Writing in the Disney Renaissance 

I would like to put that Ariel didn’t sell her voice for a man she was already fascinated with the human world Eric was just the cherry on top.

can you really say ariel sold her voice for eric tho? the point of the i want song is to establish her motivations, and she sang it before meeting eric. she didn’t even mentions love in her song. even before meeting eric in the song she says “what would i pay to stay a day warm on the sand?” well, her soul.

Disney reinassance is a spoil of the public eye, we didn't know how good we got it from them, and after it ended we felt the pain of very poor decisions in the mid 2000s

Despite its problems I think hunchback is one of the best films Disney has made

*subtly slides this video onto Bob Iger's desk*

- the protagonists (choices) lead the plot - want vs need - evil sometimes more personal - personal identity

You know, your comments on Tarzan and the relationship between hero and villain got me to thinking--Disney really missed an opportunity. In the original novel, William Cecil Clayton was not a villain, but was a cousin of John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke, aka Tarzan. He was also interested in Jane's hand, getting engaged to her although Tarzan eventually won out in the course of several novels. They could have kept this angle in while still keeping him a villain and made his motivation jealousy instead--he's always aspired to the title of Earl of Greystoke and the love of Jane Porter, and now this man is stepping in to grab away both. Instead, they made him a one-dimensional greedy villain only out for money.

I'd argue that Maleficent's motivation goes beyond then just "not being invited to a party". Sure she wasn't invited but that's the reason why she cursed the princess, it's because the three good fairies were invited by the King and Queen aka her enemies. I think that is what offended her, the king and queen breaking bread with enemies is a sign they took a side in their war, so she punishes them accordingly.

I just wanted to tell you that I've just binged your entire channel. First of all BRILLIANT work Daniel! You have some of the best video's on youtube regarding gangster films. Secondly, you've spoken about great performances and acting in some of your videos and I would love to see you make video on your all time standout performances whilst discussing the acting in more detail perhaps. Again fantastic work and I'm certain this channel will be one of the biggest in this genre in no time. All the best, Luke. Keep killing it.

Hunchback is my favorite Disney movie, its an unpopular opinion, but its mine

Disney is my fave Animation Studio and I do love their Handdrawn films. The Renaissance is the perfect era for Disney Animation.

Incredibly interesting as always. It would be interesting to hear your take on the ‘Pixar era’ that came shortly after the Disney renaissance and how that changed narratives too.

Personally, I think Hercules' arc is well-defined. He initially thinks that being a hero is about gaining attention and fans, but comes to learn the true meaning of it through his relationship with Meg. That being said, I do understand your point about it having elements that don't work together. I enjoy the film as is, but if you watch it with the same expectations you had with The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, you will be disappointed.

