Disney Movie Challenge: Part 2

After conquering Part 1, we’re back for more animated Disney movies!

If you’re just now joining us in our challenge, here are our guidelines:

• Has to be an animated*
• Has to be a full-length feature

*We also included any Disney movie that combines animation and live-action. For example, we included Mary Poppins even though it’s mostly live-action but has a small section that includes animation. There are at least 7 films on our list that fit in the live-action animation category.

Link to Part 1

Part 2 has come a couple weeks after Part 1 due to tests, but we have come back to the challenge and continuing stronger than before! We managed to stay within the era of the first part (mainly watching the movies from the 40s), but we also went ahead and watched Robin Hood on the anniversary of its release. Here are the movies we watched this week:

• The Reluctant Dragon (1941)
• Robin Hood (1973)
• Peter Pan (1953)
• The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
• Bambi (1942)
• Song of the South (1946)
• Saludos Amigos (1942)
• Victory Through Air Power (1943)

The Reluctant Dragon (1941)

MLS: This was a half-animation, half-live action. This movie was interesting because you didn’t get into the actual story of the reluctant dragon until the very end. However, what I enjoyed about this movie was how it took you into the behind the scenes aspect of animation at the Walt Disney studios. I felt that Disney took the opportunity of this movie to promote Dumbo and Bambi, which were the next two full-length animated movies to be released by Disney.

MEK: This movie almost didn’t make my “best” list. We had some technical problems that hindered our ability to enjoy it (thank you, Spectrum…). This was a really good movie, though! You follow the main character through the new Walt Disney Studios facility and around to all the different offices and departments that contribute to making a movie (eventually meeting up with the big man himself!). It was so interesting to get to see all the different steps the movie-making process.

 

Robin Hood (1973) 

MLS: This movie! How did I not appreciate this movie when I was younger. First off, we decided to watch this movie on its release date, November 8. This movie was so much fun to watch because I had actually remembered more of the songs than I though. So many of the songs are so great and very underrated in the world of Disney. We also enjoyed watching the dancing scene in the forest and figuring out which movies they reused the animation from, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Jungle Book, and The Aristocats. This is definitely a movie I plan to watch more times and now have an appreciation for.

MEK: Robin Hood is SUCH a good movie! I remember watching it a lot when I was younger. The music is great, especially “Love,” sung by Nancy Adams (if you’re looking for beautiful love songs, look no further). I can’t say enough good things about this movie. Also, if it’s possible to have a crush on an animated animal character, Robin Hood’s my man!

Peter Pan (1953)

MLS: What a classic movie of my childhood! I love this movie and even went through a Tinkerbell phase when the Pixie Hollow movies and games were coming out. What’s been so great about going back and watching this movie is that in August, I finally listened to the cast recording of the musical Finding Neverland, which is about J. M. Barrie finding the inspiration to create the world of Peter Pan. Honestly, Captain Hook is one of the most comedic villains in the Disney franchise and I just love the interaction with the crocodile.

MEK: Another classic Disney movie (and classic Disney dark ride). I remember when I was younger, we went to Disney World and did the Keys to the Kingdom tour at Magic Kingdom. On the tour we got to hang out with Wendy and Peter Pan! I’ve always loved this movie, especially because of the music. My favorite song is probably “You Can Fly,” followed closely by “Your Mother and Mine.”

 

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) 

MLS: This was another first watch for me and it’s one of the final movies that has short tales within it. While the story with Mr. Toad did not interest me much, I enjoyed watching the story with Ichabod Crane. Sleepy Hollow was always a story I was interested in, especially around Halloween, and it was fun to watch Disney’s take on the story and how well it was narrated.

MEK: Another staple from my childhood. I think I remember it being more interesting than I found it when we watched it for this challenge. Like Melissa, I also thought the Ichabod Crane story was more compelling, with the added bonus of being narrated by the one and only Bing Crosby! I really liked the music for it as well.

Bambi (1942)

MLS: This is a movie I did not have much interest in going back to watch. While I do love the character of Thumper, I just felt like there wasn’t much of a plot in the movie. However, I do love how Disney created a villain that is never seen in the movie.

MEK: I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of this movie. It have as strong of a plot line or lots of catchy songs to keep your interest. “Little April Showers,” is well known, of course, but beyond that, there wasn’t anything that made me feel invested in this movie.

 

Song of the South (1946) 

MLS: This is another part live-action, part animation with more on the live-action. I have never seen this movie, but because of Splash Mountain, I was already familiar with the characters and the songs. I loved how they created the animated parts of the film as a story told by Uncle Remus as a way to teach the children lessons, especially the tale of Br’er Rabbit to teach Johnny about the consequences of running away.

MEK: I really liked this one! I was looking forward to it because I love Splash Mountain so much, but I also didn’t really know what to expect. The music in this movie is so good. Each of the animated sections has a memorable song and an important lesson. I remember my mom reading the tales of Br’er Rabbit, Br’er Fox, and Br’er Bear to my brothers and I when we were younger and doing the voices for each character. The live-action portions of the film were also really good. The story tugged at your heartstrings. I think, though, that the music was the real star of this picture. “Zip-e-dee-doo-dah” was stuck in my head for day after.

 

Saludos Amigos (1942)

MLS: This movie is similar to The Three Caballeros, but was actually released three years before. Again, I loved how they used fab five characters to help tell cultural and geography lessons to children. Of course as soon as they added a llama to the short animation with Donald Duck, we couldn’t stop referencing The Emperor’s New Groove.

MEK: Disney definitely needs more movies like this. They perfected the art of education through entertainment with this movie and The Three Caballeros. This is definitely a movie I’d watch again and show to my kids (someday!).

 

Victory Through Air Power (1943) 

MLS: This movie is a documentary on the invention of airplanes and it’s use in the wars. This documentary was so fascinating to me that I told my dad that he should watch it since it is a subject that he is interested in. We also have family ties to this as both of my granddads were in the military as pilots, one of them having flown planes in both World War II and the Korean War.

MEK: I didn’t know what to expect from this film, but I ended up really enjoying it! I am a sucker for WWII history, so it was very interesting to watch a movie that was made in the middle of the war, before the conflicts in either Europe or the Pacific were won. I also liked the (slightly comedic) animated history of airplanes and their use commercially and in war as well as the advancements made in wartime. This film was initially made as propaganda, but today it can be used as an educational film.

Let us know your thoughts on the movies we’ve seen so far!