Ah, Disney. Cue the nostalgia when it comes to all things princesses and animation. Remember the fuzzy look of a brand new Disney VHS? This memory ruled my childhood and I coveted my Disney tapes more than anything. So imagine my shock when I started collecting VHS tapes again (kind of pointless, I know) and saw that there were Disney movies that I didn't even remember existing. These following films were part of what some argue to be the Renaissance of Disney, so why do they remain forgotten?
"The Black Cauldron"
A pig that can foresee the future, a pig-herder boy that dreams of becoming a knight, and an evil Horned King. "The Black Cauldron" is all about Taran, the pig herder, and his quest for the Black Cauldron to halt the Horned King from crafting an army of the undead.
"Oliver & Company"
Poor Oliver. In this 1988 film the cute orange kitten is orphaned and taken in by a gang of dogs led by the canine king Dodger. Oliver ultimately ends up adopted by a lovely rich girl, but chaos ensues. Who remembers that Dodger was voiced by Billy Joel?
"The Great Mouse Detective"
Honestly, what the hell. The villain of this movie is trying to replace the Queen of England with a robotic clone that he can control. This of course is uncovered by the famous mouse detective Basil of Baker Street after he investigated the abduction of a young mouse’s father.
"Rescuers Down Under"
More mice! Really, Cody was doing the right thing in trying to save a golden eagle from a trap in the Australian outback. When a poacher then kidnaps the poor boy to catch the eagle again, Bernard and Bianca fly to Cody’s rescue from New York City on the back of an albatross.
"Kiki’s Delivery Service"
A beloved Miyazaki film, "Kiki’s Delivery Service" is a well-loved tale about a young witch trying to figure life out on her own during a year-long apprenticeship. Partnered with her beloved black cat and a broom, Kiki sets off to discover how to live in a world that seems to look down on witches, making friends along the way.
"Dinosaur"
Weird animation and an even weirder story, an orphaned dinosaur that was somehow raised by lemurs has to find a new home post meteor strike. Along the way he reunites with another dinosaur herd that is being pursued by various packs of predators.
"Home on the Range"
OK, so, basically this film is about an outlaw that is trying to take control of a dairy farm, and the resident animals are not having it. Who even remembers this movie even existing?
"Treasure Planet"
An intergalactic version of "Treasure Island," who knows what Robert Louis Stevenson would have thought of this 2002 adaption? I do remember thinking that cartoon Jim Hawkins (voiced by ultra-babe Joseph Gordon Levitt) was a babe, however.