Really terrific analysis here. Forgive me for bumping a 2 year-old video, but I actually want to make a connection between this video here and your recent eye-opening video "No, Superhero Movies are NOT like Westerns". It's difficult in this day and age to think of the Walt Disney Company ever being an underdog, but that's essentially how they started in the 1920s and 1930s (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was labeled 'Disney's Folly' in Hollywood before its release, and way before Eisenstein himself called it the greatest film ever made), and when you flash forward to the decade and a half prior to the Renaissance, that's what they were again: the underdog. It's also really easy to underestimate to the influence of Howard Ashman, the lyricist (and essentially storyteller) of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast (Aladdin had his work completed by another lyricist after his death mid-way through production). I often draw comparisons between him and Stephen Sondheim, because his lyric writing was nearly as endlessly witty, funny, and inventive as Sondheim's. But perhaps more important to note is that Ashman was to the animators of the Renaissance films what Walt Disney himself was to the animators of the Golden Age films (and there are many people involved in the production of these films, including Walt's nephew Roy, who would compare him to Walt): he endlessly challenged and educated the animation studio about what it could be and what kind of work they were capable of producing, and at the same time sold them on the idea that animation and musical theatre were made for one another. For example, there was a point where Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested that they cut "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. Ashman literally said "over my dead body, I'll strangle you." And he was right. If that "I Want" song had been gutted, it would have killed the connection to Ariel, and likely killed people's connection to the movie itself (I've heard a rumor that the animation studio would have closed were the movie not a success, and I'd be willing to bet that if the song was cut, that rumor would have been a reality). He might have had a bit of a contentious personality to deal with, but he also had a motivation and force that we haven't seen from a single individual at Disney Animation since. When he died in 1991, there was no one to fill his shoes. No one had the kind of mind, artistic vision, and seemingly endless bag of musical theatre tricks that could be applied to animation as he had (I would have no problem saying that the beginning of the end for the Disney Renaissance was Ashman's death; The Lion King is really the curious exception to the rule). Without Ashman, not only would Disney have never made these films, but they would not have made the amounts of money that they do today, to say nothing of the fact that the works are endlessly re-purposed for Broadway, live action remakes, etc. In your Superhero/Western video, what I found most interesting were the graphs that depicted the several different studios having influence over the box office when it came to those two genres. Obviously, Disney has the strongest threshold over the superhero box office today, but that wasn't always the case. Around the time of Tim Burton's Batman, Disney released The Rocketeer, and that was a flop at the box office, and their attempts at superhero movies prior to their owning of Marvel are almost not even worth bringing up. But thanks to the money that these animated musicals were bringing in (and continuing to do so, thanks to their longevity on home video and Broadway), and to the fact that the public was growing tired of the formula that came with those films, they could afford to re-purpose the money into live-action filmmaking, specifically for superhero films (and for a time, other franchises they acquired or previously owned through the theme parks like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Chronicles of Narnia). The lesson Disney learned long ago is that if you can't beat 'em, buy 'em. Their distribution deal with Pixar obviously turned into them purchasing Pixar outright, and eventually lead to purchasing Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox, etc. As you say, the homogenization and tyranny of Disney at the box office (in particular through Superhero and Marvel) has nothing to do with the popularity of westerns. And I don't think any of it would have happened were it not for the efforts of Howard Ashman, and his lyrics still continue to make the company billions of dollars. However, I don't think that he would have wanted any of this to happen, and I think it's unfair to add this to his legacy. He's a far greater artistic figure than practically anyone else who has set foot in the studio since, and if he were alive today, would likely still be pushing and challenging artists to create works that go above and beyond "acceptable", which seems to be the bar that Disney wants to meet today.

To me, Hercules was the best movie of the Renassiance era. I loved is' exploration of what makes a hero and so, I think it's more structured than what you give it credit for. And the Tarzan story as a great adventure story. . Those two aspects are what I love about those stories.

The incredibly singable scores of the renaissance sure helped a lot. They harkened back to the 60's Disney animations of my youth. As a child, family vacations featured a cassette tape of "The Jungle Book" to which we all sang along. As a father of two young girls, we travelled with a CD of current Disney hits from the renaissance movies.

Man. I agree with you so much on the screenwriting, which is something much better than a lot of classic Disney movies, which didn’t often have the tightest of scripts. It is because of these movies that American companies like Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks have such beautiful stories.

Hunchback’s tone problem really comes down to many of the jokes just not being very funny. It’s not like it doesn’t have humor that works, and it’s not like it doesn’t have even sillier humor that works at that! The goofy gargoyles could have even landed better if they were just better. The only example of straight up out of place humor I can think of is the transition from Hellfire straight into the Guy Like You scene. That just should not have happened.

i've just discovered this channel and i adore it. maybe the best film channels i've come across in a while

Ariel did have an arch. Her want is to become human and to be with Eric. Her need is to restore her relationship with her dad. It's not very developed because Triton is the one who learns the big lesson of the movie, "children got to be free to live their own lives", quoting Sebastian. But overall, Ariel did come out with the realisation of how much her dad loved her, and the final hug between Triton and Ariel shows they finally understand each other.

Phew! How does this channel not have more views? This is fantastic work!

Great Video, would love to see your opinions on the Atlantis, Treasure Planet, Lilo & Stitch, and the Emperor's New Groove.

Or maybe, just maybe, Hercules is one of the very best Disney Renaissance movies. Up there with Mulan, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, only a lot more cerebral and satyrical and therefore less enchanting.

You missed out on the "surprise but totally not a surprise" villain in Incredibles 2 and Coco. The other component to the surprise villain is the "surprise relative". The moment the homeless skeleton in Coco makes a connection with him, it was obvious (at least to me) that he was probably going to be the true good guy at the end, much like vanellope and king candy in Wreck It Ralph. The reveal was better in Ralph but the current trope of "Set up character X as the heroic ideal in act 1 and then tear him down by Act 3" is tiring and really formulaic.

Great analysis of the Disney Renaissance, but also just awesomely constructed. Subbed!

Honestly, Hunchback would have been a perfect film, if not for the gargoyles. I mean, the actors who voiced them are funny on their own, but they don’t fit into the story.

This is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you for the video dude.

This is a really great video, it really deserves more views

I enjoyed this video quite a lot Good Job dude.

