Fantasia (1940)

Fantasia (1940)

[7] Walt Disney was somewhat ahead of his time experimenting with music and animation in Fantasia, an astounding achievement of artistry, craftsmanship, and innovation in animation. I dig Fantasia, but it's an uneven mix. The host segments do not stand…
The Prince of Egypt (1998)

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

[8] Dreamworks Animation's maiden voyage is a stunning achievement of sight and sound. Impressionistic background paintings blend with sexy, angular character designs, all set to a brilliant soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. It kills me that…
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

How to Train Your Dragon (2010)

[8] In this Dreamworks animated fantasy from writer/directors Chris Sanders and Dean DuBlois (the team behind Lilo & Stitch), Jay Baruchel voices a pre-pubescent Viking named Hiccup who lives in an oceanside village where everyone is a dragonslayer. But after…
Titan A.E. (2000)

Titan A.E. (2000)

[5] Titan A.E. is an awkward mix of 2D and 3D animation from director Don Bluth (Secret of NIMH, Anastasia). It's not as attractive as Bluth's other films, and it also suffers from a weak script. There are kernels of…
Inside Out (2015)

Inside Out (2015)

[5] Pixar usually moves me with some genuine human emotion, but Inside Out is a little more sentimental and pandering than many of their other films. The big cry moment is a cheap, low blow, is what I mean to…
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…
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad (1949)

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad (1949)

[4] This short feature presentation from Disney Animation is really two short stories slammed together. Up first, we have "The Wind in the Willows," narrated by Basil Rathbone. It's a fast-paced story about three stuffy critters -- a badger, a…
Song of the South (1946)

Song of the South (1946)

[4] For its racist stereotypes and sugar-coated depiction of plantation life in the post-Civil War South, Disney has locked away Song of the South from the public since its last re-release in 1986. I don't think the film is any…
Fun & Fancy Free (1947)

Fun & Fancy Free (1947)

[3] When the army took over Disney Animation during WWII to make training and propaganda films, old Walt was forced to make a series of 'package films' to keep the studio afloat until he could afford to make another stand-alone…
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)

[7] This sequel taps into two powerful currents of audience identification: the love between parents and children, and the love between people and animals. You can approach these with cloying calculation, as many family films do, or you can attack…