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.

Clearly Lydia is wise beyond her years.

Film as an art form has long been dictated by a ruling class of middle aged to old white men, so we here at The Film Magazine thought that we would turn the homogeneity of this critics circle on its head by instead asking a mixed race, dual-nationality little girl what the best movies of all time are. Needless to say, Lydia’s tastes are eclectic.

If you have ever wondered what cinema is to a girl born in the year 2011, make sure to strap in for this exclusive Movie List of the best films of all time according to someone whose favourite daily activities include learning dance moves from YouTube, listening to child pop sensation JoJo and playing Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch.

These are the 10 Best Films of All Time (According to a 9 Year Old Girl).

Make sure to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with more lists like this one.

10. The Muppets: Most Wanted (2014)

Though admittedly a little confused as to which Kermit is which (a drawn-on mole and slight change in accent really isn’t clear enough when you’re getting overwhelmed with excitement every few minutes), The Muppets: Most Wanted is a personal favourite of Lydia’s. “I’ll give you what you want” is usually the quote of choice, and the wall scene in the Russian Gulag is the moment that brings about the biggest laughs.

To adults, this iteration of The Muppets is a little gimmicky and not as original as a lot of the group’s other work, but this nine year old finds it hilarious.

9. Moana (2016)

Like just about any child born from 1930 onwards, Walt Disney Animation has had a profound effect on Lydia’s experience of film. One of her first great loves was Moana, the beautifully animated 2016 animation starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

As you may expect, Lydia went all-in on her fandom, asking Santa Claus for the toys at Christmas and pleading with her Mum for the Moana dress from the Disney Store. She even told people that Maui was her brother, though only because they each shared “a big belly”.

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

There are an infinite number of ways a character can be introduced – it has to happen in every film we watch – but we can only ever remember the truly great ones. Whether they make a grand entrance or slip into our lives subtly, if we are introduced to a character in the right way, we can make a decision on how we feel about them instantaneously.

In this list, the latest in The Film Magazine’s 5 of the Best Character Introductions in Movie History series, I have chosen five examples of memorable character introductions that not only embody just who the character is but also come to establish the tone of the entire film. These moment are not only great character introductions but the have become iconic movie moments in their own right.

1. Simba

The Lion King (1994)

‘Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba’

The sun rises over the plains of Africa and we follow a myriad of animals as they make their way to Pride Rock, a place that would become not only the stage upon which our protagonist would be presented but the hub for the entire film. As the animals gather, we have the first glimpse of the adorable lion cub Simba with his parents as he is blessed by the wise Baboon Rafiki. Rafiki takes the young Simba to the end of the rock and holds him up for the kingdom to see. The congregation of animals bow to the majestic sight of their future king.

Recommended for you: The Lion King (2019) Review

Every element of this scene works together, from the visual of the sun rising and the emotional performance of Elton John’s Circle of Life to the iconic still of Simba being held in the air as the rest of the kingdom bows down. Simba’s introductory scene has become iconic not only in the world of Disney and animation but in the whole of cinema.

2. Renton

Trainspotting (1996)

‘Choose life.’

The film opens with two characters we soon learn to be Renton and Spud running through the streets of Edinburgh to the soundtrack of both Iggy Pop’s ‘Lust for Life’. The scene then goes on to introduce the other characters in the film but the focus remains on Renton as his inner monologue tells us to ‘choose life, and a job and a big f**cking television’, before declaring his love for heroin.

In this scene we hear Renton’s philosophy on life and this becomes the philosophy for the whole film. The scene is a mix of fast paced and chaotic sequences such as the chase through the streets and the football game, and offers juxtaposition through slowed down sequences like when Renton is high alone in the room before he falls to the floor. This is a reflection of the way Renton lives his life, the highs and lows we expect to see throughout the film, and sets up his character as one who lives fast but also lives hard. The introduction of Renton, much like the introduction of Simba, is a great example of how the right music can make the introduction of a character that much more impactful.