Great analysis man. I like your arguments and your points. My only nitpick is that the music you chose is a bit distracting sometimes. Other than that, thanks for the video!

You deserve more views!!

5:25 Alright I laughed there, well done

How you have this many subscribes escapes me. Great video!

I definitely agree that the screenwriting was vastly improved from most of the movies from the previous eras of Disney. The main characters including the heroes and the villains are better fleshed out and for the most part (except for Radcliffe and Clayton) have motivations that make sense according to their characters.

Great video and great use of music! You're at almost 7k subscribers! WOW!

For the last time Ariel didn’t sell her voice for a man 😭

Great Video!

It's strange that you put the essay in this layout, because that's actually how I saw Disney films as a lil' tot in the early-to-mid 90's!! After seeing THE LITTLE MERMAID at home on VHS, I saw my first Disney film on the big screen at age 6 with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and to this day, it remains one of the most profound cinematic experiences of my life! I still prefer that one as my personal Top Favorite film of the Disney Renaissance, no matter how many times I watched THE LION KING, which I also loved. However, after POCAHONTAS at age 10 in '95, I stopped seeing the rest of Disney's Renaissance films on the big screen and only afterwards caught at least one screening of some of the later films each on the small screen at other people's houses, usually as part of kids' group activities, and even then I didn't get the same feeling that I did watching the first Disney Renaissance films in theaters. I guess the effect kinda wore off on me before I even knew what the hell was happening. And this coincided with watching DreamWorks animated movies on the big screen during my early-to-mid teens, which were aimed at both kids and adults while delivering elements that we were losing with the later Disney Renaissance films.

i like how you're playing the music for beauty and the beast in the background, that music is legendary

Interesting analysis

Alright you’ve got a Disney renaissance video, now all you need is a video analyzing The Office and you’ll shoot straight to the top of Film Analysis RU-vid, 100k bby!!!🥳🥳🥳 (Great video, as always)

How can you say that about hunchback of Notre Dame. You were saying a movie that took place during the Renaissance has no place in the Renaissance?

If you're such a fan of Hero/Villain relationships, give us the Treasure Planet movie you coward

In case not everyone knew, these are the films of the Disney Renaissance. This clip forgot one: The Little Mermaid ( 1989 ) The Rescuers Down Under ( 1990 ) Beauty and the Beast ( 1991 ) Aladdin ( 1992 ) The Lion King ( 1994 ) Pocahontas ( 1995 ) The Hunchback of Notre Dame ( 1996 ) Hercules ( 1997 ) Mulan ( 1998 ) Tarzan ( 1999 ) When the Disney Revival Era films START, there is debate between Bolt ( 2008 ) and The Princess and the Frog ( 2009 ), but not Tangled ( 2010 ). Might want to rethink that. Also, the Disney Revival Era films are as follows: Bolt ( 2008 ) The Princess and the Frog ( 2009 ) Tangled ( 2010 ) Winnie the Pooh ( 2011 ) Wreck-It Ralph ( 2012 ) Frozen ( 2013 ) Big Hero 6 ( 2014 ) Zootopia ( 2016 ) Moana ( 2016 ) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eTO-lVm42l4.html

Just discovering your channel and I love your content! Subscribed! I disagree with what seems to be the general consensus regarding Pocahontas. It's certainly a dip in quality from the prior four movies, and I agree with many of your criticisms, but I feel it does offer a few things the other films don't. I also regard Tarzan much higher than you seem to, and actually prefer it to Aladdin. Mulan is, in my opinion, clearly the weakest picture you discuss. Regardless, I loved this video and it provided quite a bit of insight I hadn't considered, and I always thought I considered these films a lot! Thank you!

You were too hard on Pocahontas. She does have wants and ‘Just Around The Riverbend’ exemplifies that.

Even if the later films of the 90s fail to properly execute the Disney Formula among other story problems (which might explain why these films, while still well-remembered, don't get as much recognition as the first half), they still have enough strengths to be considered part of the Renaissance. They all have phenomenal soundtracks and animation. They also have strong theming, and enough entertaining and heartfelt moments to make them impactful. Pocahontas presents prejudice and racial tension from both sides of the fence. The Hunchback of Notre Dame doesn't shy away from presenting the darker sides of society, humanity, and even religion. Hercules is has charming and funny characters, and is ultimately about a hero who comes to know the true meaning of being one. Mulan has one of the strongest female protagonists in a Disney film, where her greatest strength is in her character and motivation. And Tarzan rivals Lion King in its atmosphere and emotion beats. Yes, these films have issues holding them back, but no story is perfect, so long as it leaves an impression. Really, I'm one of those people who thinks Disney hasn't put out a truly bad film. Even the films that are generally considered their worst I have at least some nostalgia or personal interest for that, at worst, clouds my judgement and, at best, allows me to enjoy them. Personally, I feel that the Disney Renaissance only ended because the 90s era did, and even some of the films that came after, like Lilo and Stitch and Treasure Planet, are still regarded today as some of Disney's best. I also feel that while the Revival Era has it's share of good films, it doesn't hold a candle to the Renaissance Era, simply because so much of it misses the mark.

