Adam's Blog

There is not a company that has a bigger impact on the entertainment industry or possibly even on the entire human population than Disney. This is a company that has been providing family friendly content for generations now and in recent memory, mostly due to buying other studios and companies, are also now providing content for teenagers to young adults as well. However, one form of entertainment that it has been providing ever since that medium itself was invented, is animation. People tend to have very specific terms they referred to as what each era of Disney animation consists off.

There is the Golden Age where it all began from Disney, the Wartime Era which basically speaks for itself, the Silver Age which was the post-war phase but ended with the brutal passing of Walt Disney himself, the Bronze Age where Disney was as their absolute lowest point, the Renaissance Age which Disney was as their absolute highest point, the Post-Renaissance Era where it was mostly riding the wave of the previous one, and lastly, there’s the age which plenty of people debate whether or not we are currently living in it or it ended years ago, the era referred to by many as the “Revival” era.

The “revival” era mostly consists of the era which saw the tail end of classic 2D Disney animation pictures and it’s full transition into strictly 3D animation pictures. Most would argue that this took place at the start of the late 2000s and carried over to the early 2010s. While not quite the best era of Disney animation in my humble opinion, I think there is an argument to be make that this is the most reliably consistent era of Disney. This era has the kind of films that mostly consistence of solid B/B+ animated movies with an A/A+ animated classic movie thrown in there for good measure. Or at least it was…..until recent memory.

Due to the inconsistency of quality and multiple box office disasters, there has been serious consideration that we are no longer in the “revival” era and are not in a brand new and darker era entirely. While many people will debate when we first began to set foot in what I will call the so-called “post-revival era” or maybe just the “slop era”, I would say this started around 2018 but didn’t become so noticeable to majority of the general public until like 2023. Until someone out there creates a new name for this entirely divisive era of Disney and just global tension in general, that what I will refer to this era has.

Because of that, I want to rank some Disney movies here. Particularly I want to rank the films that has been part of the filmography of Disney since they translated to being known as the Walt Disney Animation Studios, starting with 2007 with the release of Meet The Robinsons and ending with their most recent feature, Zootopia 2.

Let’s not waste anymore time and get straight to ranking!

18.) Wish

There hasn’t been any Disney movie in the modern era that had as much pressure to prove itself as Wish did. Not only having to answer for all the past sins of the company’s mistakes in recent years but it also had to act as a perfect culmination of the past 100 years of all things related to Disney. Unfortunately, no matter what what you look at it, Wish is an absolute misfire that serves as one of the most dull and lifeless animated movies that Disney has ever made!

There has not been a Disney movie in this era that feels as mad libs as they come, constantly following similar plot beats and structure with nothing new added to it or a fresh and distinct vision of it’s own. It feels like if you ask ChatGPT to make a Disney princess movie to celebrate the release of the company’s 100th anniversary and this is exactly what you would get. The “wish” concept is not explored well in the slightest, side characters and tropes are only here just because that’s a stable with every other Disney movie, Asha is every 2010s “adorkable” Disney Princess rolled into one with nothing unique to her, Magnifico is probably the most underwhelming Disney villain ever, the songs range from forgettable to an absolute pain in the ear and it never 100% committees to it’s new animation style that is as inconsistent and half-baked as it comes.

The ingredients are there for Wish to be an instant Disney classic, acting as a perfect bridge between classic Disney 2D and modern Disney 3D motion pictures for a new generation. Unfortunately, the end results are disastrous. Wish doesn’t feel so much like a movie made to celebrate 100 years of Disney but more like a movie that was made just so there’s a Disney movie for it’s 100th anniversary. The fact I could barely remember a single thing about the movie just minutes after the credits roll really says a lot about how underwhelming and disappointing Wish was.

17.) Ralph Breaks The Internet

There were many folks that were claiming for a follow-up to the original Wreck-It Ralph as there were tons of potential for future sequels for it. Too bad no one involved with this sequel even bother to even fully utilized even a tiny bit of that potential. Ralph Breaks The Internet feels like a sequel which the creative team behind it either didn’t watch the first movie or didn’t understand the moral of it (which is baffling considering this was made by the SAME creative team as the first one).

