They’ve come in many guises over the years, from the monarchical to the Machiavellian, monsters to muscle men, sorcerers, schemers and step-parents. And they have shown levels of genius, incompetence and everything in between in their efforts to thwart our heroes. But they are always without fail ambitious, self-serving and strangely compelling.

In a world of promoting good virtues to children, good must always triumph over evil. And so, Disney villains can’t be left to return and cause havoc another day (unless it’s in an inconsequential direct-to-video sequel) and so usually meet their maker in one of a variety of inventive and sometimes gruesome ways.

If the Disney Princess is the most merchandisable element of the Disney canon, then the villains are a close second and inspire even more fervour among adult fans, perhaps because they’re usually more flawed and interesting than the heroes and especially when so many are (intentionally or not) queer-coded, fabulously designed and played with gusto by talented voice actors giving it their all. 

For this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine have taken every significant villain to be found in Disney animation and ordered them in terms of wickedness, memorability and the threat they represent to our heroes and heroines. So practice your diabolical laughter, rehearse your evil monologue, dust off your best purple attire and enjoy Animated Disney Villains Ranked. 

Follow @thefilmagazine on X (Twitter).

36. King Candy – Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

The ruler of arcade racing video game Sugar Rush who is actually Turbo, the resentful title character of a long-disconnected game.

Alan Tudyk has been Disney’s good luck charm in recent years and delivers a manic performance here as a mascot-gone-wrong, but the vocals have to do most of the work to enliven a baddie who’s just not interesting enough to match the heroes.

Demise by: Destroyed by the collapse of Diet Cola Mountain with the addition of Mentos.

35. Prince Hans – Frozen (2013)

A seemingly classic Prince Charming who is actually conspiring to eliminate both heirs to the Arendelle throne and claim it for himself.

Hans is a duplicitous, generic British-accented baddie revealed in the film’s final act, who gets some bonus evil points for taking advantage of Princess Anna’s emotions the way he does, purely to advance himself.

Demise by: Survives but is arrested and banished for his treachery.

Recommended for you: Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners Ranked

34. Alameda Slim – Home on the Range (2004)

An evil cattle rustler and conman who plans to cheat every rancher he can find out of their land.

Randy Quaid’s growling delivery and the character’s hilariously unconvincing Inspector Clouseau-level disguises aside, what makes Alameda Slim stand out is that he’s a rare villain who uses a combination of theft, foreclosure and cow-hypnotising yodelling to get what he wants.

Demise by: Survives, but his schemes and true identity as a rustler are exposed and the reward for his arrest is claimed.

33. Dr Jumba Jookiba – Lilo & Stitch (2002)

An alien mad scientist on the hunt for his dangerous but cute creation on Earth on the orders of the council who imprisoned him for his work.

Dr Jumba is probably the only character who never underestimates the cute blue title character because he was the one who genetically engineered “Experiment 626” and is fully aware of his destructive capabilities. He finds himself lower down this list for being bumbling and for having a late change of heart, eventually helping to protect Stitch when the council’s military arrives to complete his mission with extreme prejudice.

Demise by: Survives to live a fairly happy exile alongside Stitch on Earth.

Aladdin (1992)
Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Screenwriters: John Musker, Ron Clements, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio
Starring: Scott Weinger, Robin Williams, Linda Larkin, Jonathan Freeman, Frank Welker, Gilbert Gottfried, Douglas Seale, Jim Cummings

After they successfully revitalised Disney’s animation department with The Little Mermaid in 1989, directing team John Musker and Ron Clements turned their attention to a new musical inspired by ‘One Thousand and One Nights’, a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled over centuries and first printed in Arabic in the 18th century. Given the title Aladdin after a later story addition to what became known in English as ‘Arabian Nights’, and built largely around a showstopping vocal turn from Robin Williams, the film became a firm favourite among Disney’s 1990s “Renaissance” output and 30 years later still offers much to enjoy.

We follow the titular orphaned “street rat” (Scott Weinger) stealing to survive on the streets of Agrabah until the day he falls for the Princess Jasmine (Linda Larkin) who is running from her impending royal marriage obligations. After being jailed by the Sultan’s guards, Aladdin is offered his freedom and the chance to claim untold riches when the scheming royal vizier Jafar (Jonathan Freeman) recruits him to retrieve a magic lamp from the mysterious Cave of Wonders, freeing a wish-granting Genie (Robin Williams) in the process.

Much like the wizard Merlin from 1963’s The Sword in the Stone, because he’s a magical being the Genie is not tied to the time and place in which he currently finds himself. Because of this, Robin Williams could improv and anachronistically reference contemporary popular culture to his heart’s content and hope the Genie’s animators could keep up with at least some of it. This is one of the first examples where the animation was largely completed after, and to match, an actor’s vocal performance and body language; a much more common practice today with recognisable film and TV actors lending their voices to animated characters rather than making use of chameleonic career voice actors.

