You would think that someone in their early 20s would have moved past the point of practically worshiping cartoon movies. As a child I would beg my parents to watch any Disney movie I could get my tiny hands on, and I have yet to lose my love for the movies I used to watch every day of the week. These works of art could take you to any time and place, sparking your imagination, and breathing life into your dreams. Little boys wanted to be the strong, brave princes and girls everywhere wanted to be the beautiful princess, but these aren't the only aspects that drew us to these timeless classics.
1. Adventures:
We all need a little adventure in our life and Disney movies packed that wild punch with films like "The Little Mermaid" taking us all over the ocean, into mysterious caverns full of gizmos and gadgets. Every Disney movie is set in a whole new world, be it real or imaginary, and we all wanted to visit them with our favorite characters.
2. Magic:
I don't know about you, but I didn't have a family that used magic or anything even close to that, so Disney was the only one pulling rabbits out of hats. I mean, don't we all want a fairy godmother to wave her wand so we can get the award for best dressed at the prom... or ball? In a world where going to the mall with our friends or laying by the pool on summer vacation is the most exciting part of our day, the magic of Disney shows us a world we would much rather be adventuring through.
3. Sidekick:
Every good hero needs that perfect sidekick to help them get into and out of trouble. Just like Aboo, the hilarious monkey from Aladdin that causes tons of trouble thanks to his habit of stealing, but has his own moments to be the hero Aladdin needs to get out of tight situations. The perfect sidekick is also the perfect friend. Every Disney sidekick has a humorous side, whether they're making a mess for our heroes or just making a dark situation less stressful with a joke or two. Their ability to make us laugh isn't the only thing that made us love them, they also encouraged the hero and supported them through everything. Timon and Pumba could dance the hula to a pack of hyena's then turn around and encourage Simba to be the best he could be.
4. Villains:
When there is light, there must also be darkness, that comes in the form of our beastly villains. The villain is the opposite of our goody-goody hero and can have amazing powers like Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty becoming a dragon and fighting our handsome prince. We are naturally drawn to the villain because their seemingly unstoppable power and desire for revenge on our hero can be daunting. This incredible power can represent the struggles we find in our much less magical world, and prove that if a prince can beat a dragon, we can pass that class or get that fancy job.
5. Fall before the rise:
Just before our hero defeats the villain, there is a moment where there appears to be no way out. This is a moment when the villain reaches their most powerful and crushes the hero to the ground so the hero can rise up against their intimidating foe and win the day. We all remember when Hades took Hercules' strength and left him with almost nothing before he regained his power against all odds and become a full-blown God. As children we cheered him on. As adults we often feel this crushing weight on our shoulders, as if all our strength is gone and there is no hope. Disney movies show us that we can conquer even the hardest of trials and get through it smarter, stronger, braver and better than before.
6. True love:
Last but definitely not least, true love. This is what we all wish for as kids and look for as we grow older. That gorgeous moment when the prince gets his princess, or when the Tramp gets the Lady, and they live happily ever after is one of the most iconic moments in any Disney film. After all, a classy Italian dinner is sure to steal any good dogs' heart, am I right?
