature in general!

3) Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

I’m pretty sure my mom had a collection of Disney movies on rotation for me as a kid. That’s the only reason I can think that this film would even be on my radar, let alone leave such a good impression on me. I do have fond memories of this film and I always had fun watching it. Looking back it is almost certainly one of those films that is best left in your childhood memory, but I wanted to give it a shout out on this list, none-the-less.

Logan

1) Aladdin

This one is my favorite simply because it’s the best. It resonated with me when I was younger particularly because Aladdin’s true success comes when he stops trying to be someone he’s not and simply owns up to himself. Lying instead gets him into a whole lot of trouble. The comical character of Genie as well as Abu (I still kind of want a pet monkey) combines to make it an unforgettable adventure.

2) Tangled

Because Flynn Rider is a boss. And Rapunzel is quite simply the best Disney princess there is. The horse that thinks it’s a dog doesn’t hurt. Neither does the random singing in a thug bar.

3) A Nightmare Before Christmas

Tim Burton always delivers and this film is no exception. Fantastic music, creepy stop motion, and phenomenal story-telling.

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There you have it! What are some of your favorite Disney films of all time? Feel free to comment below.