Rapid-fire impressions to be found among Williams’ relentless stream of consciousness include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, Arsenio Hall and Peter Lorre, but as always with his stand-up routines you can still pick up a joke you missed on every re-watch.

Williams also had a decent set of singing pipes on him and so each of the musical numbers sung by the Genie (the two no holds barred extravaganzas “Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali”) are far more memorable and purely enjoyable than all the rest. Incredibly it was “A Whole New World” that won Best Original Song at the 1993 Oscars and not “Friend Like Me” (both were nominated) despite the former immediately making you think of bad karaoke duets. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman were a dream musical team for Disney right up to Ashman’s death during production, his lyricist duties taken over by Tim Rice and sadly losing some sharp wit along the way.

The rest of the vocal talent are consistently good, together with their talented animators all adding colour and extra layers to their broad characters. Freeman as Jafar particularly delights in his despicable pantomime performance as one of Disney’s great love-to-hate villains who goes from a subtle schemer to a far more physical threat as the story progresses and Jafar’s powers as a sorcerer rapidly increase. He’s paired well with Gilbert Gottfried as his irritable parrot sidekick/foil Iago, their plotting and squabbling providing some of the film’s biggest laughs. You’ve got to tip your hat to the endlessly versatile Frank Welker too, who voiced Raja the tiger, Abu the monkey and Abu the monkey-as-an-elephant.

Aladdin himself makes for a likeable protagonist on the go-to journey of Disney heroes in the 1990s, discovering the value of being yourself. His tough life on the streets makes it understandable why he’d see the wealth and status of his new alter ego Prince Ali as the secret to happiness, but it’s disappointing that the writers didn’t give Jasmine more credit to see right through him given that she witnesses first-hand how at home he is on the streets during her jaunt outside the confines of the palace. While the Princess is not the most active driver of action here, at least her arc didn’t feel as forced as the over-corrective efforts made in the 2019 Aladdin remake. 

Like any Disney film made decades ago and set in another culture, any kind of deep analysis simply can’t ignore the at best lazy, at worst outright racist stereotypes on show. Williams voicing the fast-talking, shady peddler at the beginning is bad enough, but there’s plenty of orientalist othering and gross generalisations about Arab and Muslim cultures going on throughout the film as well, as beautifully as this world is admittedly realised in animation. 

Considering he’s so much a part of what makes the film a success, it also leaves a bad taste in the mouth that Williams had an integrity that Disney tried to exploit through merchandising, which he took rather personally. He therefore only voiced this iconic character twice in his many multimedia appearances, the other time being in the second direct-to-video sequel, King of Thieves.

For all its dazzling animation and fun knockabout tone, Aladdin is a film truly made by the earnest friendship at its heart. Genie and Al are thrown together by circumstance, and both have their own dreams and hurdles to overcome. At first, the Genie is a means to an end, a magic-my-life-better solution for Aladdin, but their relationship quickly grows into a bromance, the Genie taken pleasantly by surprise by when he is summoned not by another uncaring master but a decent guy who asks him what he really wants after millennia. You love and care for all these characters, plus there’s no shortage of animated movie magic to help you forgive the film’s shortcomings. 

Score: 17/24

Recommended for you: Disney Renaissance Movies Ranked

In this edition of Ranked, what follows is The Film Magazine’s ranking of Disney’s cinematic output over the decade 1989-1999, known as the Disney Renaissance.

Honourable mention: A Goofy Movie (1995)

While my fellow millennials might feel a bit sore that A Goofy Movie isn’t included on this list, here’s the rationale…

While it was produced during Disney’s Renaissance period, it was made by Disney’s B team as a follow-up to Goofy’s TV series and did not have the studio’s full creative weight thrown behind it, nor the budget. It’s still a cute and heartfelt movie about growing pains and daddy issues, but not a game-changer like all the other films on this list.

10. Pocahontas (1995)

Very loosely based on historical figures, the daughter of a Powhatan chief falls for an English soldier and must chose a side in a war against her people.

I think they were going for earnest with Pocahontas, but unfortunately they ended up coming across as patronising. John Smith really is the worst isn’t he?

Quite aside from how unpalatable a personality Gibson has become over the years, his character here mansplains the concept of civilisation to an indigenous woman. That’s much worse than the actual villain who’s just egotistical and greedy.

The animal sidekicks are cute, but this ends up being stuck halfway between merchandisable entertainment and aiming for prestige.

Animation game-changer: Disney’s first lead character from an indigenous people and their first story inspired by the lives of real people as opposed to fairy tales.

