Second Disney Renaissance Part 1: Introduction and the Precursor

Disney films hold a special place in my heart. I got to see a lot of Disney's older live action films  thanks to my Dad. I'm sure he took great pleasure traumatizing me with the freaking Banshee from Darby O'Gil and the Little People. Speaking of the live action films does anyone besides me remember The Gnome Mobile? Back on topic. My favorite aspect of Disney is the Disney Animated Canon. This a bit interesting because I think a watched the Sing-Along Songs tapes more than the actual animated movies when I was a kid. I was born in 1991, right in the high-point of the Disney Renaissance. One of my first cinema experiences was seeing The Lion King and the re-release of Oliver in Company. I started to lose interest in Disney when as I got older which was rather convenient since Disney started to go downhill in the 2000s. Based on fan and critical reaction, these movies fit in three major categories, Movies I Wished I Saw (Emperors New Groove, Lilo and Stitch), Interesting Experiments Which Couldn't Find an Audience (Atlantis, and Treasure Planet), and Animated Abominations (Dinosaur, Home on the Range, and Chicken Little). I stated watching Disney movies again when Meet the Robinsons came out and it was just kind of okay. However, the Animated Canon began to return to form with subsequent films. As a result of consecutive strong releases, myself and others have concluded the Disney Animation has entered into a Second Renaissance. The following with be a personal reflection on the films of the Second Renaissance. They won't comprehensive reviews but I might write some for these movies in the future. If anyone is looking for true Disney reviews then I direct you to That Guy with the Glasses's Disneycember series.

Animated Canon
Wreck-it-Ralph
Frozen
Pixar and other CGI Films
Live-Action Films

Before I get to the Second Renaissance films there is one I have to cover first because I feel its relevant to the discussion. So now I will introduce what I see as the precursor to the Second Renaissance

0. Bolt (2008)

Premise: Bolt (John Travolta) is a super-powered dog who is dedicated in protecting his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), as she tries to rescue her kidnapped father....... except none of that is true. Bolt is actually and acting dog who is convinced the TV show he stars in is reality. However, the show's producer fears a potential drop in ratings so a new storyline is written where Penny is captured by the show's villain. Bolt thinks this is real so he tries to save Penny which results in him falling into a shipping box and being mailed to New York. Bolt is now caught up in a real adventure as he travels America to get back to his owner while meeting a cynical tuxedo cat, Mittens, (Susan Essman) and a fanboy hamster, Rhino (Mark Walton), on the way.

Reflection: My experience with Bolt proves movie critics' opinions can be very useful. The only reason I saw this movie is because my friend Dustin was really bored one day and he wanted to see a movie. Now I'm the kind of person who loves movie reviews so I check Rotten Tomatoes to see which of the current movies weren't crap. Much to my surprise, the animated Disney flick had the highest rating. I was initially skeptical because at the time I did not believe Disney Animation Studios should be making movies with CGI animation. CGI was Pixar's job. Actually, I got into a bit a fight with Dustin because he thought Bolt was a Pixar movie and I just had to prove him wrong. However, I went into with an open mind and the movie ended up being a surprising solid Disney film.

While I do like this movie, I don't consider it part of the Second Renaissance. If that's the case why is it in this retrospective. I've noticed a few parallels when comparing the Renaissance of the 90s to Disney's current output. I see Bolt as The Great Mouse Detective of the new era. Back in the 80s, Disney was hit hard by the colossal financial failure of The Black Cauldron. The Great Mouse Detective restored Disney's faith in animation and helped pave the way for the Disney Renaissance. Bolt was a critical success and brought Disney Animation some positive attention in the age of Pixar dominance. As for my self, I found the movie to be really fun but it certainly doesn't rank up with Disney's classics. However, it is  worth a look if you're a fan of animated movies. The movie's greatest strength is its characters who are all very likable. Even Miley Cyrus was alright in this. My favorite character is Mittens but that's probably because I own three tuxedo cats. The plot is predictable and unfortunately indulgences in some of the more annoying movie cliches but the flaws don't hurt the movie that much. I haven't seen Bolt since it came out so I really don't have anything else to say about it. I might see it again if I can find the DVD cheap up I'm certainty not in a real hurry to get it. Disney's heavy hitters were just on the horizon.

Fun Fact: Bolt was originally pitched as American Dog and the project was headed by Chris Sanders who directed Lilo and Stitch. John Lasseter, chief of Disney's Animation department, didn't like the original plan and American Dog became Bolt. Chris Sanders left Disney after he was removed from the project and he went to Dreamworks where he directed How to Train Your Dragon.

Next time I write about the beginnings of the Second Renaissance and some of the recent Princess movies.