Tell me your favorite Disney movie. Is it Tangled? Maybe it's Frozen? What about Big Hero 6? Chances are, if you are my age (or older), you are thinking of a film from what is known as *insert dramatic pause here* "the Disney Renaissance."
"The Disney Renaissance" includes the films from 1989-1999. It existed to restore interest in the Disney company by putting well known stories on screen with catchy tunes and groundbreaking animation techniques. Some of these films are considered to be staples of the millennial's childhood experience. Every once in a while, I will hear someone make the statement, "Disney has gone down hill; The movies and TV shows were so much better when we were kids." Along with awful Tinder profiles, unsolicited nudes and people who touch me at the bar, this type of statement is pretty high on my list of pet peeves.
While I can understand why some people may feel this way (ahem ahem Disney Channel original programming), I have to state the obvious and burst the bubble of the naysayers; Disney doesn't make movies for our generation (except Toy Story 3 was DEFINITELY made for our generation. It's not a coincidence Andy was going to college the same time we were growing up and getting rid of our toys). I'll repeat it for the people in the back; Disney makes movies for the kids that go to the theatre today with the parents that take them to see these movies. We simply end up tagging along sometimes in order to hopefully relive that magic we loved as kids. There is no denying the magic and joy present in Disney films. They are a blend of heartbreaking (why does someone always die?) and heartwarming, and Disney films offer incredible life advice hidden under the guise of jokes and music.
As adults, we have become exposed to so much violence, CGI, sex, parties and music. This exposure makes the simple songs and jokes of children's movies no longer affect us like they used to. We had such a strong fondness of Disney movies as kids because we weren't exposed to these things prior to them. We saw the magic in animation and traveled to distant locations (sometimes worlds) with characters we wanted to be friends with or become. Now is the time that you are probably thinking, "lol Eddie, you're wrong. I still love watching my favorite Disney movie from my childhood; It's just the movies they are creating now that are bad."
The reason we can watch Peter Pan and Pocahontas today, and still love them, is because we watched them through the lens of childhood. Had we been teens or young adults in the 90s, I can almost guarantee we would not have the same fondness for "the Disney Renaissance" as we would for the earlier films. I for one love Disney films today. I got just as much excitement from Big Hero 6 as I did from Atlantis, Spider-Man and Harry Potter. Inside Out tugged at my heartstrings just like the Lion King, Moulin Rouge and Saving Private Ryan all did as well. It's not fair to make a judgement against the Disney films of today when they are about bringing a smile to a child's face. If you go to the theatre for a Disney film, look at the faces of the children leaving the theatre, not the faces of the people in your age group. If there is joy in their eyes and a smile on their face, Disney did their job.