Recommended for you: Danny Boyle Films Ranked

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

To support Josh Greally and read more articles like this, make sure to click through to the following links:

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The Lion King (2019)
Director: Jon Favreau
Screenwriter: Jeff Nathanson
Starring: Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Beyoncé, John Oliver, Alfre Woodard, John Kani, James Earl Jones

The Lion King marks the second Disney “live-action” remake helmed by director Jon Favreau, the first being 2016’s The Jungle Book. I was delighted by the latter film; new life was given to a familiar story with state-of-the-art animation and a slue of talented actors lending their voices to create an incredibly entertaining reimagining of a Disney classic. Because of this, when I discovered Favreau would also be directing The Lion King, I had very high hopes… hopes that were perhaps too high. While The Jungle Book enhanced the magic of its predecessor, The Lion King did the opposite.

We all know the story: the animal kingdom is led by the mighty lion Mufasa (James Earl Jones), whose young cub Simba (JD McCrary) is next in line for the throne. However, Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) believes he should sit atop Pride Rock because he thinks he’s better than everyone else. After throwing Mufasa to his death, Scar blames Simba for the murder and forces the young heir to run away so he can take the throne for himself. While Scar is busy screwing up the entire kingdom, Simba meets new friends: the meerkat Timon (Billy Eichner) and warthog Pumba (Seth Rogen), who are both outcasts themselves. The duo teaches Simba not to worry about anything, and to enjoy life day by day (in other words, “Hakuna Matata”). It isn’t until Simba is fully grown that his old friend Nala (Beyoncé) finds him and urges him to return to Pride Rock and challenge Scar, who has turned the kingdom into a barren wasteland. At first, grown-up Simba (Donald Glover) refuses, because Timon and Pumba turned him into a big baby, but when the mysterious monkey Rafiki (John Kani) comes knocking, he convinces Simba that Mufasa is watching from above. The booming, familiar voice of James Earl Jones tells Simba “remember who you are,” and just like that, Simba is off and running back to Pride Rock where he defeats Scar and, of course, retakes the Lion Throne. And Scene.

Visually, the film is stunning. There are shots that truly amaze, such as lifelike fireflies illuminating the face of Rafiki against the backdrop of an African sunset. Favreau indulges the power of the visuals at his fingertips, allowing the most breathtaking shots to play out so the audience can absorb them to the fullest. The opening scene is the most prime example of this, as “The Circle of Life” plays and the camera pans over the thriving plains of Africa. Nostalgia grips hard here. Unfortunately, I would soon discover that this is the best scene of the entire movie.

As soon as The Lion King moves to an intimate level among its characters, problems arise. First and foremost, the animals are way too realistic. The strong voiceover performances are undermined by a lack of expression in each of the characters’ faces, something that was not an issue with the original film’s traditional form of animation. The mix of almost photorealistic visuals and more traditional animated film voiceover work creates the sense that some characters are borderline creepy when they speak, particularly that of John Oliver’s Zazu, who’s anatomically perfect hornbill face just doesn’t do the comedian’s voice justice. I found myself wondering if the Disney Nature crew took over midway through. The dialogue also faces its share of obstacles. At times, character lines feel forced, especially in the case of James Earl Jones’ Mufasa. I couldn’t shake the feeling that the filmmakers either took his words directly from the original film and placed it in this one, or Jones half-assed his lines on repeat for the sake of pleasing fans of the 1994 version.

Some of the musical numbers also don’t sit well with me. A few iconic songs from the first film are seriously altered here, and it doesn’t feel right. Scar’s song “Be Prepared” is choppy and uncomfortable (probably due to Ejiofor’s lack of singing voice), and Zazu’s delightful “Morning Report” is flat out removed. The only songs I did enjoy were the reimagining of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” featuring Beyoncé and Glover, as well as a short rendition of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” with an animal ensemble.

I wish there was more to say about this one, and I wanted so badly to commend Favreau for another job well done with a Disney remake. The trouble is, a lot of these films are so damn nostalgic and personal to a lot of viewers, that the remakes only do the originals a disservice (see also Aladdin). The Lion King is worth a single viewing for its stunning visuals, but don’t expect to be moved like you were 25 years ago.