Magical moment: Pocahontas’ efforts to humble the arrogant John Smith and his narrow worldview with undeniable earworm “Colours of the Wind” is gorgeously animated, transitioning between vignettes of nature in harmony linked by living watercolour.

2019 – All Wrapped Up!

British cinema had a stand out year in 2019, taking the lead at the Golden Globes with Sam Mendes picking up both Best Director and Best Picture – Drama awards for his World War I epic 1917, and the UK box office well and truly booming over the course of the past 12 months.

Although the UK box office may have been largely dominated by American studio pictures, that’s not to say British titles didn’t make an impact. Successes came in all shapes and sizes. Downton Abbey took a remarkable £28.2m at the UK box office this summer with a sequel already rumoured, Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic Rocketman was the 11th biggest film of the year in the UK grossing £23.4m, Last Christmas, the Christmas hit featuring the music of the late, great George Michael and Yorgos Lanthimos’ weird yet wonderful historical drama The Favourite both did extremely well, earning themselves a place in the top 20 films of the year.

There’s no doubt that the champions of film for 2019 were the cinema giant Disney however, with 4 of the top 5 films of the year being their property. They simply dominated the UK box office and, perhaps even more impressively, the worldwide box office too. Thanks to Disney’s ownership of Lucasfilm, Marvel and Pixar they took the world by storm, not only with these huge franchise films (Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) but also with their self-created live-action and animated offerings (such as The Lion King and Frozen II).

Here were the top 5 films of 2019 at the UK box office: 

Avengers: Endgame – Disney – $114.9m/£88.4m
The Lion King – Disney – $93.4m/£71.9m
Toy Story 4 – Disney/Pixar – $82.8m/£63.7m
Joker – Warner Bros. – $72.3m/£55.6m
Frozen II – Disney – $65.05m/£50.07m

Avengers: Endgame not only topped the UK chart but back in July it became the highest grossing film of all time knocking James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar (2009) off the top spot.

Frozen II also broke records with its massive November release making it the highest grossing animated film of all time with a whopping £50m, taking over from its predecessor Frozen (released in 2013) which earned £44.5m.

The list of top ten worldwide releases of 2019 looks very similar to that of the UK, Disney dominating the field with other big studio films filling the few gaps in between…

The top 10 highest grossing movies of 2019 at the worldwide box office:

Avengers Endgame – Disney – $2.7b
The Lion King – Disney – $1.6b
Frozen II – Disney – $1.3b
Spiderman: Far From Home – Disney/Sony – $1.13b
Captain Marvel – Disney – $1.12b
Toy Story 4 – Disney/Pixar – $1.07b
Joker – Warner Bros. – $1.06b
Aladdin – Disney – $1.05b
Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker – Disney/Lucasfilm – $989m
Fast & The Furious: Hobbs & Shaw – Universal – $758m

2019 was the first time the worldwide box office exceeded $42billion, taking an estimated $42.5billion, 25% of which came from China.

Hollywood relies heavily on the Chinese box office for the success of its films. Due to Chinese release regulations, the China Film Association will only allow 34 foreign films to have cinematic releases in any one year, so gaining one of these coveted spots is essential for the US studios to ensure successful releases.

The Chinese box office has a huge influence on the global box office. Out of the top 10 Chinese films of 2019, only 2 of them were foreign titles and both from the United States: Avengers: Endgame and Fast and The Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

22% of the total box office takings for Avengers: Endgame came from China. This is a huge amount to come from one country and considering the total box office takings for the year in China was $8.76b/61.32b yuan, this is a huge push for films like Avengers: Endgame, and seems to indicate that the country’s severed ties with Disney may have ended – this originally happened after the bad box office performance of the 1998 animated Disney classic Mulan and the controversial Disney-funded film Kundun, released in the same year.

The new live-action remake of Mulan, due to be released in 2020, is already surrounded by controversy due to the badly timed release of the trailer, given all the political discomfort in Hong Kong. However, Disney are hoping, due to the remakes’s cultural accuracy, that it will succeed in the box office and get a China release.

The biggest film of the year in China was the fantasy animated film Ne Zha which took a record breaking $713mil/5bil yuan.

Safe to say that despite the political issues in China and the supposed disagreements between the CFA and Disney, big studio’s can still rely upon China’s cinema goers to boost their box office takings. Predictions are being made that in 2020 China will be the biggest single cinema market in the world with the expectation that the box office revenue will practically double.

And thanks to the success in China, and around the world, Avengers: Endgame quickly became the biggest film of all time; 12 years in the making and 22 films later audiences around the world saw the anticipated fate of all their favourite Marvel characters. Avengers: Infinity War was released 12 months prior and was the perfect build up to the epic finale, presenting us with the supervillain Thanos who would come to wipe out half of all living things with the snap of his fingers, literally. Audiences and critics alike loved the series ending film and the Critics Choice Awards 2020 even named it the Best Action Film of 2019.

