Toon Talk Special: Disney Goes to the American Film Institute - Sep 22, 2008

Toon Talk: Special: Disney Goes to the American Film Institute
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This brings us up to date with this year�s countdown, AFI�s 10 Top 10. As stated previously, Disney dominated the animation list, with nine out of ten spots. The AFI defined �animated� as a genre (regardless of the fact that, as Brad Bird stated on the DVD for The Incredibles, animation is not a genre but a medium) as �a genre in which the film�s images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors�. The final top ten were:

  1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  2. Pinocchio
  3. Bambi
  4. The Lion King
  5. Fantasia
  6. Toy Story
  7. Beauty and the Beast
  8. Shrek (I�d happily trade this one for Bird�s The Iron Giant)
  9. Cinderella
  10. Finding Nemo

Of course, Disney also dominated the list of nominees, with 33 out of 50. Practically every animated feature Disney produced is named: Aladdin, Alice in Wonderland, The Aristocats, A Bug�s Life, Cars, Dumbo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Incredibles, The Jungle Book, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Monsters, Inc., Mulan, 101 Dalmatians, Peter Pan, Pocahontas, The Rescuers, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, Tarzan, Tim Burton�s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Toy Story 2.

No Disney films were named to any of the other top tens, but there were some nominees, including The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Mary Poppins, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Who Framed Roger Rabbit (fantasy films), Tron (sci-fi) and Cool Runnings, The Mighty Ducks and Miracle (sports movies). The remaining genres in the countdown were gangster movies, westerns, mysteries, romantic comedies, courtroom dramas and epics.

Wrapping up the 100 Years �series, here�s how the Disney movies stack up to date:

  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -- 5 listings
  • Pinocchio -- 3 listings
  • Beauty and the Beast -- 3 listings
  • Fantasia -- 2 listings
  • Bambi -- 2 listings
  • The Lion King -- 2 listings
  • Toy Story -- 2 listings
  • Song of the South -- 1 listing
  • Cinderella -- 1 listing
  • Lady and the Tramp -- 1 listing
  • 101 Dalmatians -- 1 listing
  • Mary Poppins -- 1 listing
  • Finding Nemo -- 1 listing

In the seven years that AFI has given out their annual AFI Awards (which �honors the film�s creative ensemble as a whole�), an animated film has been named one of the final ten five times, three of which have gone to Disney/Pixar releases. DreamWorks' Shrek picked up the first in 2001, followed by Finding Nemo and The Incredibles in 2003 and 2004. Like the Academy Award, Warner's Happy Feet danced out with this prize instead of Cars in 2006, but Pixar was back last year with Ratatouille. How much you want to bet that WALL-E will get one of these this year?

Coming Soon:

  • Sleeping Beauty reawakens once more on DVD for a two-disc Platinum Edition and, for the first time in high def, on Disney Blu-Ray (October 7).
  • The Wild Cats hit the big screen in High School Musical 3: Senior Year (Disney, October 24).
  • Tinker Bell and all her faerie friends light up your DVD player October 28.

Discuss It

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-- Kirby C. Holt
-- Logos by William C. Searcy, Magic Bear Graphics

Kirby is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ... In addition to his Toon Talk reviews, Kirby is the creator of Movie Dearest, a blog for movie fans.

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted September 22, 2008
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