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…
Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Lilo & Stitch (2002)

[8] A trouble-making alien crash-lands on a Hawaiian island where he's adopted by Lilo, an ostracized little girl whose parents are recently deceased. Lilo names the alien 'Stitch' and begins to tame his wild ways while offering him a place in her…
The Aristocats (1970)

The Aristocats (1970)

[4] In one of Disney Animation's weaker efforts, a jealous butler seeks to do away with a mother cat and her three kittens before their owner can bequeath her fortunes to the furry little bastards. I can't blame him, really. The cats…