Disney didn’t miss a trick in 2019. Not only did they finally wrap up the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, but they also released the epic conclusion to the 42 year old Skywalker Saga in the form of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Despite not doing as well financially at the box office as Endgame, The Rise of Skywalker was a huge hit and the 9th biggest film of the year grossing $989,569,690. 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi opened to mixed reviews but was a huge box office hit – bigger than that of its sequel – making it the second biggest Star Wars film ever with a worldwide box office total of $1,332,539,889.

What Next?

2020 is going to see a continuation of both the Marvel and Star Wars franchises but in different forms. Although Endgame wrapped up the Avengers films, Marvel has plenty more hits in the pipeline, the first being Black Widow (May 1st, 2020); a prequel story telling us more about Scarlett Johansen’s super spy Natasha Romanoff and her star studded family. Florence Pugh (Little Women) stars alongside David Harbour (‘Stranger Things’) and Rachel Weisz (The Favourite).

Although it may have come to the end of its fictional time line, Disney and Lucasfilm have a lot planned for the future of the galaxy far, far away. Disney is soon to launch its own streaming service in th UK, Disney + (already available in other territories), with the hotly anticipated series ‘The Mandalorian’ available to watch on launch. Disney are also in the early stages of production for a series looking at the life and times of Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor set to star.

Out of eight 2019 films making it onto the billion dollar list, six of them are Disney property. The biggest surprise to make it into the elite club was Warner Bros.’ October release Joker. Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Joker had a remarkable impact on the box office, causing conversations to start all over the world and appreciation for Phoenix’s performance being the hot topic. Joker brought a huge £57.9million to the UK box office, making it the fourth biggest hit of the year and the biggest ever hit in the country for a DC Comics film. A comic book film about a stand up comedian who isn’t funny is not something that seems like it’s going to work, but something about Phillips and Phoenix’s dynamic resonated with audiences up and down the country.

We have had a lot of film successes to celebrate over the past 12 months, but with success comes failure, and although the top 20 is dominated by remakes, sequels, prequels and reboots, it doesn’t always guarantee you a secure place at the top of the charts. We saw that with the 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels, starring Kristen Stewart and directed by Elizabeth Banks, which grossed a measly £1.13m at the UK box office. Rebooting a beloved franchise is clearly not always the best way to go. The previous trilogy starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu opening weekend took a huge $40m in North America back in 2000, while this new film opened to only $17.8m (and these figures don’t even account for inflation).

Other rebrands of pre-existing material that offered large cinematic releases, but garnered less cinematic audiences this year were features such as X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Terminator: Dark Fate and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, none of which grossed more than £7.3m in their lifetime run in the UK.

Despite the abysmal reviews Tom Hooper’s musical adaptation of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s hit stage show “Cats” received on first release, the film’s opening weekend gross of £3.2m may not have been the shockingly low response we were expecting. However, with a predicted loss of $70m globally, it should still be considered as one of the biggest flops of 2019.

2019 was a big year for films, with two major franchises coming to an end (one being the biggest film of all time), animation film records being broken in the form of Frozen II and Ne Zha, and independent cinema being seemingly more popular than ever. It’s safe to say 2019 was a year of cinema worth celebrating.

You can support Charlie in the following places:

Twitter: @funnyoldworldx
Website: Funnyoldworld

IndieWire – 6th Dec 2019

Stephen Graham, the British star of the likes of This Is England and Walk Like a Panther who recently played a memorable role in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, is set to join the cast of Venom 2. The film, which will be Sony’s follow up to the 2017 billion dollar hit starring Tom Hardy, is currently keeping details of its plot close to its chest, with Graham’s role yet to be revealed.

Deadline – 5th Dec 2019

New Terrence Malick film A Hidden Life received a rare screening at the Vatican on Wednesday 4th Dec ahead of its North American release on the 13th.

THR – 5th Dec 2019

New DC/Warner Bros project The Batman, from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes screenwriter-director Matt Reeves, has cast Garden State, Green Lantern and An Education character actor Peter Sarsgaard. Though the role Sarsgaard has been given is currently under wraps, suggestions are being made that the actor could be set to play the role of Harvey “Two Face” Dent.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

A new Planet of the Apes movie is being developed at Disney, who now own the rights to the property following their purchase of 20th Century Fox earlier this year. The film, which will be overseen by the director of The Maze Runner 1, 2 & 3 Wes Ball, is suspected to be a franchise reboot, though details are currently unclear in this regard.

THR – 3rd Dec 2019

A Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel is in the works at Disney, with the director of the franchise’s original film from 1989, Joe Johnston, being lined up to direct. The project was apparently pitched to Disney by Beauty and the Beast and Frozen star Josh Gad earlier this year, and will reportedly see the actor fill the role of Wayne Szalinksi’s (Rick Moranis’) son.