Instead of expanding upon the video game world of Ralph and company, that gets tossed aside in favor of a generic, by-the-numbers story about surfing the web along with adding in all the most painfully cliche and outdated internet tropes imaginable. Ralph and Vanellope’s arcs are back to square one, 99% of the wonderful supporting cast of the original get sideline, nearly half the plot is non-existent and consists of filler, it’s themes, while not necessarily bad on their own, have no place in this universe, and the ending practically breaks the established lore and entire point of Wreck-It Ralph. There’s admittedly a handful of callbacks, references, and easter eggs I did get a chuckle at, particularly Sonic’s cameo and the Disney princess scene, and the animation is reliably great, but if that’s all your movie has to offer, then that will only get you so far.

Ralph Breaks The Internet doesn’t so much feel like a Wreck-It Ralph sequel but something similar to The Emoji Movie and Space Jam 2 (albeit it not nearly as bad as either one of those), a movie that seems to only exist for a company to pat themselves on the back to show off how much stuff they own to everybody and just to advertise it’s own products. That might work well for a PowerPoint presentation of a commercial but not so much for a feature-length movie. While there might still be potential for future adventures with Ralph and friends, you will definitely not get that with Ralph Breaks The Internet.

16.) Strange World

Here’s the 2022 Disney feature that flew under the radar for a lot of people and was one of the worst financial bombs in the company’s history. Even pushing all of that aside and some of the most obvious controversy surrounding it (A.K.A. the one not-straight main character in the movie), it’s easy to see why it didn’t seem to resonate with those that actually saw it.

Strange World is about the most aggressively mediocre modern Disney film ever made. It has characters tropes and plot beats you’ve seen done a million times before and done a million times better in other films, environmental messages that are quite preachy and will make you roll your eyes, and the ending is something that you could see coming from a mile away, which is a problem when the movie itself treats it like a big surprise. At least the world themselves are nice to look it and it is refreshing to see an openly gay character in a Disney movie that isn’t treated as a big deal or anything different to that of a straight character.

While I still stand by my piece I wrote in December 2022 about how it’s a shame that Disney basically left Strange World to die in theaters due to the overall lack of marketing of it, I just wish the overall movie was better and worth defending from all it’s dumb controversy. It’s every family friendly adventure you’ve seen before with not much new added to it and there’s nothing here that will make you want to watch it again anytime soon.

15.) Moana 2

The original Moana was an instant modern Disney classic when it came out back in 2016. After gaining such a cultural phenomenon as the years have gone by and receiving yearly stellar ratings on Disney Plus, an expansion of this beloved character seemed inevitable. What originally started out as a Disney Plus series, the follow-up to Moana and Maui would be reworked into a feature length film. And…….that is quite obvious when watching the end results for Moana 2.

This feels like a throw-back to those direct-to-VHS sequels that Disney would chun out following the success of their originals that play more like unmade Disney tv shows than actual theatrically released motion pictures. You have a “plot of the week” that occurs every 20 minutes, secondary characters that might’ve been interesting if they were given their season-length arcs like they were suppose to, and songs that play like water down versions of the original’s soundtrack (Losing Lin Manuel Miranda for Mafusa certainly didn’t help!). Thanks goodness the animation is still stunning, there’s some cute characters and gags (Moana’s sister is so adorable!), and Auliʻi Cravalho is as good as ever as Moana! And also, that mid-credit scene that was clearly meant to be a tease for the potential future!

There’s nothing inherently awful or offensive in Moana 2 but even that really goes to show just how much Disney has continued to lower the bar with their quality as each new release comes around. With a year that has seen so many great animated movies, we should all except much better for our adventures with our favorite Disney princesses. Is it watchable and even enjoyable at times? Sure! Does it come close to being as good as the original or a successful follow-up? Nope! I sure can’t wait for that Disney Plus documentary about how much of a mess this movie was from behind the scene!

14.) Frozen II

After the original Frozen took the world by storm, a sequel was inevitable. Even when Disney isn’t usually keen on making sequels that didn’t go straight-to-DVD, they just had to make a Part II to what is probably their most financially successful film to date. Just a shame that the people involved couldn’t come up with a more concrete, artistic reason to keep the Frozen brand going. There are certainly areas of improvement here such as the animation, character banter, song placement (Into The Unknown>>Let It Go), and even Olaf himself is quite funny here. However, in terms of script and structure, it’s quite inferior.

