For the last eighty-odd years, Disney animated films have been a staple of millions of childhoods around the world. The studio is arguably the foremost creator of animated films, at least in the West, and while they may fall into the trap of being thought of as “children’s movies”, Disney’s animated films boast brilliant storytelling and incomparable artistry.
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Case in point, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was the first ever animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Though these films are meant to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages, there are a few Disney animated movies in particular that hit different when you watch them as an adult. Whether it’s the humor, the themes, or the outdated aspects of storytelling, these three films may not be exactly as you remember them if you first watched them as a kid.
3) Aladdin
As an adult, Aladdin can seem like a completely different viewing experience, and it’s all because of the genius that was Robin Williams. His voice performance as Genie in the film is stuffed to the gills with clever jokes and witty references. Williams makes what could have been a rather straightforward adaptation of a story from the Arabian folktale One Thousand and One Nights a unique and hilarious watch, no matter how old one is.
However, we didn’t truly get his Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, and Rodney Dangerfield impressions until we were considerably older. Director Ron Clements and Jon Musker balance the more adult humor peppered in Williams’s performance with vibrant visual storytelling and gags for younger viewers, which is why Aladdin is one of our very favorite Disney animated films of all time.
2) Zootopia
At first glance, one may think that Zootopia is just about a city of cute, cuddly animals, but in reality, the film, which premiered in 2016, isn’t just an engaging mystery, but also addresses some sophisticated themes. In it, ambitious and genuine rabbit police officer Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) teams up with the sly, cunning fox Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) to investigate why the mammals in their city are reverting to their primitive, predatory instincts. In doing so, Zootopia uses the spreading atavism to explore the quite mature themes of race and class without going over any audience members’ heads.
Zootopia is entertaining from start to finish and teaches its lesson without coming off as too preachy or heavy-handed. Directors Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush implemented mind-blowingly detailed world-building and nearly non-stop humor to tell an engaging story that leaves even the most sophisticated viewer thinking about Zootopia long after the movie’s finished. Not to mention, the scene at the Department of Motor Vehicles, staffed entirely by sloths, is nothing short of comedic genius and absolute cinema that you can only appreciate once you’re old enough to have gotten your license.
1) Peter Pan
Adapting J.M. Barrie’s timeless play turned novel from the beginning of the 20th century, Disney’s 1953 Peter Pan movie is still considered a classic all these years later. Its coming-of-age tale about a flying boy who never grows up and resides in the magical island of Neverland, the second star to the right, has left an indelible mark on literature and pop culture. However, when one returns to the Disney film, they may be shocked to discover how poorly some elements of Peter Pan have aged. Most glaringly, how the film portrays the native peoples that live in Neverland. They’re clearly based on American Indigenous peoples, and the cultural appropriation Peter, Wendy, and her brothers, and the Lost Boys participate in is starting. While one could try to chalk it up to the time in which it was made, there’s really no forgiving the song “What Made the Red Man Red?”
Things only get more problematic when one stops and thinks about just how cruel and obsessive Captain Hook is about Peter and the other children in the film. Sure, we understand that Hook is meant to be a metaphor for the adults who have lost their childhood wonder, and perhaps Mr. Darling himself; it’s still quite unsettling, no matter which decade you’re watching Peter Pan in.
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