Variety – 5th Dec 2019

Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning will co-star as sisters in an adaptation of Kristin Hannah’s “The Nightingale” set to be directed by Inglourious Basterds actress Melanie Laurent.

THR – 4th Dec 2019

Sony’s musical Cinderella, set to star Camila Cabello, has cast ‘Chambers’ actor Nicholas Galitzine as its Prince Charming. Kay Cannon (Blockers) is set to direct.

THR – 5th Dec 2019

The first ever spin-off to one of Disney’s live-action remakes has been given the go-ahead, with Aladdin’s Prince Anders set to get his own standalone film. The film, which will be distributed exclusively by Disney+, will see original actor Billy Magnussen reprise his role.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

Mena Massoud, the lead actor and titular character in Disney’s 2019 live-action remake Aladdin, has said in an interview: “I haven’t had a single audition since Aladdin came out.” Revealing that was tired of keeping quiet about it.

THR – 3rd Dec 2019

Oscar-winning writer of The Big Short, Charles Randolph, is teaming with Blumhouse head Jason Blum to bring a real-to-life story of notorious start-up We Work to the big screen. The film, which is yet to be given a title, will be an adaptation of the reports of Katrina Booker, as well as her upcoming novel.

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

A sequel to 2018 Christmas movie The Christmas Chronicles starring Kurt Russell is heading to Netflix in 2020, with the first movie’s producer, Home Alone and Harry Potter 1 & 2 director Chris Columbus stepping into the director’s chair. Hollywood star Goldie Hawn, the real-life wife of star Kurt Russell, has also been confirmed to be playing the role of Mrs. Claus.

The Christmas Chronicles 2, coming next holiday season pic.twitter.com/zYVPwxKdbk

— See What’s Next (@seewhatsnext) December 6, 2019

The new Ghostbusters film, set to be directed by the son of original Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, has been given a full title ahead of its Summer 2020 release date: Ghostbusters: Afterlife.

Empire – 6th Dec 2019

Disney have sent out recommendations to movie theaters/cinemas asking them to warn viewers of prolonged flashing light sequences in their upcoming Lucasfilm release Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. The note, put together in conjunction with the Epilepsy Foundation, is something of a rarity in the industry.

THR – 6th Dec 2019

Kathleen Kennedy, the head of Disney subsidiary studio Lucasfilm and the overseer of Star Wars, is set to receive the British Film and Television Academy’s highest accolade, the BAFTA Fellowship award, in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film.

BAFTA – 6th Dec 2019

Helen Mirren, the British actress who won an Oscar for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, will be honoured by the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020 with an iconic Golden Bear for the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

4th Dec 2019

Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix has been named the PETA Person of the Year 2019 for promoting welfare rights to animals in trouble. The veteran actor and multi-time Oscar nominee, recently appeared on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal’s “we are all animals” billboard campaign that looked to raise awareness of the group’s hope to ban travelling animal circuses worldwide.

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite won big at the 2019 European Film Awards this weekend, taking home 8 awards including European Film, European Comedy, Best Director and Best Actress.

TFM – 8th Dec 2019

And finally…

Studio Ghibli films will be available for digital purchase for the first time ever from 17th Dec, following a deal made with GKIDS to make all 21 of the studio’s releases available for purchase through their platform (set to hit HBO Max in 2020).

THR – 2nd Dec 2019

Georgian director Zaza Urushadze, best known for directing 2013 film Tangerines, has passed away aged 53 from a reported heart attack.

Vestink Kavkaza – 7th Dec 2019

It’s not been a bad year for the UK box office, with the total takings of 2019’s top 10 highest grossers (at time of writing) being approximately £388,967,274 (according to Box Office Mojo and google money converter). So today we are going to look at how the top 10 currently stands.

Which movies have earned the most in the UK so far? And what have critics and audiences had to say about them?

10. The Secret Life of Pets 2 – £19,570,258

The latest offering from Illumination managed to rake in the box office, despite a rather lukewarm reception.

Audience Reception: 90% – Rotten tomatoes / 6.6 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “A sequel that feels less necessary than willed into being, but that doesn’t mean it’s not pleasantly entertaining.”

9. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World – £21,219,615

While the concluding How to Train Your Dragon movie wasn’t as successful for Dreamworks Animation as its predecessors at the box office, it continued to impress both audiences and critics in equal measure.

Audience Reception: 87% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.6 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “Who would have thought that DreamWorks’ “How To Train Your Dragon” would end up as one of the best film trilogies out there?”

8. Rocketman – £23,572,360

This Elton John biopic followed in the footsteps of last year’s Bohemian Rhapsody to become a smash hit across the UK.