It feels the need to answer questions from the original that no one was really demanding answers to (Does anyone actually care about how Elsa got her ice powers?!) and in so doing so creates plot holes of it’s own (How is it that Anna is able to remember about what happened to her parents, her sister’s powers, and the forest when her memory got wiped when she was a little girl?!). It also doesn’t seem to know what to do with Kristoff (despite his solo song behind a standout) other than having him propose to Anna over and over and over again. All of which accumulates to a rather inconsequential third act that doesn’t feel genuine (Even with a dying snowman!) because it’s never clear what the actual stakes are throughout the movie (I honestly had no idea Arendelle was in any real danger until it was pointed out in the last 20 minutes) or even the overall point to it.

Frozen II feels like a sequel that is trying to do too much with too little and at times, feels like it’s being made up as it went along (which the people behind it outright unironically admitted in the behind-the-scene features). There’s still some enjoyment to be had for those that just want to spend more time with the characters and enjoy some good toons, but this sequel walks a fine line between ambition and aimlessness. It’s not that the heart isn’t there, it’s just frozen this time out.

13.) Raya and The Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon is a film that gets so close to being up there with one of Disney’s absolute best! An action-packed spectacle with plenty of world building, colorful characters, and a moral surrounding learning to trust others in a time of crisis. However, despite the best intentions, it never quite gets there and feels like it needed an extra script rewrite or two. Raya‘s biggest strength also happens to be it’s biggest weakness, it’s just too ambitious for it’s own good.

The movie has a ton of characters and worlds they introduce that don’t feel as fully form as they should be because it has to make room for every single one of them, which leaves the whole thing feeling quite unfocused. The overall moral of trust, while well-intended, doesn’t really work because the film never provides a reason as to why the main character herself is wrong for not trusting others. Also, you are lying to yourself if the climax didn’t make you think of Guardians of the Galaxy. Even so, this movie still does provide plenty of entertainment on a surface level with gorgeous animation, enjoyable set pieces, good humor, and introducing the most action-packed Disney princess since Mulan.

Raya and the Last Dragon has a foundation that has potential to be expanded upon with future content such as a sequel, a Disney Plus series, and perhaps even an appearance in a future Kingdom Hearts game. While Raya doesn’t ultimately live up to its ambition, I wouldn’t be against seeing this heroine and her friends returning in the future.

12.) Big Hero 6

I could honestly copy and paste almost the exact same points from Raya and the Last Dragon and apply it to here as well. Big Hero 6, the first fully animated film from Disney based off a Marvel comic, is a movie that on paper sounds really great but the execution of it is just okay. Although, unlike Raya, there has been future content such as a tv show, streaming series, and a Kingdom Hearts III appearance that help expand upon the ideas and worlds even further.

The central relationship between Hiro and Baymax is great stuff and give the film the overall beating heart it needed. The action is well done and once the Big Hero 6 finally come together, it’s awesome and makes for a really fun superhero team. That being said, the journey to getting there can be a bit rough. The other members of the Big Hero 6 are very thinly written and aren’t that interesting on their own merits, none of the voice actors as those members stand out, it takes too long for the team to come together, and the twist reveal with the villain is one you can guess the moment that character first appears on screen.

Even with it’s flaws, Big Hero 6 has plenty of redeemable qualities to make up for it and has a very unique world of it’s own that thankfully got expanded upon further in future Disney content. It also has easily the best Stan Lee cameo of all time hands down! A middle-of-the-road Disney flick but still a solid one overall.

11.) Bolt

Here’s a movie that the majority of the human population and even Disney themselves kinda seem to forgot it exists. And whenever it’s mentioned, people tend to either give it a big shrug or flat out slam it. Quite frankly, I really don’t see why. I’m not gonna act like Bolt is a masterpiece or anything but for what it is, it’s perfectly solid.

Seeing the main character of Bolt having to learn to adapt to the “real” world after finding out the world he thought he was living it was just a big network television show is engaging, the action set pieces are thrilling, the animation was solid for the time, and I find the relationship between Penny and Bolt to be quite engaging, with even some heartfelt moments. Sure, the story is nothing you haven’t seen before and I probably could’ve done with a better voice actor for Bolt (No offense to John Travolta but…….he’s just not a voice actor), but I still dug this one.

Maybe it’s because of my nostalgia goggles and the fact that the animation community seems to want to take a dump on this movie whenever they can but like, I just find Bolt to be a cute doggy movie and that’s that. If you hate this movie, then good for you! But for me, I just like it! Nothing more, nothing less!

10.) The Princess and the Frog

Here seems to be the one Disney princess movie that doesn’t get discussed as much as the others and when it does, most seem to agree it’s pretty good but not their absolute favorite overall. A solid B/B+ entry for a company that is normally expected to crank out A/A+ bangers! That is more or less, how I feel about The Princess and the Frog.

