Top 11 Animated Movies

After seven months, my dad finally updated his blog, woot! We were talking about blog topics last night and he came up with the idea of his favorite eleven things in a category (authors, movies, etc.) since it's 2011. I thought this was a great idea, so I hope he doesn't mind if I steal- I mean, borrow, it. You're a trendsetter, Daddy! So here's my Top 11 Animated Movies, since I've been in a major Disney mood for the past few days. These aren't in any particular order, but the next Top 11 should be.

Top 11 Animated movies

1. Swan Princess: I grew up on this movie, and it’s such a beautiful story. Yes, it’s the damsel in distress storyline with the handsome prince who saves her, talking animals, magic, and singing, but I think the love story is actually kind of logical. Two kids who started out hating each other and then growing to fall in love? Beautiful. And the soundtrack is great; fun little tracks and the beautiful love song “Far Longer than Forever”. I love Disney, but this is my all-time favorite movie.

2. Lion King: Ah!!! This is paradise for an animal lover like myself. This movie appealed to me in every way: talking animals, wonderful songs, and it was set in Africa. My inner black kid rejoiced. I don’t think there’s a character I don’t like, except maybe Timon and Pumbaa. Same situation with the soundtrack (except for “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”). This movie exposed me to the wonderful Elton John, who I will probably live in awe of purely for “The Circle of Life” and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”

3. Prince of Egypt: I normally can’t stand bible movies, I really can’t, but this one blew me away musically and visually. This is the only time where I’d rather watch the movie than read the book, because Dreamworks made Moses’ story pretty epic. I've been enamored with Egypt ever since I saw it. The soundtrack was marvelous. Every. Single. Song. Pwned. The movie was visually stunning as well. Too bad Joseph King of Dreams failed to measure up.

4. Hercules: This inspired my life-long love for Greece. It's inaccurate, but still a wonderful story with a great soundtrack and fun trials. Hades was fantastic; he's never looked more fun. Michael Bolton, the vocal love of my life, recorded a track for it. Oh yeah.

5. Beauty and the Beast: Oh wow. Two years ago I could’ve cared less about this movie. Then I watched it again and the adult in me was floored. I guess as a kid I was just mad that Belle wasn’t a real princess and I was always compared to her, so I kind of held a grudge against her for that. But after I watched it as an adult, I feel honored for the comparison. Not only is she brunette, she’s smart, brave, loves to read, and loyal to the very, very end. It was such a beautiful story.

6. The Little Mermaid: Another Disney flick, yes, but I grew up in the Disney Renaissance. The Little Mermaid was a cute movie. I didn’t care for the songs too much, but both Ariel and Eric were different from the princes and princesses I usually saw, so I liked them a lot, and still do. I think I’ve always been behind King Triton too, ‘cause even as a child I think, I knew he had a point. A sixteen-year old isn’t old enough to get married. Whatever, they’re cartoons.

7. Mulan: Asians. That’s all I have to say. Plus it’s a girl pretty much owning the manliest character in the movie. Win.

8. Aladdin: I realized something. I love ethnic Disney movies. Jasmine was gorgeous, Jafar was hot (dinosaur, I know, I’m creepy), and the soundtrack was good. Of course, I only like “A Whole New World”, and I accept that. Apparently this is the movie I learned how to work the VCR with and as a toddler, I made my family hate this movie. Maybe this is why the South hates Arabians…

9. My Neighbor Totoro: WIN. Ties with Swan Princess for my favorite. My dad and I bought this movie when I was but a small child at our local Half Price books and we’ve loved it ever since. I show it to everyone I know that owns a VCR and even have a stuffed Catbus. This introduced me to the amazingly wonderful Hayato Miyazaki, who has created many other beautiful anime movies. Ugh, love him. I think I’d marry him if I could, just for Totoro.

10. Quest for Camelot: It came during the time where Disney movies with princesses and strong female characters were ruling the animated world and, like Swan Princess and Thumbelina, it was confused by many kids as a Disney movie. This movie is probably why I’m not as girly as I should be. Kayley is a girl who looks up to her dad and wants to become a knight, which was pretty much me when I was five. This movie was the only time I’ve ever liked Britain. Except for Harry Potter and Ben Barnes.

11. Nightmare Before Christmas: EPIC WIN. It’s probably the only movie that could beat Swan Princess and My Neighbor Totoro. I’ve grown up with this movie for 18 years now and it’s a major component of who I am today. Whenever I came to my grandparents as a kid, we’d go to Blockbuster and I always picked NMBC. It took me 17 years, but I finally got my own copy!! When I was a kid (and still to this day) if I couldn’t be Santa Claus, I wanted to be the Pumpkin King. On second thought, I’d rather be the Pumpkin King. Jack Skellington made Santa cool.

Honorable mentions: Rock-A-Doodle, Thumbelina, 101 Dalmatians, and Oliver and Company.