Audience Reception: 88% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.6 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “Rocketman is an honest, heartfelt tribute to Elton John’s music and his public image.”

7. Dumbo (2019) – £26,964,177

The first of Disney’s live-action remakes this year left an odd taste in the mouths of cinemagoers. As despite its high takings, no one seemed overly enthused about it.

Audience Reception: 51% – Rotten Tomatoes / 6.4 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “The problem with this latest entry in Disney’s ever-expanding range of recycled classics isn’t that it hews too close to the studio’s original animated masterpiece, but that its many departures only muddle the original’s nursery-rhyme simplicity.”

6. Spider-Man: Far From Home – £31,524,501

The most recent film in the ever dominant MCU, like many of its predecessors, deftly managed to please both audiences and critics.

Audience Reception: 95% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.9 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “It’s not quite the home-run of Homecoming, but Far From Home isn’t far from matching it, with heaps of humour, energetic action, and the answers Endgame left you craving.”

5. Aladdin (2019) – £37,496,448

Unlike Dumbo, Aladdin did managed to please audiences. Critics, however, were very mixed.

Audience Reception: 94% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.4 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “Another lavish and largely entertaining Disney re-do, with strong turns from Massoud and Scott. But…Smith’s genie performance feels disappointingly constrained — both by overdependence on the original and some ghastly CGI.”

4. The Lion King (2019) – £37,816,339

The latest Disney remake has, in only 2 weeks, already proven to be Disney’s most successful solo developed project in the UK. It also managed to capture the love of the general public.

Audience Reception: 88% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.2 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “Unfolding like the world’s longest and least convincing deepfake, the new “Lion King” fatally misunderstands what once made Disney special.”

3. Captain Marvel – £42,632,688

Despite its divided reception by both audiences and critics, Captain Marvel continued to prove the power of the MCU’s marquee value.

Audience Reception: 55% – Rotten Tomatoes / 7.0 – IMDb

Critical Reception: “Captain Marvel is … a solid enough movie, but it suffers from an overbearing need for its agenda to be pushed – had it been handled with a little more care, it could have been fantastic.”

2. Toy Story 4 – £53,611,537

9 years after Toy Story 3, Toy Story 4 finally made it to cinemas. It continued the high standards set by the original Toy Story films, opening to almost unanimous praise across the board.

Audience Reception:  94% on Rotten Tomatoes / 8.2 – IMDb (#170 on IMDb’s top 250 films)

Critical Reception: “This franchise has demonstrated an impressive ability to beat the odds and reinvent itself…It’s a toy store of ideas, with new wonders in every aisle.”

1. Avengers: Endgame – £94,559,351

Lastly, we come to the highest-grossing movie of the year (and of all time). After over a decade of build-up, the MCU finally culminated with a fond farewell that pleased almost everyone.

Audience Reception: 91% – Rotten Tomatoes / 8.7 – IMDb (#24 0n IMDb’s top 250 films).

Critics Reception: “Avengers: Endgame is all that you hope it’ll be and a bag of chips. The Russo brothers hit all the right notes from start to finish, and the ending in particular is thoroughly satisfying.”

So ends the UK box office top 10 of the year so far…

With big releases like IT: Chapter 2 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker coming up, this year’s top 10 may even beat last year’s top 10 gross (approximately £523,006,040). We’ll just have to wait and see.

Written by Josh Greally

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Mena Massoud (from Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Jack Ryan’) and Power Rangers star Naomi Scott have been cast as Aladdin and Jasmine respectively, with Disney also confirming that Will Smith will play the Genie.

Industry professionals and Aladdin fans alike had rallied to have the central characters be played by actors of middle-eastern descent given the original’s clear indicators and homages to that particular area of the world in their animation of the fictional land of Agrabah. In Massoud and Scott, Disney have cast actors of Egyptian and Indian heritage respectively, calming fears of a live-action “white-washing”.

The news confirms that after 2,000 reported auditionees, director Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) has made true on his promise of casting relative unknowns in the movie’s two central roles, with Massoud having only appeared in one feature-length release despite gaining prominence on television and Scott only recently shooting into the public eye via her role as the pink ranger in Power Rangers (2017).

Interestingly, Naomi Scott’s career as an actress has coincided with a career in music, offering promise to her rendition of the movie’s iconic central number “A Whole New World”.

Disney’s remake of Aladdin will be just one of several big budget live-action remakes of their beloved animated properties over the coming years, the studio giant looking to reignite interest in properties that have long been cornerstones of the brand, whether that be on the screen or at the theme parks.

There is currently no official release date confirmed for this picture.

