Make Mine Music (1946)

Make Mine Music (1946)

[4] If musical animated shorts had to audition to be part of Disney's Fantasia, then Make Mine Music is a compilation of the rejects. Without an overarching narrative to connect these shorts in any way, the film hinges on the aggregate quality…
The Three Caballeros (1944)

The Three Caballeros (1944)

[3] In an abstract void of color gradation, it's Donald Duck's birthday. He magically receives three strange presents that transform into song-and-dance lessons about Mexico and South America, featuring two other cartoon birds named José Carioca (a parrot) and Panchito (a rooster).…
Saludos Amigos (1942)

Saludos Amigos (1942)

[3] Vying with Nazi Germany to create ties in South American countries during World War II, the U.S. government guaranteed Walt Disney federal loans to produce animated films celebrating South American culture. Saludos Amigos is the first resulting film from this strategic…
Bambi (1942)

Bambi (1942)

[10] With relatively little dialogue and an abundance of montage, Walt Disney's Bambi plays out like a beautiful tone poem on rites of passage, death and rebirth. There's a 'circle of life' undercurrent to the film that makes it especially meaningful for…
Dumbo (1941)

Dumbo (1941)

[9] After Walt Disney released the world's first animated feature film, the wildly successful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the studio struggled with a couple of ambitious financial failures. Pinocchio and Fantasia were creatively and technologically advanced films, but both bombed…
The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

[7] The Reluctant Dragon is an odd but interesting hybrid of anthology feature and behind-the-scenes documentary. It's about a man whose wife convinces him to take a children's storybook titled The Reluctant Dragon to Walt Disney so that he can make it…
Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia (1940)

[7] Walt Disney was somewhat ahead of his time experimenting with music and animation in Fantasia, an experimental achievement of artistry, craftsmanship, and innovation in animation. It's essentially a series of MTV-style music videos -- some narrative, some more abstract -- set…
Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio (1940)

[9] Walt Disney followed up his success with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with a film that is far more entertaining and timeless. Pinocchio begins in a small cottage where a woodcarver named Geppetto (Christian Rub) is putting the finishing touches…
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

[5] With this film, Walt Disney gave the world its first feature-length animated motion picture. So that counts for something, right? The story's title heroine begins the film a humble scullery maid, content to scrub cobblestone walkways while singing to the birds…
Anastasia (1997)

Anastasia (1997)

[7] There’s a lot to like about the first animated feature produced by 20th Century Fox, even if the sum of the parts is a bit uneven. Anastasia draws upon Russian history and legend, centering around the youngest daughter or Nicolas II…