Ngl in the classic disney movies, the sidekicks are the protagonists. Not the titular or main characters

Honestly, as a kid who even saw lion king in theaters and was Disney's sauron-eye demographic then...the movies that came out prior to pocahontas had a better 'animation quality' that was rarely matched by later generations as Disney went on. I've still never seen pocahontas haha It's like prior to pocahontas they had different folks behind the scenes and those that came after just wanted to mcdonald's-ify/streamline their movies once they got that $$$$ boost from their good movies. Movies that they've been trying to milk yet again a couple decades later. It's purely aesthetic yes, but sometimes that can make or break the decision to stare at a screen & watch it for a couple hours, at least for a little kid

90s Disney did it differently but not objectively better. Classic Disney wasn’t focused on plot and that’s not specifically a bad thing.

I would like to add that Ariel in the original Little Mermaid doesn't have an arc because.....she didn't need one. Ariel has a want. Her want to to go to the surface and be with Eric. But, her need is to stay underwater because "humans are bad" according to King Triton. But, in the end.....Ariel was right because the surface is where she belongs and, thanks to Eric saving Ariel in the climax, not all humans are bad. So Ariel wad right and Triton was wrong. Although Ariel doesn't have an arc, she was able to notice that Ursula tricked her and see the concequeces of her actions through her facial expressions of shock, terror, and horror and Ariel was a very expressive character. So, you were easily able to see what she's thinking. Plus, (like what you said) she helped out Eric take down Ursula (and her eels, too). Does Ariel get saved in the end? Yes. But, Ariel has already shown how active she was (saving Flounder from a shark, saving Eric (twice), and killing Ursula's eels). Plus, Eric saving Ariel was important as it gave Eric a moment to shine and it resulted in Triton to learn that not all humans are bad. Am I wrong or am I right?

What is your take on the move away from animation to “live action” remakes?

Man, Emperrors new groove was so unique. It tried to be a "comedy" above everything. Even being a modern version of an ancient Meso-american city, and no real 'dark' moments. Other movies stay true to their time period and setting. The protagonist is a right lovable, spoiled asshole, his sidekick goes through so much and is the victim of our heroes business, and regular venture. The villain is defeated, but still alive, and later on they all sort of just co-exist as frenemies in the series that was cut short with Kitt's death. Infact, I'd even say YZMA is very much based on Eartha Kitt, from turning to a cat, to being scarier beyond all reason.

...and the guy who seems like a classic Disney Renaissance villain be a red herring.

I love hunchback more than god knows, but I agree it has some major tonal problems

I don't really care one bit about disney animation of old But I will watch this since your videos are always good.

Wall-e did the hero death fakeout first and also significantly better.

wow, 700 million for Lion King. didn't know it was that much.

Personality and love 💕

Brom in Ichabod and Mr. Toad has a Gaston complex too

Ariel did not do that, she loved the land before him

Better than most animqtion films by Comcast nowadays...

I think it's also important to point out that Howard Ashman had a Major role in all this, and that his passing is almost tied up to the "decline" of the renaissance era since he made The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and a lot of Aladdin.