Robin Williams mastered the art of comedy with such precision that he was a beloved household name for decades. One of his most notable performances was in ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ (1993), where Williams took on the role of a father who disguised himself as a Scottish nanny, which was hilariously charming, heart-warming and zany all-in-one. This happened to be just a mere sample out of a catalogue of films that showcased the sheer talent and creative genius of Williams himself, a great deal of which was can be best remembered by people of my age group.

As a millennial, I have grown up watching movies starring Robin Williams – the 90s alone featured iconic family hits ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ (1993), ‘Hook’ (1991), ‘Flubber’ (1997), ‘Aladdin’ (1992), and of course, the iconic, ‘Jumanji’ (1995). Furthermore, I have laughed and wept at such films. I appreciate that Williams’ work spanned out much greater than this, but these selections have impacted me greatly, and have since become films in which I will forever cherish, as they are reminiscent of a time when I was a young girl myself; something I believe illustrates how the art of film can resonate with you for an extended period of time. I am currently in the final months of my tenure at university, yet I am still a fan of such films and could re-watch any of them without even a moment’s hesitation, something I believe is largely owed to the genius of the man I am celebrating in this article.

What is great about film, is that you can revisit it at any point. You can re-watch Williams perform ‘Friend Like Me’ in the form of an eccentric animated genie, or rewind and re-view him face-planting a cream cake in a frantic flurry to avoid revealing his character’s real identity in ‘Mrs Doubtfire’. I find that a film, especially any of those that I enjoy, can never grow old or tiresome. I will continue to sing-along to Aladdin or laugh at the multitude of mishaps in ‘Mrs Doubtfire’.

A classic will never lose its magic.

The notion of revisiting such films is that you can appreciate them in greater detail, as when I was younger I missed certain aspects of much of Williams’ work and the movies he starred in, such as in ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ which included a variety of hilarious scenes that I did not value enough until watching it again as a young adult. I would say one of my favourite scenes from ‘Mrs Doubtfire’, aside from the iconic ‘cream cake/face mask’ montage, was that of when Daniel’s (Robin Williams) court liaison officer, Mrs Sellner (Anne Haney), asks Daniel “do you have any special skills”, to which the character replies “I do voices”. Williams then gifts the audience with a wide range of impressions which are hilarious and really highlight Williams’ gift for entertaining. It was this very scene that inspired my own adoration for comedy and voice impressions, something that has shaped my character, personality and has become a part of who I am. Moreover, Williams’s talent for impressions was undeniable, as he was a multi-talented actor whose roles were performed with an unequalled precision. Williams’s role as the genie in Aladdin was one of the first times I had encountered his work and I would claim it was one of the most iconic Disney films of the 1990s. I feel rather nostalgic when I think of the film, as it turns 25 years old this year. I was not born when it was released, but I was introduced to it in accordance with the other iconic, (mostly) traditionally animated Disney films, when I was a young child. ‘Aladdin’ stood out to me, as I found myself in awe of how humorous and eccentric the character of the genie was. This is because Williams brought the character to life, and I could not imagine anyone else ever playing him.

Upon re-watching ‘Aladdin’ in my late teens, I noticed all the clever humour posed by Williams, including the pun ‘I feel sheepish’… ‘you baaaad boy’, whilst the genie transitioned into a sheep himself. This idea of transitioning into different identities was conveyed throughout the film, something I always considered must have been exhausting, demonstrating both Williams’s talent and dedication to his role. In my opinion, aside from ‘Mulan’, ‘Aladdin’ was the best of all of the 90s Disney movies, as the humour that was provided by Williams (much of which was improvised) cemented it as being an unquestionable classic.

To conclude this piece, I will leave a quote from Williams, which is rather poignant and uplifting. It makes me happy and sad all at once. Most importantly, I believe it showcases Williams’s wonderful character, and how much of an impact he made upon millennials like myself, as well as the vast contribution he made to the performing arts as a whole. Robin Williams is a talent that should not only be remembered as fondly as he is by my generation, but by older generations and younger generations, too. He is a once in a lifetime performer we should never forget.

“You’re only given one little spark of madness, you mustn’t lose it”

– Robin Williams

Image Credit: Parade.com

Number 30: Hercules becomes a God –Hercules (1997)

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Number 29: Higitus Figitus. Merlin works his magic – The Sword in the Stone (1963)

Number 28: The Evil Queens evil plan – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Number 27: Pink Elephants on Parade – Dumbo (1941)

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Number 26: Copper saves Todd – The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Number 25: Ohana means family – Lilo and Stich (2002)

Number 24: Mulan gets ready for war – Mulan (1998)

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Number 23: Ray is united with Evangeline –Princess and the Frog (2009)

Number 22: Pocahontas meets John Smith –Pocahontas (1995)

Number 21: Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid (1989)

Number 20: Alice goes down the rabbit hole – Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Number 19: True love’s kiss – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Number 18: 101! – 101 Dalmations (1961)