There’s plenty to like about this movie. It’s very charming with it’s own energetic tone to it, they actually manage to make the relationship between the princess and the frog believable, the songs are nice, Tiana herself makes for a welcome addition to the cast of Disney princesses, and it does feel bittersweet to have this be one the very last Disney movies to be strictly 2D and consists of more traditional hand-drawn animation. However, it couldn’t escape criticism for it’s depiction of Louisiana voodoo and historical negationism of the Southern United States during the Jim Crow laws. I could care less about that but if you are serious about any of those, then you might dislike this movie.

The Princess and the Frog is not a Disney movie I go back to a ton but whenever I do, I have a fairly good time with it. It aims to be a solid B/B+ Disney princess movie and it’s able to meet those merits exactly as you would expect. And yes, it is definitely refreshing for Disney to finally have a black woman as one of their princesses. If only they would treat her with more respect and give Tiana her own show or sequel already!

9.) Meet The Robinsons

It’s easy to see why this movie can be considered underrated. This film came out during a time where Disney was in a really big slump, lagging behind their main competition in the animation department, and going through certain transactions and going on a shopping sphere to acquire other studios in order to appeal to more demographics. All of that and more is why no one gave Meet The Robinsons a chance when it came out in 2007. However, now that 18+ years have passed, I think it’s safe to call this an underrated gem that deserves to be looked upon more fondly.

The plot itself is rather paper thin and the time travel logic in this film contains more holes than swish cheese (even for a typical time travel movie). However, the film’s overall beating heart between it’s two main characters in Lewis and Wilbur with their personal journies along with it’s overall message of letting go your mistakes of the past in order to learn from them for you future is masterfully done here. This is also easily one of the funniest Disney movies of the 2000s and contains one of their most underrated and HILARIOUS villains in Bowler Hat Guy (Seriously, he is a laugh RIOT in every single scene he is in!).

Meet The Robinson is definitely a film that is easy to overlook with talking about main canon Disney movies due to it coming out at the wrong place and the wrong time. Since we are now in a different time and place now and the fact that this was basically the first film to come under the name Walt Disney Animation Studios, I think it might be time for everyone else to give this film the fair shot it deserves.

8.) Winnie The Pooh

Perhaps the most overlooked Disney movie in the revival era and (to date) the final movie in the Disney canon to be fully 2D and hand-drawn animated. While this might have to do with the fact that the movie underperformed vastly at the box office at the time it came out in 2011, Winnie the Pooh should not be glossed as it’s actually a really enjoyable and charming movie.

The whole Winnie the Pooh cast is exactly how I remember them as a kid and shows just how timeless of characters they actually are. In an age where franchises are always trying so hard to “modernize” their properties, it’s nice how this movie (along with 2015’s The P.E.A.N.U.T.S. Movie) decides to keep the characters the way they’ve always been and not feel the need to change them to try to fit in the more “modern” times. Sometimes it’s okay to leave things well enough alone. The voices matched the characters perfectly, especially Jim Cummings as Pooh and Tiger along with Tom Kenny as Rabbit, it has an incredibly sweet vibe to it, and has that nostalgic feel that even those who didn’t grow up with Winnie the Pooh will be able to get out of it.

While it’s a very brief and short movie (it’s only 63 minutes long!), this is definitely worth a watch if you have Disney Plus, a great fondness of Winnie the Pooh, or if that live-action Christopher Robin movie left you feeling a bit cold.. If this is truly the last 2D Disney movie we ever seen, at least it went how on a quiet but sweet note. Although, Disney should SERIOUSLY consider doing more traditional 2D style animated movies in the future! I sure PLENTY of folks would appreciate that.

7.) Frozen

The one Disney movie that no one or their mother could escape the impact of. If you ever met someone that claimed they have never heard of this movie or listened to Let It Go at least one time in their lives, they would be lying to you. Even if you can take out the massive impact this movie has had on pop culture (Although, I wouldn’t blame you if you can’t.), there is still much to like and enjoy about the original Frozen.

The central conflict and relationship between Elsa and Anna is really well done and makes for a rather engaging sisterhood bond ship, the songs themselves are catchy and memorable, the voice work is stellar, the twist villain, while quite obvious, does teach a nice lesson to young girls to never blindly trust your prince because they can easily stab you in the back, and the way the film resolves it’s climax with true love between the two sisters is quite refreshing for a Disney movie. It still does suffer from some structure and pacing issues along with a rather half-baked, rushed backstory with Elsa and Anna (Did these two just not talk to each other for the last two decades or so?). It also seems to forget it’s supposed to be a musical towards the last third of the movie (the final song that plays before the credit rolls is the troll song).