12/24

Written by Samuel Sybert

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

‘Hercules’ at 25 – Review

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)

Recommended for you: Tim Burton Movies Ranked

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)

Mulan (1998) Review

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)

Recommended for you: 4 Most Depressing Disney Moments

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

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

Recommended for you: The Evolution of Disney Dads

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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I started early on the Saturday morning with one of my all-time favourites, Wall-E, the film about the little robot that only wanted love in his life. I found myself singing along word-for-word to a musical I’ve never seen (it being Saturday, it would’ve been improper to put on my Sunday clothes) and mesmerised, as always, as Wall-E and Eve danced through space.

Immediately after that I watched Bolt, and I enjoyed it more than I remember. It’s a film that’s often overlooked – following the best-forgotten Chicken Little and preceding the impressive Princess and the Frog – but deserves appreciation, not least for reminding us that there was a time when Miley Cyrus wasn’t just a walking sex metaphor.

I’d watched two Disney films by this point without the joy of a musical, so I got myself a few snacks and tucked into Hercules, and I sang. Oh, did I sing! But as great as the songs are (they really are amazing, and that’s the Gospel truth!), the film really belongs to James Woods’ Hades; the sassy, fiery God of the Underworld and main antagonist, who steals every scene he’s part of.

Next, I felt it might be a good idea to show some love for one of the lesser-known Disney films, The Great Mouse Detective. An unashamed homage to Sherlock Holmes, I enjoyed it – not as much as I enjoyed some of the other films that day – and spent large parts of the movie distracted by the fact that the voice of Scrooge McDuck appeared in the movie. It’s a big thing…

By this point, I needed a break. I took about 20 minutes. ONTO THE NEXT ONE!

It hadn’t been that long since I visited San Fransokyo, but I needed to go again. Big Hero 6 is such a good film, and Baymax is easily one of the best characters Disney has ever brought to life. Hiro’s story of loss and search for revenge pulls at the heartstrings, while his walking pillow and doctor tries his best to heal the pain the young boy is feeling throughout the film. I was very satisfied with this film. I was satisfied with my care.

Another film I hadn’t seen in a while, The Fox and the Hound, was after that, a film that I remembered made me exceptionally sad. It was, and still is, but while it’s a beautiful story of friendship and the difficulty of life, I got distracted by one moment of madness. About halfway through the film, Chief (whose voice is synonymous with Disney) gets hit full force by a train, and falls a comfortable 30 feet into a very shallow and rocky river, but next scene, Chief is nursing a bandaged leg and nothing more. What?! I’m not trying to get a petition started for more death in Disney, but let’s try and be realistic now.

Then it was time for my last film of Saturday, and it only seemed right for it to be my favourite. I was very excited to find out that I had the option of a Sing-A-Long version (I know virtually every word, but still…), an option which I gladly accepted. Then it started. ‘NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA’. By the end of the first song, I was holding my Simba soft toy aloft, welcoming the future King of Pride Rock, and it only got better from that moment on. My life peaked that night.

On to Sunday now, and in between getting incredibly stressed and then relieved by the football, I managed to squeeze in another four films.

While I tell you about the first one, I’d like to invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair as I proudly present – Beauty and the Beast. I can’t talk about Beauty and the Beast without addressing my weirdly wishful bro-love for Lumiere, the world’s most suave candlestick holder, a man who, even when magically transformed into a piece of home décor, manages to get all the girls. Except Mrs Potts. No man is good enough for Jessica Fletcher.

My next film of the day was another I hadn’t seen in a while, The Incredibles, and I know I’ve said this a lot, but I forgot just how good this film is. It’s easily one of the best superhero films there is, and the only Pixar film that ever demanded a sequel, although unfortunately it’s getting its sequel after many unnecessary ones *cough Cars 2 cough*. Plus, it’s got Samuel L Jackson in it, pre-Nick Fury days. What’s not to love?

To double figures now, and the beautiful city of Aghrabah in search of a diamond in the rough, and while Aladdin has a lot to celebrate, it only seems right to talk about Genie – the part Robin Williams was born to play – as the film is illuminated by Williams’ effervescence, mania, and beautiful multitude of character.