Number 17: Aladdin wishes Genie to be free – Aladdin (1992)

Number 16: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo – Cinderella (1950)

Number 15: Steamboat Willie – Steamboat Willie (1928)

Number 14: Everybody wants to be a cat – The Aristocats (1970)

Number 13 – I’m a real boy – Pinnochio (1940)

Number 12: The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book (1967)

Number 11: Bambi goes ice skating – Bambi (1942)

Number 10: Let It go – Frozen (2013)

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Number 9 – The Circle of Life – The Lion King (1994)

Number 8: Ariel gives up her voice – The Little Mermaid (1989)

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Number 7: The Floating Lights – Tangled (2010)

Number 6: Off to Neverland – Peter Pan (1953)

Number 5: Maleficent crashes the party – Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Number 4: Bella Notte – Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Number 3: Mickey’s dancing brooms – Fantasia (1940)

Number 2: Long Live The King – The Lion King (1994)

Number 1: The Dance – Beauty and the Beast (1991)

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Number 10: Mulan – Mulan (1998)

Mulan is very different to the rest of the characters on our list. Mulan is all about representing strength and honour, and doing whatever it takes to protect your family. She is by no means the typical beautiful princess in a gown, she is a fighter. Not only is she a representation of strong women, she also represents a culture other than the typical American or English settings that Disney are drawn to.

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Number 9: Jasmine – Aladdin (1992)

In a similar way to Mulan, Jasmine represents a different culture: she is exotic and she is one of the few princesses that has sex appeal (which is mainly down to her strength). She wants her independence, she wants to make up her own mind and she is not afraid to stand up to those who try to control her. Where as many Disney stories are of normal girls longing for a Prince or to be a Princess, Jasmine is the opposite, she has everything but would give that all up if it meant she could live her own life.

Number 8: Tiana – The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Tiana marks a ground-breaking moment in Disney history as she is the first black princess. She is ambitious and independent, and works hard to achieve her dream. She is a feisty character and in no way a damsel in distress. Despite being turned into a frog, she is the one who takes charge in rectifying their situation. Although she has the beauty of a typical Disney princess, we focus more on her personality as she spends most of her time as a frog, and it is this that we fall in love with.

Number 7: Rapunzel – Tangled (2010)

Rapunzel is a princess who is simply fun, and like many teens growing up is discovering the world for the first time (even though her situation is more on the extreme side). Despite loving her ‘mother’ she wants her own freedom. She is cute, energetic, creative and has hair to die for. Rapunzel, along with Tiana, seemed to have started a new wave of Disney princesses.

Number 6: Elsa – Frozen (2013)

Elsa is the most recent princess on this list, but her impact has been incredible – the popularity of Frozen is something that nobody expected. Even two years after the film’s release, hype still surrounds it. Elsa is the only princess with magical powers on this list, she is an outsider, and her journey to accepting who she really is, is a captivating one.

Number 5: Aurora – Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Aurora is a traditional princess in every sense of the word. Her beauty resembles that of an old Hollywood movie star and she is the typical damsel in distress, dreaming of her Prince to come. She may not be rebellious, or particularly strong or ground-breaking, but she is iconic to the Disney brand: her castle is one the main attractions in the Disney parks. Sleeping Beauty is a true Disney classic.

Number 4: Cinderella – Cinderella (1950)

Much like Aurora, when you think of Cinderella you think of the traditional Disney princess: beautiful, kind and innocent but in a tough situation. Cinderella just longs for one night of happiness and when her wish is granted, she just so happens to meet a Prince and her true love. Whereas she may not be as prominent in setting new ideologies when it comes to being a Disney princess, Cinderella is simply iconic when it comes to Disney.

Number 3: Belle – Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Belle’s kindness and representation of acceptance is what puts her so high on this list. She is beautiful and graceful, but it is also her intelligence and her love of books that make her a good role model for young girls. She is independent and a great judge of character, refusing the likes of Gaston and accepting the kind heart of the Beast. She may also have one of the most memorable wardrobes of all the Disney princesses.

Number 2: Ariel – The Little Mermaid (1989)

Ariel was another princess who seemed to brake the mould when it comes to stereotypical thoughts of a princess, and not only because she is not entirely human. Ariel is rebellious, cool and let’s face it she has hair that any girl would kill for. She is the one that every young girl wants to be, whether in mermaid or human form. Ariel’s strive to want more for her life is something that almost everyone can relate to, and her willingness to give up everything to get it makes her stand out in the Disney universe.

Number 1: Snow White – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Not only was Snow White the original princess, but she was the one that started everything in Disney’s first feature length film. Snow White is the pioneer of the Disney Princess, and she is probably the most memorable. She embodies everything you think of when you think of a princess: pure innocence, beauty, kindness and grace. This is why she is number one on our list.

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