Frozen is a movie that is admittedly hard to judge on it’s own and take away it’s insane impact it has had on the entertainment industry and pop culture as a whole. Just like James Cameron’s Avatar, it was a movie that was a tremendous success that everyone eventually got sick and tired of hearing about to the point that everyone just started calling it overrated. However, as we settle in 2024, and look back on the original Frozen 11 years later, it has aged quite nicely and doesn’t deserve to have it’s reputation frozen out due to it’s overexposure.

6.) Zootopia 2

When Disney recently announced their release slate of nonstop sequels, there was only one which I thought made perfect sense for a follow-up, that being Zootopia 2. Not only because how much money the first one made but the world of Zootopia just left PLENTY of room for expansion of future stories. Thankfully, Jared Bush was able to answer the call with a sequel nearly a decade in the waiting that is most certainly a worth follow-up to the original.

Nick and Judy still remaining a very likable duel and still remain INCREDIBLY shippable, the new character and expanded cast are able to blend greatly with the world of Zootopia, the animation and animal puns are still off the charts, and it’s overall message of unity and not judging others from what they look like or came from is one I think the whole world needs right now. Even if I would argue that the first film felt like it had more on it’s mind in terms of it’s social/political commentary, the characters and gags still work like gangbusters that it’s able to more than make up for it. Also, this is literally the first time in FOREVER where a Disney movie actually makes a twist villain work.

While I can’t say that Zootopia 2 is quite as good or fresh as the original, it is most certainly just as fun on the entertainment scale. As much as we complain about Disney’s overreliance on animated sequels, I feel like if the majority of them were as good as Zootopia 2 is, I don’t think we would be complaining about them as much. It just goes to show you that quality matters. If this film is a sneak preview for what’s to come with Disney Animation under the umbrella of Jared Bush, then I think this might be the start of a brand new golden era for Mickey Mouse and friends.

5.) Moana

On the surface, Moana does come across as a “Disney Greatest Hits” kind of a movie with the film hitting the majority of the same beats that most traditional Disney movies do. You got the traditional lead Disney princess, the traditional side character voiced by a well-known celebrity, the traditional animal comic relief, the traditional moral about growing up and finding your place, and of course, the traditional songs. However, there’s just something about Moana that helps it stand out greater than simply just that.

Maybe it has to do with the pitch perfect casting of Auli’i Cravalho as the title character, the engaging conflict Moana goes through, The Rock stealing the show every time he gets as Maui, the inspired songs, and having some of the most beautiful animation I’ve seen in any film. But what I think this movie excels as is having the perfect balance of everything. It has the right amount of characters, right amount of plot, right amount of action, right amount of drama, right amount of laughs, and the right amount of songs. It’s able to find the right balance of everything that one tends to expect in a Disney animated feature film but does it in a way that is almost as if we are seeing these things done for the first time however. Could have done with more of the pig and less the chicken though.

While Moana is far from the most groundbreaking Disney film, I still find it to be one of the more enjoyable and satisfying ones of the revival era. There’s a reason this film has had such recognition since it came out back in 2016. It’s just that good! And please, put Moana in a future Kingdom Hearts game.

4.) Encanto

This is probably the one that has grows on me the most the more I watch it and the more time has gone by. This was the 60th animated feature ever made by Disney and it resulted in the absolute triumph that was Encanto. While this is certainly not the most stake-heavy film on here, this is the one that is arguably the most personal, human, and relatable Disney film in this era.

It’s a movie about embracing your family regardless of their flaws and how deep down inside, everyone is different and special in their own unique way. You don’t have to be defined about what is set in stone for you but can be defined on who you chose to be. Throw in a very likable and charming main character in Mirabel, breathtaking animation, a wonderfully utilized setting, great supporting characters, and songs that only get better for me as time goes by (We Don’t Talk About Bruno FTW!) and you got an absolutely wonderful film.

Encanto is one of the most human and relatable Disney films to date which it’s cultural representation is able to perfectly match it’s quality. I can see this potentially being higher on the list in the future, but for now, it’s a solid #4. It’s sad how despite this not technically being the 100th anniversary film for Disney, it still feels much more worthy of it than Wish.