My final film in my marathon is the geekiest of all the Disney films, and a celebration of video game culture. Wreck-it Ralph combines top quality characters with a new and unique premise, and sprinkles in enough gaming references to earn Nintendo some serious royalties. None of which match Vanellope von Schweetz , the Glitch, the plucky racer (who doesn’t know how to drive) who just wants to be on the roster. It’s impossible not to love her.

And so ends my Bank Holiday weekend. I can’t wait for the next one, I still have so many films to watch.

Written by Greg Forrester

By Kat Lawson & Holly Bowler

15. Edgar Balthazar, The Aristocats, 1970.

Trying to do away with those adorable cats just to get your hands on Madame Adelaide’s fortune, shame on you Edgar.

14. Prince Hans, Frozen, 2013

Taking advantage of poor Princess Anna, she only wanted someone to love her. There’s a lesson here girls (and guys): the first person you meet might not always be Mr/Miss Right.

13. Gaston, Beauty and the Beast, 1991.

There is no need to lead a troop of angry villagers to try and kill the beast, it won’t make Belle love you any more! You just need to find a woman who likes you for your vain, narcissistic and villainous self, and leave Belle to her “happy ever after”.

Oh and never come between a girl and her books!

12. Lady Tremaine (The Evil Step Mother), Cinderella, 1950.

Wanting the best for your children is all well and good but it shouldn’t be at the expense of your step-child, and if you want a maid why not hire one? After all, you are the widow of a wealthy aristocrat; surely you can afford staff?

11. Dr Facilier (The Shadow Man), The Princess and the Frog, 2009.

Offering potions and lotions to people who want a way to make their hair grow again is one thing, offering the souls of New Orleans as payment for your dastardly schemes is just a little bit naughty, but we’re sure your “friends on the other side” will have fun with you.

10. Prince John & Sir Hiss, Robin Hood, 1973

Most of the comedy in this film is provided by the vain but clueless Prince John and his inability to listen to his assistant Sir Hiss. While his brother King Richard is off one “another crazy crusade” Prince John attempts to rule England with an iron fist (or paw) but is outwitted by Robin Hood and his gang who rob the rich to feed to poor.

No wonder Sir Hiss always looks panicked.

9. The Evil Queen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937

Snow White’s wicked step mother who becomes obsessed with offing Snow as soon as her magic mirror announces that Snow White is the fairest of them all, couldn’t just grow old gracefully could you?

8. Shere Khan & Kaa, The Jungle Book, 1967

Bengali Tiger Shere Khan stalks man-cub Mowgli through the jungles of India, his desire to kill him based on his hatred and fear of mankind with their fire and guns. Kaa the python on the other hand spend the film trying to eat Mowgli but fails comically each time.

7. Oogie Boogie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993

Trying to kill Santa will only ever make everyone hate you, especially when you then try to assasinate the well loved skeleton king. Don’t be THAT guy Oogie!

6. Jafar, Aladdin, 1992

Look we know that you’re power crazy, you want the genie’s power and to be ruler of all Agrabah and marry Princess Jasmine, but sometimes you just have to learn to live with disappointment.

5. Ursula the Sea Witch, The Little Mermaid, 1989

Stealing an innocent mermaid’s voice so you can steal their man? That is one of the biggest betrayals in womanhood!

4. The Queen of Hearts, Alice in Wonderland, 1951

We all love a red rose as much as the next person, but did you really have to behead those playing cards for planting white ones? Everybody makes mistakes.

3. Cruella de Vil, One Hundred and One Dalmations, 1961

Attempted skinning of 101 dalmatians for a fur coat is the fastest way to be hated by everyone, living up to your evil name Cruella.

2. Maleficent, Sleeping Beauty, 1959

We hear you girl, nobody likes being missed off the invite list for a party, but there’s no need to curse a newborn baby for it is there? Oh apparently there is.

1. Scar, The Lion King, 1994

Attempted murder of your entire family will never make you a good leader, just feared and hated by your not so loyal subjects.

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