Entertainment

30 Disney Films We Should All Be Watching in Self-Isolation

I feel like I’m putting my head on a block here, but let’s open it up for discussion. Here’s a ranking of my favourite Disney films to watch (and rewatch) in self-isolation.

#30 – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

‘Why is the Rum Gone?’

#29 – The Jungle Book (2016)

I feel like this film was just ground-breaking. It’s worth watching just for its all-star cast, but the special effects are also awesome.

#28 – Mary Poppins (1964)

Golden Age of Hollywood, Julie Andrews, Dick van Dyke’s terrible accent, London backdrop. Definitely a good mood booster.

#27 – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

A staple of my childhood. It’s just so magical.

#26 – Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

But only if you’re not too traumatised from the first time…

#25 – Cars (2006)

My brother was obsessed with this film, growing up. It will always have a special place in my heart.

#24 – Hercules (1997)

An absolute classic, based on Classics. Love it. Great music, too.

#23 – Wreck-it-Ralph (2012)

A really, really clever film. I absolutely loved it when it first came out. I haven’t watched it for a second time, but I think that when I do it is likely to go higher up my ranking.

#22 – Brave (2012)

This film sometimes gets written off (especially in the US) because people find it hard to understand the Scottish accents, which is completely ridiculous. Also, the plot is a little bit unusual for a Disney film. It definitely doesn’t take the path that you expect after the first fifteen minutes (because… er… the mum gets turned into a bear) but I still think it has a really sweet message and really great characters.

#21 – Zootropolis (2016)

Just so much fun.

#20 – The Good Dinosaur (2015)

I feel like this film got really overlooked in the shadow of Inside Out, but it was very good. It may be the first film to make me cry properly in my adolescent life. It’s definitely quite lowkey and gentle, but still worth a watch.

#19 – Up (2009)

I watched this again a few weeks ago and I (as expected) loved it. The reason that it’s not higher on the list is because the first ten minutes far exceed the rest of the film. However, I wasn’t as disappointed by the second half as much as I remember and I still think that it’s a really good film, overall.

#18 – Toy Story (1995)

Don’t think I need to say anything about this one.

#17 – Pocahontas (1995)

THE MUSIC.

#16 – The Parent Trap (1998)

This is just a childhood classic. It’s just all-round entertaining and will definitely be a good mood booster after spending days inside.

#15 – Frozen (2013)

Very unpopular opinion, but I think the soundtrack speaks for itself, again. However, the sequel was actually terrible and deserves to be burnt from the face of the universe.

#14 – High School Musical (2006)

This film and its subsequent sequels are just so bad that they’re good. Nothing can lift my mood more than High School Musical, so it definitely deserves a place on the list.

#13 – Monsters Inc (2001)

Not as good as Monsters University, but still pretty damn good.

#12 – Aladdin (1992)

A proper good film, but not my favourite of the ‘Princess films’ as the Princess is a bit annoying. However, Robin Williams and the soundtrack definitely make up for this flaw.

#11 – The Lion King (1994)

Speaks for itself, really. I’m still sad about Mufasa.

#10 – WALL-E (2008)

This film feels a bit depressing in the current climate (no pun intended), but it’s still one (and possibly the last) of the Pixar genius age.

#9 – Enchanted (2007)

Idina Menzel in this film. But she doesn’t sing. It’s a complete enigma to me… but I guess she gets her own film a few years later. Enchanted is funny and the music is fab. I love how it acts as kind of a parody to Disney films before, but still pulls off the fairy tale, Disney magic. Definitely shouldn’t go amiss from the watchlist.

#8 – Finding Nemo (2003)

Another one that speaks for itself. It’s a complete classic.

#7 – Million Dollar Arm (2014)

A real tearjerker. This one is less well known, but please watch it. It’s just brilliant. Also one of the best sports films ever made, in my opinion.

#6 – Cinderella (2015)

This is by far the best of all the Disney live action remakes. It wasn’t trying to be anything like the original and had its own aesthetic, magic and characterisation. Lily James, Richard Madden, Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham-Carter. Need I say more?

#5 – Moana (2016)

This is another example of Disney doing a Princess film so well. While I’ll always love Rapunzel the most, Moana is also a really great character who has a lot of depth. I love Alan Menken’s music, but Lin Manuel Miranda outdid himself with the score of this film. A classic Disney ballad? A David Bowie crab? The Rock rapping? It ticks all the boxes.

#4 – Monsters University (2013)

With most of the series on this list, the sequels just get lumped in with the original. But this film was just pure genius. It’s just so good. I can’t even say anymore. Just amazing.

#3 – Mulan (1998)

Honestly, Mulan is just generally such a good film. Did you know she has the highest kill count of any Disney character ever? We love an avalanche queen. It’s funny, it has an Eddie Murphy dragon, the music is SO GOOD, it has an Eddie Murphy dragon. A solidly brilliant film.

#2 – Christopher Robin (2018)

I can’t even describe how much I loved this film. It really took me by surprise. I’m from Sussex, so maybe that’s partly why I loved it so much, but I also grew up reading the original Winnie-the-Pooh books and have always kind of loathed the Disney versions. Christopher Robin seems to be the perfect love child of the original books and the Disney magic. The humour is spot on and it just makes for the perfect cosy, nostalgic film to watch with a hot chocolate and a fire on (except global warming so no fire).

#1 – Tangled

By far my favourite Disney film of all time. Great plot, sweet message, well thought-out characters. Also, who isn’t in love with Flynn Rider? I think it just has all the elements to make the perfect pick-me-up film, which makes me go back to it again and again.

Daisy Forster

Featured image and article images courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures via IMDb.

Image use license here. 

Follow @ImpactMagazine on Twitter or like the Impact Entertainment Facebook page for more articles and information on how to get involved.

Categories
EntertainmentFilm & TV

Leave a Reply