3.) Zootopia

If you want to see an example of a Disney movie being very mature and adult with it’s subject matter and contains social/political commentary that doesn’t come across as forced or preachy, Zootopia is basically what you get. In so doing so, it makes for a rather excellent film and one of the main top 3 of this current Disney canon.

The world building is brilliant, being able to smartly craft a unique world full of andromorphic animals with obvious changes to the real world that makes sense and fit well in it’s own established universe. The main characters of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are immensely likeable and the two play off of each other perfectly. It’s genuinely funny with plenty of fresh and unique humor that doesn’t consist of mindless slapstick comedy. The set pieces themselves are fun, inventive, and incredibly beautifully animated. The biggest accomplishment of all is the way the film’s commentates on modern and timely issues such as diversity, racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice but it never gets bogged down on it and actually does interesting things with it. It doesn’t just come across a simple rant on prejudice but more tries to highlight how that remains a problem and how exactly can be fixed. It actually gives answers and solutions to the things it’s talking about which helps the journey that the characters themselves go through. To be honest, if it wasn’t for the obvious twist villain and the underwhelming resolution to that specific arc, this might be even higher on the list.

Zootopia is one fun, smart, and beautifully made animated movie that shows that you can make a movie with timely and important themes without it bringing down the entire picture. Working as both an entertaining film for kids and a thought-provoking film for adults, this is genuinely terrific. Don’t screw up the sequel!

2.) Wreck-It Ralph

Video game movies tend to be very hit or miss. Whether it’s for straying too far from the source material or even sticking too closely to it, these are the kind of movies that never seems to live up to their full potential. While they have certainly gotten better over the years, I think most agree that the best video games movies are the ones that aren’t just adaption of video games but ones that are ABOUT video games. If you want to see a perfect example of that, look no further than Wreck-It Ralph.

This is a movie that is able to fully utilize it’s premise in every way possible. It has a fully realized world, charming leads, a tremendous supporting cast who all stand out, great humor, wonderful themes and morals, and has video game references that don’t feel obnoxious or pandering. This is also one of the very few times where the whole “the two main characters break up at the end of the second act but get back together during the climax in the third act” actually works because how genuine and heartbreaking it is since you really want the two to stay together. Let’s also not overlook the great vocal performances by John C. Reilly as Ralph, Jane Lynch as Sergeant Calhoun, and even Sarah Silverman (who I normally don’t like) as Vanellope. Sure, the main bad guy is nothing to write home about and I do wish I could have gotten a cameo of Mario but nothing could take away how awesome this movie is.

Wreck-It Ralph is just one of those movies that knows exactly what it wants to be and executes it in the best way it possible can. It shows that movies surrounding video games can work if you are able to come up with a strong central story and have engaging characters to help carry it the whole way through. If for some reason you still haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend you do. Just perhaps skip the sequel.

1.) Tangled

No offense to any other movie on this list but if I had to pick one movie that feels like it truly belongs in the Renaissance Era of Disney and up there with the likes of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Mulan, and any other top-tier Disney animation feature, that would be this one. Not only is Tangled the very best movie of the revival era but it’s one of the best Disney movies ever made period!

Rapunzel is probably the best Disney princess of all time! She has the perfect amount of likability, relatability, charm, and pure feminine energy out of any Disney princess to date. (It also helps I have a thing for blondes and even brunettes.) Flynn Rider makes for one of the best side characters in Disney history and being a perfect counterpart to Rapunzel herself. I love seeing the chemistry between the two blossom and the overall journey they go through together. You also got amazing animation, a really well thought out and heartfelt story, some refreshing spins on the traditional Disney fairytales, superb character development, great voice work from Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, hilarious animal sidekicks, and songs that are both memorable and extremely catchy. Even some of the minor things I can nitpick at (such as the somewhat obvious villain reveal) can’t bring it down because even then, there’s enough interesting things done with those so it’s hard to complain. Nearly everything about Tangled works and makes for a perfect Disney classic!

Even with how good some of the other movies in the revival era has been, none of them compare to Tangled. It works as a movie for kids, a movie for adults, a movie for the whole family, and even as a movie for anyone of any age. It functions greatly as a drama, a comedy, a musical, an animated movie, and just a a feature length film itself. No matter what way you put it, Tangled simply works in every way. It stands proudly as one of the absolute great works ever to come from Disney and is hands down the best movie of the revival era thus far.