I would like to say here that Snow White is not dissimilar to Cinderella and doesn't deserve the dismissal she gets. People point out how Cinderella had no choice because she was inferior to and a victim of her stepmother - so was Snow White! Yes she was a princess while Cinderella wasn't, but we can see exactly how much weight _that_ carries in the first five minutes of the film---none, because it certainly doesn't give her any power in the castle where her step/mother the Evil Queen rules with an iron fist, it doesn't even give her any protection from humiliation and the social stripping of rank and privilege, which was the lifeblood of any aristocrat in those times. It wasn't even enough to spare her _life_ once the Queen decided she was tired of keeping her around. In fact, I would say Snow White had even less protection than Cinderella---at least there Lady Tremaine wasn't the ultimate power in the land, and presumably there it wasn't...acceptable to kick out your stepdaughter, even if you did treat her like trash. Like Cinderella, Snow White had quite a bit of mental fortitude (and at a younger age, too) to be able to remain optimistic, and kind, and dare to still dream even under such prolonged mistreatment. And like Cinderella, she retained her own personality and self-worth under all of it also (mental strength again...), negotiating with the dwarfs as an equal, drawing boundaries for them, and knowing the worth of earning her keep. And in the end, like Cinderella, her actions, the disposition she kept and relationships she made contributed to her own rescue. Just because she needs a little help does not make her a bad character. Cinderella did too, and so did all the vaunted Renaissance princesses. All of them helped others and needed help. That is normal to humanity. (And as a nitpick aside, a lot of people say the prince was a stranger, but...I don't think he was. Snow White's I'm Wishing, calls for ''the one I love'' specifically, and Florian's words are ''now that I've found you'' and his song also makes reference to his heart being true and one song he ''keeps singing'' for her---which to me, sounds like they were already in each others' hearts for a while, because they knew each other already. With the pure passion and happiness they have for each other, along with Snow's bits of initial nervousness and then bliss plus Florian's initial confidence and then appeal to her, the entire I'm Wishing/One Song sequence always read much more to me as sometime-parted paramours reunited rather than first-meeting feelings, like the whole film was more a piece of their story rather than the whole of it. If one decides to compare to the film a hypothetical situation where Snow and Florian already met and fell in love, but then he had to leave for some reason and she was removed from where he would know to find her---like, say, her position as princess, perhaps---and she now has to rely on the hope of him finding her and once he does he has to reassure her he still loves her regardless of time and changes in station, well, that hypothetical situation doesn't contradict canon at all, does it? In fact I think it fits better than the introduction that people assume.)

And now we have Disney in what is probably one of its most UN-creative periods ever -- going crazy with CGI-heavy live-action remakes of previous animated films that people already know the story of. I'll be glad when Disney gets off of THIS trend!

Can somebody please direct me towards the music that is playing around 6:40 minute mark? Thank you.

I realized that Gaston's fall is caused by the lack of love - just like Voldemort. Also, the original Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen includes a much deeper consequence of her acting, as it ends with her dieing.

How touching

I still love the movie, but if they removed those Gargolyes from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it would have been a lot better.

Yeah I really don’t like those fake out self sacrifice parts. It’s like in lesser Don bluth films, like pebble and the penguin where we think rocko died but comes back for the climax.

Woah…..my guy did not just trash on the masterpiece that is Pocahontas

You need more membership!

When he spoke about TARZAN, I felt attacked, that's one of my favs 😤 He's right, though 😫

I’m curious where you think outliers like Lilo and Stitch factor into this.

Cartoons have emotions

Start with yourself ❤

the unions dig made me laugh 🤣

Always a great scene after the horrible scene

A lovely 🌹 love story

The music creeped me out but the video was good

You can’t fully blame Ariel for her actions. If her father did not destroy her collection, she wouldn’t have made a deal with Ursula.

I'd posit that Pocohontas is a good movie. 😊

The doggy is good 👍🏿

Well... Lion King was based on Shakespeare´s King Lear sooooo....

*First, Ariel didn't do it all for one man! She liked the outside world before! second, if that were the case, what would be the problem? It's her decision after all! third, how come no one complains about the fact that Aladdin does everything, to the point of risking his life for a woman! How is this not seen as a problem?*

Let it be sweet 🧁

Tarzan may not be the best Renaissance film, but it has the best soundtrack and the best song in Disney history imo

Swag Video

I can understand liking Pocahontas, but I can never understand it being considered one of the best or even just a great movie. The only reasons I can think of are nostalgia, and it’s “dark themes”, the latter of which the film cannot figure out. It feels so tone deaf and emotionally stiff compared to what came before it and even what came after it.

Tarzan didn’t have a I want it song! Super important…

I think it’s of note that in Frozen and Tangled the act of sacrifice was set up well and the characters “revival” makes sense. In Frozen we already knew about the whole act of true love thing and in Tangled we knew Rapunzels hair had healing powers, so it was very possible her tears did as well. To be honest if doesn’t make since to me why they brought back baymax

Say welcome 🤗

Magical kingdom

Pocahontas is the only film in this era I did not like, due to its failed attempt at Oscar bait, motivated by Jeffrey Katzenberg’s desire to replicate the moment when Beauty and the Beast got nominated for Best Picture.

Hercules has the best soundtrack of any disney film.

Don't true love away 😢

Bambi is sad 😭

"Like unions" lol

More Disney princess in shrek

You can just make the same video but about marvel