Disney has lost the magic.

Maybe it is just me or does it seem like Disney has lost the magic? I watch the older movies (ok bear with me, I'm young.) But the newer stuff just doesn't seem as wholesome I guess is the word. I know everybody loves the computer animated movies, but they just don't hit me the same as the animated movies did. This is probably just because I was a kid, but Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King are among some of my favorite movies. Even the older animated movies seem so much better to me. The movies Disney puts out now I would describe as cute, but not terribly memorable. When was the last time Disney came out with an animated musical? Was it Mulan? They have moved away from having the characters sing in the film is one of my greatest irritations. I don't know someone else could probably put this into words better than me. Am I the only one who feels this way? Am I way off base? I am aiming more toward the musical movies than anything (animated and live action)(Newsies was the last live action musical).

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Oh I am with you on the diversification of their movies. I love many of them I just don't want the musical aspect axed more than anything. I think I resent them because there are no new Little Mermaids or Lion King. It seems that that is the way Disney is going. Well, has gone.

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The Emperor's New Groove was the last decent Disney animated film. After that, it was all about Pixar. Now that Pixar's on its own, Disney has some major overhauling to do. Atlantis, Treasure Planet and Brother Bear were all snoozefests.

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Disney lost its touch a long time ago. I think Mulan was the last quality animated movie they put out. Tarzan was alright, but I resented the fact that the songs were just overlayed as a soundtrack done by Phil Collins.

But I don't think it's just Disney; all hand-animated movies (from Warner, Dreamworks etc.) have gone down the drain. People prefer the computer-animated stuff now, so that's what the studios are spending money on.

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Ha. Travel Agent joke.

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Blame Eisner!

You might try a few of these websites to find lots of people who agree with you!

www.savedisney.com
www.mouseplanet.com
www.miceage.com

There are tons more = but the general consensus is that Disney has focused to much time and energy on cheap, straight to Video, poorly animated crap that they don't put the time, money and effort into quality productions. And, it's not the CGI that makes Pixar movies so great, it's the focus on storytelling and the love of the craft, where Disney, unfortunately, has has lost it's focus. So, read up! It's very interesting!

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If Disney wanted to get its groove back, it'd look at films like TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE. 87 minutes, only one line of dialogue, and some of the most skillful blending of 2D and 3D animation I've seen in a long time, not to mention a fun story well told. It was almost like seeing an old Disney flick, save that the Euro-style was so different.

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the article on the Brother Bear DVD in the Times today piqued my interest. i'd like to get that, even though i never saw the movie in the cinema.

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It makes me sad, thinking of the dreck Disney is releasing in theatres today, 2D wise. I spent a fair amount of time in my education studying animation/illustration in pursuit of becoming the next Glen Keane and other Disney greats. The Disney era I grew up with, it's second golden age with The Little Mermaid, The Lion King etc., is over and gone. More focus is on technology, rather than story and chracter development, and more and more animation in general is being shipped overseas for cheap.

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Updated On: 7/7/04 at 03:49 PM

Eisner was brilliant when he started with Disney, but he's waaaay past his time at this point. I hated The Hunchback of Notre Dame and I don't think they've made a good musical since then.

However, I do think that Disney can rise again- wasn't The Little Mermaid considered a comeback for its animation studios?

Heh- that was also the first movie I saw in theaters, I think.

I thought Brother Bear was magical...

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I am very irritated by the Disney Pass-Around-Kids.
All of them.


I was just having a conversation last week about the sad disappearance of the Disney animated musicals.
I saw The Lion King like 3 times in the theatre, and I'm not ashamed to admit I cried every time.
Of course, I think I was 8 at the time, but that Mufasa death scene really got me.
*sniff*

I don't understand why they stopped the music.
Sadness.

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"Mermaid, BatB, Lion King, and Aladdin"


Easy. Those four films follow EXACTLY the same formula. Watch them and you will see it.