MOVIES

The Disney Renaissance and Beyond: The Best Animated Movies of the ‘90s

Remembering the top animated movies of the 1990s

Photo by Brian McGowan on Unsplash

To an extent, the top animated movies of the 1990s were produced by Disney. The 90s were, by and large, Disney’s decade, and one that re-established itself as the best in the business when it comes to animated films.

It all started early in the decade, when Disney, keen to reassert itself, released a gem by the name of Beauty and the Beast. An animated retelling of a classic tale, with an engaging story and the best animated Disney film of the time, it is possibly the best 2D animated film. It is the only animated film to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Film.

With such a promising start to the decade, Disney proved they could do it again with Aladdin. Released not long after Beauty and the Beast, this film put a fresh spin on the gene tale. With a mix of comedy and action, the film proved itself to be one of Disney’s best movies. With memorable action scenes, it is one of the best animated films of the decade.

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Then there was The Lion King. This little gem provided fantastic animated sequences against the backdrop of fantastic songs. The film grossed approximately $300 million at the box office and was once again another top animated Disney film of the period.

Moving away from the 2D into the 3D, Disney, along with Pixar studios, could not help but produce another top animated film in the form of Toy Story. This film was the first to use 3D rendering as opposed to 2D animation and was superior to anything that had gone before it. Toy Story produced a finely crafted family movie suitable for all audiences. It was the first, and other animated films would follow suit, like its sequel, Saving Nemo and Shrek.

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With such a run of films, the 1990s era was perhaps Disney’s best. However, two other animated films late in the decade challenged the hegemony.

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut is one such animated film. Based on the TV series, South Park hit the big screen. Rated R, this was hardly strictly a child’s film, but it was a great take on the TV show and a good musical.

And the other is? That would be Iron Giant, which also cut in at a similar time to South Park. It did not have any songs and dances, but it was a great science fiction tale and something original. It was not a huge box office hit like Aladdin, but it certainly should be regarded as one of the best animated films of the 90s.

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So, those are the top animated films of the era. Disney dominated to a point, with classics such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Toy Story. Later, however, more original animated films, like Iron Giant, joined the fray, and they would be followed by other non-Disney animated films in the new decade.

Read more of my movie articles on Medium:

A Brief History of Disney Films

A Brief History of Star Trek

Iconic Action: 6 Greatest Action Movies That Redefined the Genre

Decade of Dazzle: The Unforgettable Movies of the 90s

Spielberg’s Greatest Films